Glued to your Computer All Day?

Aryaman, a software engineer with a leading software firm in Delhi, never

even thinks twice when asked to work overtime. Even when he is not working, he

can be spotted at his favorite place: smack in front of a glowing computer

screen. Hammering away happily at his keyboard, eyes glued to the screen,

munching chocolates brought in by his friends, taking just a couple of minutes

off to stuff himself with whatever is served in the pantry and back again in his

chair, downing umpteen cups of coffee...that sums up Aryaman’s lifestyle.

"This is the beginning of my career, I need to work hard to create an

identity for myself. I have to do it or someone else will," says Aryaman.

IT professionals, especially software programmers are so deeply involved in

work that they just can’t tear themselves away from their computer screens.

Sixteen-hour workdays, unrealistic deadlines, and the urge to be the best drives

professionals to ignore the basic tenets of health and safety at work. This

leads to health complications, which can be avoided easily.

The Ideal Sitting Position Head Centred over shoulders about an arm length from the screen, with eyes looking straight ahead or just below horizontal Shoulder Comfortably held down and back Head Centred over shoulders about an arm length from the screen, with eyes looking straight ahead or just below horizontal Back Upright while maintaining curve of lower back Elbows Relaxed,close to side of body at about a 90o angle Wrists Relaxed in a straight neutral position without resting on a wrist pad or the edge of the worksurface Knees Slightly lower than the hips Chair Slanted slightly forward Feet Planted flat on the floor Neck Elongated without straining forward or backward Fingers Gently curved downward

In the West, companies do have specialized departments to ensure strict

workplace standards. There has been no such tradition in India. More than

punishing deadlines and aggressive work practices, the problem is due to a

disregard of basic health and hygiene issues at the workplace. It is also

compounded by the fact that there is no authority to enforce such standards.

Well, last week, Aryaman came to me and said his fingers hurt at times or

else, become numb. He has been experiencing this for a while, but was alarmed

when he could not pick up a pen that had fallen down. Medical examination led to

the following diagnosis of two repetitive strain injuries: Carpal tunnel

syndrome and forearm tendonitis. Aryaman was fortunate and his problem resolved

after a month of physiotherapy. Left untreated, the CTS could have caused

permanent nerve damage and the tendonitis could have harmed his tendons and

muscles even further.

RSI (repetitive strain injury) is the most common occupational hazard faced

by IT professionals. The US Bureau of Statistics estimates that the number of

RSI cases in the US have increased fourfold in the last three years. No such

figures are available for India, but given that Indian IT professionals,

especially software engineers have left no stone unturned in competing with

their American counterparts, the numbers certainly are comparable.

RSI: The risk factors

Repetition: using a single part of the body to perform the same action

repeatedly.



Posture: stretching a joint to the extreme and retaining the unnatural
position for long periods



Force: performing an activity that results in excessive muscular
exertion.

Static exertion —Keeping the body or certain body parts absolutely

motionless for long periods.

Contact stress: direct pressure on nerves or tendons due to the resting of a

body part against a hard and possibly angular surface.

Our bodies are certainly capable of performing all these activities. However,

as they are done in combination, and for extended periods of time, the risk of

injury increases. Along with RSI, staring at a monitor for long periods can

cause severe eyestrain. A study in the US has showed that 91% of the 75 million

people who use computers for more than two hours a day suffer from some kind of

vision problem.

Add to these our sedentary lifestyles, 12-16 hours in a chair, hardly any

physical movement, and our eating habits, and we have a time bomb ticking away.

Of the diseases associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, following are the most

common: cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

How do such injuries develop?



Some studies have suggested that long periods of typing, an improper

workstation setup, incorrect work habits or problems in our personal health may

be linked to injuries.

Correct Posture Take care of your posture. Your posture says a lot about you. At the National Defence Academy where I trained, we were told, “Look straight, chin up, chest out, stomach in, buttocks in, don’t SLOUCH!” Today, I realize how this basic training is relevant at the workplace. Shoulders Your shoulders should not be elevated and the arms should be raised above your shoulders. T elbows should rest close to your torso, almost touching your waist. Make sure to provide support if the elbows are not close to your torso. Head/Neck Maximum: 30° of forward bending. Maximum 20° twist from side to side. Elbows Work in the 70—135° range, with the keyboard tilted to match. The elbows should be relaxed near your torso. Hand/Wrist The forearm, wrist, and hand should be fairly straight and not significantly bent in any direction. As you type, your fingers should be slightly curved but not curled. Torso/Thigh 90 - 120° range (D) Thigh/Knee 60 - 90° range (E)

Some typical mistakes are: slouching while working on the computer, staring

at the screen for long periods, hammering away at the keyboard, improper chair

or height of the table, a flickering monitor, glare or reflection, consuming too

much of junk food and tea or coffee and missing meals or having a late dinner.

What are we talking of?



Discomfort and fatigue, whether personal or work-related, cuts into

productivity, but left unattended, may get worse and may even require expensive

medical treatment. The good news is that such disorders are both preventable and

curable. What is required is a conscious acknowledgement of the threat and our

understanding of how these can be mitigated. Regular breaks, good posture and

exercise go a long way towards warding them off entirely.

Try these simple but effective tips.

• Take exercise breaks instead of coffee breaks.

• Get up a little earlier in the morning to fit in a
  
  30-minute brisk walk

• Get off the bus one or two stops early and walk the rest
  
  of the way.

