Exercise!? What do you do to combat ‘synth’ posture?

Flood · 2022-10-20T12:33:37.383Z

Rucking! I started walking with weight on my back a couple of years ago and it’s been probably the best exercise I’ve ever done for myself. Keeps off the extra pounds (I lost nearly 15 lbs. in the first month of doing it before plateauing out), strengthens your back and core, improves your posture, and gets you outside and breathing fresh air. I’m currently up to 3-4 miles every morning with a 40 lb. pack and don’t feel the need to add any additional weight (anything over 50 lbs. isn’t usually recommended). Bonus that I live in a hilly neighborhood and you could bounce a quarter off my calves at this point.

There is a wealth of info online for those that are interested and depending on where you live, local rucking clubs if you’re into a group thing. Personally, I love the hour or so of the mental cleanse as well as the exhaustion when I’m done. I can’t recommend it enough.

BelterCremebrulee · 2022-10-20T12:42:57.441Z

The lower back pain could be because of posture. Many times I find if my tailbone isn’t tucked in properly that happens when standing.

snake-soap · 2022-10-20T12:44:21.672Z

Exercise will help you, particularly strength exercises. Make sure you are working all your muscle groups, especially your core and you’ll feel a lot better. I have a form of Spina Bifida which means I need to do a hell of a lot of strength workouts to stop myself from becoming bed bound and for sure bending your neck to look at synths is a killer.

+1 for standing desks or wall mounted shelving but you should start with making sure your body is healthy before spending money. Any heavy cardio work will sort your mental well being, it’s like a magic drug. My top exercises are:

Bog standard pushups
Bridge with leg extension
Superman from floor
Plank
Situp to stomach crunch
Running (I’m running a marathon next year)

L-Funk · 2022-10-20T12:53:47.623Z

I go swimming 1-3 times a week. My back hurts if I dont get at least one weekly swim.
It has a nice exercise without putting too much stress on the joints, with a physical demanding job it is a very good match.
As a bonus it is heavenly in summer!
I realize you have to have the facilities in reach or be rich to do it.

My synth corner is part standing up and part sitting on a gymnastics ball.
I hate sitting…I want to stand or lie down,none of this inbetween bullshit!

v00d00ppl · 2022-10-20T13:17:38.283Z

Pull ups even if it’s assisted on a machine did wonders for my ailing back. The next thing I did was try to make my studio desk with minimal gear as possible to avoid the strain on my back.

I do pull ups 4 times a week and military presses 3 times a week. That has kept the back and core in good shape

Also do the lat pull down machine too after pull ups they will add extra stress to your lats.

muzka · 2022-10-20T13:30:36.775Z

Coincidentally I started getting upper back and neck pain yesterday which ended up lying awake all night unable to move or lift my arm. The pain was so bad I couldn’t physically get to sleep as the pain would wake me up instantly

Must look through all these suggestions

Thank you

ghostbuddy · 2022-10-20T13:41:01.628Z

Go to the doctor and a physiotherapist

MichaalHell · 2022-10-20T13:42:53.274Z

Usually I go to the gym and run, but I’m really bad at staying consistent so it’s more like I have lapses of excercise over the course of a year… so to get a more consistent excercise in I started doing 3 small excercise each day…

Which are
10 push ups
10 squats
10 sit ups

I’ve done this over the course of a month now and i actually feel quiet good, I feel like my posture and strength are increasing…

If any of these excercises gets to easy then I just do more of that excercise… 10 sit ups doesn’t even register on my muscles one month in so I’ve upped the amount to 20…

I highly recommend this routine as it takes 2 minutes of your day.

GovernorSilver · 2022-10-20T14:58:55.718Z

I got a standing desk as well.

I generally alternate between exercising for strength and exercising for building muscle (hypertrophy) - about 6-8 weeks for each goal. I used to ignore hypertrophy, until I learned that muscle mass decreases approximately 3-8% per decade after age 30..

When I train for strength I use my Isochain or practice calisthenics at high enough loads to emphasize strength over hypertrophy… If working with the Isochain, I follow a simple routine, which is to test my 1-rep max force, then work at 70% 1-rep max for 6 sets of 6-second holds.

Hypertrophy training generally involves tiring the muscles out. The load should be at a particular level to stimulate it - if you can do 100 wall pushups before your muscles fatigue, this is unlikely to stimulate as much muscle growth compared to doing 20 pushups on the floor, which is a position that imposes higher load than pushups on a wall. Debate seems to be over what that load should be - some insist on high load, but if the load is too high you may stimulate strength gain over muscle gain.

I am currently testing a hypertrophy routine on the Isochain. Instead of 6-second holds, training is done at a load low enough to allow for 20-45 second holds, with the goal of reaching muscle failure within that time frame. After this current routine, I’ll try the Geoff Neupert Easy Muscle program for kettlebells and calisthenics.

