Elemental Ergonomics

01/31/2026

Which is better: sitting or standing at your height adjustable office desk? Answer: Neither! This is because sitting and standing are not active and movement is what’s important 🤸‍♀️ Try to alternate between sitting and standing every 20 minutes and walk at least 50 steps every hour to increase blood flow and decrease pain

11/24/2025

Using multiple screens puts strain on your neck from looking up and down and side to side too much – aim to use no more than 2 screens

07/09/2025

Regular activity throughout a long day of sitting at your desk can decrease aches and pains and increase health. Aim to get up from your desk every hour and take a minimum of 50 steps. Even better, do a stand and stretch every 20 minutes to keep that blood flowing!

11/21/2024

Great tips for staying active at the office 🚶‍♀️

Don’t let your work hours hold you back from staying fit…

07/31/2024

Eye strain has increased since the addition of frequent video calling. When we’re in a video meeting, we tend to focus on the screen more with less breaks. The best way to reduce it is to use the 20-20-20 rule – every 20 minutes, for at least 20 seconds, look to a distance at least 20 feet away. If you’re in a meeting, turn off video and audio momentarily to stand, stretch and take your eyes off your screen

07/16/2023

What is the recommendation for using a brace? Braces can be helpful during the acute stage of injury. The acute stage is the initial stage after injury when there is pain and swelling. Braces can help mobilize the area and the compression aids in reducing the swelling. However, if you continue wearing the brace past the acute stage, the muscles around the area will start to weaken from not being used, putting you at a greater risk of reinjury or non-recovery. So in a nutshell, a brace can be helpful during periods of considerable pain and swelling, but should not be used on a long term basis. Please comment below with any questions!

01/25/2023

Practice mindfulness to reduce stress and burnout 🧘‍♀️

As employers become more aware of the benefits of mindfulness, organizations are beginning to focus more on mindfulness and mindful leadership.

11/12/2022

More good reasons for not sitting too long without a break! Aim to sit no longer than one hour without a two minute activity break. Even better, every 20 minutes stand up and have a good stretch 🤸‍♀️

Interrupting prolonged sitting with periodic activity “snacks” may help maintain muscle mass and quality, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Toronto.

04/13/2022

Contact stress (wrists resting on hard surfaces) and awkward postures (bent wrists, not in neutral or straight) are two risk factors associated with wrist pain. To eliminate both risks, it’s important to use a height adjustable surface to get your keyboard at the right height (forearms parallel to the ground and elbows at 90 degrees of flexion) You can use a height adjustable desk or a keyboard and mouse tray to get the proper height needed for your body. If you are using a laptop, be sure to use an external keyboard and raise your laptop to use as a monitor for optimal ergonomics.

01/05/2022

Start your new year right with a virtual ergonomics evaluation! $100 gets you a video consultation and a report outlining recommendations. Use this handy calendar to book a time slot that works for you. Hope to see you soon! https://calendly.com/elementalergonomics/virtual-home-ergonomics-audits

A virtual evaluation where you show yourself sitting at your home computer setup - ideally a family member or roommate will hold the phone on you. Your setup will be assessed and recommendations made. You will be called from 617-834-8929 at your scheduled time.

10/26/2021

Consider using a short compact keyboard instead of a full size one. Elimination of the numeric keypad brings your mouse closer to your body and reduces the reach with your right shoulder. If you like to use a numeric pad, get a separate one and train your left hand to use it. The more you can share the load between your hands the better!

08/17/2021

Take time to re-evaluate your work-from-home routine to improve your sleep. Things to try include: not having your workspace in your bedroom, adding daily exercise for the commute time you lost, taking more frequent breaks, reducing your workday to 8 hours, and replacing leisure screen time with other activities you enjoy

Amid all the disruption during the pandemic, one of the often-heard complaints was that people had trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and generally not getting enough sleep altogether.