I 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 onl

I 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.