Are laptops bad for us? What can we do to protect ourselves from the risks of long-term laptop use? In the infographic guide below, the wellbeing team at Posturite busts some myths and offers some tips.
To help illustrate what healthy laptop use looks like, there’s advice about the kind of positions you should adopt, and the type of tasks you can carry out with your laptop in various work environments.
Don’t:
- Slouch, slump, or head-hang
- Stay in one position for too long
The infographic shows you what to do to stay comfortable and productive while you use your laptop. You’ll see how useful an adjustable and portable laptop stand will be; and remember that a healthy laptop working pack is available too – featuring a separate mouse and keyboard as well as your trusty laptop stand.
Katharine Metters, ergonomist, physiotherapist and health and safety consultant for Posturite says:
“A well set up laptop, used with a good working posture and regular breaks, will do no harm. My main device is a laptop and trust me, if I was concerned I wouldn't use it. Using a laptop for hours on end in a poor, static position however, can cause or aggravate many issues such as neck pain, with or without referred pain in the arm and hand, localised wrist problems - especially if using a trackpad on a laptop with a thick base.
My colleagues and I have also seen a rise in upper back pain, headaches, eye strain, lower back problems and even leg problems that seem to be related to poor, prolonged laptop use.”
