Set up stress-free at your keyboard

Do you know what ergonomics means? Answer: It’s the science of adapting the conditions in the workplace to suit the worker. And Joe Criscuolo says the principles are especially applicable for those of us who are in front of our computers for extended stretches virtually every day. Criscuolo is a principal and technician-at-large at PC Specialists Sales and Service in Monroe (150 Main St., www.pcspecialists.net). His partner, Melissa Moran, estimates customer volume has exceeded 10,000 since the doors opened five years ago. Positioning yourself properly at your computer, Criscuolo says, will help to prevent fatigue and soreness in your wrists, arms and hands. “When you are absorbed in what’s on your screen,” he says, “you tend to overlook the fundamental posture and movement you need to avoid stress, in other words the ergonomics.” So Criscuolo suggests the following guidelines to work efficiently and remain ache-free: • Position yourself so that the keyboard is at elbow level with your upper arms relaxed at your sides. • Center the keyboard in front of you with the spacebar as the mid-point. • Use a light touch while typing with the wrists straight. • Type with hands and wrists floating above the keyboard, using the whole arm to reach for the more distant keys, rather than stretching with the fingers. • When not typing, relax your arms and hands. • Avoid resting the hands and wrists on any surface when typing. If the keyboard has a palm rest, use it only when you are not typing. • Remember to take a short break every 15 or 20 minutes.