I got a great assis-debout desk from IKEA. No electronics, but easy mechanism to raise it so I can work standing up.
It’s called Trotten.
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I have a decent adjustable computer chair, and my monitor is level with my face. I feel comfortable, but I tend to lean forward towards the keyboard, and my chin juts forward looking at the monitor – it’s an unconscious habit that needs to be broken.
It’s the loss of muscle strength as well, that comes with age, that keeps me in a slouched position.
According to the blurb, when this device has been active for several weeks, constantly straightening me up, the muscles develop a memory which will keep me from slouching without the device. The muscles learn.
We shall see.
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Not for me I’m afraid. I’m lazy and my computer chair is my comfortable safe zone!
One issue for me was varifocal lenses. There is only a narrow part of the lens that brings the middle distance of the computer screen into focus, which meant it was all too easy to have my head poking forward and my eyes held rigid.
I now wear glasses where the entire lens is for middle distance work and this means my posture at my computer has relaxed and improved. Also my eyes can roam over a much wider area without my having to do something silly with my head.
If I need to read something in close-up - for example text from a book alongside my computer - it’s true I have to change my glasses, but that is rarely an issue, most of the time (like now) I am just typing straight onto the keyboard and watching the screen.
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I was just going to suggest that. We purchased some for staff and they were a great success, not Ikea but proper industrial office equipment. They were so successful many came forward to request them and as we hot desk anyone arriving to late was dissapointed.
When I have to sit at the desk I sit on a balance ball and find that has many benefits, one of which is maintaining posture. I also use a mobile adjustable standing table, also purchased from ikea, for when I want to stand using the laptop.
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My main tabletop PC is upstairs, but I want to setup a laptop computer space downstairs in addition. I want a comfortable recliner with an adjustable laptop table - something for the evening, computing, writing, reading and also watching TV. I like to stretch my legs out in the evenings.
This one, pictured, costs from a couple of thousand dollars - I’m looking for a much cheaper solution!
Gosh that looks substantial. If you’re looking to improve posture, I think using that could be a little challenging. Have you seen the kneeling chairs, as they also work well for posture. Tricky at first but you get used to them. Most of all, the ideal is to mix it up a little and avoid long periods sitting.
Reclining would be for watching TV later in the evenings. I’d be in an upright position for the laptop. Some years ago a chiropractor working on my back said I should get a balance ball, which I did, so maybe I’ll get that out for strengthening exercises, but not for use in the evenings.
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If you’ve got the patience, the balance ball can help in many ways with posture, but important that it’s the right size so your knees are at the same level or slightly lower than hips i.e thighs minimum parallel to the floor.
We have a covered pool; with heater so my wifes main exercise is swimming all year round, Me less so although more or less daily from April to October. Cost of keeping pool warm very similar to what we used to pay for gym membership in England,
Like many others, gardening - lawn moving, hedge trimming, raking up piles of leaves for the last couple of weeks, chopping wood - helps keep my strength up. Can still stack 5 stere of logs in a couple of hours.
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Am having periodic loss of central heating while ENEDIS carries out local maintenance operations. I wrapped up warm and sat in my computer comfort zone and started rocking my computer chair, which I haven’t done before, to help me keep warm by moving about a bit. It’s not a rocking chair but it does tilt back and forth on a spring, and I found it surprisingly comforting. So much so that I looked up!
A rocking chair is said to be beneficial with minimal effort, for improving blood circulation, stress relief, enhancing mobility, pain relief, improving sleep, reducing joint stiffness & helps injury recovery. Makes sense to me.
I’m in the market for a new armchair anyway so will look for one which rocks, and for the gentle exercises it brings with it!
Many years ago, I was invited round to see a neighbour’s new baby and was surprised to see my neighbour rocking her baby son vigorously to sleep. I was surprised at what I thought was overly aggressive rocking. But she was a child nurse so assumed it OK. Babies are rocked to sleep because it works, for several reasons, according to research.
As are calf raises whilst seated if you cannot get out for a walk. The calf muscles can do a lot if exercised including lowering blood sugar after a meal.
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Having been sciatica compromised for many years, and having had to have morphine patches for a 3-month period to ease the pain, much reduced now, came across a very useful UK clinic, its website and YouTube channel.
Simple exercises I can do at home in bed or in a chair, and a very sensible approach, it seemed to me, for the over 50s to over 70s is what attracted me. I recommend listening to the head physiotherapist, UK based, to anyone who is interested.
Not a panacea for everyone probably, but helpful info for many seniors I would think.
Main website…
The video link here is to him saying avoid the ‘fix me mentality’.
And this video link is to 4 simple movements in bed or in a chair (or even in the car) that I have started practising.
As per recent discussions on SF about falling over, this video link is how to help prevent falling over for seniors.
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I get his weekly email and watch his videos.
Watching is enough, right?
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No. For me it’s following the advice, because for me he makes sense and the simple exercises are not onerous. When I get out of bed the sciatica hits as soon as I stand up, so early morning exercises in bed are something I can do, and hopefully in time I’ll be able to leap out of bed painfree. Maybe he’ll make similar sense to other sciatica sufferers and give him a try.
Setting aside time for regular exercise routines once up is not for me. I prefer to take advantage of those ordinary moments, like waiting for the kettle to boil, to use a kitchen chair, kitchen worktop or wall, to do some simple exercises.
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One simple exercise habit that I do throughout the day is to always use just my legs for lowering myself into / up from a seated position, no matter how low the support. Great for helping strengthen the knees.
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Part of my routine is sitting and lifting from a chair without any support other than the thigh muscles. Slower is better for increasing strength. My legs are still strong and have no problem. Leg strength is the first to go I believe as we age so the sitting and lifting - mild squats - are good.
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I’ve been looking for a cure for a painful knee and I’ve found his videos very useful and informative. I especially like his claim that most knee operations are unnecessary. A study has claimed that there are many people with torn cartilages etc who have no pain because the relevant knee muscles are well developed. I hope that’s true! At the moment however I find the exercise bike is more effective than any of the suggested exercises