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Avoid hemorrhoids: Improve Hacking and Health by Moving Your Chair

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Re: Avoid hemorrhoids: Improve Hacking and Health by Moving Your Chair

#11

Post by chasingsparks »

tokenadult wrote: post #10

I've been sitting on an exercise ball for the last couple years, since I read a local newspaper article about schools in my community that offer those to schoolchildren to sit on. But only last week I discovered that most school exercise balls have knobs on them that keep them in place. Mine is a regular ball, which can roll in any direction. Maintaining my balance provides subtle movement any time I am at the comput…

I sit at one also, but mostly because it is a mild form of passive exercise.

Moreover, it's a fun break / mental aid sometimes. Bounce while listening to Di.FM and see if a smile doesn't form on your face.

Re: Avoid hemorrhoids: Improve Hacking and Health by Moving Your Chair

#15

Post by Gotttzsche »

goodside wrote: post #4

I'm typing this from a standing desk: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1038179/Fredrik2.jpg It's a "Fredrik" from Ikea, which courteously lets you choose the height of the desk and shelves, and doesn't stop you from putting them in the wrong spots. I've been using it for almost a year, and it's perfectly sturdy. One caveat: make sure you make it high enough. Using a standing desk when the keyboard is even a few inches too low…

are you a dwarf? i might be seeing it wrong but it looks pretty low for a standing desk.

Re: Avoid hemorrhoids: Improve Hacking and Health by Moving Your Chair

#16

Post by chipsy »

jimmyjim wrote: post #5

I have one question as regards ergonomics. How do you keep good neck posture? I've a habit of protruding my head outward really close to the monitor, and reading books at a very close distance (like 6 inches). As a result, my shoulders, neck, and head now make out the x^3 curve (it should of course ideally be somewhat straight). I have to consciously think about keeping my neck straight... but it's very hard to be mi…

People usually say "exercise" as a tip for better posture in general, but nutrition is probably a stronger influence because of its effects on core strength, which will make you tend one way or the other.

So if you aren't already supplementing, try protein and a multivitamin. It might be all you need.

Re: Avoid hemorrhoids: Improve Hacking and Health by Moving Your Chair

#17

Post by sketerpot »

techiferous wrote: post #14

If you stand, proper keyboard height is very important. Your wrists should not be bent while you type; otherwise, you risk a repetitive stress injury.

People get this wrong all the time, and use cheap, sticky keyboards. I made this mistake, and got a repetitive stress injury that made typing painful.

Now I've got a better keyboard and zealous devotion to proper keyboard height, and my hands don't hurt anymore. Don't make the mistakes I did. POSITION YOUR KEYBOARD CORRECTLY! This is important, and warrants capital letters.

Re: Avoid hemorrhoids: Improve Hacking and Health by Moving Your Chair

#18

Post by kristiandupont »

tokenadult wrote: post #10

I've been sitting on an exercise ball for the last couple years, since I read a local newspaper article about schools in my community that offer those to schoolchildren to sit on. But only last week I discovered that most school exercise balls have knobs on them that keep them in place. Mine is a regular ball, which can roll in any direction. Maintaining my balance provides subtle movement any time I am at the comput…

I tried trackballs and various kinds of mice. Then, I switched to laptops and I decided to only rely on the touchpad. So I forced myself to learn keyboard shortcuts for all the programs that I use regularly, which sped up my productivity and now I only use a mouse for occational gaming.

Re: Avoid hemorrhoids: Improve Hacking and Health by Moving Your Chair

#19

Post by juvenn »

This stand-up hacking approach, does not only make my hacking productive, but also helps me on critical thinking. When I'm not typing, I just walk away from screen, and do some critical thinking instead. After I cleared my head, I'll continue typing and hacking.

Looking at screen while thinking would make me scatterbrained, and get nothing done.

Re: Avoid hemorrhoids: Improve Hacking and Health by Moving Your Chair

#20

Post by pyre »

kristiandupont wrote: post #18
tokenadult wrote: post #10

I've been sitting on an exercise ball for the last couple years, since I read a local newspaper article about schools in my community that offer those to schoolchildren to sit on. But only last week I discovered that most school exercise balls have knobs on them that keep them in place. Mine is a regular ball, which can roll in any direction. Maintaining my balance provides subtle movement any time I am at the comput…

I tried trackballs and various kinds of mice. Then, I switched to laptops and I decided to only rely on the touchpad. So I forced myself to learn keyboard shortcuts for all the programs that I use regularly, which sped up my productivity and now I only use a mouse for occational gaming.

Truth be told, I never liked trackpads, then I came across TrackPoint (i.e. 'the nipple') on a ThinkPad. Best... pointing... device... ever...
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