ENDURE: September 2012

Gear Review: Back to School Ergonomics

Pencil wielding, backpack toting, lunchbox carrying children everywhere have headed back to school this month giving us the perfect opportunity to provide you all with a few tips on the proper ergonomics associated with academic work areas and equipment.  Rather than reviewing specific items or brands this month, we decided a more general review of some important concepts related to student gear as well as work practices which can be applied from the boardroom to the home office could be valuable as the fall routines start up again.  We hope you'll use these tips to help keep yourself and your children pain and injury free.

BACKPACKS
Kids have been toting backpacks for years, but with the emergence of back pain, even in young children, an emphasis has been placed on ensuring proper ergonomics. The days of the super cool (but not super spine-friendly) single strap backpack are hopefully numbered and with any luck the "induced scoliosis" (see picture) will soon be a thing of the past.

A couple of considerations:

 

1. Two Straps are Better Than One - Avoid carrying the pack over just one shoulder and replace professional bags carried over one shoulder with something like one of these BUSINESS BACKPACKS
• Professionals still not buying the backpack look?  Consider a rolling bag if you travel long distances by foot
2. Lighten Your Load - Overpacking is a common mistake made by students and professionals alike.  A pack should not weigh more more than 25 lbs. no matter how big you are. For children 60 lbs. or less shouldn’t be carrying more than 5 lbs.  A good rule of thumb is no more than 10% of your body weight.
3. Keep it Snug - Many packs have adjustments preventing the load from sagging too far down or too far away from the body.  Make sure the load stays snug to the body by properly adjusting shoulder straps and utilizing chest and waist straps.
4. Waist Strap - Speaking of straps, a particularly beneficial strap is the waist strap as it helps secure the load to the hips and allows the hips to carry more of the weight as opposed to the shoulders and back. Talk to any seasoned day-hiker or backpacker and they'll tell you that the majority of the weight is carried on the hips and the shoulder straps just keep it in place......this is very hard to achieve if the pack is sagging.
5. Wider Shoulder Straps are Better - finding a backpack with wide comfortable shoulder straps helps distribute the load across the deltoid (shoulder) muscle and can prevent localized pain and cutting off circulation to the arms
6. Find the Right Fit - Unless you’re in the market for a hiking pack, make sure the backpack does not exceed the size of the back

Examples:

• IVAR - one of the only companies advertising an ergonomic pack, it has all of the options listed above.  Although we haven’t seen the backpack in person, the shelving system in the pack keeps the load evenly distributed and close to the body
• AirPacks - Another pack advertised as ergonomic, this backpack provides an air filled lumbar support pad to better distribute the load of the pack across the hips and pelvis

Although, we aren’t officially recommending either of the two packs above, they are examples of some of the backpacks available.  As long as the backpack meets the 6 criteria above, you should be set going with a more affordable option in most cases.

DESK
Whether at a home, office, or school, the workstation you’re sitting at can play a large role in staying free from pain and enduring the long focused hours required to be most effective in your role.  Although there’s often no choice in the matter when it comes to school desk setups, here are just a couple tips to ensure you’re in the right position:

1. Shoulder Height - Height should allow arms to rest comfortably without having to slouch forward (if too low) or shrug shoulders (if too high).  Both positions strain the back and neck, and can be corrected using a keyboard tray to adjust height
2. Clutter Free - There should be plenty of space under the desk for legs to move freely
3. Square Up - You should not be twisted at all while sitting at a workstation.  Prolonged exposure to twisting one way or the other can lead to a host of dysfunction.
4. Easy Reach - Setup items on desk so that you are not bending, reaching, or twisting excessively or too frequently.  Phones, calculators, copiers, etc. should be placed within easy reaching distance if used frequently
5. Seat Height - Chair height should be set so that feet are flat on floor (or footrest) with hips at or slightly above knee height and feet extended slightly farther out than knees.  
6. Seat Back - The back of the chair should be supportive of the lower back, should be upright (not reclined more than slightly), and allow for a comfortable seated position.  Often we don’t use the seat back properly as we lean forward into our work...try to get into the habit of sitting back into the chair and allowing the chair to hold the weight of your body (this way your back doesn't have to).
7. MOST IMPORTANTLY - Get up and move around every once and awhile - even the best chair and desk setup can cause problems if you don’t take some breaks and get up. There is almost too much research to list that speaks to the very troubling health effects of prolonged sitting.

COMPUTERS
As our world becomes more and more dependant on computers, problems have bubbled to the surface regarding their use.  Here are a few tips on using them safely.

1. Monitor - Setup so that the top of the monitor is at or slightly below eye level and an arm’s length away to prevent neck strain
2. Keyboard and mouse - The major thing to avoid here is any hard/sharp surface or edge you may be resting your arm or wrist on.  If you’ve got that covered, also minimize bending the wrist in any direction (up/down and side to side), and finally, consider if using a wrist rest for the mouse and keyboard is really of benefit.  Although some are filled with soft gel, they often encourage the user to rest their wrist down onto the pad for extended periods of time, and this pressure can lead to problems.  If you like the feel of it or would have a hard time NOT using a wrist rest, we recommend using it only for breaks, avoiding the contact pressure of prolonged use.
3. Laptops - Laptops are tricky because the mouse, keyboard, and monitor are all one fixed unit.  
• If you spend much of your time using a laptop, consider creating a docking station for where you can plug in an external monitor, mouse and keyboard.  While working at a table or sitting on a couch or chair, the tendency is to slouch forward to both use the keyboard and see the screen simultaneously...talk about a neck ache.  
• Although we're not huge fans of work invading relaxation or (even worse) sleep, using the laptop while laying on a couch or bed can often achieve a fairly good body position.  Prop yourself up with support under your head and back, and place a pillow under your knees to support your legs.  Place the laptop resting in your lap or use a specifically designed lap tray created to prop the computer at an angle while on your lap
• AVOID laying on your stomach while using the laptop for prolonged periods. This "extended" position, can have very positive effects and is often used in therapy for back issues, however the time there is very short (seconds not minutes).

Of course, there's more to consider, but these are some of the most pressing (and frequent) problems and although these alone won't eliminate all the risks, practicing proper personal ergonomics as part of an overall strategy combined with exercise and stretching, proper nutrition, sufficient rest, and a fulfilled community life to stay healthy and injury free is an effective choice.

Written By:
Nick Pfaff - Pro-Activity Personal Trainer & Corporate Prevention Specialist
Amateur Ultra-marathon Trail Runner