3 ms·
A few other tips to add here beyond the other great ones already mentioned. I had to learn about these the hard way. 1.) Massage. You may not think it's the
by thinkzig 18y ago
A few other tips to add here beyond the other great ones already mentioned. I had to learn about these the hard way.
1.) Massage.
You may not think it's the manliest thing ever, but if you can afford it you should find a good local masseuse and get yourself an hour session. Even if you go once and never go again, you'll get an education in just how kinked up your back and shoulders probably are.
I tweaked my back lifting a lawn mower out of my car a couple years ago and didn't think much of it at the time. Over the next few weeks I started to have all kinds of shoulder problems and other various pain to the point where my arms were getting tingly and I couldn't sit and code for more than 30 minutes at a time.
Long story short, I went through a few doctors before I finally just decided to see a masseuse and see if it helped. I was lucky to find someone that knew what they were doing and helped get me straightened out. It took about 5 sessions over 5 weeks, but I've never had problems since.
2.) Trigger points.
Learn what they are and how you can fix them. This was my problem that the masseuse turned me on to. Trigger points are essentially little micro-knots in your muscle fibers that can add up to cause big problems for you. For me, lifting that mower was really just the straw that broke the camel's back. It just exacerbated all the trigger point problems I'd been creating over years of coding and not stretching out my back and shoulders properly.
If you know where the common trigger points creep up and how to get rid of them you can save yourself a lot of pain and downtime (not to mention massage bills).
Buy these two things: The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook (http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Treatment/dp/1572243759/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230263929&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Tr...) and a TheraCane (http://www.amazon.com/Thera-Cane-Theracane-TheraCane/dp/B0007YZ1BM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1230263980&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/Thera-Cane-Theracane-TheraCane/dp/B000...)
The book will show you how to identify and treat the trigger points all over your body, and the TheraCane will help you reach the places on your back that you can't reach yourself.
3.) Yoga.
Once you get all your issues straightened out, yoga and/or a good daily stretching regimen can help keep you kink free.
Hopefully some of this advice is helpful. I was really messed up for a while until I figured all this out. Again, echoing what others have said, please take care of your body. It's the only one you have.
- Todd 18y agoI second yoga. It is the only exercise that I know of that is built around the back and posture. It does wonders for people who sit at desks all day. I have only done it occasionally over the past several years, but it has helped every time. The other important exercise is walking. As imperfectly designed as our bodies are for bipedal locomotion, walking turns out to be one of the best exercises for them. For example, the disks in our backs don't have blood vessels bathing them in oxygen. One of the only ways to oxygenate them well is to walk (due to the back and forth motion). A healthy spine, back muscles, etc. will go a long way to making your 8+ hour stints in a chair bearable. Think of it as the penance that our body demands for our hacking.
- davo11 18y agopilates is great for back strength - it focuses on your 'core' muscles that keep your back straight.
- juliend2 18y agoI second Yoga too. I particularly recommend the "Sun Salutation" exercise : http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=yuvfHTaftLQ http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=yuvfHTaftLQ (she's an expert, but you can do the movements as far as you can)