A healthy lifestyle can help you perform and enjoy your everyday activities, including the time spent at your computer.

For overall good health, consider the following:

• Eat a balanced diet and get adequate rest.

• Exercise for overall fitness to give strength and flexibility to your body.  Keep in mind that you should consult a qualified health professional to help you choose the stretches and exercises that are right for you.  

• Learn to manage stress.  One way to reduce stress at work is to plan your work area and schedule so that noise and distractions are kept to a minimum.

• See a qualified health professional if you have questions about how your medical and physical conditions may be related to MSDs.  While researchers are not yet able to answer many questions about MSDs, there is general agreement that many factors may be linked to their occurrence, including previous injuries, diabetes, hormonal changes (such as pregnancy), and rheumatoid arthritis.