Author: Todd Bowen

I started to cold plunge at home in January of 2023. I’ve gotten many cold plunge benefits since then. The main health benefit: my cold plunge routine has helped improve my blood flow. When I have improved blood flow, my muscle pain is decreased. My muscle soreness is decreased. My muscle recovery is quicker. It’s one of my favorite home remedies for reducing pain and muscle tension. All these cold plunge benefits have helped me improve posture at my computer.

Setting up a cold plunge at home can be intimidating. It can also get expensive and time consuming. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I live in an apartment. And I wanted to cold plunge multiple times per week. So, I needed to find ways to make it easy, quick, and at a minimal dollar amount. I needed to be creative logistically. Here are the cold plunge tips for starters I came up with…

Continue reading How to Cold Plunge for Beginners

After years of sitting at a computer for long periods of time, I had poor posture due to muscle tension, decreased blood flow, overuse, and repetitive strain injuries. I used to sit in the same compromised, vulnerable position for 8 hours a day. In 2011, I finally took full accountability and started fixing bad posture at the computer.

Since 2011, I’ve studied how to correct computer posture and improve workstation ergonomics. Today, I’m sharing 4 of my most important tips on how to fix computer posture mistakes.

Continue reading How to Fix Computer Posture Mistakes

Poor posture at a computer for 8 hours a day used to decrease my grip strength in many ways. My hands, wrists, fingers, and forearms suffered muscle tension from repetitive strain and lack of blood flow. Poor posture on my keyboard and mouse for long periods of time caused carpel tunnel syndrome.

If you’d like to learn more about the causes of poor hand posture and its negative effects, check out my article titled, Why Does Typing Weaken Grip Strength.

Today, I’m focusing the rest of this article on a more optimistic, productive mindset. Continue reading below to learn how to enhance grip power.

Continue reading How to Improve Grip Strength

I recently wrote an article titled, How to Sleep Better at Night Naturally. It contains the 4 most valuable sleep improvement tips that’ve helped me. It specifically talks about better sleep habits like using blackout curtains, a grounding sheet, mouth tape, and a temperature controlled mattress cover. That article about improving sleep naturally can be found here.

While writing that article, I realized I have many more than those 4 habits for sleep optimization. As I often say, my sleep quality is directly related to how good (or bad) my computer posture is the next day. The earlier in the day I get tired, the quicker I have poor computer posture. Today, I’m writing this article to share 4 more healthy sleep habits that I practice.

Continue reading Guide for Better Sleep

I used to have very poor sleep habits. I’d stay up late watching tv. When I eventually got in bed, it would take me an hour to fall asleep. Then every time I woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, it would take an hour to fall back asleep. Finally, my alarm would go off and I’d hit the snooze button for an hour. I was averaging 4 to 5 hours of poor sleep quality a night.

When I first started trying better sleep strategies, I had no idea how extensive my healthy sleep habits would get. A lot of people may call it excessive. But all my sleep habits have become an easy, comfortable norm for me to improve sleep naturally.

Continue reading How to Sleep Better at Night Naturally

Until recently, I had been a chronic mouth breather all my life. Both on the inhale and exhale. This caused increased risk of many health problems. I was overusing my jaw muscles to constantly hold my mouth open. My overused jaw muscles were causing muscle tension in my head, face, and neck muscles. This was the catalyst for a lot of bad headaches.

Another problem was shallow breathing through my mouth. My breath wasn’t in my lungs long enough to be highly effective. I needed to slow my breathing down, so that air spent more time in my lungs.

I’ve gotten multiple benefits of mouth taping since I started taping my mouth shut in early 2023. My favorite benefits are how much it reduced muscle tension and improved my sleep. These were accomplished because mouth tape helped me keep my jaw in a closed, neutral position all night (compared to sleeping with my mouth open). Continue reading this article to learn more reasons why I use mouth tape for sleep benefits.

Continue reading Benefits of Using Mouth Tape for Sleep

One of the most common computer posture mistakes caused me to suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. The mistake: the type of keyboard and mouse I used caused a lot of pressure and overuse on my wrists. This overuse made my wrist muscles fatigue quickly, which led to excessive muscle tension.

There’s a common misconception about carpal tunnel syndrome. Many office workers think carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by typing. In my case, it was caused by engaging my wrist muscles to lift my hands onto a tall keyboard and mouse. I would hold my wrists in this compromised, poor posture position for long periods of time. Once I understood how carpal tunnel syndrome had to do with wrist position, and not typing, it was an easy computer posture fix for me.

