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Comment by jschwartzi | Hacker News Reader

Lift weights.

Lifting weights was what fixed my posture in general.

However, when sitting, I use an external mouse and keyword, and use my DnD starter kit and a few books to raise my MacBook to eye level.

This keeps me sitting up, but doesn't fatigue my hands by keeping them raised.

The only thing I regret with this setup is buying a bloody magic mouse. Just don't buy it.

I’m gonna second this one. I’ve had all kinds of pain related to working at a desk all day. Wrist, back, shoulder, etc. Ergonomic equipment helped some, but it was getting stronger that finally made work related pain a thing of the past.

That plus mobility exercises (DeFranco Agile 8 is a good base, adjust as needed).

https://www.t-nation.com/training/defranco-agile-8

What?! How'd they get that black-and-white picture of me? :)

Deadlifts and squats. If you're a newbie, follow Mark Rippetoe's "Starting Strength."

Recommend 5x5 stronglifts ... not because it's a particularly good program (it's not - it's too easy to burn out early), but because it's a good resource to learn the main lifts initially. Lots of photos and explanations all in one place to make it as easy as possible for the new lifter.

https://stronglifts.com/5x5/

What kind of burning out do you mean? Mental?

I have used the 5x5 program and while I'm not here to endorse any particular program, I found that I really liked it. It did help me learn proper form, as you say, and it also gave me a very regular workout. I had it memorized and it always uses the same part of the gym (squat rack) so it helped me maintain a rhythm.

I actually built a squat rack at home eventually to start it back up after some time away.

There may be better programs, I have not actually tried any others. 5x5 was the most-recommended I found in my research a few years back.

Also, GGP, lifting did correct my posture very quickly. People kept telling me I looked taller/stronger/wider even before anyone knew I was working out (and before I had actually gained any muscle), and I'm quite sure that was just my improved posture.

Yeah - mental. You reach your maxes quickly and progression gets difficult because you're trying to do so much in a single session, but you don't need to think about other programs while you're still making progress with what you're currently doing.

The other thing for me was it started to take too long - I generally try to get my stuff done in an hour or so before work. I went from SL to GSLP to 531 (3 main lifts, to 2, finally to 1, per session).

To be honest, I don't think it matters too much - as long as you find something you like to do enough to stick to regularly, you'll improve in health and posture either way.

I agree, stick with something.

I always found that I could get my lifts in in about 45 minutes. It can be slower with a partner if their weight is very different from yours, because you're moving weight on and off a lot the bar, but ours was small enough that it wasn't a major time concern.

Later I did it solo and my workout times were ~30 minutes for the quick day, and ~45 minutes for the long day. The long day being squat/bench/row, and I felt like my breather periods were very generous.

Cannot emphasize this enough. Deadlifts, in particular, are indispensable for posture and elimination of back pain. At least in the anecdotal experiences of myself and my friends.

Yes, that helped me to get rid of back pain.

Exactly. My bad posture got fixed immediately. Good posture is defined by core muscles (what you have around your waist and a bit above), and contrary to what many people believe, straight back and posture is much more a function of strong belly than back muscles. But as name suggests, core is a set of them, truly a ring around the whole waist.

I personally do squats, deadlifts, 3 minute planks at the very end of workout ('finisher') and other exercises where core is a secondary, stabilizing muscle (pullups, running etc).

For start I would recommend something with body weight (pushups, planks), simple and easy to do, and focus on many repetitions. Much safer than trying to push to your max and injure something in your back with long recovery.

It's a mistake in training to focus only on one part of the body. Over time developing all muscles helps tremendously with any activity/sport.

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