Health Tips for Online Workers

Here is something I would like to share with you all. It's a great advice for us who are always typing away on our computers.

Health Tips for Online Workers

The online workforce has steadily increased over the last decade as more and more people are either spending part or all of their work week working online at home.  While working in an online job can be a great convenience, it also caries some health risks due to the sedentary nature of the job.  As such, we present to you some health tips for the online worker.

Take Hourly Breaks

Those who work online spend most of their days in front of a computer and staring at a screen.  The staring alone can lead to eye strain, headaches, and even a reduction of vision over time.

It is recommended that office workers take mini-breaks every hour and step away from the computer in order to reduce eye strain.  In addition, these breaks allows the worker to get a few minutes of activity away from the computer.

These breaks don't have to be long.  Five minutes is usually sufficient.  In fact, the United States Postal Service actually requires their data encoding workers take these breaks every hour in order to help keep productivity high.

Hourly breaks are not just for online workers.  Lists of essential health tips for online gamers have begun to suggest these breaks due to the long hours that many youth, teens, and even adults spend in front of the X-Box, PC, and other consoles.

Invest in Ergonomic Equipment

With the increase of online and office related jobs, conditions such as Carpel Tunnel have seen an increase.  This is due to the repetitive nature of these jobs.  As such, it is recommended that online workers invest in ergonomic equipment. 

The two primary pieces of equipment that an online worker should invest in is both an ergonomic chair and an ergonomic keyboard.  An ergonomic chair helps to promote proper posture which can help to relieve backaches and other joint problems.  The ergonomic keyboard helps to prevent Carpel Tunnel symptoms.

Another helpful ergonomic device is a trackball mouse.  Many online gamers swear by these as they allow the hand to have natural movement and also reduce the likelyhood of Carpel Tunnel.  The downside is that they do take some time to get used to.  However, the extra time investment could prevent costly surgeries down the road.

The above tips are just a couple of the major suggestions for those of you that work an online job.  There are plenty of other things you can do to improve your health while working from home, and we recommend that you do your research in your spare time.  Online jobs may not have the same risks as an outdoor job, but they can cause some long-term health issues for those that are not careful.  Incorporate the above tips and others into your daily routine and you will help stave off potential problems in the future.

I hope you remember these tips. Thanks for stopping by. And don't forget to empty your bladders every now and then:-)