We programmers work in front of monitors for 8 hours a day. We need to take care of the body for our health because we keep sitting on a chair for a long time, typing a lot, and looking at the monitors. It causes back pain, trigger fingers, dry eyes, and other problems.
I personally experienced those problems and have taken care every day to avoid those symptoms. If you have one of such problems, consider purchasing one of the items in this article.
Devices for work
Firstly, I will introduce the devices to use in the office.
Trackball mouse
I had used a normal mouse since I started using a PC. It was for more than 20 years. I recognized that my palm rubs on a desk while using a mouse and the skin became red and thick because the hand must be moved with the wrist as a fulcrum.
I bought a trackball mouse to heal it. The mouse is Logitech M575 Black and Logitech M575 White.
I first thought that the trackball was harder to control the cursor than a normal mouse. I needed to get used to it for the first time but I could control it soon. The wrist is fixed while controlling a mouse because only a thumb is necessary to operate the cursor. The ball is not slippy. The mouse holds it in a good manner and detects the spin well.
The trackball is operated by the thumb but there is a different type of trackball mouse for those people who has tendinitis in the thumb.
You can control the trackball with your index finger and middle finger with this item. It is wireless. There are some people who want to switch their hands to use a mouse. This device is for you.
If you prefer to use your palm to control the cursor, the place for the trackball needs to be flat.
If using the palm, the wrist can’t be on the desk. It might get the wrist more tired than another device.
Mechanical keyboard
I bought a mechanical keyboard for my private use but 1 week later after I got the keyboard, I bought another mechanical keyboard on impulse for my workplace. We must use a keyboard for programming.
The quality of the keyboard matters for your finger cares. If the key is light enough, you can type everything in feather touch. You don’t have to press the key to the bottom because it detects the inputs. It means that the load on the finger is less.
Many mechanical keyboards have an N-rollover feature. One switch works only for a single key. Therefore, it can detect multiple key inputs at once. If you press the keys on your palm, it gives the all inputs that you pressed. If you want to type fast, this feature is necessary.
The first keyboard that I bought is HyperX Alloy Origins Core Tenkeyless Red Switches. It glows in rainbow colors. The looks also matter because if it is cool, we can work in a good mood, right? If we are in a good mood, productivity increases because we are motivated.
There are 3 lighting modes.
- Always lighting in rainbow colors
- Always lighting in a single color
- Lighting when pressing a key
While typing something, I don’t look at the keyboard but the lighting feature is cool and makes the typing fun.
The keyboard is black. The looks are cool while it’s lighting. If you want a keyboard that is always attractive, Akko World Tour Tokyo is for you.
The overall color is pink and it looks Japanese. There is Mt. Fuji and Sakura on the keyboard. It stands out in the office.
Monitor
I use a 27-inch monitor for my private work. It is wide and nice to use especially for programming. I often want to see the two source files at the same time. For example, when I write unit tests, I need to see the production code. I put the production code on the left side and the test code on the right side. VSCode can show multiple files on the screen at the same time. A 27-inch monitor is big enough to see the code even if I split the screen into two. 3 files are also acceptable.
If it is a 24-inch monitor, it is a bit small for me. If I do it on a 24-inch monitor, I always close the File Explorer on the left side. It’s not necessary to do it on a 27-inch monitor.
Headset
It might not directly be related to health care but we all want to have a good item. I’ve used Jabra headset for a while and I’m satisfied with it. A headset is necessary for remote work and the quality of the sound and the microphone matter to our work. If the sound is clear, it’s easy to understand. If the microphone catches the noise around you, your voice might not reach your colleagues.
If you don’t like a headset that covers the ears, this type is for you. It is only for one ear but it doesn’t hurt even if you wear it for a long time.
Body care
Gloves
If you are looking for a glove for your working time, I recommend fingerless gloves. You don’t lose any sense of the fingers and thus, you can control the mouse trackball well, and type the keyboard as usual without uncomfortable feeling. It makes your hands warm and relieves the pain of tendinitis.
I usually wear gloves in winter because my hands get cold. It works quite well. My hands get warm and my fingers can smoothly move.
If you have tendonitis on your wrist, try Arthritis Compression Gloves out.
Wrist rest
When you use a mechanical keyboard, the height of the keys is higher than a normal keyboard. It means that the angle of the wrist gets also higher and a stronger load is on the wrist. It might not cause any problem unless you use the keyboard for a long time.
However, we must definitely use it for a long time for our work. It might cause tendinitis, so I want to prevent it as much as possible. Wrist rest could prevent it and relieve the pain.
I reviewed Gimars wrist rest in this post.
Foam Roller
Haven’t you ever suffered from back pain? When I did the Deadlift before about 2015 years, I got back pain. You know the difficulty of the movement if you are a trainee. The pain was gone but my back hurt again in the winter of 2020, 2021, and 2022. If I take a long vacation in December, I do less exercise and sit on an old chair made of wood for a long time for programming or blogging. Then, my muscle gets stiff and start hurting.
A programmer sits on a chair for a long time and it causes back pain. My thigh sometimes gets stiff. If it gets stiff, back pain comes later. Foam Roller helps those stiff muscles. Since it is comfortable, I think you can stretch with it every day before going to the bed.
Supplement
Nutrition is our source of energy. If you don’t care what you eat, your performance decreases without knowing it. The B vitamin group is necessary for the metabolism of each nutrient. If you consider buying a supplement, vitamin B 50 can be the first choice.
3D eye mask
Needless to say, sleep quality is also important. We should have enough sleep time. We want to have at least 6 hours but if you don’t have enough time, the quality of sleep should be improved. The first 90 minutes is the most important time for sleep. What you do before going to bed matters to sleep quality. I think it’s the most important factor. We should not use smartphones in the last 1 hour. If it is hard to stop using it, I recommend using an eye mask. It comfortably covers your eyes and shut any lights. It will probably improve sleep quality.
End
Keeping healthy is more important than being a good programmer. Let’s keep learning new things for programming and take care of yourself.
