Texting is an essential part of our lives, and it’s taking its toll on our bodies. Frequent and rapid movements put a strain on your fingers and research is starting to pop up that our posture while texting may be damaging our neck and spine. Here are 4 ergonomics tips for maintaining good posture while texting and browsing on a smartphone.
4 Ergonomics Tips for Texting
1. Take Care of Your Thumbs
Texting may be convenient, but take the time to pay attention to your body’s movements. Repetitive thumb clicks from texting can lead to tendon disorders, cramping and stiffness. Slow down and take frequent breaks when drafting messages or use auto-complete tools on your phone to limit keystrokes. If the communication can’t wait, make a phone call instead.
2. Switch Up Fingers
Browsing the Internet on a smartphone will probably have you doing a lot of scrolling to read articles. The frequent scrolling motion is unnatural for your thumb. Try switching up which fingers you use to scroll on your phone, use a stylus or pick a phone that has a scroll button built in to the keyboard.
3. Watch Your Breathing
A study found texting may be affecting more than just our joints. Students showed irregular breathing patterns and often held their breath while typing a text message. Focus on your breathing and pay attention to any muscle responses or changes in your body. Take breaks often.
4. Take Shortcuts
When you’re browsing the Internet on your smartphone, take advantage of bookmarks and favorites. Taking frequent pages and pinning them to the top of your browser will make them easier to get to and limit required typing. If your phone has voice-to-text options, use those to limit keystrokes.
How you hold your cell phone can also influence your health. For more ergonomics tips for everyday life, check out the other articles on the We’ve Got Your Back blog, or visit our store in Los Gatos.
Photo Courtesy of: Carissa Rogers
Comments