[deleted]
We have an epidemic of bad posture
91–100 of 152 posts
Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture
#92Lifting 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…
I'm 6'4 and have always had issues with bad posture. Text-neck and bad eyesight go hand in hand, if you wear glasses Be sure your prescription is up to date! After using the same pair of glasses for three years and swapping them out the sheer amount of hunch eases out of my routine.
Keeping lower back muscles strengthened also helps. I've found rollerblading through my city and its trails to be an excellent low-impact cardio workout. A cheap pair of Bauers goes for 80$ at CanTire, and pairs perfectly with the Hackers Soundtrack (1,2,3) (because inline is dead right?).
Proper sized tools also help with RSI. Massive hands and small iPhones/chef knives destroy me. I've picked up some grips for my knives (I'm a chef) and a larger Android device and the cramps have disappeared. Raise surfaces that are routinely used, most surfaces ate meant for normal height workers, not giant lanklets.
Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture
#93This is a consequence of laptop usage. You should have your screen at eye height, sit in a chair with arms, and have wrist support. Before laptops took over, there was a lot of concern about keyboard ergonomics. That seems to have disappeared. You can't even get the Microsoft Natural Keyboard any more.
Wat. https://www.microsoft.com/accessories/en-us/products/keyboar...
It's "out of stock" for business, but not for individuals?
It looks like Microsoft brought this back as a new model in black with fake chrome, unlike the old beige model. (Still has the crappy spacebar mechanism, though; the spacebar is huge but has to be pushed near its center.)
Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture
#94Earlier quoted context omitted.
It sounds great but I'm wondering, would this be accepted in any company?
I work at a Fortune 500 company, in an open office area. I was the first person to use a standing desk, by cobbling some cardboard boxes together. And then I was kind of a promoter, and also mentioned to the department chair: "By any reasonable measure, computer use is a workplace safety problem waiting to explode." In fact I goaded him into getting one for himself. Since then, quite a few people have gotten a VariDe…
Second the motion on VariDesk; I have one and am entirely pleased with it. (No, I don't work for them or have any financial interest in their company.)
Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture
#95Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
Always put technique first. Start with the basic compound lifts. These represent idealized human movement. Use light loads while you learn what proper technique feels like. Deadlift- Be careful not to overdo this, especially when you're starting out Squat- Overhead squat is probably the best variation to master, but goblet squat is probably the easiest Press Bench Press Dip Pullup Bent-over Row You should also challe…
I agree. Spend a month or two (or more if you have severe mechanical restrictions) familiarizing yourself with the proper form for the major barbell lifts, and then put yourself through a beginner program such as Starting Strength [1] , accompanied with good nutrition[2] and HIIT to keep bodyfat in check.
On a side note, it's interesting to me that you singled out the deadlift, as I found the (back) squat the most challenging lift to master.
[1] - SS prescribes power cleans; I think most people will get more desirable results from rows
[2] - this varies significantly from person to person, and is probably the biggest challenge, as it's a huge inner game
Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture
#96How often do you find that a person with a low body-fat ratio with negative effects caused by bad posture? The people who I've seen with obvious problems caused by poor posture, like a hump or sore back or joints, are usually moderately to highly overweight. Kind of like how women with large breasts can have problems with soreness or neck humps. I suspect that it's not so much about good posture as it is about having…
My wife weights 43kg and she has pretty bad posture. She is developing a hunch at 35! In my limited knowledge, its because of weak muscles all over. She's been skinny all her life. I'm looking in to what exercises she can do to get better.
It's worth checking her thyroid function:
"Some studies have related hypothyroidism to muscle dysfunction... Furthermore, studies ... demonstrated that thyroid hormone action on skeletal muscles affects mainly type-I muscle fibers, which promote slow contractions and are most prevalent in the postural muscles recruited during prolonged effort" [1]
Also, not sure where you are in the world but your doctor telling you your thyroid hormone levels are ok unfortunately may not necessarily mean they are ok... There is a controversy about reference ranges amongst experts [2], and I think it's wise to pay attention to that.
Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture
#97Walking a few minutes every hour is a simple way to clear your head, be more productive, and save your posture.
By all means do that, but in the long run it is not enough. 8 hours of sitting isn't countered by walking for 1 hour. There are many good exercises you can do with little to no equipment, the recommended routine of /r/bodyweightfitness is a good place to start https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommend...
Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture
#98All the ergo adjustments in the world won't help you if you sit in one position all day long with one small set of muscles engaged while the rest are disengaged and slowly atrophying. The best solution is touched on in the article, but it can't be overstated that actual exercise is the best preventative.
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!
>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.
One of the best periods I had in college was when I used to wake up around 0430, work out at home, take a shower, have breakfast (oeufs au plat, escalope/steak, and half a liter of milk).
I'd spend the day feeling great even though I didn't have lunch hour, just four 1h30 lectures from 0800 to 1430 as opposed to 1st and 2nd years 0800-1120, 1300-1630, with 10 minute pauses between each two lectures.
Full of energy and feeling great the whole day.
Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture
#99All the ergo adjustments in the world won't help you if you sit in one position all day long with one small set of muscles engaged while the rest are disengaged and slowly atrophying. The best solution is touched on in the article, but it can't be overstated that actual exercise is the best preventative.
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!
We had a physical therapist come by the office and adjust everybodies chairs - the result was that sitting down hurt so badly I ended up standing all the time, that should be better than sitting down, and the best possible position for my back other than lying down.
My feet wanted to murder me the first week, and especially the first 3 days, but once you get over it I highly recommend doing so - I actually don't have a chair at my desk anymore.
Re: We have an epidemic of bad posture
#100Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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…
Let me clarify. A professional strength athlete will need to move lots of weight, and will occasionally need to compromise form and future health to get it done. That being said, look at the work Kelly Starrett has done with Mark Bell. Perfect form by definition results in the most efficient force production and transfer, and is therefore the most efficient way to increase strength. My understanding is that these days you rarely see elite power athletes compromise form in training, in the same way that you rarely see elite power athletes lifting their max load. My philosophy is that in training, a rep without proper form is a failed rep.