One of my favorite gym tools –suitable for both people suffering from chronic injuries AND people who are gym junkies –  is the foam roller. It’s just a long, round piece of heavy foam that rolls across the ground. But it is a versatile tool for both self-massage and for stretching.

They are also available at gym and sports stores so you can get one for home—use it for a few minutes every day after work to help relax those shoulders and your back.

Here are some great stretches with the foam roller –

First you can lay with the roller stretched out under your back perpendicular to the spine. With feet flat on the floor, roll up and down one vertebrae at a time up from the bottom of rib cage to your upper shoulder blades. Do this 10 times, slowly, and it’s great at cracking your back and loosening up sore muscles.

The next thing I do is move the roller so it lines up with my spine and lay on it – feet still on the floor, butt to head, relaxed on the roller. Do a version of the “backstroke” — reach your arms up over your head parallel with the floor until they are straight. Then with your elbows bent, bring them down to your side, and bring your hands back in toward your body and put palms together above your stomach. Repeat 10 times or so to help restore your range of motion and posture.

There are a million other ways to use foam rollers. Youtube and google will give you more tips, just do a search. And I think I will be updating the store here shortly with foam rollers. Everyone should have one!

Work-arounds like these are unfortunately not always appreciated by coworkers or managers. For example I’ve recently been working in a basement office where no natural light peers in, and if I crank my chair up to reach the keyboard comfortably, my feet don’t reach the floor. (I’m a special monkey since I’m only five feet tall, so I make do however I can.) Recently one afternoon, I gave up on sitting in my chair the old-fashioned way and pulled my legs up to sit cross-legged, then pulled my laptop down into my lap so I could type more comfortably without straining my lower back and shoulders.

A colleague sits right next to me at the same table and said something like, “I don’t know how you can work like that!” as if I was in the most uncomfortable position in the world. I explained that I actually was much more comfortable working like that– at least for a short time. After a while, my ankle started to feel too stretched and I went back to a more traditional position–but just being in that pose for a while helped loosen my shoulders and my hips and relax me enough to let the pain disperse.

The meaning and purpose behind ergonomics is to adjust working conditions to the user, not the other way around. Even in this work space with no foot rest, keyboard tray, laptop stand or external monitor, I am somehow managing (now, three weeks into this project) to make it work. We will see if that’s sustainable for this project, for the several months it’s expected to last.

The other challenge of this particular workspace is it is in a basement–no natural lighting gets through, and my eyes by the end of the week feel strained and sore, exacerbated by poor ventilation and my existing propensity for allergies. I’ve been forcing myself to take breaks, take a walk in the sunshine each day and at least look off into the distance every so often while I’m working. The other day on returning from my legally-required 15 minute morning break, my manager made a point of looking at me, looking at his watch, then turning back to his computer screen. Maybe it was just a coincidence, or maybe he was timing my break, making a point I’d better get to work.

The best solution for pain caused by working too much is, of course, to take breaks, move around, get exercise, and get rest in between working sessions. I’m using WorkRave, a great computer program that you can customize to give yourself micro-breaks every few minutes, and rest breaks every hour or so. A therapist once warned me that if I were to work for three hours straight the following day after our session, I would undo all the work we had done to loosen up my back and shoulders–so I try to follow my break schedule. But if rest and movement are the key to overcoming such pain, how do we reconcile that with our culture’s and coworkers’ attitudes that if you’re not at your desk a certain number of hours, looking busy, you’re not getting the job done?

Well, as a worker at least the law, and most reasonable managers are on our sides. It’s no good to be in pain at your desk, so you’ll get better work done if you do take time to stretch, take rest breaks, get outside part of the day, and adjust as needed. I think most workers, whether they articulate or recognize it or not, also want to be comfortable at work and their health is important to them. So each of us can set a good example for those around us, by valuing those rest breaks and adjustments and showing that you can have a good work ethic and still be comfortable at work, too. Of course, I still prefer to work from my comfy home office, which I get to do on fridays! and luckily more workplaces are allowing people to work remotely, where you can more easily be comfortable.

