Computer job + posture?

huhwhat123

Dear H/A,

I work at a computer all day and I've noticed postural problems as a result. I'm a guy in my early 20's and I used to work in construction. I used to have no problems meeting women or getting along with people; however, now that I've been sitting at a desk all day for extended periods of time, I can clearly see a difference when it comes to interacting with people and in every day tasks in general.

For example, I've noticed that one of my arms is quite stiff and it looks smaller than the other, almost like I chronically masturbate (but in reality I rarely ever jerk off). One time I went to shake someone's hand and because my arm was stiff I didn't reach quite far enough and they shook my fingers! My head has slightly moved forward and down out of its natural position and although it's minor enough that it's not obvious to people, I've seen some guys at work come back from vacation when they don't have this problem, and it makes them look a lot stronger and more masculine. My hips and mid back are slightly out of alignment and it causes an unnatural walk.

It might seem stupid to complain about this but I've noticed quite an impact on my social life because of it and it's making me very frustrated! For exercise, I go hiking on weekends and I take kickboxing, but sitting at a computer all day at work is just too overpowering.

What can I do?

mightyjongyo

Get up every hour or two and stretch? I don't know how lenient your workplace is about taking breaks, but taking breaks more often may help you not "get stuck" in that posture.

khain

It sounds to me like when you sit down you don't have good posture and the solution is to improve on that which should help with your head position and back alignment. I'm not sure what would be causing the arm thing though.

acidlacedpenguin

definitely set up your chair, desk, mouse/keyboard, and monitor correctly like in this guide http://www.officechairadvice.com/ergonomic/best/how_to_adjust_your_ergonomic_chair.html. If any of that equipment is incapable of being adjusted to your needs then your boss and/or HR department should see to it that you get equipment that will work for you.

Mandres

start masturbating with the other hand?

Seriously though, it's not voodoo or black magic. When muscles aren't being used they start to atrophy. Sitting at a desk typing all day does nothing for you, especially compared to construction work for god's sake. The solution is to hit the fucking gym after work and buld your strength back up.

Dexta

Holy shit, i've heard of people have problems from sitting at their desk all day but you're decaying at a rate faster than I've ever seen before. Consider switching to a standing desk and seeing a doctor.

Pure Din

I have a part time job consulting on ergonomic issues, but I'm not a doctor. The fact that you're losing muscle in one of your arms is a good reason to see a doctor.

The one thing I really disagree with the website linked above is that in the long run I think it's best to get rid of the chair armrests completely. Wrists, forearms, and elbows should not be resting on anything while you work. Without seeing what the workspace looks like, my best guess is either the mouse is too far away and you're leaning and putting weight on your arm to reach it, or you're putting too much weight on a chair armrest and cutting off your circulation.

But go see a doctor and talk to your office HR or environmental safety people if you have them. Repetitive stress injuries can be treated and avoided, but you don't want to let it get to the point where it's too painful to work.

Aldo

First and foremost: make sure your chair and desk fit your body. Normally companies will check this for you when you start working, but if they don't or if you don't feel comfortable you should bring it up with HR/your manager.

The best advice against RSI and related "oh gosh I'm sitting on a chair 8 hrs/day" problems is to use shortcuts. How do you copy/paste a bit of text? Do you hightlight the text with your mouse, click the right mouse button, select copy. Click to the different file you have opened, right click again and select paste? Or do select the text with ctrl+shift+arrow buttons; ctrl-C;alt-tab;ctrl-V? Not only will you save a lot of time by using tons of hotkeys, you'll also be using both your hands more.

The other big advice is breaks: just like you wouldn't sit on a ledge for an hour straight drilling holes in a wall without getting up every few minutes, you should take a lot of little breaks in an office as well. If you're having trouble finding reasons to get up and walk around you could drink a lot of water.

Lastly: it's quite a shocker to move from construction work to an office, it's so much easier to feel satisfied by doing manual labor than office work. As others have said: make sure you get enough exercise in. Keeps your body in shape and it'll feel good to use different parts of your body.