By: Catherine Dilts
Writing can be a literal pain in the back. Or wrist. Or
posterior. Don’t let bad habits ruin your ability to create. I am fortunate to
work at a company that employs a full-time professional ergonomist. Mary Plehal
kindly shared valuable information specific to writers. Your particular needs
should be verified by your health care practitioner.
Perhaps your mother, or some other well-meaning person,
urges you to sit up straight. Or outright nags you to quit slouching! Annoying
though it is, your helpful posture "policeperson" is correct. Poor posture while
you are writing can cause all sorts of problems.
How do you maintain correct posture, without the presence of
the posture police?
Best Practices for
Posture
While Sitting:
- Your
head should be balanced over your shoulders
- Shoulders
are down and relaxed
- The
low back has an inward curve
- Knees
are very slightly below hip level
- Elbows
are close to the torso and forearms are supported
- Feet
rest comfortably on the floor or on a footrest
I’ll bet just looking at this picture made you sit up
straight!
Correct Adjustment of
Your Chair
I know some of you are going to complain that you have no
choice about your seating arrangements. You are a poor starving artist who only
has a straight backed wooden kitchen chair, or who has to grab a stool at the
coffee shop. Even under the worst circumstances, some of these hints can be
implemented. Keep in mind that the goal is to adjust your seating to support
good posture.
- First
Adjustment:
Raise or
lower the height of your chair so that your shoulders are relaxed at your sides
and your hands are slightly below your elbows when your fingers are resting on
the keyboard.
- Second
Adjustment:
If your chair is
too high, use a foot rest. The foot rest should be angled, especially if you
wear shoes with heels. Knees should be slightly lower than hips. Very tall
workers may need to raise their desk surface to accomplish this.
- Third
Adjustment:
The height of your back rest should place the forward low
back curve (lumbar support) of the chair into the small of your back. This is the most common chair adjustment
error. Most chairs have the lumbar support too low.
- Fourth
Adjustment:
The tilt of the
chair back should be in a very slight recline vs. straight up or tipping
forward. This relieves pressure on the low back
- Fifth
Adjustment:
There should be a
3 finger width gap between the front of the chair and the back of the knee. Too much of a gap decreases support for the
upper body. Too little or no gap decreases circulation and causes workers to
scoot forward due to pressure behind the knee
Slide the seat pan
forward or backward (if this adjustment is an option)
- Sixth
Adjustment:
Arm rests. Typical problems:
Shoulder winging = Too wide
Shoulder elevation = Too high
Shoulder slouching = Too low
Forward leaning = Too far forward if they prevent you from
getting close to your desk
Adjust armrests to
eliminate these problems. If this is not possible, remove the armrests all
together.
Best Practices For Standing
I am fortunate to have a sit-stand desk at work. I wish I
could afford to have one at home! These desks allow you to raise and lower the
surface. As you’ll learn in another installment of Ergonomics for Writers,
changing positions is ideal to avoid fatigue. Consider standing while you
write, if you have access to a stable surface of the correct height.
- Head
and shoulders are balanced over hips
- Shoulders
are relaxed
- Feet
are hip width apart
- A foot
rest is used intermittently
- Shoes
are supportive
- The
desk surface is approximately 2” below relaxed elbow height
- A
standing mat is used on hard surfaces
Conclusion
Good posture is the key to avoiding physical fatigue while
writing. Keep these suggestions in mind as you are creating your next novel.
Breaking bad habits takes time. I find it helpful to pin posture reminders near
my work area.
Join me next month for a continuation of the series. We will
cover topics including desk arrangement, eye fatigue, and stretching.
Thanks again to Mary Plehal for her professional advice and
illustrations for Ergonomics for Writers!
About the Author: Catherine’s
fifth published short story appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine’s May
2016 issue. The second novel in her amateur sleuth murder mystery
series, Stone Cold Case – A Rock Shop Mystery, is available on-line
via Barnes & Noble and Amazon, and in e-book for Kindle. She anticipates a
fall release for book three. With a day job as an environmental regulatory
technician, her stories often have environmental or factory-based themes.
Others reflect her love of the Colorado mountains, fishing, and running.
Wow, this is terrific! Just adjusted my chair (as much as I can, anyway). Thanks, Cathy, for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI never realized how much I slouched. Just call me Sloucher. Thanks for this article, Cathy!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, my seating arrangement at home is not up to correct standards. I am trying to clean up my writing space, though. The effects of incorrect ergonomics are cumulative. Somehow I notice the aches and pains more at work than at home.
ReplyDeleteAH YES! I am so glad to see other bloggers posting about this! I did a series on it last month, because before this year I really didn't have good posture at all. (I'm still struggling to remember to sit the correct way.) But, then I injured my wrist, and boy, it's so not fun! I'm still working through that injury, all from typing too much and in the wrong position. So, thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteAidyl from Noveltea
You are welcome, Aidyl! It is amazing what a difference a few adjustments can make. Old habits are difficult to change, but it is worth the effort to avoid injury.
ReplyDeleteThis is such good advice. I'll see that image of the proper seat position every time I notice I'm slouching. This is a good reminder for any of us working at a desk all day.
ReplyDeleteOK, I officially need a new chair. The seat used to slide forward to support my legs, but it doesn't want to stay there any more. I'm a big time sloucher and have the back pain to prove it. I'll try very hard to use all of this. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteKaye, so glad the ergonomics info was helpful!
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