Not a holdup, but hands up and shoulders back and keep moving!
Because of years of back problems (and now osteoporosis and arthritis) and years of sitting at a keyboard, I’ve collected exercises and advice from various sources. Today I’m sharing some that can benefit writers, office workers, and others who sit long hours at desks and/or keyboards can benefit from exercises and activities aimed at preventing carpal tunnel, neck and back and hip pain, and weight gain.
PREVENTING CARPAL TUNNEL
Be sure you have your chair and keyboard so your wrists are straight rather than at an angle with the keyboard. Sit up straight like your mother told you. Don’t slump. Habitually letting shoulders slump forward can lead to “dowager’s hump” and rotator-cuff injury. A lumbar support cushion strapped to the chair back can facilitate this. The cushion’s pressure on the lower back is a great reminder to sit erect.
Train yourself to use the mouse with either hand, so you don’t overuse one hand. Even before I learned this about carpal tunnel, I taught myself to do this because of pain in my index finger from clicking and scrolling. I think the same thing could be true of using the touch pad repeatedly with the dominant hand.
This next sequence of exercises continues carpal tunnel prevention and helps keep arms and shoulders limber. Do these once and hour while you’re at the keyboard.
PRAY
Put your hands in a prayer position, pushing toward your sternum and with your elbows raised to the sides. Hold for a count of ten. Release the prayer hand position and point your fingers downward stiffly, pressing the backs of your hands together. Hold for a count of ten. Repeat that sequence three times.
Similarly, as in the photo, grasp the fingers of one hand with the other and pull back, hold for a count of ten and relax. Repeat the sequence three times with each hand.
SHAKE IT UP, BABY
Release and shake out your arms and hands. Hold your arms out straight from your sides and roll your arms and shoulders frontward, then backward.
STRENGTHENING
Remind yourself to stand straight with shoulders back as if the lumbar cushion is attached to your back, shoulder blades pinched together slightly. Get up at least once an hour and walk around, go up and down stairs, more often if possible. I set a small timer for twenty minutes.
SILLY WALK
A variation is to do gentle lunges, enough to tighten the buttocks but not enough to stress the knees. I do my silly walk down the long hall beside my basement office. When I began, to keep my balance, I touched the wall on both sides.
TURTLE
The head weighs about the same as a bowling ball, so as we age, we need strength to keep it vertical. This exercise will improve posture and strengthen neck muscles. Sit or stand straight, shoulders back, in the posture I described above. Looking forward, pull your head back, chin down, turtle-like. Hold for a count of five, then relax. Do five repetitions. Do the set three times a day. And here’s the “hands up” in my title.
WINGS OR THE BIG W 
This exercise will prevent the shortening of chest muscles and stretch your back. Sit or stand straight, shoulders down, shoulder blades slightly pinched together. Hold your arms out from your sides, elbows bent, hands pointed up so your arms form a big W, or wings. Pull your arms back and hold for a count of five, then relax. Do five repetitions. Do the entire set three times a day.
I’ve worked the Wings and the Turtle exercise into walks with my dog. Sasha doesn’t notice my nutty behavior, and neither do the birds and squirrels along our dirt road. None of these should be too time consuming and should improve flexibility and decrease risk of pain from overuse.
Lastly, pay attention to the body’s reactions, the movements and stretching of various muscles, and on your breathing. Focusing on the present moment and on the sensations created by the various exercises can reduce stress and increase the benefit of the activity.
I invite commenters to suggest additional activities or exercises to add to the repertoire.
Kait Carson
Charlene D’Avanzo 
Great suggestions. My chiropractor recommended some of these to me when I was having neck and shoulder pain from working at a computer all day at my job. They are very effective.
Leon, some glitch happened. See my reply to Brenda, below.
Thank you, Susan! This is the most useful public service blog post I’ve seen in a long time. As someone who sits all day with my day job then goes home and sits in front of the keyboard some more at night, I plan to print this out and keep it next to both desks.
Thanks so much for verifying these. Some are from my chiropractor and some from other sources.
Brenda, this was supposed to go to Leon. LOL Glad you appreciate these. I told my physical therapist about this blog and he offered more suggestions, but it was too late.
Of course, I couldn’t get through the blog without trying a couple of these. Wow! I didn’t realize how stiff I have become. If my hands hadn’t been warm, I would have thought I was in full rigor. This is a truly useful posting to be saved and used over and over.
Peter, so glad to have been of service. Thanks for the comment.
Thank you! I am bookmarking this page.
Barb, thanks so much for your comment.
I’m having carpal tunnel surgery on the 23rd…but will try to incorporate all these fun things. Now I want a massage…
Now I want a massage too. My physical therapist said it wouldn’t hurt. Wish I’d told you long ago about the exercises.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for your very valuable advice!!! I did the exercises this morning and copied the post to keep.
Thanks for your comment. I truly think these will help you.
Wonderful! I’m printing these out. Neck and shoulders are where I stiffen out …. Thank you, Susan!
Lea, I have more if you want them. LOL
Great tips! Thanks so much for sharing.
What a find! You’re timely for me, since my back is acting up–again. Printing out now. Much thanks for this!
Kaye, glad this could help. Another thing might be a lumbar cushion that fastens to your desk chair with a strap. It forces you to sit up straighter.
I have one, but can’t use it with this office chair. I DO need a new chair! Maybe I’ll get a huge royalty check soon. ^..^
Great exercises, Susan, and thank you for sharing them! I’m adding these to my repertoire.
Thanks, Sheila!
Wow! These are great. I’m looking around for the perfect place to tack them up until they become a habit.
Nikki, so glad to help out. I had to do the same thing, have them in front of me until I got used to doing them. Good luck!
Thanks for the great ideas. I just saw this and wish I’d tried these suggestions earlier. I just got back from a doctor’s visit and discovered the ugly truth about the rotator cuff. I love the idea of learning to use your mouse with either hand. I am on to my left had now and getting used to that keyboard with my arms straight. I’ll be trying all these exercises.
Rebecca
Rebecca, thanks for your comment And bummer on the rotator cuff. I hope my sharing these exercises helps.