Ergostyles Blog Ergonomic Makeover: How to Create an Ergonomic Work Station

You may have heard of the term "ergonomic" a few times already, especially if you are someone who works at a desk most of the day. You may have also heard that you should strive to have an ergonomic workstation to avoid the many health risks involved with sitting at a desk for long periods of time. What exactly is an ergonomic workstation, and how do you go about putting one together?When defined, ergonomics is said to be a science that revolves around the design and configuration of items around people in such a way that these are beneficial not only to productivity but also to the person's health. The term was actually coined from two Greek terms, ergon and nomos, with the former meaning "work" and the latter meaning "laws". While today's definition of ergonomics does not really fit the original meaning of the two terms combined, the fact that the term still covers work and things involved with work shows that ergonomics is indeed a term used in the workplace.For you to have a work station that is ideal for both productivity, and for good health, there are some elements that need to be incorporated into it. For starters, you workstation should give you the chance to work standing up. There are desks that allow you to alternate between working in a sitting position and in a standing position with ease, and these are called sit stand desks. It is ideal that you work standing up at least 2 hours of each day to help prevent the onset of ailments that include obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.Aside from having a desk that can be adjusted for use while standing and when sitting, you should also have a chair that is ergonomically correct, which means that such a chair should allow you to sit in the proper position, which can help reduce the usual back and neck aches that come with using a non-ergonomic chair. A monitor arm that helps you adjust your monitor to prevent eye-strain is also another tool that you should try to get for your work station.While having these equipment for your workstation can indeed help you minimize the possibility of you getting the problems that come with non-ergonomic workstations, there are still a few more things you need to complete your totally ergonomic cubicle. Strive to add an ergonomic keyboard, a keyboard tray, an ergonomic mouse, and even a foot pad to your list of must-haves, and you can be certain that problems associated with a poorly-assembled workstation won't be on your list of woes at work.Photo Credit: Adam Melancon