Our hands and wrists are our primary interface between us and our computers, and they are often the most strained. The cumulative strain we put on our wrists, while working or playing on our computer can have serious and painful repercussions. Repetitive strain injury (RSI), carpal tunnel and tendonitis are all painful conditions that can be caused by bad posture and poor ergonomics while using a computer. They are serious conditions that, once developed, can affect your whole life and not just you ability to use your computer.

Whether you are feeling the strain of sitting in front of your computer for long periods, or not, it is advisable to follow a few simple steps to protect your wrists from the long-term damage caused by repetitive actions associated with computer use.

Keep your desk tidy

Make sure you have plenty of clear desk space, so that you can position your keyboard and mouse within easy reach. Cramped working environments can encourage us to tense and hunch our shoulders, making us feel stiff, preventing our muscles from flexing and causing our joints to be out of alignment.

Positioning your keyboard and mouse

When sitting in front of your computer make sure your upper body is straight, with your shoulders relaxed. Your elbows should be bent at a ninety-degree angle, with your hands hovering freely above the keyboard. If you find your wrists drooping and resting on the surface of your desk, try a wrist rest to support them. Keep you mouse close beside your keyboard so you don’t have to reach or lean in order to access it.

Check your wrist alignment

While working at your computer your hands, wrists and forearms should extend in a straight line. To check if this is the case take a desk ruler and align it with your middle finger, does the ruler follow a straight path down the centre of your arm? If it does then you posture is good, if not; stop and look at your desk layout to work out how to correct this problem.

Take regular breaks

Get up from your computer for 5-10 minutes every hour. Walk around and stretch your muscles out. This can benefit our whole body and mind, not just your wrists. This is especially important if you sit at your desk for long periods. Immobility leads to tension and moving around is a great way of relaxing tired, knotted muscles.

Don’t hammer your keyboard

When typing use minimum pressure. If your keyboard requires heavy keystrokes think about changing it. Also be aware of how far the keys need to be depressed to type. Soft keyboards with shorter key travel can make a large difference to the strain we put our wrists.

Exercise your wrists

There are many exercises you can perform from the comfort of your office chair or even at home that can help strengthen your wrists. While sitting straight in a chair, with your forearms supported by an arm rest, hold your palm facing downwards and your finger lightly curled. Slowly raise and lower your hand, without moving your arm. Squeezing objects is also a good way to strengthen the wrist and fingers; a tennis ball is suitable if you don’t have a purpose bought hand exerciser.