10 years slumped in a chair for most of your day means you'll have an extraordinarily weak back.
Hence the posture issue that allows one to instantly spot the programmers from the account managers at Drupal conferences.
Deadlift, Squat, Barbell row, and stretch your hamstrings.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/barbell-deadlift
http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/barbell-squat
http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/bent-over-barbell...
http://stronglifts.com/why-your-lower-back-rounds-during-squats-how-to-f...
Been going for 6 weeks now and my posture has improved so much that - and this is tentative - if I drop the "There's only 10 kinds of people" tshirt, I may be able to pass for a regular person and not a techie.
Word of warning - start off with extremely light weights and use an experienced buddy to show you correct technique, otherwise you'll hurt yourself.
[This is of course, not to mention a good chair, desk and seating posture]
Comments
Workrave...
I found a free program called Workrave here:
http://www.workrave.org
From it's website:
"Workrave is a program that assists in the recovery and prevention of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). The program frequently alerts you to take micro-pauses, rest breaks and restricts you to your daily limit. Please refer to the feature comparison for a complete list of features, and how the program performs with respect to other programs on the market. The program runs on GNU/Linux and Microsoft Windows."
Now it has suggestions of exercises it can tell you to do, but you can also use it to remind you to get up and stretch... I use the micro-breaks to remind myself to rest my eyes, by looking away from the computer, every 10 minutes, I look 10 or more feet away, for at least 10 seconds...
There isn't an OSX version yet... but you CAN network them together if you use multiple workstations or computers at the same time (For instance, I use a laptop and a desktop at the same time, linked through Synergy, which let's one computer's mouse and keyboard control any number of additional linked computers.. the mouse basically just moves off one monitor onto another computer's monitor and back...).
Of course, sometimes I'm SO focused on my work, I shut it off so as not to be interrupted...
-Myke
sheep made me pause
Its mascot reminded me of the VBS.sheep virus. While Googling it I found Workrave looks legit, I don't think they made a wise decision.
If you are worried about carpal tunnel, just play the flamenco guitar now and then. It gives your wrists a good work-out.
independent developer