
Ask HN: How do I fix my posture after years at the computer? - nkkollaw
My posture is absolutely horrible.<p>I have a pretty bad postural kyphosis (hunched back) that can only get worse if I keep being at the computer the whole day.<p>I read some stuff about how to fix it (exercising your neck, etc.), but I don&#x27;t feel like that would solve anything.<p>I&#x27;ve seen people work standing up, sitting on an exercise ball, resting their feet on a footboard, etc.<p>How do you guys do it? Is there something relatively easy that I can actually implement and keep doing?
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tmnvix
Walking.

Aside from the many, many other benefits you'll get from making it a regular
habit, it can really help to strengthen the muscles needed to maintain good
posture (just be sure to walk with your head held up).

The beauty of walking is that it is so easy to work into your daily life. In
the right environment it's a very pleasant thing to do. I often find myself
heading out to get lunch and instead of stopping at that place a block away,
I'll go an extra couple of blocks just because I'm enjoying the walk (usually,
this has something to do with the trains of thought that walking encourages).
It never feels in the slightest like 'exercising'. As a programmer, I consider
walking while thinking to be one of my most productive activities.

I'm not suggesting that walking is _the_ solution for you, but I'm confident
that it will help to improve your posture if you don't already do a lot of it.

~~~
zhte415
This is nice, and blew me back to some advice I think from a Bruce Lee book or
interview I read or saw years ago on generally being fit.

* Get off the bus 2 stops early and walk the rest.

* Take an extra flight of stairs instead of the lift the whole way.

About generating habits, not about magic.

For the OP: Stretch, get the time to get up, be aware of your posture,
stretch, do gentle things, and take regular steps, don't expect a leap.

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PaulHoule
If your back is hunched, the solution is to stretch it in the opposite
direction: the following works for many people and if you go to a doc or PT
and get something like this for first line treatment you are lucky:

[https://www.amazon.com/Treat-Your-Back-Robin-
McKenzie/dp/095...](https://www.amazon.com/Treat-Your-Back-Robin-
McKenzie/dp/0959774661)

Look at the yoga position

[https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/cobra-
pose#](https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/cobra-pose#)!

Also see

[http://reichandlowentherapy.org/Content/Practices/Grounding/...](http://reichandlowentherapy.org/Content/Practices/Grounding/bow.html)

The bow position is easy to do because you can just stand up and do it as
opposed to lying down as you would for the Cobra and McKenzie exercises.

I also like lying back on an exercise ball to stretch.

If your neck hurts, neck exercises are likely to make your neck hurt more
because your neck is already being worked too hard already, the key is to do
exercises that get other body parts to put your neck in the right place, see
the neck exercises in:

[https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pain-free-pete-
egoscue/1102...](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pain-free-pete-
egoscue/1102301816?ean=9780553379884&st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_BN+Bing+Books_00000000&2sid=Bing_e&sourceId=PLBiP74830)

~~~
Kepler-295c
This was the only solution that worked for me.

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evex
There is a youtuber[0] I've been following lately, he explains the effects
from sitting too much infront of a computer and how to fix them.

I've already learnt about APT[0](Anterior Pelvic Tilt) which is a common
problem that happens when sitting for prolongated periods of time.

Forward Head Posture[1]: happens when your neck is not straight above your
shoulders Computer Shoulders

Computer shoulders[2]: when your shoulder are rounded(bro physique), happens
when you rotate your shoulders to reach your keyboard

He've got a lot more about posture.

There also another youtuber you probably seen him before(Athlean-X)

Videos from Athlean-X about posture corrective exercises:

Perfect Posture in 5 Steps (BAD POSTURE BUSTER!)[4]

How to Fix Your Posture (NO MORE ROUNDED SHOULDERS!)[5]

How to Fix Anterior Pelvic Tilt (SIT HAPPENS!)[6]

[0]:
[https://www.youtube.com/user/GuerrillazenFitness](https://www.youtube.com/user/GuerrillazenFitness)

[1]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET9IRDtQvhk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET9IRDtQvhk)

[2]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjBYHvKDKn0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjBYHvKDKn0)

[3]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMv5cMiIWEk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMv5cMiIWEk)

[4]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQqgf8kB6R8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQqgf8kB6R8)

[5]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2VQ_WZ8Bto](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2VQ_WZ8Bto)

[6]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-CrEi0ymMg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-CrEi0ymMg)

------
twobyfour
Keep your keyboard and monitor separated by height. Laptops are evil for upper
back posture.

