Preface

Before we begin, as a reader, you might want to check if you experience any of the following issues:

• Do you frequently need to work at a desk for more than an hour continuously in your professional life?
• Do you often experience dry eyes and blurred vision while working at your desk?
• Have you frequently experienced back pain and stiff neck/shoulders in the past year or two?
• Do you often feel wrist pain or discomfort when using a computer?
• Do you feel stiffness in your hip muscles when going for a walk?
• Has your weight increased significantly in recent years?
• Do you often feel fatigued and lack energy?

If you answered “yes” to two or more of these questions, unfortunately, occupational health issues from desk work have already caught up with you.

Many people, upon realizing their health issues, try various methods to improve their health condition, such as buying ergonomic equipment, walking 10,000 steps daily, getting massages, or taking yoga classes. However, many become discouraged and give up after trying for a while when they don’t see significant results.

As a desk worker myself, I deeply empathize with this journey. But I want to emphasize that occupational health issues from desk work are not invincible. What I want to stress is that recovery is a systematic process that cannot be achieved overnight—it requires long-term commitment and persistence. These health problems didn’t develop overnight, most occupational health issues of desk workers result from years of accumulation, so complete recovery might also take years.

Strategically we should despise all our enemies, but tactically we should take them all seriously.

— Mao Zedong

As a software engineer, when facing a systematic problem, my approach to solving it typically involves three steps:

1. Identifying the problem
2. Debugging the problem
3. Solving the problem

Identifying the Problem

I entered the workforce after graduating in 2011, and by my third year of work, I started experiencing various occupational health issues:

• Frequent back pain
• Intermittent neck and shoulder stiffness
• Occasional Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

These symptoms severely affected my quality of life and work performance. Between 2014–2016, I often experienced severe back pain, feeling uncomfortable after just an hour of sitting work, to the point where I needed extensive mental preparation before taking any car or flight journey. There was a period when I even thought I should leave the software development industry.

Additionally, I had previously dislocated my left shoulder, resulting in significantly weaker muscle strength in my left arm compared to my right. I also had some meniscus degeneration in my right knee from extensive cycling during college.

Finally, as we age, physical deterioration is inevitable, and we all accumulate various reversible or irreversible damage. As the ancients said, “Life is like a journey at an inn, and I too am but a traveler.” While we cannot fight against the natural laws of birth, aging, illness, and death, we can use scientific methods to slow down or partially reverse this process.

Debugging the Problem

Starting in 2017, I began trying various methods to improve my health condition:

• Invested heavily in various ergonomic equipment, including but not limited to:
  • Ergonomic chair
  • Standing desk
  • Electric height-adjustable desk
  • Monitor arm
  • Ergonomic keyboard
  • Vertical mouse
• Bought various traditional Chinese medicine patches from pharmacies for pain relief
• Went to the gym for strength training
• Self-performed stretching exercises
• Got massages
• Went swimming

After years of trial and exploration, I’ve more or less found a methodology that works for me, allowing me to maintain a comfortable physical condition for extended periods while continuing my desk work.

Solving the Problem

Let the data speak - as of December 31, 2024, here are some of my basic fitness metrics:

• Weight: 81.3kg
• Body Fat Percentage: 17%
• Maximum Pull-ups: 18
• Maximum Push-ups: 45
• Maximum Bench Press: 120kg
• Maximum Deadlift: 160kg
• Grip Strength: Left hand 60kg, Right hand 65kg
• Maximum Plank Hold: 4 minutes

In terms of daily life experience:

• I can work continuously at my desk for over 10 hours without any shoulder, neck, back, or waist discomfort
• I haven’t experienced back pain for a long time
• I can write 500-1000 lines of code in a day with minimal wrist discomfort
• My annual medical checkups show normal cervical and lumbar spine conditions

Overall, my quality of life has improved significantly, and I’ve basically bid farewell to shoulder, neck, back, and waist strain issues, as well as carpal tunnel syndrome.

However, everything comes at a cost. Previously, I invested significant time and money in recovering my physical condition. After rehabilitation, the cost of maintaining this state is relatively lower:

1. Two two-hour sessions of self-stretching and strength training per week
2. Two to three sessions of self-myofascial release and stretching at home per week
3. That’s it, nothing else

If you have been or are currently troubled by occupational health issues from desk work, have tried various methods without success, and haven’t found relief, then perhaps this small book can provide some inspiration.

Discussion Groups

I’ve created a discussion group on Discord - feel free to join the discussion.

If you find any errors in the book, you can also raise an issue directly on GitHub.