Office desk ergonomics are highly important for maintaining a healthy posture, and for improving your mood at work. A bad posture not only leads to back pain, but also migraines, and lower moods!
But there’s a lot that goes into office desk ergonomics. So much so that you might find yourself a little daunted when trying to research the topic. Want to know everything about office desk ergonomics, without getting bogged down in all of the excess detail? Then this is the guide for you!
We had our Reliant tech experts help us to put together this definitive guide. With everything you could ever need to know about office desk ergonomics. So you can put together the ultimate ergonomic workstation to keep you focused on those busy days! Let’s get right into it!
What Makes An Office Desk Ergonomic?
The Right Height
The most important thing to consider about your desk is its total height. You want to make sure your desk is at just the right height. This not only ensures that everything is within reach but also promotes a better posture.
Your desk’s height should preferably be at a height that is suitable for your own height. For instance, if you are taller, then you’ll want a desk that’s similarly tall. If you use a desk that’s too short, you’ll have to hunch over just to get anything done. Hunching over for prolonged periods will put an incredible strain on your back! A desk at the right height will also allow you to place your feet flat on the floor, with your knees level with your hips. This helps to increase stability and improves blood flow across the body.
The optimal desk height should allow you to relax the majority of the muscles in your body. For instance, your neck, arm, and leg muscles. This keeps you from quickly becoming tired out!
Make sure all of the important items on your desk are also at the right height. For instance, your screen should be at eye level. This allows your neck to adopt a neutral position as you work. Allowing you to relax your neck muscles, which also results in you feeling less tired by the end of the day! The angle and position of your keyboard and mouse are also important. Your wrists should be able to sit flat against the surface of the desk as you type or use your mouse. Make sure that your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle to reduce muscle strain.
Under-Desk Space
Make sure not to neglect the space underneath your desk. There should be more than enough space underneath the desk to allow you to spread your legs out. If your desk has limited space, it can make sitting very uncomfortable. This is because you would need to squeeze your legs together in all kinds of weird positions. Over time, this can result in your legs going numb, and all kinds of other aches.
Just make sure that there is plenty of space for keeping your feet flat against the floor. When your feet can sit flat on the floor, it reduces the strain placed on your legs. In turn, this keeps them from aching and tiring out.
Curved Edges Or Padding
Where possible, we would recommend that your desk has some kind of curved edge. If you were to press your arms against the sharp edges of a desk for too long, you could reduce blood flow to your fingers!
Curved edges help to prevent “Contact Stress”, which occurs when your arms are pressed up against sharp edges for prolonged periods. Contact stress will leave your arms aching and painful by the end of the day. Not exactly conducive to relaxing after a long day at work!
If your desk does have sharp edges, make sure there is enough surface directly in front of the keyboard. This allows you to have your arms flat and keeps them from pressing into sharp edges. If not, we would recommend investing in padding that you can place over the edges. This allows you to carry on with your work, without having to worry about contact stress!
Adjustable Working Surface
It’s worth considering the type of work you do. If you engage in typical desk work, involving the use of a computer and keyboard, then a flat work surface is perfect. However, work such as graphic design, architecture, or art can benefit more from a desk surface that is at a slight angle. A slight angle ensures you don’t have to hunch completely over your work. In turn, this promotes healthy posture!
Sitting-Standing Adjustability
If you spend countless hours at your desk, it’s worth investing in a height-adjustable model.
The ultimate ergonomic desks are height-adjustable models. These allow you to alternate between sitting and standing at the desk. In turn, this helps you to avoid being sedentary for too long!
Height-adjustable desks allow you to change between sitting and standing positions throughout the working day. This in turn helps to stave off issues that come about from prolonged sitting and standing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Makes An Office Desk Ergonomic?
Ergonomic office desks help to keep you comfortable throughout the working day. A good office desk should be at the right height. This allows you to sit with a good posture, with your arms, neck, and feet in a relaxed position. This keeps your muscles from straining. Which also keeps you from tiring out!
What Makes A Good Desk?
A good desk should be suitable for the kind of work you do. It should offer enough counter space for all of your necessary items, and it should be durable, to hold them up. Make sure the desk is also at the right height. This allows you to prioritise ergonomics. So you can protect your posture as you work.