Think of how high your eyes are above your elbows. Most of us need the center
of our monitors to be 2-3ft above our keyboard height for proper ergonomics.
Even typical laptop risers don't cut it.

Get your eyesight checked - and get it rechecked annually, because it can
change significantly in as little as six months. Nearsightedness (myopia) and
astigmatism may both cause you to lean in closer to your monitor to read
clearly, causing your back to hunch. Corrective lenses make this unnecessary
(though they alone won't break you of the postural habit.)

Lower back posture is a separate issue - and that's what sit-stand desks,
exercise balls, and the like try to address. That said, they also strengthen
your core, which may be necessary (though not sufficient) to straighten your
upper back.

You may want to consult a physical therapist for specific exercises to
straighten your posture, for guidance on how to do them most safely and
effectively, and for a program that ramps them up gradually as your strength
increases.

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untangle
I'll let others address keyboard heights and such, but here are some body-
centric things that helped me:

1\. If you are overweight, fix that first. 2\. Do yoga 3-4 times per week.
20-min sessions are OK. Even sun salutations will help a lot. 3\. Work on
strengthening your posterior chain. I don't mean lifting heavy, just getting
tone and activation. 4\. Learn what it feels like to have good (better)
posture. Work with someone (pro or not) to pose you and work with you. Or just
use a mirror. 5\. EASIEST: Learn simple tricks like rotating your wrists
outward (thumbs forward) when standing or walking. And get your eyes up near
the horizon, etc.

IME, these things can make your posture visibly better. But habit and genetics
are tough to overcome. As in most things, expect modest early success but
steel yourself for the long haul.

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DanBC
If you're at correct weight you can try some physical exercises.

[http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Backpain/Pages/low-back-pain-
exer...](http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Backpain/Pages/low-back-pain-
exercises.aspx)

------
juanjegal
I just bought this product: [https://shop.blackroll.com/collections/other-
fascia-tools/pr...](https://shop.blackroll.com/collections/other-fascia-
tools/products/blackroll-posture)

It still doesn't arrive, so I'm not sure how good it is.

~~~
nkkollaw
I thought about buying something like that, but I often work at the house and
I'm not rich enough to risk my girlfriend sees me wearing that.

There's an infomercial in Italy for a product called Royal Posture, which is
supposed to force you to have a good posture.

I'm looking for ways to do it without having to wear something, though.

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elorm
I'd personally suggest the Molding mobility routine to you as something to do
every day. Works wonders for the back.

Here, have a look [https://phrakture.github.io/molding-
mobility.html](https://phrakture.github.io/molding-mobility.html)

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e59d134d
This has been useful for me: [https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/posture-
power-how-to-co...](https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/posture-power-how-to-
correct-your-body-alignment.html)

------
ourarash
Switching to a sit-stand desk was life changing for me.

~~~
nkkollaw
So, I assume it doesn't get tiring..?

Did you have a hunched back and did it improve..?

~~~
gknoy
I did not have a hunched back (that I'm aware of), so my comment may not help
you, but I found that a standing desk was more comfortable, and forces me to
have a better posture more often than sitting did. I still sometimes lean over
to peer at things, but I can no longer slouch back in my chair while coding.

Standing sounds like it would be tiring, but strangely it's never bothered me
-- probably because I can change my stance, balance, or even move side-to-side
while I'm working (and indeed, did so while typing this). I did not expect to
like it as much as I do, but I've been using one for five years now and have
few complaints.

edit: The key for me is that my monitor(s) are at eye level, so I don't need
to look down. (Laptop screen is an exception, though, and is the main
contributor to the discomfort I sometimes feel.)

~~~
nkkollaw
I'll try it!

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jainankit9
try yoga to gain flexibility. your body will open up leading to a good body
posture. you too have to try sitting in correct way

