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http://www.mattfurey.com/index.htm Do what this guy says to do and everyone will fear you.

I have nothing to do with CarpalTunnelFix.com, except I follow this guy's exercise routines. They work for me, so I'm wondering if anyone has had success with following the recommendations on the carpal tunnel site?

I have to doubt any source that has ads for Matt Furey Combat Conditioning and big TAKE THIS SURVEY popups.
When did Slashdot turn into a Fark flamewar?

I started doing this program six weeks ago and my back pain is gone for the first time in 20 years. I can't recommend it highly enough. I know the web page reads like pure home shopping network but it works.

The back bridge exercise is very effective, although a little intimidating at first. See here for a good explanation of all the core exercises with photos. No weights, no gyms, a few minutes a day. Charles Atlas would have been impressed.

Very silly article.

Even if it's just 5-15 minutes a day (see http://mattfurey.com/).

I know many very sharp sw geeks that have physical hobbies (yoga, mountain climbing, windsurfing).

Get some balance in your life.

Okay, first issue is what several other people have said: If you don't like getting looks in the office, work out somewhere else.

On an actually helpful note, check this: Combat Conditioning

Matt Furey is a personal trainer and champion wrestler/grappler. Try to ignore the old snake-oil salesman style of the pitch. The point is that the book has a bunch of exercises using only your bodyweight as resistance. They build muscle mass (which helps burn off that pesky fat while providing definition), you can do them every day, and when you start out, you probably won't be able to work any longer than 10-15 minutes. I've been using them, and the energy/strength increase is amazing.

Of course, there aren't too many exercises in there that the Marines haven't used. Either ship your ass off to Parris Island, or find some local former jarhead to work out with you. That's what I do, and they can *motivate* you.

Try keeping a bag of unsalted prezels and a jar of peanut butter at your desk while you work, and learn to munch without thinking about it. Get in the habit of eating three hearty squares per day (or three light meals plus three substantial snacks, if you don't like stuffing yourself), whether you feel like it or not.

If you take a little exercise, too, you'll put on pure muscle, not fat. Two or three times a week, deadlift (that's just grabbing a barbell that's on the floor - keep your back straight and lift with your hips! - and standing up while holding it) with as much weight as you can manage for twenty repetitions (start with the bare bar and add five pounds each time until you can't finish the 20), do as many pushups as you can, then do as many sit-ups as you can. It'll take about 10 minutes each time, and you won't believe the difference it makes in the way you feel (after six months or so, you'll want to balance the program out with some chin-ups and overhead barbell presses and such to keep your body balanced, but keep it simple when you're starting out).

If you don't have easy access to weights, you can do just fine with floor exercises, though you have to learn a bit of technique. The exercises described here are really top notch, though you can get by with the simple exercises you learned in grade school. I would, however, recommend getting a length of bungee cord and doing "pull the bow" and "draw the sword" exercises with it, to balance out the muscles in your shoulders and upper back (watch that you don't snap yourself in the face with it though; goggles are a good idea).