I’ve been paying attention to the preventive advice I picked up during my last session with a registered massage therapist, and I thought I’d post an update on how things are going with this life-hacking.

• I switched to flat shoes. When the massage therapist mentioned that high-heeled shoes could be the reason why some of my muscles were tense, I said I’d switch to flat shoes. This was apparently not the way most women react. They’re more likely to say, “Sure, when they make flat shoes that aren’t ugly.” Well, I found two pairs of shoes that look presentable enough for the office. =)

  It turns out that you really do need to walk a mile in your own shoes before they’re broken-in enough to be comfortable. Both of my new pairs of flat shoes are now comfy enough for extended walks. The fancy insoles I picked up to add arch support threw me off balance and induced enough pain to make me hobble, so I got rid of the insoles. Now I just use plain liners to keep the shoes relatively clean.

• I switched to crossing my legs at the ankles, not at the knees. Sometime after grade school, I picked up the habit of crossing my legs at the knees. I suppose it was because practically everyone else I saw did it. Probably not good for my back muscles and circulation in the long run. Stopping this behavior took a little conscious thought for a couple of days, and then it felt natural not to do it any more. Now I just cross at the ankles if I want to, all proper-like.
• I switched to a rolling laptop case instead of a backpack. Yes, it’s a bit of a challenge getting a bulky rolling laptop case through the wickets or up and down stairs, but my shoulders think it’s a good trade-off.

There’s only one thing I’m having a hard time doing: leaning back. The massage therapist said that some of my back and neck muscles are tenser than they need to be because I lean forward instead of using the chair back. I’m not used to the idea of leaning back against the chair. It feels casual, and it sometimes means that I’m not in quite the right position to type.

Hmm…