How to Ergonomically Read or Watch TV on Your iPad in Bed
Updated: Feb 6, 2021
Studies have stated watching TV in bed is not the best thing in the world for you. Experts say the bedroom is for sleeping and other unmentionable things. But let’s be honest here, watching TV in bed is just fun!
It’s comforting and if you’re going to do it anyway you might as well make it easy on your body. Here is a list of 8 things you should or shouldn’t do when viewing your iPad in bed:
1. Do: Lie on your side. Lying on your side with your head on a pillow will align your spine in a straight line and prevent your neck muscles from tightening up after binge-watching your favorite show or reading that Kindle book.
2. Don’t: Lie on your back with your head on a pillow. This will exacerbate forward head elongating the neck muscles in the back and leading to tightened, tension-filled areas.
3. Do: Put the iPad on its side with the top at eye level so you’re not dropping your head forward. Having your spine neutral front-to-back is just as important as keeping it level side-to-side.
4. Don’t: Sit with pillows propped behind you with your iPad on your knees or legs for an extended period of time. This will promote a rounded lumbar spine and forward head and over time can cause low back issues and neck problems.
5. Do: Prop your iPad against a pillow so you don’t have to hold it up with your hand.
6. Do: Keep your arms relatively straight and pointing down in front of you to keep the blood circulating to your hands. Tingly or cold hands are a sign of restricted blood flow.
7. Do: Keep knees and hips bent close to 90 degrees. This prevents you from twisting at the waste and putting undue stress on your lumbar spine.
8. Do: Lock the screen so you don’t have to tilt your head to see the picture correctly. To do this swipe diagonally from the top right corner then touch the padlock with the arrow around it. When it is locked the padlock and arrow will turn red. This means that however you turn your iPad the aspect will remain the same. To unlock your iPad, repeat the process.
Enjoy!