Ergonomic All-Stars: The Starting Lineup

It’s time for the MLB All-Star Game, and, as an Astros fan, I’m still in a bit of quandary that started last year. With their recent move to the American League, I now find myself at a crossroads: to root for the team that will have the one obligatory Astro (and subsequently find myself having to root for Yankees of all things), or keep my allegiance to the Senior Circuit and continue rooting for the National League as I have done all my life.

I hadn’t made a decision last year, which led to a very passive viewing experience. This year, I’m probably abstaining again as well. I won’t need to make a real decision until my Astros have a chance at the World Series and the game has meaning, which luckily isn’t for a few years (three, according to Sports Illustrated, which seems like wishful thinking, but wishful thinking I'll take).

With Major League Baseball, the All-Star ballots are in, and the lineups are in place. So let’s focus on another decision I feel confident making: the All-Star starting lineup for your ergonomic workstation. See the thin thread with which I tied this all together! As much as I would like to ramble on about the woes of being an Astros fan, you’re here to learn about ergonomics.

So I’ve put together the All-Star lineup you need for a fully ergonomic workstation. Seeing as I agree with Bull Durham’s Crash Davis that the designated hitter should be outlawed by Congress, the same nine products are both hitting and fielding. With these guys on your side, it’s a dream team of products to keep you comfortable and healthy at work.

1. CHAIR - Steelcase Amia – A great ergonomic chair is always a good way to lead off. The Amia is moderately priced for a fully-loaded ergo chair with all the adjustments and generally fits 95% of the population. Plus, Steelcase’s free returns within 30 days give you a trial run with which to test drive it. Of course, just like I’m partial to José Altuve leading off the All-Star game because I’m an Astros fan, I’ll give full disclosure; I stuffed the ballot here, because I sit in an Amia and love it. But I’m sure most people would love it too.

2. KEYBOARD TRAY - UPLIFT Large Keyboard Tray – The next step for a big inning is to add a keyboard tray to your workstation. It’s one of the easiest ways to increase the ergonomics of your desk, and the UPLIFT gives you all the adjustment you need at a great price point to get your keyboard and mouse in the right position in your lap. This cuts down on reach and strain, and helps prevent or ease the pain of repetitive stress issues.

3. DESK - UPLIFT 900 Sit-Stand Desk – Most would put the big guns in the cleanup position, but I’m looking to put up some big numbers early. Our heavy duty UPLIFT height-adjustable desk will let you quickly and easily go from sitting to standing, and periodically standing is the best thing you can do to fight off the health, pain and focus issues associated with sitting all day.

4. TREADMILL - LifeSpan Treadmill TR1200-DT3 – Time to clear the bases and add a desk treadmill to really step up your game. (Sorry, I’m reaching critical mass with my metaphors and puns here. They can't all be strikeouts. Ah, I did it again!) You’ll burn more calories for sure just standing occasionally, but even walking at a pace of a mile or two an hour will increase the health benefits substantially, while still being slow enough to keep typing and working.

5. MONITOR ARM - Innovative 7500 Wing Dual Arm – With so many ways to shift your point of view now from sitting to standing to walking, you’ll need a monitor arm that can easily adjust to fit the different vantage points from which you’ll be working. The Innovative Wing is the ideal solution for making the necessary adjustments up and down and side to side to make sure you’ve always got your monitors at the right height and depth to prevent eye and neck strain.

6. KEYBOARD - Goldtouch V2 GTU-0088 – Now that you can adjust your desk and monitors, as well as where your keyboard sits, adding angle and height adjustment to the keyboard itself will allow you to type in a truly ergonomic position. We recommend a split keyboard for the most comfort, and the Goldtouch V2 features a built-in mechanism to let you tent and splay the keyboard to your exact needs.

7. ANTI-FATIGUE MAT - UPLIFT 3’x5’x1' Standing Desk Mat – Your treadmill workstation now lets you sit and walk, but sometimes you’ll just want to stand. The larger UPLIFT mat will keep you comfortable and supported while standing, and it’s big and durable enough to also use as a chair mat. So, you can leave it next to your treadmill under your chair for whenever you want to lift up the desk and stand.

8. FOOTREST - Humanscale FM 300B Foot Machine– We’re reaching the bottom of the order. However, don’t count out a good footrest for when you’re seated, which is still probably going to be most of the day. The 300B foot machine is a rocking footstool that encourages movement to keep the blood flowing even while sitting, and the massage balls are a nice little added bonus.

9. MOUSE - Evoluent Vertical Mouse – The nine-hole may not be a flashy spot in the order, but, seeing as we’re in the NL here, it’s probably your most important spot on the field. A good mouse may not be as costly as a desk or treadmill, but its effects on the ergonomics of your workstation are priceless. Some of the most common injuries and pain issues are caused by simple mousing, and a vertical mouse like the Evoluent can meet these issues head on by putting your hand in a more comfortable, relaxed and natural “handshake” position.

Doing something as simple as upgrading your mouse may be the “Moneyball” solution to being more comfortable at work, or you can go the Yankees route and lay down the money to put together a whole team of potential all-stars. No matter how far you decide to go, any of these players would be a welcome addition to your ergonomic workstation’s roster.

Put together your own ergonomic workstation lineup at TheHumanSolution.com.