How Ergonomic Accessories Boost Overall Health

The pandemic has pushed people to start working from home in order to slow the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, not everyone has proper workstations at home, and using the wrong equipment can affect your health negatively. According to Open Sourced Workplace, ergonomic equipment increases your productivity by letting you work comfortably. This also reduces the strain on your body, especially if you’re working long hours. There are quite a number of ergonomic equipment out there, and each addresses a different problem. Here are just a few examples of them:

Lumbar support pillow
When it comes to ergonomic equipment, the first thing people and websites will recommend is an ergonomic chair. But not everyone has the budget to buy another piece of furniture. Fortunately, there’s a more affordable alternative to this: the lumbar support pillow. The lumbar support pillows on The Balance Small Business show that these pillows encourage good posture, which helps lessen the strain on your hips and spine — same as ergonomic chairs. In relation to better sitting posture, it improves your circulation and digestion as well. This is because your internal organs aren’t being squished together from slouching.

Standing desk converter
Staying seated for long hours isn’t good for your health, so another popular recommendation for ergonomic equipment is a standing desk. But again, not everyone can shell out money for new furniture. A standing desk converter is a budget-friendly alternative, and it gives you the same benefits as a standing desk. Pain Free Working describes standing desk converters as something that you can simply put on top of your desk and adjust accordingly. Standing helps remove any aches and pains from sitting down. Aside from that, it also boosts cardiovascular health and improves digestion and lung capacity because of less body compression. It’s recommended that you switch from sitting to standing every 30 minutes, or at least balance the amount of time you spend sitting and standing.

Anti-fatigue mat
Standing for long periods of time can be bad for you too. To combat that, Wirecutter suggests anti-fatigue mats to reduce the strain on your feet, knees, and legs. They basically help you stand comfortably for a longer time. A good mat is also slip-resistant so you don’t have to worry about accidentally losing your balance.

Ergonomic keyboard
A typical keyboard forces your hands into an unnatural posture, overextending your fingers or twisting your wrist to hit the keys. This can lead to repetitive strain injury. An ergonomic keyboard, such as those on PCMag, reduces the damage from typing. Most of these keyboards are split in two so you can type in a more natural and comfortable position. They also have pads and are also angled in a way as to support your wrists and forearm.

Ergonomic mouse
If you’re getting a keyboard, why not get a mouse that will complement it while also supporting your hand and forearm? CNN Underscored’s list of ergonomic mice shows that this equipment is sculpted to fit your whole hand. That way, you don’t have to hover a finger over the buttons. There’s a thumb rest at the side as well so your hand rests comfortably on the whole mouse.

An ergonomic workspace may be quite the investment, but it’s cheaper in the long run — especially since you won’t be paying for medical bills due to work-related injuries. But in the time of remote working and the pandemic, taking care of your health and overall wellbeing should be on the top of your priority list. ECHN shows more ways you can take better care of yourself.