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If you spend large amounts of time sitting in a desk chair working at a desk you undoubtedly are familiar with the fatigue and back pain which often accompany such work. A proper setup at the workplace or at home is crucial to your health and comfort. Ergonomics used to be completely ignored, but has in recent times enjoyed great popularity as the benefits of proper ergonomics have become better understood. Proper ergonomics is conducive to a more efficient work environment where individuals are more comfortable, thus happier and harder working. Most corporate offices therefore take ergonomics very seriously, and provide many interesting examples of the most effective workplace designs.

An ergonomic desk and chair must relate to each other in a certain way to ensure that your eyes are always the proper distance to the monitor so you needn’t move your neck back or forth. The height of the desk is also very important, your feet should be flat on the floor, and the back of your knees should be about five centimeters away from the edge of the seat itself. The position of your desk and chair overall is a somewhat subjective matter, but they should be placed in such a way to ensure that you almost never feel any strain on your neck, legs, back, fingers or hands.

A proper ergonomic desk should also contain a few different accessories to support the overall ergonomic design. Accessories include special ergonomic keyboards, phone extensions, pens, and various writing and reading equipment. All of your accessories should be close by.  Having them within arms reach reduces the need to strain yourself repeatedly throughout the day just to grab a calculator or pen.

It’s worth noting that the previous recommendations are just that, recommendations. There is no exact science to ergonomics that can prescribe a precise system of support for everyone. People obviously have different bodies with unique shapes and muscular physiques. The only principle of ergonomics which holds for everyone is the fact that you must work to avoid physical strain on your body and in particular on your neck and eyes.

If you want to go further than simply mitigating strain on your body and joints, and actually strengthen your body as you work, there is a wide spectrum of exercises which are designed specifically for the workplace. This kind of exercise is especially fruitful for those who are hard pressed to find enough time to exercise, and is a great way of multitasking and making the absolute most of your time.