How to work at a laptop to avoid pain and strains

Alison Richmond offers some tips on the right way to work on a laptop to avoid strain and discomfort.

These days many of us work on our laptops for extended periods of time. We take work home, work while we travel or hot desk.
Using a laptop isn’t problematic for short bursts of work – half an hour here or there – but our bodies start to take on strain when we do long stretches.

If you’ve spent a long time on your laptop you may be familiar with niggles like a sore wrist or a tight neck and shoulders. Laptops aren’t designed to replace desktop computers or for long-term use. However, many of us are using them for extended periods.

Set yourself up properly and your body will thank you. And remember, the same principles apply when you sit at a laptop as they do when you sit at a computer.

Here’s the optimal laptop set-up (refer to diagram):

• Have your back supported by the back of the chair or couch – relax don’t sit up straight!
• Have your hips and knees level.
• Place your feet on an angled surface – this is vital to ensure you use the back support of your chair properly. Ideally use an angled footstool but you can use other objects as we have illustrated – like a sports roller or a piece of timber.
• Make sure your elbows are below your shoulders and not reaching forward.
• Tilt the laptop screen back on an angle.
• Remember to get up and move. The body isn’t designed to sit still for a long time. With any sedentary work, it’s important to make sure you stop, move and stretch often – to avoid discomfort and muscle tension.     

Alison Richmond runs injury-prevention consultancy provention.co.nz