Friday, August 19, 2011

New chair (173.6)

I got my new office chair today.  I bought it online from Office Depot yesterday; they delivered it this morning.  I put it together myself (I also installed my keyboard tray yesterday myself).  My dad taught us how to follow directions and I watched him put together all kinds of things when I was a kid.  Following directions and doing technical stuff (I have done all the TV/DVD/Cable/Stereo set ups at our house since Mark & I have been married; he is not a "follow the directions" kind of guy) comes fairly naturally to me.

This isn't just  a new chair.  I hope that, along with my new keyboard tray, it is a salvation to my aching neck and shoulders. 

It has mesh seat and back (it is not a Herman Miller Aeron chair, but it's as close as you can get without spending a fortune). The chair is adjustable in just about every way it could be.  Height goes up/down, the seat goes up/back, the chair back goes up/down and tilts forward/back.  The arm rests are adjustable up/down and also has 3 side to side positions.  It's going to be interesting to find the exact perfect position to get my posture just right so I don't have any more aches and pains. 

On a food related front, I haven't written down what I've eaten this week.  I wanted to see if I could eat "normally" (the same food combinations every day) and not track every calorie, and still lose weight.  Writing everything down was starting to feel like a diet.  I will try this for a while and if my weight doesn't continue to go down, I will start recording my food again.

We have a fairly relaxed weekend ahead of us.  The house is picked up and I will only have about 3 loads of laundry to do.  Mom has the kids tonight, so I'm looking forward to some time with Mark and also by myself.  I am planning to do several workout activities this weekend since my week has been too light on that front.

5 comments:

Vickie said...

I am wondering if you need to adjust your chair part way through each day, or even several times a day, so you are not spending whole day in same position.

Vickie said...

http://www.fatgirlwearingthin.com/2011/08/19/headache-after-yoga/

Sara said...

Hi! I found your blog through Shauna's. HELLoooo!
I have OOS and was once nearly crippled by it. It flares if I use my laptop too much but is mostly not a problem anymore. The big things I did:
* Correct work station set up - The thing that makes the most difference is having the monitor quite high so my face looks at the middle of the monitor.
* Keyboard low so that elbows are never more acute than 90 degrees.
* Change mouse from right to left every couple of days (tricky at first but now I'm used to it).
* Use a wrist rest for the mouse hand
* Do reverse flyes every second day. I use a 4kg dumbbell. It only takes a few sets a day. This was the ONLY exercise that made a difference and I notice it if I don't do it. This pumps blood into the muscles that are tight.
* Acupuncture. This makes a minimal difference, but can help in a flare.
* Reduce caffeine and stress.
* have one computer free day a week (sooo hard to do!).

Hope that helps.

Vickie said...

I use a wrist rest mouse too, does make a difference.

my forearms and wrists rest on the counter top as I type. (computer is in corner so I am sitting in the V where two sides come together, huge difference). I do not hunch to do this, chair is low. My back is straight, my core is engaged.

My computer monitor is set high, so looking straight forward.

I learned not to 'cock' my wrist when I sleep. My wrists and hands are straight off my arms when I sleep. I used a brace to help me learn this, but then weaned myself off brace.

I am on my yoga block (progressed from towel) several times a week.

I do a lot of upper back/latts/shoulder work to strengthen.

I have greatly changed my posture and strengthened my core.

Vickie said...

I also am very careful how I sit in the car, how I sit at table, how I sit when I do bead/jewelry work, watch TV, etc.