Exploring Ergonomics in Kinesiology with Camille Fraser

Dear aspiring kinesiologists,

During the semester, our body can take a toll from our long days of sitting in class, studying, and working on assignments.

While we work towards completing our degrees in kinesiology with a passion to promote health and fitness for our community, we sometimes forget to take care of our own health as a student.

For some of us, we spend our entire days working on the computer without taking a break, hunched over shoulders, and crossing our legs. As a result, we experience discomfort and even pain in areas like our hips, lower back, and traps.

If this sounds like you, you're not alone.

I’m also guilty and so are many other kinesiology students.

In today’s blog, we're chatting with Camille Fraser, a kinesiology graduate and founder of myergomania.com, who knows all about the toll long study sessions can take on your body. As a personal trainer and entrepreneur, Cami has transformed her fascination with movement into a mission to make office spaces ergonomic-friendly – and yes, that includes your study area too!

Cami's journey, filled with determination, practical solutions, and a genuine desire to help, offers insights that every Kinesiology student and office worker can benefit from. This interview is not just a peek into Cami's world; it's a call to action to rethink the way we work and study, turning discomfort into comfort.

Dive in to find out why the field of ergonomics matters, and how you can apply it to your daily life, one posture at a time. Let’s begin!

1) Hey Cami! Tell us a bit about yourself. What sparked your interest in ergonomics and running business?

In a nutshell, I graduated from Dalhousie University with a degree in Kinesiology, became a personal trainer, and then started my own office ergonomics business myergomania.com. Even though my work life keeps me really busy I stay active with my ever growing list of hobbies: skiing, hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, paddle boarding, swimming, running, etc. I have been known to sign up for crazy endurance events to motivate myself and prove to myself that I can do what I once thought was impossible!

I love how movement can help individuals with musculoskeletal discomforts! Though, a lot of clients that I trained complained about discomforts at work, this is what sparked my interest in office ergonomics.

When I first started dipping my toes in the office ergonomics field, I realized how time consuming shifting through all of the products on the market was. There are a lot of amazing products out there but there are just as many lesser ones with great taglines. Finding reliable products and staying on top of the new technologies takes a lot of time and can be extremely confusing for the office worker.

This lead me to:

• Want to create a space that would help ergonomists be confident in their recommendations of products and keep them up to date with the industry up and coming products.
• Want to create a friendly website and knowledgeable team to help the average office worker with their office discomforts.

So, PrintersPlus and I found a way to create just that!

2) How important is it for kinesiology students to understand ergonomics? It doesn’t seem like a topic that’s covered a lot in school.

As a kinesiologist I see great value in understanding ergonomics, especially office ergonomics. I was lucky enough to have taken ergonomic courses (physical and cognitive) during my kines undergrad to help me understand its great value. A large number of clients that kinesiologists see have office jobs. If you want to be able to help your clients have ease with movement, not feel any discomfort, and not have any setbacks in their physical activities, understanding what they do during work is a great place to start. Helping reduce musculoskeletal discomfort and building good work habits will greatly improve your clients’ future movement goals. Building a strong foundation is extremely important! Knowing its benefits can also help you suggest to your clients someone that specializes in ergonomics if you don’t want to go down that area of expertise.

3) Do you have any ergonomic resources that you recommend to kinesiology students and practitioners?

I have a special program for kinesiologists/ergonomists that do office ergonomic assessments and would like to save time on researching products for their clients. We look at your report and make recommendations that fit your client’s needs, as well as provide monthly deliverables (posters, how to videos, etc).

(https://myergomania.com/products/preferred-ergonomist-program-subscription)

If you are looking to get started in office ergonomics, a great resource is ErgonomicsHelp.com. A platform with a lot of information on how to get started and how to market yourself.

There is also the Association of Canadian Ergonomists (ACE) website that has great information about the profession.

4) Can you share some of the most common areas of discomfort office workers have that can be prevented through proper ergonomics?

The most common areas of the body with musculoskeletal discomfort for office workers are the back, neck and shoulders. This can be prevented with proper ergonomic tools and optimal posture.

5) In your opinion, what are some of the biggest challenges facing the ergonomics industry today?

In my opinion, the biggest challenges that the ergonomics industry faces today are visibility/awareness of the profession and the overuse of the word ergonomic to market products. This is why it is always important to make sure that the criteria of the product actually suits your client’s needs even though a product may say ergonomic. What may be ergonomic for one may not be ergonomic for another.

6) How do you see the field of ergonomics evolving in the next 5-10 years?

We have already seen an increase in interest in the world of ergonomics throughout the pandemic especially from those who worked from home. I do see that trend continuing in that direction. On the more technical side, I see more technology being developed to help workers assess their work-related risks.

7) Can you share any exciting new developments or projects that ErgoMania is currently working on?

We are always working on growing our product list, and bringing in new up and coming products. It’s a good idea to keep an eye out for those! We are also working on customizing our Preferred Ergonomist Program even more than it already is.

If you keep an eye out on our socials we have some really helpful posts coming up in the next few months!

8) Where can people contact you?

You can email me at camille@myergomania.com, message me via Facebook/Instagram: @ergomaniacanada, LinkedIn: ErgoManiaCanada or through the contact form on myergomania.com!

Let’s Wrap Up This Interview

Thank you so much for your time, Cami! Ergonomics wasn’t something that I specifically learned in school. I’ve found that to be the case for many others. As a strength coach, I’ve trained many students and adults who worked desk jobs. While we focused many of our efforts in the gym, Cami reminded me that there are other variables that could impact performance such as prolonged sitting with poor posture that could be hindering performance. For example, tight hip flexors from sitting too long could cause an individual to feel discomfort when squatting.

Cami and I met while working at a recreational gym together. I’ve always been fascinated with her background in biomechanics and ergonomics. She’s opened my eyes to how I can improve my client and athlete’s performance by considering their health outside of the gym including their office desk setup!

If you're a kinesiology student looking to enhance your understanding of ergonomics and its impact on overall health and performance, don't hesitate to reach out to Cami Fraser at camille@myergomania.com.

You can also contact any of the Your Kines Mentors if you have any questions that you would like to ask Cami.

Sincerely,

Your Kines Mentor