You probably spend far too much time at your desk. If you’re building an empire while balancing a day job, I bet you’re glued to a laptop every evening as well. Sure, it’s the price we pay as entrepreneurs. But it takes a creeping toll on your body. And if you’re not careful, you’ll end up chair-shaped. That’s not a joke. You really do become chair-shaped over time. Your shoulders round, your neck juts forward and your pelvis is tilted as though you were still sitting down. Do nothing about it and those changes will become permanent…and painful. Several years ago, I went from a job that had me standing most of the day to one where I sat in front of a computer. The amount of tension that piled up in my neck and back was incredible! I suddenly understood why so many people keep over-the-counter pain relievers tucked in a drawer of their desk. The funny thing is that I used to treat people for the exact same thing. I’d been giving my patients specific exercises to deal with their issues for years.
But it was only when I experienced it myself that I finally realized most desk jockey issues can be prevented before they start showing up as pain. For desk jockeys, the preventative measures are the same things needed to reverse existing problems. I’ll show you how to start reclaiming your shape in a second. But first, let’s talk about the symptoms. Typical desk jockey neck and shoulder issues range from tightness and tension to nerve compression and early degeneration. Here’s a short list of symptoms: • tingly arms and hands that may, or may not, “go to sleep” • upper back tension • weakened joint structure that can lead to early disc problems • a feeling like there’s a line of fire running down your arms Nothing fun on that list. And it goes without saying that we want fun things. After all, what’s the point of working so hard if you aren’t making life better for yourself and the people you’re helping? So what can you do about it?
Let’s cover three things you can do right now. It’s easier to do this move if you’re standing, but you might be able to do it at your desk depending on the shape of your chair. • Stand tall, reach both hands behind you and clasp them together at the base of your low back. Then gently push your hands toward the floor. Your shoulders will automatically “square” and your chest will expand as you do so. • Take five slow, deep breaths and push your hands a bit further down with each inhale. Even if you can’t go far, try to push your hands toward the floor anyway. It’ll deepen the stretch. • After five breaths, relax and release your hands. • Repeat this sequence at least twice a day. Keeners can do it as often as once an hour. • While sitting tall, rotate your head as far to the right and then as far to the left as you comfortably can. Hold each for 20-60 seconds while breathing normally. • Tilt your head to the right as you pretend to lift your left ear to the ceiling, and then repeat to the left as you lift your right ear to the ceiling.
• Since you’re probably sitting in an office chair, run the base of your head from one side to the other as though you were sliding along the top of your chair. Keep your body still and move only your head and neck. No tilting your head! Posture is extremely important for desk jockeys. The average head weighs 8 to 12 lbs (3.6 to 5.4 kg), and most desk jockeys sit with theirs jutted forward like a turtle. Holding this position is extremely hard on your neck and upper back muscles. The end result is the symptoms we discussed above. But despite striving for great posture, none of us will achieve perfect compliance. So what’s the solution? Set a reminder that goes off hourly. Each time the reminder pops, still tall again. Here’s a quick snapshot of good seated posture: • Feet flat on the floor. • Knees bent at a 90 degree angle, or slightly more. • The majority of your weight rests on your “sits bones.” • An imaginary line drawn up the side of your body runs perpendicular to the floor, through your hip, shoulder, and the hole in your ear.
Take a picture to see how close you are to this ideal. • Sit tall in your chair with your shoulders back. Your head sits directly between your shoulders rather than sliding forward to sit over your lap. Mutant ninja turtles are cool, but desk jockey turtles are just geeks with bad posture. • Elbows rest close to your sides, bent at or slightly greater than 90 degrees. • Hands rest comfortably on your keyboard, similar to the angle they’d be in if you were resting them on your legs. • Wrists are held neutral or bent back 15 to 20 degrees. The same advice holds true when using a mouse. Avoid reaching far to the front or off to the side for a mouse—it puts needless stress on your shoulder and neck. • The top of your computer monitor is level with your eyebrows, and the screen sits directly in front of you. • Set your chair at a height that allows all of the above to line up. Simple steps like good posture build long-term habits. And, as an entrepreneur, you know how powerful that can be.
Your inner entrepreneur will love that it only takes a few rounds each day for results. In many cases, you’ll experience instant relief. But do be aware that it can take time to correct your posture. The desk jockey issues you’re experiencing are the result of chronic and repetitive habits, some of which you’ve been reinforcing for years. If change isn’t immediate, keep at it. Remember that even a few minutes a day makes a difference toward achieving greater productivity, greater rewards, and much more enjoyment in your work and your life.The wrong chair = real health problems. (Total read time: 8 minutes) In this post I’ll cover how I identified the best high-end chairs in the world, which I ultimately chose, and the tangible results that followed. In January of 2005, I found myself on a veranda in Panama after the usual afternoon rain, dreaming of the upcoming year and reflecting on lessons learned since leaving the US. Maria Elena, the matriarch of the Panamanian family that had adopted me, sipped her iced tea and pointed at my bruised feet:
“Tim, let me share some advice I was once given. Buy the most comfortable bed and pair of shoes you can afford. If you’re not in one, you’ll be in the other.” I followed her advice upon returning to CA and the results were sudden: Plantar Fasciitis disappeared, as did shoulder impingement after switching from coil-spring to foam-layered mattresses. But what about chairs? On January 4th, 2009, I tweeted out the following: “Is the Aeron chair worth it? http://tr.im/2uxd Do you have any fave chairs for extended sitting and writing?” Even though I’m financially comfortable now, I didn’t grow up spending a lot of money, which I’m thankful for. To this day, I’ve never paid for first-class airfare for myself. Not that it isn’t worth it — I just can’t do it. Similarly, I had trouble believing a chair could possibly be worth $850-$1,200, but my back pain led me to pose the question to the omniscient Interweb. More than 95% of Aeron users replied with “yes, absolutely”, but it wasn’t the only chair with a cult-like following.
