Pages

Monday, November 21, 2011

Ballet for translators

These days I have read many blog entries that talked about how helpful can some exercises be for translators (and for some interpreters too, of course).

As you know, we work sitting in front of computers or microphones. It looks like a pretty comfortable job, huh?! Yes, but think of sitting on a chair in the same position everyday for the rest of your life! Your back will give you trouble at some point! Believe me: after only two years of translation studies, I started not to feel so comfortable when I was sitting in front of my computer.

But later, during my third year, I (re)started my ballet studies and within two months or so, I started to feel better. Why? Because ballet makes you be more aware of your position. So I was sitting up straight without really realising and I was feeling fine; my back didn’t hurt anymore.

Of course, there are other exercises that you can do, like pilates or yoga! I’m just adding ballet to the list. Oh, and you will get some satisfaction knowing that not everybody can do what you do! And don’t forget it is simply fun!



Keep translating and dancing!
Nerea.

PS.: Male translators: please, do come to ballet class. We need you! ;)

5 comments:

  1. Oh it's terrible!! I'm not a translator - I'm a graphic designer (past 7 years), and I work at the computer all day, everyday. Sitting in one position like that has given me problems with my hips and back but when I started doing ballet again-I've been feeling much better. So -same here! So true.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Veo Zelda por ahi??? Ocarina Of Time? es un vicio!

    Bueno lo que tienes es muy común, no solo de traductores, de cualquiera que trabaje sentado y/o frente a una pantalla... Yo por ejemplo estuve en una oficina tres años 10 horas al día y el dolor de espalda lo tenia dia si dia tambien... de hecho en un reconocimiento médico me dieron algunos consejillos, muy simples, pero efectivos, seguro que si no todos, casi todos los conoces:

    - Asegurate de que sentada llegas con los pies al suelo, de lo contrario utiliza un reposapies
    - las piernas deben estar juntas y formando un angulo recto
    - la espalda debe estar ligeramente echada hacia atrás pero no demasiado
    - levantate cada hora u hora y media y date una vuelta por la habitación (ve al baño, a beber agua... )
    - Estira los brazos por detras de la espalda cuando estes de pie... para que se "desatasquen"


    por cierto, dejame que te comente que uno de tus videos, ese en el que contabas que habías retomado el ballet... me inspiró. Este año me apunté a la EOI para recuperar todo el francés que perdí desde el instituto. Muchas gracias.

    un beso guapa

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree!!! Ballet makes you so MUCH more aware of how you move. My posture is so much better as a result. And I am more flexible so my muscles don't get tight. So many benefits. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes, that's right!
    Ballet really contributes to feeling better in terms of physical sensation and moral, spiritual harmony. I think it's quite explicable: you (and so do I!) love ballet so much that every contact with it presents mass of positive emotions, supply of energy and moral strength for you. And it's wonderful, isn't it?
    I wish every person to have the sphere, thing, which can be so important, so magical for him as ballet for you and me. Because when you have meaning of life like this, you have the motivation to develop, get over all difficulties in the name of it.

    P.S. Your table is so...clean.=) Mine is always overloaded with different books, textbooks, sheets of paper, notebooks etc. It's overloaded to the highest degree. It seems to me sometimes that I'll never find the bottom of it.=)

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Anonymous Great to see that ballet is also good for graphic designers! It's for everyone, actually! =D

    @Polly Ese póster es de Zelda Skyward Sword. ¡Es que amo mucho mucho esa saga! xD
    Muchas gracias por todos los consejos; intentaré ponerlos en práctica! =)
    Me alegro de haber inspirado a alguien, jaja. Muchísima suerte con el francés, aunque ya te lo he dicho por el Tuister! ^^

    @Hannah Right? The only problem I have now is that all my joints click from time to time. But I can live with that! ;)

    @Danzatrice Exactly! It's not only a physical effect, but also emotional!
    That is not my table anymore, actually. I moved some months ago, but yeah, my current table is clean too! I'm a bit of a maniac in that matter, hahaha!

    ReplyDelete