Continue reading Best Ergonomic Devices for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

There are many ways to avoid shoulder pain. Being office workers, we are very prone to neck and shoulder overuse for most of the day. I used to sit all day with my hands on the keyboard and mouse at least 8 hours a day. Holding this vulnerable position caused excessive internal shoulder rotation. In addition to those long periods at work, my poor hand position while driving was putting my shoulder muscles right back in that same internally rotated, poor posture position.

The combination of poor computer posture and poor driving posture added up to be a minimum 9 hours of my day. My hands and arms were overused. I had neck and shoulder pain at work and in the car. Eventually, these repetitive strain injuries became chronic. I’d deal with them regardless of what I was doing. This affected me during exercise. It even affected me when I slept, because my shoulders were stuck in that internally rotated position. Our muscles are meant to be strong and resilient. However, they aren’t meant to be held in the exact same position for 8 or more hours a day.

The point of this article isn’t to tell you exactly where correct hand positioning is on the steering wheel. In my opinion, it’s not that simple. A typical driver’s ed course told us to put them at “10 o’clock and 2 o’clock.” But that could be what’s making our internal shoulder rotation worse. Here’s an example…

Continue reading How to Hold a Steering Wheel Properly

I started learning correct posture back in 2011. I’d been sitting at a computer for 10 years at that point. Sitting with poor posture for long periods of time, 8 hours a day, caused numerous injuries. Today, I’m going to talk about the 3 worst computer posture injuries I had. Then, I’m going to talk about 3 easy computer posture fixes to prevent them.

By reading this article, you’re taking a valuable step forward to improve your posture. That’s something to be very proud of. Surprisingly, many computer posture fixes are very easy to do. The hard part is sticking to those good posture habits for long periods of time.

I enjoy talking about my personal experience so others can learn from it. My goal is to explain correct posture as simply as possible. I’m a lifelong athlete with a degree in information technology. The combination of those 2 interests is what sparked my desire to write a book. I’ve taken classes on posture, computer ergonomics, and user experience. I talk about ways I corrected my poor posture. I explain them in a way that’s easy to understand, easy to implement, and a valuable use of our time. The correct posture benefits I’ve gotten are decreased computer related pain, increased energy, improved mental clarity, and increased work productivity.

Continue reading How to Fix Poor Computer Posture

I’d like to share my background and how I got here. I want to explain why I’m a credible source for computer posture correction. This way, you can decide whether or not to listen to my story. You’re probably here because you’re interested in topics like neck pain relief, preventing carpal tunnel, optimal sitting position, and sit-stand desk benefits. If so, I think my story will resonate with you.

I graduated in 2001 with a degree in Information Technology. I’ve been doing computer work ever since. Of all the information technology classes I took, computer ergonomics was the most interesting to me. This is mainly because of my athletic background. My main sports were basketball, baseball, and beach volleyball. I also enjoy lifting weights and other exercise.

In 2011, my body was broken and my posture was terrible. I’d had enough. I decided to start my journey in computer posture correction. I’d been sitting at a computer with poor posture for 10 years at that point. I began to implement as many healthy sitting habits into my life as I could. So today, I’m sharing some of my favorite computer desk posture tips.

Continue reading Best Posture for Computer Work

I started cold plunging in January of 2023. There are many health benefits I’ve gotten from it. The main one: cold plunging has helped improve my blood flow. When my blood flow is improved, my muscle pain is decreased. My muscle soreness is decreased. My muscle recovery is quicker. It’s one of my favorite home remedies for reducing pain and muscle tension. All these health benefits have helped me improve posture at my computer.

Setting up a cold plunge can get expensive and time consuming. I wanted to do it multiple times a week. So, I needed to be creative logistically.

Continue reading How to Cold Plunge on a Budget

Back in 2011, I didn’t realize my knee pain was caused by sitting at a computer for long periods of time. I thought it was from overtraining. Besides, the first time I ever felt knee pain was after a long run. But the pain that day was the effect of my problem. Running was a variable that made the knee pain worse. However, the cause of the knee pain was repetitive strain from sitting at a computer for long periods of time.

Why does sitting at a computer cause knee pain?

