Get used to your computer, don’t get used by it - Part 2

Now, you may ask, “What’s the big threat about working on a fast and convenient machine, reclining on my armchair all day?” Well, the threat would be that while you’re using your machine to the optimum use for which it is made, you’re in turn switching off your body muscles that need as much work! They in turn run low on performance and finally starts wasting away. Next time you try to lift any weight, or even bend down to pick your newspaper; you can end up spraining your back or neck, no jokes.

Let’s discuss various types of injuries that you might encounter while working on a computer such as carpal tunnel syndrome as well as various eye discomforts. This also includes various symptoms of these ailments and their methods of treatment.


Some of the common ailments that computer users suffer from are Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD), Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendinosis, Bursitis, and Tendinitis. All these ailments need proper care of an orthopedic MD for the right treatment at the right time. Every computer user should know the different signs and symptoms of these disorders so that they can seek prompt medical attention while they encounter with any kind of difficulty.

Your eyes also need proper care as the other parts of the body. It is the worst affected organ in case you have to sit in front of the computer for long hours. Eyestrain and Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) are the most common disorders that the eyes encounter with.
Everybody has a tendency to put on weight in the absence of balanced diet and exercise. Along with these factors, if you are a regular computer user, you are sure to gain those extra inches around your belly and many other parts of your body.. If you need to shed the extra inches that you already have, what you need to do is to increase the number and frequency of certain exercises that you find useful.

Continued...

Get used to your computer, don’t get used by it - Part 1

More than what the name connotes, computers have much to do with our lives today. You get in touch with your friends, make a purchase from a department store, you access your bank account, you make an opinion poll, you listen to your favorite music, you play chess online, you reserve your flight tickets, all with this odd assembly of electronic gadgets.

You often tend to think how clever you have been in manipulating the electrons into doing what you want them to do for you. Don’t be too sure. The flip side of technology is that you get so addicted to the convenience of technology that you fail to see what hazards they bring.

Have you felt eyes burning while having to sit for a long time in front of the monitor? Have you felt that unmistakable stiffness in your neck? Does your fingers and wrist ache and sprain when trying to flex them backwards? If you are, then know that you are being used by your computer!

“A healthy mind is in a healthy body”

This saying is true even for computer users. While working on the computer, your body is at rest and gets typically no physical workouts. But for fingers, your body is in a state of inaction and lethargy. You even forget to blink your eyelids sometimes! This results in the degeneration of muscles that are toned only if they get enough exercise. Muscles sag, joints get stiff, fat deposits are added and you are susceptible to a number of small and big ailments. This is how computer users tend to go out of shape and gain weight easily.

To serve the cause

“How to stay healthy while working on your computer?” I've just found a new e-course on healthy computing, and I'm going to share it with you. It deals extensively with various things that can go wrong while someone spends their time on computers. The potential hazards that are hidden in the application of computers and their recommended preventive measures are discussed. In the event of you already suffering with any of the ailment mentioned, there are corrective actions recommended, which will reduce or eradicate them for you.

On the first day of the e-course, let’s discuss how to stay healthy, while working on your computer. This contains suggestions on different ways by which you can stay fit even though you have to work on the computer all day long, with pictorial representations. There are some exercises that can be done even at your work place during your micro breaks and short breaks. These are mostly stretching exercises. All these exercises should be performed slowly and carefully. Each position is assumed gracefully to the point where a stretch is felt intensely but with no pain.

If you use computer regularly, you must know; which is the right posture for your kind of job, how to sit on your chair, how to keep your hands, how to move your elbows and shoulders, how to take care of your back and a lot more…

Tip For The Day

Monitors that are placed too high or too low are not recommended for people who have to use computers for long hours per day. It affects the head, neck, shoulders, and the back, as they have to adjust their positions for better view of the monitor. In the long run, the muscles that support the head are fatigued due to these awkward postures.

Never thought these things could make such a big difference to your lives, did you? We’ll tell you how much more you have to know!