If you’re a desk jockey and are troubled by bad posture, here are a few things that I suggest to address this issue.

• Stay active. Any kind of sport will generally improve things and put you in a better mood and hence more likely to stand tall than slouch.
• Perform these exercises a few times per week.
• Use a foam roller and a RAD Roller.
• Do some sessions with an Alexander Technique teacher.
• Read the Overcoming Poor Posture book.

Have you tried any of the methods above? Let me know in the comments section.

Figure 1. source

For some cultures, tea is more than just a drink. For the Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Russian, and English people, tea is a profoundly important part of their lives. In China, in particular, each regional group has its own philosophy of tea, and each ideological trend reinvents the implications that a cup of tea has in one’s day.

Great tea comes from remote mountains. Whether it’s white, green, or black, it conveys the essence of its natural surroundings. I’m not talking about overly processed tea that you can get at any store. I’m talking about delicate, potent, and clean tea that makes a world of a difference.

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One of the habits I’ve taken up since I moved to Spain is that of drinking mate. Mate is a very popular drink in South American countries like Argentina and Uruguay.

I’ve made some amazing Argentinian friends here who have introduced me to the drink and the ritual associated with it. It’s important to say that mate is a social ritual beyond being a drink. You can drink it on your own but it also is an important social lubricant in those countries, with a well-defined ritual and dos and don’ts.

Mate is consumed from a traditional hollow gourd (sometimes also called guampa). This is a metal container that is filled with hot water and the yerba mate herbs.  The tea is sipped through a metallic straw (called a bombilla). In a social setting, friends pass the drink from person to person refilling with hot water from a thermos when necessary!

It is made from the naturally caffeinated and nourishing leaves of the celebrated South American rainforest holly tree (Ilex paraguariensis). Mate contains caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, well-known stimulants also found in tea, coffee and chocolate. I tend to use it mostly as a stimulant when I want to switch from coffee for a while.

Below is a very good video on how to prepare it.

My favorite brand of mate is Cruz de Malta.

Here’s the textual description for preparing a good yerba mate:

1. Pour some yerba mate tea into your mate cup (until it is ¾ full)
2. Close the cup with the palm of your hand and shake it to make the bigger pieces of the mate leaves sink down to the bottom.
3. Make sure the mate is reclined in a 45-degree angle.
4. Pour warm water onto the lower part of the yerba mate.
5. The yerba is now getting wet and the infusion is starting to take place. Wait 30 seconds.
6. Put mate straw into the wet yerba mate tea on the lower part of the contents.
7. Pour in hot water softly. Never flood the cup as you want to keep repeating this process many times, thus you don’t want to wet all the mate at once.

Hope you enjoy, let me know what you think of it!

In 2019 I had the opportunity to train at a center here in Barcelona (GlobalPerformance) that specialises in isoinertial training methodology and equipment. It was the first time I did this type of training so I took some notes.

This is a type of training originally developed for outer space use since it doesn’t rely on gravity as the traditional weight machines do.

In the video below, you can observe some exercises that can be done with the pulleys and flywheels used in this type of training.

The nice thing is that the machines could be attached with a monitor that took note of each concentric vs eccentric movement of my muscles and measured the variation between them. In just one session I was able to observe the weak points of my body and that gave me a very good indication of what I need to be working on for gaining further strength while at the same time preventing injury.

This type of training is excellent for tennis and padel training as there’s a lot of emphasis on correct posture and using the whole kinetic chain effectively for every movement, and this can transfer very well to our oncourt performance.

When you buy spectacles/glasses it’s important to buy the right fit, style and color for your face. Most of the times when you visit shops the attendants won’t really give you any assistance about the matter, and I really hate visiting spectacles shops in general.

All they do is stand behind you and make you uncomfortable, and at best they’ll just say that all the pairs you try look good. Anyway, I figured out that the best way to shop for spectacles is online, so that’s how I’ve been doing it for the past few years.