As soon as I felt knee pain, I made an appointment with a massage therapist. He was a really sharp guy. He was also a CrossFit coach, which is the main training method I was doing back then.

I told him my knees hurt, but I wasn’t sure why. He explained to me that pain and inflammation in a joint is often caused by a tight muscle somewhere else. Muscles are attached to tendons. Tendons are attached to bones. Often at a joint, like a knee.

For example: the quadriceps, hamstrings, IT bands, and calves all attach to tendons at the knee. When these muscles get tight, we might feel muscle tension. But it didn’t really hurt in the muscle for me. It just felt tight. The problem is, tight muscles pull extra hard on tendons, which get overextended easily. These tendons at the knee are where we’re more likely to feel the pain first.

Continue reading Why Does Sitting at a Computer Cause Knee Pain?

I used to underestimate the importance of good posture, especially when it came to foot positioning. Besides, I was sitting in an office chair. I was hardly putting any weight on my feet. Does foot posture really matter? Could poor sitting posture really cause foot pain? I eventually found out the hard way. Foot positioning definitely matters.

The negative effects from poor foot posture caused multiple issues with my leg muscles and joints. Eventually, I would need 3 ankle surgeries to correct a torn tendon, bone chips, and bone spurs. All this was caused by poor foot posture while sitting in an office chair for long periods of time.

The above user’s feet on the left are a great example of the poor posture I used to have. Notice how his feet are underneath his body. I had to contract my hamstrings in order to pull my feet backward like that. Sitting with my hamstrings contracted for long periods of time led to them being very dominant over my quadriceps. The constant hamstring activation caused me to keep my knees bent so much that it overextended my quadriceps. My hamstrings got shorter and tighter. My quadriceps got longer and tighter. This caused a lot of muscle dysfunction, tension and pain.

Continue reading How to Position Feet When Sitting at a Computer

A full-time office worker hits a button on the keyboard thousands of times per day.  With every keystroke we make, the muscles in our hands, and tendons in our fingers, are doing the exact opposite of what builds a strong grip. 

But why does this happen? 

You would think using our hands and fingers to type all day would make our grip stronger. 

But these are the reasons why typing weakened my grip strength…

Continue reading Why does typing weaken grip strength?

My thoughts on yoga have been very positive. Yoga is a great exercise that both stretches and strengthens my muscles. I like to practice gentle yoga where I find a position in between comfortable and challenging. I don’t overdo it. Also,I enjoy hot yoga versus a yoga practice that’s done in a room at regular temperature. I like to get there 10 minutes early before the class starts. This way I can rest on my mat lying flat on my back before class. During this time, I focus on my breathing. Breathing in the warmer air is calming and relaxing to me. It also helps my blood circulate better, which makes my muscles work better during the yoga practice.

Keep in mind, nothing I write about is medical advice. I simply talk about my experience. I share the computer posture mistakes I made. And then I share how I fixed them. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best possible advocate for your own healthcare.

Physical therapy is great when you find a good therapist. But that’s often more of a hands-on approach by the therapist. You can only learn so much there. We also need to practice those good habits as much as possible in our daily lives, 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. Yoga practice is a great way to learn the work ourselves.

Continue reading Yoga Poses for Back Pain

Exercise has provided me with incredible benefits. It improves my strength, my breathing, and my computer posture. All of these are great for keeping me in shape.

My goals during exercise are pretty simple. Do body weight exercises and/or lift weights. For the last 15 minutes of my workout, I make it higher intensity. I don’t take any breaks in between sets. This helps to increase my breathing rate. This portion of the workout may not seem like a long one. But when you are constantly moving the whole time, it gets difficult and challenging quickly.

There are back exercises that can help relieve back pain, strengthen the back muscles, alleviate stiffness, and improve mobility.

There are also certain exercises that are not good for people with lower back pain. Triggering the wrong muscles, as well as straining the joints and ligaments, can worsen the lower back pain. Since we sit at a computer for long periods of time, we are already very likely to suffer from back pain.

So today, I’m sharing a roundup of back exercises that people with lower back pain should avoid. My articles are not medical advice. They are based on my personal experience and my opinions. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.

Continue reading Back Exercises to Avoid with Lower Back Pain

The most common work-related disability is back pain caused by sitting at a computer with poor posture. There are many reasons how this happens. However, all of them can be described under one term: repetitive strain injuries. To understand how to improve your poor posture and decrease your pain, it’s very important to understand what a repetitive strain injury is first.

