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Fixing the computer guy posture [pdf]

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Re: Fixing the computer guy posture [pdf]

#91

Post by delackner »

If you are in your twenties and healthy, please learn from my mistakes. I suffered from wrist pain and lower back pain. I used all sorts of ergonomic keyboards, chairs, even a special back brace. Eventually I was seeing a chiropractor and massage therapist once a week. None of that worked, because I spent all my time sitting in a chair staring at a computer.

I started weight training and yoga, and my wrist and back pain disappeared. I thought I was done and everything was fine.

But I was still sitting in a chair all day every day, and more than a decade like that herniated a disc in my neck. The initial symptoms were a persistent pain in my upper shoulder blade for months. The doctor said this would not have happened if I had just got up once an hour, and he sees tons of desk workers end up the same.

Since then I have seen some improvement by using a program to force me to look away from the screen at intervals, and to get up once an hour.

My posture is still horrible, but now the remaining struggle is simply staying aware enough to avoid bad habits (slouching, letting my head fall forward, etc).

Re: Fixing the computer guy posture [pdf]

#92

Post by calebmpeterson »

subwindow wrote: post #71

This all looks unnecessarily complicated. I had really bad posture for most of my life and I fixed it with two things: deadlifts and cable rows. After the major muscular weaknesses are corrected (and those two exercises will correct them), it's just a matter of habit correction- stand while you work, walk with your stomach tight and shoulders back, don't let yourself slouch when you sit, etc. This ain't rocket scienc…

Given that poor posture seems, at least in my case, to be a lack of good habit, how did you address this part? The exercises are intentional and engage the mind actively. But bad posture is what I do when I'm not paying attention... this seems particularly important if the OP is correct in stating that exercise will improve already good posture and further degrade bad.

Re: Fixing the computer guy posture [pdf]

#95

Post by olsonea »

eru wrote: post #31
JungleGymSam wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because of the barrier to entry: money, setup, and all the unknowns related to switching.

Yes, there are transaction costs. But overcoming them is worth it. (And you can create a make-shift standing desk pretty easily out of a normal desk with enough stacks of printer paper or boxes.)

Bed risers work great (like the kind you might still have hanging around from a college dorm room). I bought some two years ago from Bed, Bath, & Beyond, coupled with an anti-fatigue mat. Not only did my developing back pain go away, but I've lost 15 pounds since then without adding anything to my exercise regimen, or drastically changing my diet.

edit: Forgot to mention: juststand.org

Re: Fixing the computer guy posture [pdf]

#96

Post by davidcuddeback »

henrik_w wrote: post #70
davidcuddeback wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm starting to take ergonomics seriously, and I appreciate hearing what works for others. In your write-up on your blog, you mentioned that you used a program called WorkPace on Linux and Windows. I looked into it, but I only see a Windows version on their website [1]. After a little Googling, I found a similarly named WorkRave [2], which is available for Linux and Windows. I was…

No, it was WorkPace. I've notied that they've stopped supporting Linux since when I got the license. Maybe bug them to see if they'll start supporting Linux again. As for desks, the two that I have used have both been from the companies I've been working for, so I never had to buy one myslef. However, where I worked before (www.tilgin.com), everybody got an adjustable height desk (electric motor). They only bought th…

Thanks for the update. I did put in a request for Linux support with WorkPace.

I installed WorkRave this morning and have been trying it out while I work today. I like it. It seems like it would work really well with Gnome. I'm using XMonad. It's fully functional in XMonad, but the "tray" just floats on whichever desktop I start it on, which isn't ideal for XMonad.

I get the impression all the adjustable-height desks are expensive. I'm not a big fan of motorized ones. I tried them out at the Relax-the-Back store. They're way too slow at raising and lowering the desk for my taste, which is why I'm leaning toward something manual like the Float table.

Re: Fixing the computer guy posture [pdf]

#98

Post by vidarh »

subwindow wrote: post #71

This all looks unnecessarily complicated. I had really bad posture for most of my life and I fixed it with two things: deadlifts and cable rows. After the major muscular weaknesses are corrected (and those two exercises will correct them), it's just a matter of habit correction- stand while you work, walk with your stomach tight and shoulders back, don't let yourself slouch when you sit, etc. This ain't rocket scienc…

If your posture problem is related to too poor flexibility, deadlift will not fix the problems. On the contrary, you can potentially put your back at severe risk as your form will break down.

You don't need to spend an hour a day, but not nearly all posture issues are down to muscular weakness.

For my part, I discovered my posture problems as a result of deadlifts and squats, that eventually got to sufficient weight that I was unable to compensate or work around the underlying lack of flexibility and ended up dangerously close to properly hurting my back.

Re: Fixing the computer guy posture [pdf]

#99

Post by vidarh »

MattSayar wrote: post #66

If we just follow the lifting guide posted a few days ago [1], wouldn't "computer guy posture" fix itself? [1] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4971196

If your specific issues are due to muscular weaknesses, yes. If it's due to reduced flexibility, then no. Chances are it'll be a bit of both.

Try bending over with your back in a slight upwards arch while keeping your legs completely straight and together.

Can you get below 90 degrees? If not, your flexibility along your posterior chain is poor. Can you effortlessly reach your toes with your fingers (you can bend your back this time)? If not, same.

Strength training alone won't fix those. And in fact, that poor flexibility will make it very hard to maintain proper form when lifting weights, and you're putting yourself at greater risk of hurting yourself.

On the upside, only a couple of months of stretches is enough to see a substantial improvement.

Re: Fixing the computer guy posture [pdf]

#100

Post by vidarh »

rquantz wrote: post #45
vidarh wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not things like the lack of core strength in itself that is a problem. You are right that will improve. But if you for example go to the gym with a tight posterior chain, you will squat with a form that either hurts your lower back (been there, done that) or makes you emphasise the wrong muscles (been there, done that) and leave you with progressively bigger problems lifting correctly. Similarly, it is very easy…

But if you for example go to the gym with a tight posterior chain, you will squat with a form that either hurts your lower back... or makes you emphasise the wrong muscles... and leave you with progressively bigger problems lifting correctly. Not to say that what you ended up doing was wrong, but to me this just indicates the need for a coach, or at least doing a lot more reading before you start lifting. If you have…

Romanian deadlifts was in fact one of the exercises I was doing to try to overcome the problem the first time around. It did nothing for me. Not saying it can't help, but it compared to the speed I progressed at within weeks of starting my stretches, I'll stick with the stretches.

And I did see a coach, who was also a qualified physiotherapist. What I was recommended was pretty much the stretches in the linked article.

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