Remember, kissing camels is good for you. You will stretch 34 facial muscles and 112 postural muscles in just one smooch (according to Wikipedia) and make a new furry friend in the process.

Photo courtesy mysiann on Flickr

How to do it: Purse your lips. Further! Lean forward. There! Smooch up your new friend. After, you can make as many “ew, bad breath!” faces as you like. All that facial movement will help relax you, relieve headaches and eye strain, and exercise your funny bone. Don’t forget to rinse with mouthwash after for fresh minty breath, so your friends still like you.

Photo courtesy Eschipul on Flickr (Eschipul on Flickr)

The squirrel will show you the way:

• Kneel on your floor of choice (lawn, gravel, carpet)
• Keep your back straight
• Reach out your right arm straight in front of you (keeping your back straight)
• Reach out your left leg behind you as straight as possible without tilting your pelvis
• Hold for 10-30 seconds depending on your Yoga Squirrel Strength Level
• You will earn points toward your Next Level as you stretch!
• Switch to the opposite side
• Repeat as needed

The bottom line is that no netbook will ever be ergonomically perfect, because they’re first designed to first be small and light. Acer does a fairly good job at making a consistent, reasonably responsive, low-profile keyboard. As long as you can maintain your hand position without much tactile feedback, you’ll find this machine a joy to work on.

The Aspire One comes with a 94%, chiclet-style keyboard that is surprisingly comfortable for me to type on, although it took some getting used to. Overall, I give the Aspire One keyboard 3/5 ergonomic stars: Five stars for portability, four for keyboard feel and size, two for key shape and one for the touchpad.

Read on for the good, the bad, and the odd details on this keyboard and the touchpad:

The good:

• Size: As netbook keyboards go, this is a nice size. It takes up most of the space under the 10 inch screen, enough space for my paws to move around.
• Throw length and pressure: Most current laptops have a good throw length for me, and the Aspire One is no exception: not so short that my fingers trigger the keys when I slide over them, but short enough and easily triggered with gentle finger pressure–Perfect.
• Textured keys: The keys have a subtle pebbly texture that helps me keep track of how fast and far my fingers move when I type at speed. The tactile feedback helps me relax my hands.
• Slim keyboard: The whole machine is less than an inch thick, which makes for a very slim keyboard and easy straight-wrist typing.
• Light weight: Weighing in at less than three pounds for the six-cell battery version, the Aspire One 532h is about the size of a hard-backed book, with a power brick the size of a small candy bar. This actually fits in the pocket of my cargo pants with room to spare and will easily perform a whole workday on one charge.

The bad:

• Responsiveness: It’s fairly bouncy–more than the eMachine eM250
  the typical button-style external keyboard–yet not as responsive as a MacBook or even the HP Mini. I need to push rather than tap the keys, which translates to more arm stress.
• Key shape: The flat keys give no way of knowing when I begin to drift out of proper hand position. Ergonomically, the lack of tactile feedback makes it difficult for me
  to relax–an important factor to maintaining healthy hands and arms!
• The touchpad: Despite a brilliant texture of raised dots and the scroll bar with horizontal lines, the lack of sensitivity really disappoints. I found myself yearning for a mouse for the first time in four years.

The odd:

• Hand position: The standard qwerty keyboard layout uses a slightly offset hand position, and the overall small size of the Aspire One makes this much more pronounced.

Source: Anselm Engle is a freelance writer and mercenary educator. He specializes in reviews and investigative and literary narratives. He can be reached at AnselmEngle at gmail dot com.

This keyboard, retailing around $14.95, is about equally priced with other standard keyboards. The most notable ergonomic features of the keyboard are its thin profile, easy-press keys, and slightly revised key design compared with standard keyboards.

