Save Your Wrist! Get an Ergonomic Keyboard!

What I'm typing on right now is not an ergonomic keyboard. What about you? Are you on an ergonomic keyboard?

If you are like me you are on your computer a lot. Maybe 10-12 hours a day... being on the computer a lot is bad for your wrist.

I have used ergonomic keyboards in the past. I had a Logitech "Natural Elite" type one, and used a Logitech ergonomic mouse, as well as the Logitech Trackman Trackball mice.

The reason I don't use them anymore is because the ones I had got dirty and or broke. I have to say that the ergonomic keyboards and mice are worth it. I am going to get myself a couple new ones.

But, being an avid computer using, computer programmer and author, I have to say that their was a time when my wrists, arms and elbow felt bloody... you could tell there was something wrong.

I have since "fixed" the problem and haven't "needed" an ergonomic keyboard or mouse since (although I am now in the market for one) because I did the following two things.

Also I wanted to note that those Gel mouse and keyboard wrist rest also helps.

1) WorkRave saved my arms. "WorkRave" is an open-source carpal tunnel prevention system. It's basically a little software that sits on your computer. When it detect you are using your computer or mouse for a long time, it asks you to take a break.

This prevents Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) because you will take needed breaks. No one should be typing anything for 30 minutes straight.

It's the neatest little tool. It's free to download as well so you should definitely try it out. It might not seem like much, but even a 'reminder' that you need to take breaks will cause you to take more breaks if you don't take the breaks at the times WorkRave suggests.

Though you can set it to "force" you to take breaks by not letting you type and "freeze" your screen, that is an optional setting. You could simply set it to remind you to take breaks.

WorkRave to me is essential for anyone in threat of getting carpal tunnel.

2) Colemak is how keyboards should be. Now the second thing I did that made me not miss ergonomic keyboards and mice as much is a little extreme.

I switched from the Qwerty keyboard layout, to the Colemak keyboard layout.

Now anyone familiar with keyboard layouts knows of Dvorak, another popular keyboard layout. In my opinion Colemak beats Qwerty and Dvorak hands down.

What Colemak does is puts all the most used keys on the home row. This way your fingers aren't moving as much.

This saves you typing time, effort, and best of all strain on your wrists. It took some time to get use to. (about a week or two) but after using it, you would never go back to Qwerty again.

You type without effort, and you feel like most of the time you don't even leave the 'home row'...

Colemak also beats the right hand focused Dvorak because these days where every computer keyboard also includes a mouse... having the right hand focused Dvorak is a draw back.

You will be doing a lot with your right hand if you are using Dvorak, including using the mouse. Colemak on the other hand is more balanced.

Also one of the other benefits of the Colemak keyboard layout is that it keeps a lot of the hot-keys buttons. Such as Ctrl-C (copy), Ctrl-V (paste). Ctrl-X (cut), Colemak keeps them in their original positions.