Ergonomic equipment is designed to help people maintain correct posture and alignment while performing their daily work tasks, which greatly reduces the risk of injuries while improving comfort levels.

If you are a student or young working adult who spends long hours hunched over textbooks while sitting at uncomfortable desks, you probably suffer from back pain, neck pain, and other problems stemming from poor posture.

Good news! Ergonomic equipment could be an effective solution to those problems.

4 Reasons to Upgrade to Ergonomic Equipment

Ergonomic equipment such as posture-supporting office chairs, adjustable computer monitors, and ergonomic keyboards offer four major benefits to workers and students.

These include:

Pain Alleviation

Ergonomic equipment is designed to minimize pain by optimizing workstation design and adjusting equipment to fit the user.

Properly designed ergonomic equipment can help reduce the pain caused by musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and other common work-related injuries.

Therefore, if you are currently experiencing pain due to an uncomfortable work or study environment, then you should strongly consider upgrading your work tools to a more ergonomic design.

Lower Risk of Injuries

By using equipment that is designed to minimize strain and fatigue, you can lower your risk of developing conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and even musculoskeletal disorders.

In fact, studies have shown that using ergonomic equipment can help reduce the incidence of work-related injuries by as much as 75 percent.

If you can maintain a correct posture and alignment while studying and working, your risk of injury caused by poor posture and excessive force due to poor work equipment will be greatly reduced. So why not invest in a good ergonomic chair? The major brands such as Ergotune, Herman Miller and Secretlab all hold sales once in a while!

Increased Productivity

Ergonomic equipment can help increase productivity by increasing comfort and reducing fatigue.

When you feel more comfortable and supported, your productivity naturally increases. In addition, ergonomic equipment will also help reduce future absenteeism at school or work since your likelihood of injury will be decreased.

Better Grades

Improved posture can lead to better focus and concentration, which in turn can help you increase your grade point average (GPA).

A recent study found that 56 percent of students who sat up straight found it easier to complete their exams.

With ergonomic equipment, you won’t have to struggle to keep your back and neck in full alignment as the keyboards, mouse, and chairs you are using and sitting in automatically do that for you, thus allowing you to fully concentrate on the task at hand.

4 Essential Ergonomic Pieces of Equipment for Students in Singapore

It’s no secret that college students in Singapore are some of the hardest-working students in the world.

On average, college students in Singapore study over 50 hours per week — 28.6 hours in school and 22.2 hours at home.

While this strong work ethic is one of the main factors that has led to Singapore’s top international rankings in math and science, it has also been one of the contributing factors that lead to physical and mental health disorders in Singaporean students.

To take some of the unhealthy side effects of long study and work hours off of you, the following four pieces of ergonomic equipment are suggested.

A Standing Desk

When standing, your spine is in a neutral position, which will take the pressure off of your back and prevent unnecessary back pain.

Another benefit of standing while working or studying is that you can burn more calories than if you were sitting. Since you have no choice but to stand at a standing desk, you can automatically offset the effects of any harmful sedentary lifestyle habits you may have picked up while pursuing your studies or career.

Studies have also shown that people who use standing desks are more productive than those who sit at traditional desks, so your work rate will most likely improve as well if you upgrade to a standing position.

An Ergonomic Chair

Ergonomic chairs are chairs that are designed to fit the contours of your body and provide support in all the right places.

These chairs provide three main benefits: back pain reduction, improved posture, and increased blood circulation.

The latter might be of particular importance to you if you are currently a student since improved blood flow brings more energy and oxygen to the brain. With more oxygen flowing around your gray matter, you will experience increased mental energy which will cause you to think better and faster.

Ergonomic Keyboard & Mouse

Ergonomic keyboards and mouses are designed to reduce strain on the hands, wrists, and arms. They can also help you stay more comfortable while working long hours at a computer.

Both these ergonomic tools also provide other health and functional benefits such as preventing carpal tunnel syndrome, improving posture, and increasing productivity by making it easier to type or click on images and icons.

Display Set (Computer Monitor)

Ergonomic computer monitors help improve posture, reduce eye strain, and prevent neck and back pain.

They usually come with a variety of features that can make your workstation more comfortable and productive.

The most common ones include an adjustable height, a swivel base, and a tilt function, all of which provide the perfect viewing angle at multiple ranges.

With the four ergonomic essentials listed above, you can study comfortably for longer hours without adding strain to your body or mind.

4 More Tips to Make Your Workstation More Ergonomic

While using the ergonomic equipment mentioned in the last section will make your office, home, or school workstation more ergonomic, there are some other things you can do to increase their benefits and functions.

Apply the following four tips and see what a difference it makes in your study and work output.

1. Push your hips as far back in your chair as possible to align your spinal column even further.
2. Pull up closer to the keyboard so that it is directly in front of your body to limit overreaching and causing strain to your arms.
3. Center your monitor about an arms-length away from your body at eye level so you are not looking too far down or too far up and not straining your eyes and neck.
4. Take a one to two-minute stretch break every 30 to 40 minutes while working or studying as this will give your body a chance to rest and recharge.

Do keep these tips in mind, on top of using your ergonomic equipment, to ensure a healthier and more productive study and work environment!