If you’re looking for an ergo or spill-proof design, it’s always good to check out its design to see if it’s right for you. I found this one a bit confusing to type on at first but warmed up to it–here’s an overview of the changes:

• The buttons are slightly tilted back, more closely matching your finger pads when you type. This is very subtle, and not immediately noticeable, but very comfortable.
• The back space key is much smaller, which allows more room for the other top-row keys. Since I use back space all the time, I found this change a little annoying.
• The insert/navigation keys are brought down toward the arrow keys, which have a standard arrow layout. This makes them easier to use than on most other keyboards, where they are usually out of reach.
• The keyboard has a full number pad, like most standard keyboards.
• Thin profile with a narrow edge around keyboard for easy reach–no need to reach far beyond the keys for the keypad or mouse.
• Extra keys: wake up/sleep/power, print screen/scroll lock, pause.

At the end of the day, I’m not going to replace my current home keyboard with this one, but if I needed a new one to fit in a small keyboard tray, or happened to kill my current model by spilling on it, I might consider buying one of these as a replacement.

Here’s what the manufacturer has to say about the Kensington Keyboard for Life:

Spill-safe keyboard features sealed membrane design and limited lifetime warranty. Slim profile saves space. Sleek design black 104-key keyboard. Limited lifetime warranty and free technical support. Compatible with Windows 7, XP, Vista.

(I’m using XP, and no problems with plug-and-play. Not sure how it works with Mac.)

…cell biologist Judy Mikovits of the Whittemore Peterson Institute in Reno, Nevada, tested 101 chronic fatigue patients. In October she reported that 67 percent of them had the virus, as opposed to only 3.7 percent of healthy people. Tests on another 200 patients revealed that more than 95 percent of people with chronic fatigue carry antibody to the virus, Mikovits says.

The large question mark in the research: What does the link mean? Does the virus help cause Chronic Fatigue–or are Chronic Fatigue sufferers simply less able to fight off the virus?

The simple explanation would be nice. Chronic fatigue sufferers often get told, “it’s all in your head.” Like those of us with asthma, or repetitive stress injuries, the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue mimic emotions like depression. And, since these conditions are invisible and chronic, they seem like hypochondria to those who don’t understand, and further, they often cause people to become more stressed or depressed–leading to an unfortunate cycle and interplay between emotion and physical pain.

But just because there’s a connection between the emotion and pain, does not mean it’s all in our heads. Or as scientists like to say, “Correlation does not imply causation.” So, for the same reasons, we can’t jump to the conclusion that such a virus has caused Chronic Fatigue–even though it would be a satisfying response to people who claim that the condition is merely imagined. However, the virus may lead us closer to finding that explanation…

Here’s the original down facing dog:

Photo credit: Ashlynn

What a cutie. To do the yoga version of this pose, get on your hands and knees, and push off the ground. Straighten your knees and keep your feet shoulder width apart. Curl your neck to face your stomach. And then straighten your back and arms. You should be in a giant v shape over the ground with your tail unceremoniously pointing to the sky. If you’re unfamiliar with the stretch, check out the image and write up at Yoga Journal.

Many instructors of yoga will teach that it’s important to have a proper pose for many exercises, in order to get the most out of the stretch and make sure you’re not hurting yourself in the process. However, according to an article I once read in the fantastic magazine Bust, (sorry, I don’t remember title or link) many in India practice at home instead of in classes, and focus on their own enjoyment of the stretch rather than trying to make it a perfect pose. I think there are merits to both approaches.

Photo credit: knittingskwelgurl

Here’s how to copy the hamster: Lie on your tummy if you can–or if you’re at work do the stretch standing. Look at the wall ahead of you. Reach out your arm toward the wall and keep your elbow straight.

Imagine flattening a skyscraper with your palm, and feel the stretch along your arm, shoulder blade and in your back! Put your arm down and reach out your other arm to destroy a neighboring skyscraper. Repeat until you have destroyed a city with your amazing hamster style strength.

Photo Credit: Michael.DK from Denmark on flickr

You can do this stretch too. Stand up first. Reach out your arms to the sides, spread your fingers out, move your shoulders around, and flap about like a parrot to get your shoulders warmed up. (If you have coworkers watching you can skip that last part!)

Want your stretch featured on the blog? Just email your photo to amyhengst at gmail and, if you want, include a caption and link to your site.