 When people hear ergonomics, they often think of this, but in truth, ergonomics is simply fitting the workplace to the worker, rather than the other way around. And that includes lots of workplaces, construction, manufacturing, transportation, health care, you get the idea. So today, we're going to cover some ergonomic basics that apply to virtually any workplace. These include proper posture, managing forces, and excessive repetitive motion. Ready? Let's start with posture. Sitting, standing, walking, it really doesn't matter. Proper bone and joint alignment is key. So straighten up that back, keeping ears, shoulders, and hips in a straight line. Good. Now squat by hinging at the hip. Uh-uh, keep everything aligned. Now sit. Perfect. Maintaining that posture through your day and work, any work will reduce fatigue, eliminate strains, decrease stress on joints and ligaments, and have you feeling great. If posture is good, forces are evil. Why? Because they assault your posture constantly. There are lift and carry forces, grip forces, push and pull forces, and just plain old gravity. Hey, let's help you out with this. To avoid injury, don't lift, pull, or push too much. Let your posture guide you. And if need be, get help or use a hand truck or other tool. Also, move that body. If you stand up a lot for work, sit. If you've been sitting, stand up. Every change is an opportunity to realign and think about your posture. Our last Ergo 101 topic is repetitive motion. Doing the same task over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over, you get the point. Repetitive motions from jobs like these can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, joint problems, poor circulation, and more. Fortunately, these injuries are easy to avoid. First, by arranging your work area to fit you and support good posture, and second, by stretching. Stretches like this, or this, or this, well, maybe not that. Every 30 to 60 minutes can make a world of difference and prevent injury.