Pain and Posture

My mom always told me to sit up straight.  My violin teacher always told me to relax my shoulders.  Now that things have come to a painful (pun intended) turning point, I wish I had given it some more thought, years ago.

This quarter I have had classes only twice a week, which means that, on those days, I am sitting for almost ten hours straight.  And who'da thunk, it hurts.  It hurts pretty bad.  I'm not one of those enviable people that can sit in a sort of trance; I have to move around and change position constantly.  It doesn't help that chairs are designed for taller people.  Naturally, the one sitting position that becomes the most painful is sitting up straight.  My upper back aches, my tight shoulders want to curl forward, and my neck invariably begins to feel rigid.  (Yes, I'm a wimp.) 

It is always more comfortable to slouch, but I don't want that anymore.  Pride (the healthy type) and pain have stepped in and made me realize that I don't want to look or feel horrible if I can help it.  I'm determined now to build up my strength until good posture feels more comfortable, like it should.  I also want to correct my "forward neck" while I still have a chance.  Better late than never.

Incidentally, these issues have become part of the stereotypical image of a computer programmer, hunched over a monitor.  There's a lot of truth in it, though; when I spend so many hours obsessed over code, it is easy to be distracted from watching my posture.  (Fortunately, I'm a creature of habit, so once I get a good habit started, it should become subconscious.) 

I guess what this post is about is my recommendation that, if you have posture problems, don't postpone correction.  You can put up with the physical unattractiveness indefinitely, but the physical pain that will come in these situations - whether you sit in lectures, at work, or at home on your laptop - is another thing entirely.  Take pictures of yourself, look at yourself in the mirror, etc., to identify your posture problems, and build up stamina when it is still relatively comfortable and convenient to do so.  You just don't want to wait until pain becomes your motivation.