Elbow Position
Your elbows belong at your sides, not stretched out to reach a keyboard or a mouse.
There are several things you can do to make this position possible:
• Adjust your furniture to correct the heights (either raise the chair or lower the desk)
• Rearrange your desktop layout to make things closer
• Use a keyboard holder, one with space for your mouse
• Use a touch pad instead of a mouse if your keyboard comes with one
• If your chair has adjustable arm rests, place them at the same height as your keyboard
Wrist Position
Try to keep your wrists in a neutral position. Keeping a neutral position in the wrist can help to prevent increasingly more common disorders such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. There are several good ways to think about wrist posture. One way is to keep the hand in the same plane as the forearm. Good arrangement of your desktop and use of wrist wrests can help achieve this.
A good way to test yourself to assure your wrist posture is neutral is to let your arms dangle by your sides. Note the position of your wrists. This is most likely a neutral position.
When using a mouse a lot, make sure you don’t grip it too hard. Learn to hold the mouse with a loose grip. This can help keep your wrists neutral.
Another good tip for keeping proper wrist function is the shape of the newer style of “natural” keyboards. While appearing unconventional, these keyboards do an excellent job of keeping your wrists in a neutral position. Many also come with touch pads to use in place of a mouse.