GovernorSilver · 2022-10-20T14:59:48.628Z

I have not tried these yet but these exercises are frequently recommended for posture improvement - ideally you would do them at the end of your regular workout

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci4_NtnqFzS/

reeloy · 2022-10-20T15:45:12.906Z

…yup…that standing desk is almost a must have…

all my gear is setted up to be handled when i’m standing in front of it…
and if i wanna take a seat, i have a seat that suits that hight…for comfort sitting, that seat offers a bar for feet/legs to rest on, in good angle to the proportions of my body…

it’s been like that since ages already…
but my posture remains a mess anyways…

i can even move and dance while i’m tweaking knobs or edit stuff in the daw…
but still…

only on display, like on stage or when meeting somebody new, i can remind myself every once in a while, hey, stay at least half way straight up, come on, u sluggy messed up freak…

so, this winter, i finally gotto beat my inner lazy devil and gotto get things moving…
and by things, i mean, me, myself and i…

strict time tables…stick to a daily routine…otherwise there’s no happy end for me…

out of bed at 8…
first thing…a glass of water…not too cold…
at least 20 pushups and some planking…
turning on some music, i came up with the day before…
crushing coffee beans while listening…
preparing the coffee…
coffee and cigarette morning ritual, still listening…
put my oncie on, put my headphones on, have my my silly slomo shadow dancing morning routine through the woods…
coming back, turn on my gear, start jammin’ and fooling around sonically for at least 2 hours…
preparing a brunch…which is always the same…some corn, an apple, a banana, some yoghurt…
checking mails…
having a nap, not longer than an hour…
drink heaps of water…
pushups and planking again…with additional theraband workout…
at least another 3 hours of working on my music…
preparing dinner…
eat in peace and silence…
working on music at least another hour…but if i have a run, it might get late…
but not later than 1 o clock at night, since i need my 7 hours of good deep slumber every night…
at least under the week…
week ends start at friday afternoon…

if get all this that straight all through this winter, i might be like fresh invented next spring…
totally ready for summer 23 with a great posture, happier than ever…
keep ur fingers crossed…

Sternenlicht · 2022-10-20T17:52:51.256Z

i did buy a elecrrical desk aswell, and i do ergometer session several times a week. The fddb android app was also good to track calories.

chaocrator · 2022-10-20T18:09:48.595Z

What do you do to combat ‘synth’ posture?

drumming!

BLKrbbt · 2022-10-20T18:10:01.063Z

I usually just hunch even further till it hurts, then go back to my normal hunching which doesn’t feel all that bad afterwards.

Habit_Reform · 2022-10-21T06:56:28.204Z

I’ve been having all sorts of issues, and feel like I’m falling apart since the start of lockdown. Back, shoulders, and mostly legs - tendons, hamstrings etc going, with me being a hobbling mess for a week each time.

Spoke to the doctor and the assessment was that I’m insanely flat footed, and all my compensatory muscles that cover the lack of natural arch in my feet have just gone to shit, and stress makes more vulnerable.

I have finally got myself to the gym this last week and started a full body workout program, with some cardio, and intend to do some swimming. Hopefully this will strengthen my body, posture etc. I have enjoyed it so far

Joebas · 2022-10-21T07:33:37.931Z

Deadlifts (done proberly) is an amazing thing for your back and posture. But, again, good form is crucial. Can recommend Farmers Walk as well, which is an often overlooked exercise. Just those two will transform your posture, and ramp up your overall strength.

tallrobphilp · 2022-10-21T07:45:01.547Z

I’ve had a standing desk for years and it definitely helps to switch around several times a day. I’m a software developer and being hunched over for 20 years isn’t great. I also do yoga twice a week and I really enjoy it, not just for the strength/stretch but also just for the relaxation. I always feel better afterwards.

In terms of neck/shoulders, a few simple exercises can help a lot. Hold up your hands (like you’re being held up in a bank robbery) and then move your arms backwards to stretch your shoulders back the other way from the normal hunched position. Squeeze your shoulder blades together a bit if you can.

Also, just relax your arms down and then gently roll your shoulders backwards in circles, another good one for going the other way and counteracting the hunch.

You can also look down (chin to chest) and slightly to one side and then pull the back of your head gently with your hand to stretch your neck. Don’t pull too hard, you need to feel the stretch but you shouldn’t be in pain. Just rolling your head in circles is good to loosen your neck as well.

If you ever do any stretching and you feel in pain, ease off a bit!

Fin25 · 2022-10-21T08:05:29.727Z

I often find that, after a hard day’s sitting down at a desk, a nice light bit of coal mining followed up with a relaxing couple of shifts digging up roads really takes the edge off.

heretical_audio · 2022-10-21T08:05:33.928Z

Believe it or not, I’ve found that shadowboxing for just 2 fifteen minute sessions a day does wonders. It’s not boring, I don’t need a gym, I learn new fighting skills if I accompany it with a tutorial, and I enjoy it. I used to do yoga, but I’m not ‘thrilled’ by it. Find a physical activity your into and do a little each day.

Also, memorize a few stretch routines from youtube exercise channels and do those for 15 minutes a day - target your weak areas.

CCMP · 2022-10-21T08:11:07.417Z

Why do I get the feeling your back is in bulk too?