This outward angle lets your wrists and forearms point inward without requiring your elbows to come in as far. Have you seen a colleague use a split keyboard and wondered why? Split or ergonomics keyboards divide the keyboard into two halves, each of which points slightly outwards. Use your left hand to put on some pressure.Turn your forearm over so that your palm is facing up, now move your wrist so the palm faces you.Use your left hand to put some pressure on.Move your wrist to make a ‘stop’ sign with your hand.Place your right arm out in front of you with your elbow straight and palm facing down.Try to incorporate this simple forearm and wrist stretch into your daily routine. Keep your shoulders relaxed and elbows close to your body.Consider using keyboard shortcuts to repeat common tasks.If you use a wrist pad, push it flush against the keyboard, and only use it when resting.Resist resting your wrists on the desk, keep your wrist and forearm floating as you type.Keep your wrists straight, not flexed upwards or downwards.Type lightly, it is more efficient and will prevent your fingers from getting tired.When typing, keep your fingers relaxed.Position your keyboard so you can type comfortably while sitting in a chair with your back supported. You shouldn’t have to reach for your keyboard. From here, your hands and wrists should be straight or neutral such as this image. Watch out for this and take note of your typical hand and wrist position.Ĭorrect typing position is where your neck and shoulders are relaxed, elbows are by your sides at a 90-degree angle. Sometimes keyboard size can have an impact on this, for example, a larger keyboard may cause you to bend your wrist towards the little finger more.

In the above positions, the wrist is bent towards the thumb or towards the little finger. Good typing ergonomics can keep you productive and pain-free as you work. Over time, an awkward position of the hand and wrist may cause stress and strain and potentially lead to injuries. YOUR HAND, WRIST AND FINGER POSITION AS YOU TYPE In this posture, you will put excessive strain on your upper back, neck, and shoulders. Position the the keyboard directly in front of you, this is to reduce the need to rotate your body as you type.Ī common mistake when placing your keyboard – Keyboard too far away. Keep your shoulders and elbows relaxed here. Place your keyboard just below elbow level, from here, you should be able to comfortably place your hands over your keyboard with yo ur elbows close to your body and at 90 degrees. Your keyboard should be flat on the desk or sloping gently away from you. When discussing typing and ergonomics, correct placement of your keyboard is the first consideration. Prevention of issues is always the best approach! POSITION OF YOUR KEYBOARD FOR TYPING When you break your day down, do you spend a high proportion of your time typing? If so, learning about correct ergonomic typing position and technique is important for you. Often, when it comes to typing, it is not until the first signs of pain or discomfort that we consider what we are doing and how it may be impacting on our comfort. Do you ever think about the way you position your body as you type? Many of us will have heard about repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Computer typing finger position