E- learning also called online learning or distance education has gained enormous popularity around the globe. This new arrangement is being increasingly preferred by a lot of students due to the comfort and convenience it offers. The children can learn at their own pace without worrying about the extra expense of commute. Schools, universities, colleges or tuitions offer a wide range of online courses and learning programmes these days.
It’s evident that online students spend several hours in front of a laptop or computer screen to get their work done without being concerned about the ill impact of this practice on their health. At some point or the other, we all have heard young people complain about extreme pain in shoulder, neck or back muscles due to bad posture, slouching or straining for long periods of time. Some of them also experience stress, headaches, anxiety, tingling sensations or muscle fatigue. Hence, bad posture might become a reason for their decreased performance making them lazy and less willing to study. Read here: 5 Correct Sitting Posture to Avoid Health Issues
Body positions and movements should be adjusted accordingly in order to promote good posture while studying or doing your paperwork in front of a desktop or laptop to avoid back pain and other computer-related health adversities. According to experts, the right posture is to be at is a 90-degree angle, with reference to your knees, waist, and elbows however this is quite difficult to accomplish in the long run. At the same time, doctors recommend focusing your eyes on the top area of the computer screen. A reclined position is advisable. Making a slight tilt in your ergonomic chair such that it’s back can support your body weight.
Here are some other tips and tricks to keep in mind-
#1. Set up an ergonomic study area with comfortable and adjustable chair and table.
#2. You may also use external portable laptop stands or any other supports for eg. Big files or binders to set laptop screen at the eye level.
#3. Don’t let your legs hang in air. While sitting on the chair, your feet should touch the ground surface. If your chair is adjusted too high, keep a footrest underneath your feet for support.
#4. Avoid using table with inbuilt drawers. They might interfere with your comfortable seating.
#5. Your forearms and hands should be perfectly in- line with your keyboard and mouse kept on your desk.
#6. Don’t use wrist rests. They are actually for your palms. The wrist area has a lot of sensitive nerves and veins for proper circulation of blood. Any sort of pressure on that area might adversely affect blood flow.
#7. You might use a low-profile keyboard such that your hands are aligned well with the keyboard without any sort of support. Also Read: 10 Things to Avoid During Online Classes
#8. Keep changing positions whenever you get time to. Stand up for a bit, change the position of your chair, roll your feet over the footrest or simply walk away from the desk to grab some water as excess of anything is harmful.
#9. Allow your wrists and fingers to rest: fingers off the keyboard and mouse when taking breaks.
#10. Developing a schedule to manage your time properly, will be very helpful in this case. Never spend more than four straight hours in front of your screen. Dividing your tasks into small but considerably doable or achievable chunks of work will definitely prove beneficial.
So, these were some easy to fix things that might give you a more ergonomic experience while studying, making notes or taking online classes.
Also Read: