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Comment by peteretep | Hacker News Reader

I know these are looked down on, but this is a +1 comment.

Break program saved my ass, having been told by a doctor that I'd have to give up programming as a career. I had tried all sorts of other stuff (DataHands keyboard, a vertical keyboard, wrist rest, bla bla bla), but the enforced breaks were the game changer.

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Sometimes a break program will make things worse. When you are under (time) pressure and the break program is blocking your PC you will get stress. And stress is one of the main reasons for getting RSI.

Hopefully being under such time pressure is not the normal mode of operation though ;-)

All the break programs I have used have a "manual override", and you can also turn them off. Occasionally I have done that if is something really critical that has to go out at once. But for me that happens maybe once or twice a year.

Repetitive strain injury is caused by repetitive motions (hence the name), not life stress.

I've found that it can be hard to isolate whether pain is solely from repetitive motions or if it's stress induced. Reducing both have helped me.

I have found my RSI noticeably worse when stressed, too

Nothing like this has happened to me so far. But I am going to be watching for signs all the time.

Is going for a stand-up desk worth it? I have heard that they really improve your working.

I got rid of my RSI without using one. However, I do feel that a stand-up desk is good for my body as well. You can get some variation through the day by alternating between sitting and standing. It also makes it a lot easier to adjust the desk to the correct height when sitting at it (no more turning little screws at the bottom of the desk legs to adjust the height).

There were also reports a while ago about how sitting all day lowers your life expectancy - another reason to try to stand up part of the day.

I agree man.

We can't really make this world a great place if we don't live long. So, lets stand up.

From my experience, standing desks are worth it. It will take a week or a few to adapt your feet and legs, though.

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