Other people might go to a massage therapist to relax. I go so that I can spend an hour and a half picking a specialist’s brain for tips on preventive maintenance. “Why is that muscle sore? What can I do about it? What’s that one connected to? How about that one?” I’ve set aside space in my budget for quarterly sessions with Shelagh, a massage therapist at the Well of Alternative Medicine, and she’s been teaching me all sorts of useful exercises.

I told Shelagh how tips from a previous massage convinced me to shift from a backpack to a rolling suitcase and from medium heels to flat shoes. Now we’re working on avoiding the issues many people get from lots of computer work: hunched shoulders, aching necks, painful wrists. I’ve ordered this just-released Goldtouch Go! portable ergonomic keyboard:

The Goldtouch site will charge $150 for international shipping, so order it from The Human Solution if you need it shipped internationally. The coupon code “ergonomics” may save you $10.

I thought about getting the Happy Hacking Lite keyboard, but I do actually like split keyboards. I also considered the Kinesis Advantage (too big) and the Kinesis Freestyle (too many accessories if I want the incline). The Goldtouch Go! looks like it’ll be worth trying out.

Then I’ll do what another coworker of mine does: prop the laptop on an overturned recycling bin so that it’s at eye level, and then use a keyboard and mouse for good posture.

A little bit of preventive maintenance now can help me enjoy life much more and much longer in the future. =) What do you do for preventive maintenance?