Today I am sitting at my work PC complaining to one of my workmates how my right wrist is sore.

This could be due to a couple of things..

The first is the mouse. I'm a programmer. ASP.NET web applications specifically, and spend some time each day using the mouse.

The second is the gym, where lift weights. Lots of strain on the wrists there.

However it was in my research of the mouse vs wrist issue that I started seeing messages about the effect of your keyboard layout on your wrist. If that's so then I'm happy to try anything in a quest for a cure.

First, I moved my mouse to my left hand.

Then I began my research on keyboard layouts.  I looked at them all. Long story short, here I am.

I have just installed the Colemak layout, TypeFaster and the Colemak files for it. Let the games begin.

The last 20 years or so I have been using a qwerty keyboard. On a good day when I'm doing lots of typing, I might crack 50wpm.  Fast enough for what I do.

As for my keyboard itself it's one of those Microsoft ergonomic split types. It's not possible to move the keys around but frankly I would not bother with that anyway. Looking is a no no in touch typing.

So far I'm as noob as noob can be. I've run TypeFaster in my lunch break today for the first time and ran Lesson 1 three times. This is the Lesson where you type words like 'seen tenet sestest nene'. Home row,  two fingers on each hand. 

Took me three goes to get my speed from 8wpm to a blistering 17wpm! (I can tell your impressed) ;)

Seriously but, I like what I have seen so far.

For now it will be a lunch time exercise. But when I can confidently type all of the letters, even at a modest 25 to 30 wpm, I'll make the switch. That is heaps fast enough for coding (most of the time).