Sitting too long in any position is always inviting injury, as bodies simply aren't meant to sit frozen for long periods of time. Muscles and tendons need a break. As Dennerlein said: "The ideal posture is the next one you're going to take," meaning the shift of position is everything. If you're sitting in one position for more than a few minutes, that's too long. "Think about it: Even when we sleep, we don't tend to stay in the same posture for a very long time — we roll over and move in our sleep," he said. "If you're feeling uncomfortable, listen to your body."
2. Don't believe Apple ads
Despite the temptation to kick back and prop your tablet on your lap as you see in the early iPad ads, doing so typically requires one to adopt unnatural neck angles or body contortions, forcing users to crane to look down. Thus Dennerlein's one concrete no-no: "You can get away with a tablet propped on crossed legs for maybe a couple minutes on the subway, but any longer — you just don't want to."
3. Get a case
It's a good idea to opt for a case with a built-in stand that allows you to position the screen at multiple viewing angles, so that you can adjust it as needed. Dennerlein said a case propped on your lap should ideally be at 45 degrees; when set on a table, it should be more like 60 degrees (from flat). Dennerlein also pointed out that recent 7-inch tablets are far lighter and easier to hold as you would a book for a length of time, in lieu of a case.
4. Tablets aren't typewriters
It should be obvious, but tablets are way better for data and media consumption than content generation. And so anyone boasting of their blazing ability to Swype 80 words per minute is either lying or hiding crippling fingertip bruises and blossoming carpal tunnel syndrome. The fact is that besides being far more difficult than typing on a physical keyboard, touch screens are almost always propped at a wrist-shredding angle. And so Dennerlein is blunt: "Avoid typing anything more than an email or two," he said. "If you're going to type the next 'War and Peace' — just get an external keyboard."
5. Beware the glare
"There's two major factors when it comes to ergonomics: There's visual access and support," Dennerlein said. "Those are the two things that drive how people configure themselves when using a device." As such, those highly reflective glossy displays that designers love so much are an ergonomic nightmare, because they force users to subtly manipulate their body away from a comfortably, neutral position in order to "fix" their view. Dennerlein said it's a topic yet to be studied but that users should be conscious of it. So again, invest in a case or stand that allows you to prop your tablet away from glare so that you can sit in a relaxed position.
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