Four of the five are manufactured by Herman Miller (HM) and Humanscale (HS). Prices are from Amazon, as are the star reviews, but discounts of $200-400 can be negotiated with dealers. Both eBay and Craiglist offer similar discounts. In descending order of popularity: 1. Aeron (Fully loaded) (HM) – $879 (1 review; average review: 5 stars) Used at NASA mission control and tech start-ups worldwide.2. Mirra (fully loaded) (HM) – $829 (14 reviews; average review: 4.5 stars) Note: the Herman Miller sales representatives I spoke with preferred the Mirra seat feel for shorter legs vs. the Aeron. Easier to adjust: Mirra is about 9 revolutions from loosest to tightest settings; 3. SwingChair – $495 Recommended by a strong contingent of writers, including one of my favorite visual storytellers, Kathy Sierra. I like the design concept, but I would suggest other forms of “core exercise”. 4. Liberty (HS) – $899 (6 reviews; average review: 3.5 stars) 5. Freedom Task Chair with Headrest (HS) – $999.99 (1 review, average: 4 stars) Used at the FBI and by other governmental agencies with three-letter acronyms.
6. Embody – $1,800 list price (negotiated with dealer: $1,200-1,300): Basis of chair design – sitting is bad; Even in locked position, it still has some backward flex at the top position. No forward tilt option. For personal testing, I also added a Swiss-ball chair (Isokinetics Balance Ball Chair – $75) to the mix, as seen below: Surprisingly, the Isokinetics chair is more comfortable than most fixed chairs I tested, though there is some minor… ahem… testicular compression that isn’t nearly as pleasant as it sounds. If you don’t have jewels to worry about, this chair could well be an ideal cost-effective choice. The chair I most wanted to test was the Mirra, which seems to have the best combination of price point (bought used or via eBay) and multiple 5-star reviews. Not to mention it’s also the name of one of the best BMXers of all time. In the end, I bought a used C-size (technically a bit too large for me) Aeron for $450 on Craigslist. I’m impatient and didn’t want to wait over the weekend to schedule sittings for other Herman Miller chairs with a certified dealer.
Once I have some conclusive comparable data, I want closure.I’m 5′ 8″ and 170 lbs., but the C works with no problem. 1) The lumbar support is — by far — the primary determinant of comfort or pain. I’ve lowered this adjustment and found that maintaining the natural S-curve through pressure on the lower back is what prevents pain most consistently. Comfortable sitting time is now 7-8 hours vs. less than 2 hours, with no ill after-effects. Sliding lumbar support on the Aeron. 2) Seat height (and secondarily, depth) will determine the rest. If the flats of your feet don’t make complete contact with the floor, you will move your hips forward and slouch, eliminating the S-curve in the lower lumbar. If your seat is too low and your knees are above your hips, you will shorten the habitual range your hip flexors (negative neural adaptation) and end up with severe lower-back pain. Aim to keep your hamstrings parallel to the floor, and if the seat is too long for your femur (thigh bone) — as is mildly the case with my C-size Aeron — just separate your knees a bit.
If you’re not wearing a tight skirt, I’ve found a basketball of space between the knees to provide the best lateral stabilization, which reduces torso fatigue. Take off heels when sitting at a desk, lest you end up with hot calves and Quasimodo-like posture. Not good for mating. If you are wearing a tight skirt, I suggest taking up the Japanese tea ceremony and sitting on tatami side saddle. It’ll be more comfortable than crossing your legs all day.True, I’ve thought more about chairs in the last few weeks than anyone should, but I do it to save you the trouble. Benefit from my OCD so you can obsess on other things. 3) Using a 3′ long and 6″ diameter foam roller three times per day for 5 minutes can eliminate persistent middle-back pain from mediocre chair use; conversely, it can extend your comfortable sitting time by 30-40%. Knowledge workers often log more ass-in-seat time than sleep. Coders, in particular, are often subjected to a steady diet of Mountain Dew and hunching for 12+-hour marathons.
I don’t put in these hours, but I found myself with severe mid-upper back pain from using a non-adjustable chair and craning over a desk that was too low, even for 30-60 minutes per day. Two doctors suggested various therapies, but a quick experiment (placing a laptop on top of a dresser and writing while standing for two days) proved that posture was the problem. In less than a week following my switch to the Aeron, all upper middle-back (lower trapezius, rhomboid major) pain disappeared completely. The results: better output during work and writing, faster and deeper sleep, and a huge smack on the forehead. Why the hell didn’t I do this earlier? In my case, was it worth it at $450? Particularly looking at the value of time per hour and the lost income due to doctor visits, massage, etc., this is $450 I should have invested years ago. Odds and Ends: Twitter Giveaway WinnersThe travel bag and Fujitsu color travel scanner are gone. More giveaways coming here this week…