Laptops were originally designed as a temporary replacement when workers were away from their desktop computer. Today, however, the laptop is often the only computer that a person has. And because it's lightweight, portable and convenient, it goes with us everywhere. You may like to work in different locations at home, or the coffee shop, you may take it to meetings to the park or in the air. Unfortunately, laptops go against basic ergonomic design principles for seniors into awkward postures and increasing our risk of injury. I'm sure this looks familiar.

In the first two photos, you can see that both women are slouching, leaning forward with rounded backs and hunched shoulders, and each has their head bent down and their neck thrust forward. This posture can result in muscular skeletal Till disorders, headaches and fatigue. It also puts excessive pressure on our internal organs like our lungs, our heart, liver, and gut. In the third picture, notice that the wrists are resting on the hard sharp edge of the table. Anytime you rest your wrists or forearms on a sharp edge, you increase the stress on your tendons, blood vessels and nerves are nerves go from our fingertips to the spinal cord and it's the nerves in the neck and upper back that control the functions and sensations in our arms, our wrists and our hands. It's also why pain in our neck and shoulders can because by what we do with our wrists and forearms, carpal tunnel syndrome is an injury that's caused when the median nerve gets squeezed or compressed as it passes through the carpal tunnel which is in the wrist.

This results in numbness, tingling and pain throughout the hand and arm. What type of laptop user are you? You're an occasional user. If you work on your laptop for short periods of time, or less than two hours a day, you will have less risk of injury than a full time user. But you still need to pay attention to how you use your computer. You are a full time user if you use your laptop frequently and for long periods of time, longer than two hours a day.

Even though you are an occasional user, you may still want to use your computer in different locations. So purchase a thin lightweight laptop riser, one that will fit easily into your computer bag. The purpose of the riser is to raise the height of the screen. You can adjust the angle of the screen so you can view it with the least amount of bend in your neck. Whether you place the riser on your lap, a tabletop or an airline table tray. The goal is to have the keyboard at a height where you can hold your elbows close to your body and keep your wrists and hands straight.

And empty two to three inch binder with the wider edge facing away from you, or towards your knees when sitting can serve as an option to purchase dreiser. However, this may be too bulky to place in your computer bag but may work well at home. Use a chair that supports a comfortable upright posture. If you need to support your lower back. You can roll up a small towel using an inflatable lumbar pillow or even a jacket It if needed sit on a cushion to raise your body and prop your feet up to provide support for your size. As a full time user, you will need to purchase a laptop stand, an external keyboard and mouse and perhaps an inflatable lumbar pillow.

Choose items that are lightweight and compact, so they will easily fit into your computer bag. Since you're on the go and using your laptop frequently, and for long periods of time each day, you must do all that you can to minimize your risk of injury. If tables and deaths are generally too high for you, sit on a cushion. This is pretty easy to do at home. And there are lightweight travel cushions that can fit in a suitcase and inflatable ones to put in your computer bag. If your feet don't firmly touch floor, find something to prop them up on.

All this can seem difficult when you're seating and table choices are limited. So you see equipment suggested, choose the best work location available and follow the neutral body postures and behaviors outlined in the previous section. I know you are used to just opening your computer and going to work. Adding all this new equipment and setting it up may seem like a lot of effort. You may even feel a little self conscious at first. That's okay.

It will soon become second nature and your body will feel good and you'll be more productive and you'll be the only person in the room without achy shoulders or neck and back pain. In the laptop computers in the office section you will be guided step by step through the ergonomic setup process transporting your laptop and acessories the weight of your laptop and acessories can add up quickly and cause stress on the body. You can help reduce the stress by choosing a laptop and other equipment that is lightweight and by not carrying items you don't need. If you use a case with wheels to transport your laptop, this will cause the least amount of stress and strain. It will also allow you to transport additional items like cables, battery pack, files, etc. But be cautious of overloading.

If you will need to lift it, for example, into an overhead compartment of an airplane. If you use a backpack, choose one with padded shoulder straps and a sturdy hip strap. When you use the hip strap correctly They will transfer much of the weight from your shoulders to the hips. And if you use a carry in case with straps or handle switch shoulders or hands frequently a quick word about tablets and phones. It's not just our laptops that contribute to our aches and pains. What about those tablets and phones?

When we total up the time we spend on all of our devices, the hours add up. So check your posture, have one take a picture of you while you're working. Check out other people's pasture. Do you see a body that is slumped over and twisted are the shoulders hunched up and rounded? Is the head hanging down. It's time right now to start practicing good posture when using all your devices.