Pain Free PC - Introduction

Who am I?
Steve Garwood
- Customer Education Librarian, Camden County Library
- Personal Fitness Trainer, American Council on Exercise (ACE)

What are we going to do?

- A little stretching
- A little talking about stretching
- A little more stretching
- Some more talking about ergonomics
- And lastly, some stretching

Questions to you…
- Are there any areas you’re especially interested in?

Request
- If we do anything which causes you pain stop or reduce the level of effort, I’m
assuming everyone here has NO medical conditions which would dictate that they
shouldn’t be here.
- I want questions
Pain Free PC – Morning Stretch
Explained
General Upper Body (Front
Cat/Overhead)
Pain Free PC – Morning Stretch
Explained
Shoulders (Shrug/Rolls)
Pain Free PC – Morning Stretch
Explained
Neck (Head turn/RCA Dog)
Pain Free PC – Morning Stretch
Explained
Wrists (Wrist Turn/Shake out)
Pain Free PC – Morning Stretch
Explained
3 Deep Breaths
Pain Free PC – The problems (Why you should stretch)

Back/Neck Pain
Your spine tends to compress…especially if your posture is bad or if you lift incorrectly
Stiff Muscles
Since you’re not moving much…
Tight Joints
Again, since you’re not moving much…
Poor Circulation
Blood tends to settle in the lower extremities when sitting for long periods
Repetitive Strain injuries
Injuries caused by repetitive movements
Tension and Stress
Intense mental focus isn’t always a good thing
Pain Free PC – When to
Stretch
• Morning “1st thing”
• When arrive at work
• Every hour (quick stretch)
• Whenever you need more
energy
• Before bed
Pain Free PC – Benefits of
Stretching
• Decreased Muscle Tension
• Increased Circulation
• Less Stress and Anxiety
• Decreased chance of injury
• You’ll be more alert
• Flexibility is just as important as Exercise,
Nutrition,
and Rest
Pain Free PC – Stretching
Tips
• Easy Stretch – Developmental Stretch
• Stretch warm muscles when possible
• Hold Stretches for 10-15 seconds, release, repeat
• Plastic vs. Elastic
• BREATHE
• Feel the Stretch
• DON’T Bounce/NO Pain
• Be Consistent
• Remember the Flexibility is just part of a whole
fitness
regimen
Pain Free PC –
Ergonomics
• Posture
• Monitor
• Keyboard
• Mouse Pad
• Wrists
• Chair
• Frequently change positions
• Don’t pound the keys
• REST
• MOVE
• Eliminate unnecessary computer
use
• Environment – Light, color, sound
Pain Free PC – Ergonomics
Aids
• Wrist Guard
• Wrist Guard for the
mouse
• Foot Rest
Pain Free PC -
Break
Let’s take 10 minutes…make sure to walk around a
bit,
when we come back we’ll be doing more stretching
Pain Free PC – Wrist #1
Pain Free PC – Wrist #2
Pain Free PC – Neck and Shoulders
#1
Pain Free PC – Neck and Shoulders
#2
Pain Free PC – Neck and Shoulders
#3
Pain Free PC – Neck and Shoulders
#4
Pain Free PC – Back
#1
Pain Free PC – Back
#2
Pain Free PC – Back
#3
Pain Free PC – New uses for a Tennis
ball
• Wrist and
Forearm
• Foot massager
• Catch
Pain Free PC -
Conclusion
Don’t forget it’s consistency that matters most