Typing posture and desk setup

Good posture is not about sitting perfectly still. It is about a setup that lets your hands move freely without strain, so you can type for long periods without tension building up in your wrists, shoulders or neck. A few adjustments make a noticeable difference, and most cost nothing.

Chair and body

• Sit back in the chair so your lower back is supported. Feet flat on the floor or on a footrest.
• Knees at about hip height or slightly lower.
• Shoulders relaxed and dropped, not raised towards your ears.
• Upper arms hanging naturally by your sides, elbows bent at roughly a right angle or slightly more open.

Keyboard and mouse

• Put the keyboard directly in front of you, with the B key roughly in line with your belly button. Many people sit facing the middle of a keyboard that includes a number pad, which pushes the letter keys off to the left.
• Place the keyboard at or slightly below elbow height. If the desk is too high, raise the chair and use a footrest.
• Keep the keyboard flat or tilted slightly away from you. Fold-out feet that tilt the back edge up can bend the wrists upwards.
• Keep the mouse close, at the same height as the keyboard, so you do not reach sideways.

Wrists and hands

Wrists should be roughly straight, neither bent up nor down nor angled sideways. Let your hands hover over the keys while you type. A palm rest is for resting during pauses; pressing your wrists into it while typing makes the fingers work harder and can strain the tendons. Strike the keys lightly: modern keyboards register long before a key hits the bottom.

Screen and lighting

• Top of the screen at or slightly below eye level, about an arm's length away.
• If you type from paper, use a document holder beside the screen at the same height and distance.
• Avoid glare from windows behind or in front of the screen. Side light is best.
• On a laptop for long sessions, use a separate keyboard and raise the laptop so the screen is higher.

Breaks

Short, frequent breaks are better than long, rare ones. Every 20 to 30 minutes, stand up, roll your shoulders, open and close your hands and look at something far away for a few seconds. In practice sessions on TypingSpark, a pause between tests is a natural break.

When to get advice

If you have pain, numbness or tingling in your hands or wrists that continues after you stop typing, see a doctor or physiotherapist. A setup checklist is a good start, but it is not a substitute for professional advice.