Take a Break!

Years of holding cameras out in front of me coupled with years of sitting in front of a computer have driven me to the chiropractor and physical therapist more often than I care to admit.  No, I am not a couch potato.  I am out in the field working about half of my working hours; on my feet working and walking.  But the other half I am driving, or sitting behind a keyboard typing words or processing photos.  I go the gym, walk, lift weights, ride a bike, hike, coach sports, play sports , , , yadda yadda yadda!

What I don’t do is take regular stretch breaks while sitting at the computer.  Yeah, I thought “well I get up a lot and walk around and stretch,” but really had no idea how often or what type of stretches I should do.  Enter RSIGuard.  

I have tried other software; mostly they are fixed timers that simply tell you “take a break.” RSI Guard is smart; it can tell how much time you spend typing, mousing (cool word,) and reading, and adjusts the break times accordingly.  Also when the break window opens up, a nice little person demonstrates useful stretches and relaxation techniques!  In between breaks, little pop-up windows remind you to take a deep breath, relax, smell the roses , , , , 

The average time between my breaks is around 20 minutes, and the average break time is around 4 minutes; 3 minutes of stretches and 1 minute of relaxing moves.  What really surprises me is how fast those 20 minutes go by without my taking my eyes off the monitor or hands off the keyboard.  That is 20 minutes of non-stop stress on your hands, arms, neck and back, repeated day after day. 

You can try free for 45 days; the full version is $65 and its the best investment you’ll ever make.  My time at the doctors is down, and my energy, focus and productivity is up!  I found out about RSIGuard through buddies in high-tech who have made fortunes injuring themselves at a keyboard! 

Give them a look and RSIGuard

ps; I filed this post under “How To” as is how to sit in front of Photoshop for 4 hours and not injure yourself!

ps; my break reminder is telling me “Break Needed”  Bye!