Let's talk studio ergonomics/posture and how to avoid injury, shall we?

[LeVzi]

I spend a few hundred quid on a proper posture chair, and it's the best money i've ever spent. Throw in a physio style cushion and my back n lower back are much much better.

[SamChoate]

I need to revive this old thread... I have had an output platform for 4-5 years, and since getting it, I have always had issues with posture and ergonomics. To the point that I now have nerve problems in my shoulder/neck/right hand due to the angle of my elbow when using the desk. I have had to seek physical therapy for these issues.

Plus, my head is never at the right level with my speakers, and I have to lean forward and crane my neck to view the monitors.

The 3u spaces in it were nice at first, but they're so far away, especially when the keyboard tray is extended. It's honestly kind of a nightmare desk for a producer. It's very disheartening.

I could really use some help and support in this regard. I'm open to modifying this desk to suit my needs or replacing it with something better.

[foosnark]

If you sit, invest in a good chair. I found I need one that allows me to rock or to lock the angle in place either upright or leaning back, with good solid back support. I still have to watch out for the bad habits of sitting on my foot and/or slumping forward in a "nerd neck" position, two habits developed from years of cheap office chairs. But the new one at least enables and encourages good posture.

My modular case doesn't have the best ergonomics-- it's one of those curved cases and the top row is a bit of a reach from a good sitting position. I'm going to try tilting it forward a bit to see how that works out.

[sqigls]

posture.jpg

[swilow11]

I've tried my hardest to create a very ergonomic, posture friendly workspace. Sit/stand desk, monitors at eye level, keyboards and controllers within easy reaching distance. Tbh, while I'm sure it's helped, it's the act of sitting in a chair relatively motionless for hours that causes the issues more than anything postural or ergonomic. There are ways to make it worse of course, but the way I've found to make it better is to ensure you balance your periods of motionlessness with movement.

I used to be a skinny dude, and started experiencing so much pain when at the computer that I gave up music for a few years. I hit the gym and bulked up with strength training/body building workouts and most of my pain issues went. It did take a few years years before I felt healthy in my body though, but this was after a decade of prolonged sitting for hours on end and i was ridiculously weak. I'm 41 and feel enromsouly better than I did 10 years ago

My advice is to hit the gym 4-5 times a week, alternative sitting and standing, stretch while working, adopt different postures, move the most used objects in your workspace so you're not always reaching for them and using them in the same position, have some days where you don't do any deskwork. The ergonomic stuff is useful but you cannot expect your physical body to not deteriorate if you push it to do alien things like sitting motionless for hours without giving it the thing it did evolve to do ie. Movement and load bearing.

[Rickskii]

Honestly the best thing is to take most of the standard advice about eye level and comfort etc. Beyond this you need to move your body through range often and keep changing positions. Have a quick walk about do some chair stretches. Let your body adopt to different positions.
Don’t sit in the same position doing the same thing for long periods of time. No perfect ergonomic system is going to help if you don’t change position and move joints through range.
Be careful of companies that make you believe their stuff is the best and you pay through the nose for. It may be good but there is no substitute for continuous movement/position changes.

[Michael L]

"In 2018 the Annals of Internal Medicine published a study of 8,000 adults that showed an association between prolonged sitting and a risk of early death from any cause. Other research has linked prolonged sitting or other sedentary behavior to diabetes, poor heart health, weight gain, depression, dementia, and multiple cancers."

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/sitting-health-risks

[Constructed Identity]

It's only a matter of time before I'm dead.

[harryupbabble]

i just have the mouse on the same level as my chair's armrest
for over a decade now
no injuries so far

well, a few backaches
from shovelling tons of snow, i suppose

[SamChoate]

No perfect ergonomic system is going to help if you don’t change position and move joints through range.

I think this is what I needed to hear most.

Thank you everyone for all the responses! This has actually been really helpful and encouraging.

I will work to include more exercise and breaks in my work rather than trying to perfect my workspace. Thanks again!

[vurt]

yoga.

not yoda.