Ergonomics For Kids & Adults
Concerned about your child’s posture while online learning?
Since the onset of the Coronavirus, the number of people complaining of neck and back pain has increased significantly. This includes office workers and young school children doing home learning. People have been spending a lot more time in front of a screen than they normally would. Many of their setups and postures are not great.
The added challenge faced by families now is adults working from home and having to share the same workspace with their children who are home learning. Most of us do not have office furniture to adjust to individual needs. So let me begin by walking you through some key points in setting up a workspace. I’ll then provide some tips on what to do with the furniture you have at home.
Ideal Sitting Posture:
- Elbows: 90 degrees
- Seat depth: 2 to 3 inches gap
- Keyboard: close to edge of desk
- Monitor height: Eyes approximately level with the first line on your screen
- Monitor distance: An arm’s length away & tilt back 15 degrees
Issues with fixed chair and table height:
Most school children in HK are probably using the family dining table to do home learning at the moment, and maybe even some of you Mums and Dads are too. As you all are different heights, it is impossible for everyone in the family to have correct posture using the same dining chair. Typically the dining table is too high and the chair is too low or too deep for children.
If you or your child’s feet cannot touch the floor, you will need to add a footstool or small box. Please note that the height of the footstool should not allow the knees to be higher than the hips.
If the seat depth of the chair you are using is too deep, you should add a cushion in the natural curvature of the back so that the lower back is well supported.
Other handy tips you may find useful!
It is important to note that unlike muscles, discs have no blood supply. The discs obtain nutrients and hydration when we move our spine regularly. It is crucial to load and unload the discs evenly. You can achieve this by alternating your work position (sit versus standing), taking regular breaks to walk around and dynamic sitting.
Leave a reply