• Take a walk after dinner instead of watching television.

• Drink lots of water every day. (2-3 liters)

• Go out for a short walk before breakfast or after dinner
  
  or both! Start with 5-10 minutes and work up to 30 minutes.

• Stand up when on the phone.

• Walk down the hall to speak with someone rather than
  
  using the telephone.

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or get off a few
  
  floors early and take the stairs the rest of the way.

• Walk around your building for a break post-lunch.

• Space, limit your drinks (hard). Remember the three D’s
  
  — Diet, Dilution and Duration of Drinking.

Eye-care



You spend a greater part of your life before a computer screen, unaware that

it causes a condition known as CVS or Computer Vision Syndrome. CVS is

characterized by eyestrain associated with prolonged computer use. Here are some

simple tips to ease the strain on your eyes:

• Position the monitor 20 to 26 inches away the eyes.

• Take breaks between 20 to 60 minutes for about 2-4
  
  minutes.

• Arrange the light source to minimize glare and
  
  reflections on the screen.

• Blink frequently to moisten the eyes–every 20-30
  
  seconds.

• Use anti-glare spectacles.

• Black characters on a white background are usually the
  
  best.

• Avoid dark backgrounds.

Exercise: Necessary to keep you fit, even at work!



Make physical activity a part of your life. Lack of physical activity is now

clearly shown to be a risk factor for heart disease. Most of us have sedentary

jobs. Work takes up a significant part of the day. What can you do to increase

your physical activity during the workday? You can swim, cycle, jog, dance, and

walk. Choose activities that are fun, and not exhausting or energy-sapping.

Stretching for health



Performing simple stretches throughout the workday increases circulation and

flexibility, improves posture, and reduces tension and the chance of injury.

Given below are some stretches specifically designed for individuals who spend

time sitting while working at a desk or on a computer.

Rama Krishna is deputy manager, human resources, Optech Solutions. Anjali

Sharma is executive (HR) at EDS Technologies

Working Out at Work

You can do just a few of the following exercises anytime during the day. Try

some of them before you get stiff and sore. To get the best results, exercise

and take short breaks frequently. Exercise is one of the best ways you can

improve your posture.

• Include a variety of movements in your workday.
• It’s important to take shorter (even if its just 15 seconds) breaks more
  
  frequently rather than one longer break.
• Hold each stretch for five to ten seconds and repeat each exercise three
  
  to five times, or perform as directed in the accompanying instructions.
• To improve flexibility, strength and endurance, try holding each exercise
  
  a little longer or doing more repetitions.
• When stretching, you will feel a slight pull on the muscle. If this
  
  becomes mildly uncomfortable (especially if you feel radiating pain), ease
  
  off or stop the stretch.
• Remember, movement is necessary for health and comfort. Simply standing up
  
  and taking a deep breath each hour will improve your comfort and health.
• Stretches for the whole body.

Exercises

• Reduce fatigue, promote circulation and improve comfort.
• While standing with arms at the side.....
• Inhale and reach up with both arms
• Hold the position for five seconds
• Return to the starting position and repeat thrice
• Stretches for the back

Expected Results

• Reduce fatigue and improve back comfort.
• Reverse the curve (for the back and hips)
• While standing upright with feet slightly apart...
• Place palms in hollow of lower back.
• Focus eyes on a point straight ahead (keeping chin down).
• Bend backward using hands to support lower back (do not lock knees).
• Hold for five to ten seconds and return to starting position.
• Repeat three to five times.

Executive Stretch



(for upper back, chest and shoulders)

While sitting upright in chair...

• Clasp your hands behind the head (elbows aligned with ears).
• Press elbows back as far as possible, squeeze shoulder blades together.
• Relax and repeat three times.

Pelvic Press



(for abdominal muscle strength and back comfort) While sitting all the way

back in a chair...

• Tighten/contract abdominal muscles (when you do this you will feel as if
  
  you are pulling your belly button toward the backrest of the chair). Hold
  
  this position for five seconds.
• Relax and repeat three times.

Expected results



Improved neck, shoulder and upper back comfort.

Head Tilt and Turn



(for head and neck) While sitting upright with shoulders relaxed slowly...

• Lower head to shoulder, hold and repeat to other side.
• Turn the head to look over the shoulder and repeat to other side.
• Lower the chin to chest and return to the starting point.
• Repeat the sequence three to five times.

Shoulder and Arm Rolls



(for neck, shoulders and upper back) While sitting or standing with

shoulders relaxed, slowly...

• Roll both shoulders backward, down and around in a circular motion
• Repeat three to five times
• Raise
• Rotate
• Lower
• Repeat
• Stretches for the arms

Expected Results



Improved comfort and circulation.

Wrist Circles



(for forearms) While standing or sitting upright in a chair...

• Hold hands out with palms down.
• Slowly rotate hands (as if drawing circles with fingertips).
• Rotate inward, then reverse motion five times each.

Hand Flex



(for hands and fingers) While standing or sitting...

• n Slowly clench fists.
• n Slowly open and spread your fingers.
• n Repeat five to ten times.

Wrist Flex and Extension



(for forearms and hands) While sitting or standing...

• Extend both arms in front of you, with palms facing down.
• Slowly bend (extend) both wrists so fingers point to the ceiling and hold
  
  for five seconds.
• Next, bend (flex) both wrists so fingers point to the floor and hold for
  
  five seconds.