Keyboarding Instructions - Keyboarding Help, Typing Keyboard And Mouse

Keyboarding Instructions - Keyboard Selection, Positioning, And More

NOTE: these keyboarding instructions are not meant to give medical or expert advice, but only for information purposes, keyboarding tips and techniques. Contact a professional for any serious purpose.

Keyboard Placement - Keyboard Distance

Probable Risks

When you're doing your keyboarding practice, and your keyboard, mouse, or other pointer device, is placed too close to you, or too far away from you, then you are probably assuming an awkward keyboarding posture, such as reaching with the arms, leaning forward with the torso, and extreme elbow angles.

Keyboarding Instruction Image

I've read (and I take no responsibility for that) about studies that have shown that using your computer and keyboard with such awkward sitting postures can lead to musculoskeletal disorders of the elbows, shoulders, hands, and wrists.

It is a good idea that you take care of it and avoid problems by applying proper keyboarding techniques, as described in the following keyboarding instructions.

Keyboardinginstruction keyboarding activity Image

Feasible Solutions

Make sure that the computer keyboard is placed directly in front of you, at a distance that keeps your elbows close to your body, with the forearms approximately parallel with the floor.

If the armrest of your computer chair doesn't allow sitting in a comfortable position, or if your desk space is too small, then you can use a keyboard tray.

Keyboard Design and Use

Probable Risks

If you're using a traditional keyboard for your keyboarding activities, you may have to bend your wrists sideways, in order to reach all the keys.

Also, when you extend the "legs" on the back of the keyboard, you tend to bend your wrist upward, causing a keyboard tilt.

If you're using a leptop - here's another issue:

The keyboards of the laptop computers, that are comparatively smaller than the normal ones, also force the user to sit in awkward keyboarding positions. This in turn may lead to contact stress to the tendon sheath and tendons being forced to move within the wrist during repetitive keying.

Again, it is advised that you avoid these problems in advance. Here are more keyboarding instructions to consider when doing your keyboarding and typing speed practice. Keep these tips in mind when in order to use your computer keyboard in safely.

Feasible Solutions

Adjust the height of your computer keyboard, or your office chair to attain a neutral wrist posture, thus reducing the awkward wrist angles.

You may even elevate the back or front of your keyboards to achieve a neutral wrist posture. Normally, if you're sitting in a position lower than that of the keyboard, a slight elevation made to the back of the keyboard would help maintain a neutral wrist.

Similarly, if you're typing with the keyboard in a lower position, raising the front of the keyboard may help maintain neutral wrist postures. If the keyboard "feet" tend to increase the bending of the wrist, do not use it.

You can sit with neutral wrist postures by taking into account alternative keyboards. These can be provided on a case-by-case basis. It takes time to get used to such mechanisms. Though alternative keyboards may help the typist to maintain neutral wrist postures, studies have not yet provided enough information regarding its capability to avoid discomfort and injury.

The size of the keyboard and spacing of the keys should be of appropriate size to suit the majority of typists. The recommended spacing between the centers of two keys horizontally is 0.71-0.75 inches (18-19 mm), and vertically - 0.71-0.82 inches (18-21 mm).

More Keyboarding Instructions

Want more keyboarding instructions? Check out Keyboarding Instructions - Keyboard Recipe for more proper keyboarding exercise and help.

Also, check out more safe keyboarding practice instructions and articles here

Want to learn typing speedily with ten fingers without looking at the keyboard? Check Out an amazing Typing Tutor program to learn touch typing now with typing lessons, tests and games.

Check Out this keyboarding teaching site to learn keyboarding with fun and humor

ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS:

Blink

Del.icio.us

Digg

Furl

Google

Simpy

Spurl

Technorati

Y! MyWeb

Join The Club! Sign In Now To Get The Free Touch Typing Newsletter. Learn About Touch Typing, Typing Tutors, Keyboarding Instructions & More. Sign In Now. Don't miss a single issue.
You Must Be Over 14 Years of Age To Sign In!
A new window will open; if it doesn't, make sure to allow pop-ups temporarily.

Keyboarding-Instructions - Home