Also known as RSI, repetitive strain injuries cause pain or impairment of muscles or tendons when they have been used over and over for long periods of time. Sitting at a computer with poor posture puts a huge amount of stress on a body. When in that poor posture for extended periods of time every day, repetitive strain injuries become a painful, chronic work-related disability.

Continue reading Can Sitting at a Computer Cause Back Pain?

Lower back pain can be a mysterious, nagging issue for those of us who sit at a computer for long periods of time. I’ve dealt with it a lot over the years. Most of the time, it was caused by repetitive strain of my lower back muscles that were overextended. The question isn’t necessarily, “What’s wrong with my lower back?” But more accurately, “How is my poor computer posture causing this lower back pain?” There is a cause and effect for everything. In this case, lower back pain is the effect, not the cause.

Common causes of lower back pain often don’t originate in the lower back. Improper sitting posture can affect or trigger lower back pain. Maintaining a neutral spine is very important. When we lose the lumbar curve, it overextends the muscles, also putting a lot of pressure on the spinal cord. Having our monitor too low can also cause lower back pain. Holding internal shoulder rotation for long periods of time can also cause us to slouch forward, setting off a chain reaction of bad habits down to the lower back. Other common posture mistakes are incorrect desk height, chair height, and foot position.

Nothing on my website is medical advice. It’s for informational purposes only. It’s not my intention to replace the need for physical therapy. I simply share my experience, what has worked for me, and what hasn’t. I talk about the poor posture mistakes I’ve fixed and the good postural habits I’ve learned. Also, I talk about things I’ve learned in pain relief and pain management. It’s important to consult a professional healthcare provider if the pain persists or when it happens suddenly. Also, consult them for medical advice before performing any of the methods in this article.

Continue reading 5 Ways to Relieve Lower Back Pain

The psoas muscle is very complex. It doesn’t work like a typical muscle. The psoas muscle attaches to multiple vertebrae in the lumbar spine. A typical muscle has a tendon on each end that connects it to a bone. The general psoas muscle is made up of a psoas major and a psoas minor. We have one of these on each side of our spine. At its highest point, the psoas muscle begins at the lumbar vertebrae. It runs downward through the area of the hip flexors. At its lowest point, the the psoas attaches to a tendon on the back side of our upper leg, which also adds to the complexity of it. The tendons of the psoas all connect in the posterior (back) side of the body. However, the psoas muscle uniquely travels through the anterior (front) side of the body.

How To Sit With Psoas Pain

When the psoas contracts, it allows us to rotate the hip externally. It also gives the ability to life your leg, as well as move it laterally. The psoas muscle is a major force that helps the spine and legs move together effectively. It’s a major force when it comes to any full body movement like running and squatting.

It also provides a large amount of stability that helps us keep our spine and torso upright. This is a crucial variable required to sit for long periods of time with good computer posture. The psoas muscle is one of the few muscle groups that connects our upper body to our lower body. Sitting can affect the psoas muscle because it is very prone to overuse. The average computer worker is at a desk 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week, 2000 hours a year. That’s a massive amount of repetitive strain, regardless if we are sitting with good or poor computer posture. When we sit for long periods of time, it can cause a tight psoas.

Continue reading How to Sit with Psoas Pain

Symptoms of sciatica can include inflammation, irritation, pain, numbness, or tingling of the sciatic nerve. A number of places could be painful including the back, butt, or legs. In my experience, sciatic pain has ranged anywhere from light discomfort to incredibly sharp, shooting pain.

Sciatica can become debilitating in extreme cases. It happened to me once. The sciatic pain felt like a knife stuck in my back. I couldn’t walk. I was stuck in bed for almost 2 days. It hurt even to roll over in bed. I ended up going to the emergency room for it. I was out of work for about 10 days.

It’s hard to believe that sitting for long periods of time causes this extreme sciatica pain. My poor sitting position definitely contributed to my shooting pain. There were many reasons. I had an old office chair that didn’t fit me well. I never used a standing desk back then. Also, I would sit for long periods of time without taking breaks. This led to my most overused muscles and tissues lacking blood flow. My lumbar spine was not properly supported. I didn’t have an ergonomic chair that included lumbar support. I never sat with proper posture because I didn’t know how to do it.

Continue reading How to Sit Comfortably with Sciatica Nerve Pain