If you want to really learn how you should choose your spectacles, visit this excellent guide:

• Eyeglasses frames and face shapes

The shops I use in Spain are SmartBuyGlasses, Blickers, Bluenty and Mister Spex. The latter lets you order 4 pairs to try at home. All you need to do is return them within ten days and either choose one or just order another 4 to try out. Once you found the right pair, you can then order the custom lenses and they’ll send you the final pair in a few days.

Which Lenses to Order?

Lenses can be much more expensive than the frame, depending on what degree of short-sightedness you are correcting and how thin you want the lenses to be.

A good shop will be able to simulate how different lens thicknesses will look on your specific frame, generating a 3d model for you that is really helpful to visualize whether going for the next level of thinness makes sense or not.

It’s important to choose the right brand of lenses for your spectacles. I order Zeiss, Hoya or Essilor, which are the leading brands.

Zeiss

Zeiss is a German-based company known for its high-quality optics and precision. They offer a range of single-vision lenses for myopia, including:

• Zeiss SmartLife Single Vision: Designed for digital device users, these lenses help reduce eye strain and provide clear and comfortable vision throughout the day.
• Zeiss DriveSafe Single Vision: Specifically created for driving, these lenses reduce glare and provide better vision in low-light conditions.

Extras to consider with Zeiss lenses:

• DuraVision BlueProtect: A coating that protects your eyes from harmful blue light emitted by digital devices.
• DuraVision Platinum: An anti-reflective coating that reduces glare, repels dirt, and resists scratches.

Hoya

Hoya is a Japanese company known for its innovative lens technologies. They offer the following lenses for myopia:

• Hoya Nulux Single Vision: A range of basic single-vision lenses that provide clear and comfortable vision.
• Hoya Nulux EP: Designed with advanced aspheric lens design, these lenses ensure sharper vision and reduced distortion.

Extras to consider with Hoya lenses:

• BlueControl: A coating that neutralizes blue light to reduce eye strain and improve contrast.
• Diamond Finish: An anti-reflective coating that provides clear vision, reduces glare, and offers scratch resistance and easy cleaning.

Essilor

Essilor is a French company and one of the largest lens manufacturers globally. They offer a variety of lenses for myopia, including:

• Essilor Single Vision: A basic single-vision lens that provides clear vision and reduces eye strain.
• Eyezen: Specifically designed for digital device users, these lenses help reduce eye strain and fatigue caused by screens.

Extras to consider with Essilor lenses:

• Crizal Prevencia: A coating that filters harmful blue light and reduces glare for comfortable screen usage.
• Crizal Sapphire 360: A premium anti-reflective coating that reduces glare, resists scratches, and repels dirt and smudges.

A Note on Extras

As a heavy computer device user, I had looked into whether blue light coatings are of any use. They can easily double the cost of a prescription lens however there is no evidence that they actually help. The best thing you can do to help your eye comfort is to stop using electronic devices 1-2 hours before going to bed or use software like Flux to reduce the harsh light from devices when you are preparing to sleep.

There is no evidence that blue light harms the retina. I have therefore not bothered with blue light coating.

• Study from Harvard on blue light
• Debunking digital eyestrain and blue light myths
• Do You Need Computer Glasses? (August 2019). Lifehacker.
• Do I Need Anti-Reflective Coating on My Glasses? (August 2019). Wisegeek.
• 4 Things to Know About Shopping for Eyeglasses. (November 2013). AARP.
• Are Anti-Reflective Coatings Worth the Cost? (July 2019). Verywell Health.
• What Are the Advantages of Anti-Reflective Coatings on Glasses, if Any? (February 2015). American Academy of Ophthalmologists.
• How to Get the Best Eyeglass Lenses. (December 2016). Consumer Reports.
• Crizal: Glare, Scratch, and Smudge Resistant. (2019). Essilor USA.
• Tips for Choosing the Right Eyeglasses. (July 2019). American Academy of Ophthalmology.
• Where Can You Find Prices for Crizal Lenses? Reference.
• Should You Be Worried About Blue Light? (July 2017). American Academy of Ophthalmology.