We have an epidemic of bad posture • Hacker News Board

Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture

#71

Post by chatmasta » Tue, Jul 26, 2016, 6:38 PM UTC

rbutler wrote: post #41

josephjrobison wrote: post #28

100% agree with this article - I also don't know how more people aren't in the chiropractor's office weekly. I went through a particularly intense period of working on my laptop and it resulted in a neck spasm so sever it was like daggers trying to move my neck. The doctor prescribed Vicodin it was that bad. But only when I went in for a series of chiropractic sessions did I improve my neck at the source. Thankfully…

Maybe because of the baby whose neck was broken [1], 6-year old who had a stroke [2], and 30-year old killed [3], all at the hands of chiropractors. [1] http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/9223578/Chiropractor-... [2] https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/chiropractic-manipulati... [3] https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/stroke-death-from-chiro...

Who brings their baby to a chiropractor?

Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture

#72

Post by joesmo » Tue, Jul 26, 2016, 6:43 PM UTC

I disagree with his suggestions about keyboards and mice completely. It's not that simple. What helps the author might hurt someone else. I personally can't use a mouse or flat keyboard. Making these suggestions categorical destroys an otherwise good article.

Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture

#73

Post by trhway » Tue, Jul 26, 2016, 6:44 PM UTC

freshfey wrote: post #57

The article is a great starting point, but exercise in itself is not enough. If you've worked for multiple years in a (seated) office setting, chances are you have tight muscles. Muscle tissue then gets glued together and stuff like forward rolled shoulders happens. Now you go to a physical therapist with your neck or shoulder pain and he/she recommends you physical therapy. The problem is just, the area is too tight…

>If you've worked for multiple years in a (seated) office setting

and an year ago, after more than 2 decades (not counting university and before) of sitting i started to work standing. Wonderful. Besides posture and better breathing position, gone away some issues that started to appear during recent years due to bad circulation when sitting.

Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture

#74

Post by beachstartup » Tue, Jul 26, 2016, 6:50 PM UTC

henrik_w wrote: post #25

I had pretty bad RSI some years ago, to the point where I thought I wouldn't be able to program anymore. However, I got through it, and I don't have any pains today. The key thing for me was starting to use a break program on my computer. Every 5 minutes I take a 10 seconds micro-break (let go of the mouse and keyboard). Every 45 minutes I take a 5 minute stretching break, and do 3 or 4 stretches. That, together with…

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3...

try this too.

Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture

#75

Post by mikestew » Tue, Jul 26, 2016, 6:58 PM UTC

kjsthree wrote: post #17

cylinder wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Easiest solution for an office worker is to just run up and own the stairwell a few times a day. I don't know how so many people just sit still all day, with a big lunch too, then wonder why they feel tired in the afternoons. Their only solution seems to be more garbage Keurig coffee!

One of the most frustrating things about working in New York is the ample amount of potential stairs to climb with almost every door locked from the stairwell.

The epidemic has long since spread to the west coast. The Seattle building I currently work in has some limited, well-defined accessible stairwells, but AFAICT the majority are one-way, emergency-only. I've worked in buildings as you describe: one-way, down-only. Sucks when you don't know this yet, think you'll take the stairs to the fourth floor only to discover that you need to climb all the way to the bottom then take an elevator up. Security? Yeah, maybe, but that's bare-minimum-to-meet-the-spec lazy security.

Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture

#76

Post by GoToRO » Tue, Jul 26, 2016, 7:00 PM UTC

schmichael wrote: post #2

People aren't static. Many of us fidget quite a lot which does wonders for preventing RSI! I once had an ergonomics consultant confirm that despite my ridiculously poor posture, my constant fidgeting did wonders for preventing RSI and other forms of strain that occur when you hold a single position for too long. (Also I barely touch a mouse which probably helps.)

I did that too. Then I stopped because I saw it as a.. defect? And then I had to pick it up again :) It gives me some "exercise" while sitting. All the time when I really have to think hard I do it more. For sure there is a link there. Brain needs more blood, muscles deliver it?

Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture

#77

Post by joesmo » Tue, Jul 26, 2016, 7:10 PM UTC

melling wrote: post #23

jff wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Kinesis Advantage has really helped me, along with a Kensington Expert Mouse (which is actually a trackball). I used to get pains all the way up my right arm and through both wrists, but now worst case is a slightly tired hand.

The Kinesis Advantage has MX Cherry Brown switches. It would be great to understand what makes this keyboard effective. How does an Ergodox compare, for instance? I've also got a Github page dedicated to ergonomic keyboards: https://github.com/melling/ErgonomicNotes/blob/master/keyboa...

The lf version comes with red mx switches. It's not just the keys though, as the position of the keys helps immensely.

Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture

#78

Post by stonemetal » Tue, Jul 26, 2016, 7:12 PM UTC

jdpage wrote: post #21

jholloway7 wrote: post #14

Lifting weights can help, but it can also cause more harm when your routine isn't properly balanced. Doing only bench press and military press lifts for upper body is going to be a chest/tricep push heavy routine. If you're not balancing these pushes with pulls (chinups, pullups, rows, etc), it can promote issues like rolled shoulders, forward neck, weak traps, weak rhomboids or similar postural issues to those the a…

Do you have any specific beginner's routines you'd recommend? I was doing 5x5, which has pulls in the form of barbell rows and deadlifts; I don't know if that's sufficient.

I like the reddit /r/bodyweightfitness recommended routine.

Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture

#79

Post by GoToRO » Tue, Jul 26, 2016, 7:15 PM UTC

Good tips. I may add:

1. A second mouse for my other hand. Pick a corporate mouse because those are symmetric. Use it to browse the web when you are not really working.

2. A desk with a dull (chamfer) edge.

Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture

#80

Post by forgetsusername » Tue, Jul 26, 2016, 7:19 PM UTC

Floegipoky wrote: post #65

antisthenes wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can always supplement the 5x5 routine with 3x8-10 (typically) accessory exercises with dumbbells. In some cases dumbbells will give you a better range of motion and help develop smaller muscles. Another common addition to 5x5 I've seen is adding a dedicated core day (weighted ab crunches, hanging leg raises, planks) Core is the 2nd most important part of doing pull exercises (after back)

> In some cases dumbbells will give you a better range of motion and help develop smaller muscles. This has always smelled like broscience to me. I guess I'm just skeptical that someone unable to create stable positions with a fixed object (barbell) will have more success creating proper stable positions off of objects that move freely. Based on what I've seen in the gym, it looks like the barbell users usually end u…

>most of what I see in the gym are meatheads using way more weight than they should be.

What does that mean? If your goal is to get stronger you have to lift as much weight as possible. Obviously you don't want to hurt yourself, but the emphasis on perfect form over heavy weights is "broscience" if your goal is strength.

>I'm just skeptical that someone unable to create stable positions with a fixed object (barbell) will have more success creating proper stable positions off of objects that move freely.

The whole point is that it's more difficult to maintain stability with dumbells.