I find that if I spend a day or two sewing, my body gets so tight and sore, it's not funny. How do people do it?

well it's like working at a desk all day.  You have to remember to get up and walk around, stretch every hour or so.  Also a good desk chair helps a lot.  When I'm going to be sewing more than an hour or two, I roll my good expensive office chair (from work) back to my sewing room.

There's a book on the subject of quilting ergonomics but I'll be darned if I can think of the title. Maybe it's not a book ... just a pamphlet.

Written by a doctor as I recall.

It has diagrams about correct seat height, elbow position, etc.

Surely one of us has a better memory than mine and can help Mel out with the author and title of this book.

ETA:  If you go to Amazon and do a search on "quilt ergonomics" there are several books that come up.  Here's one of them that seems helpful although I'm not sure it's exactly the one I was thinking about:

https://www.amazon.com/RX-Quilters-Stitcher-Friendly-Advice-Every/dp/1571200924/####?Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.x=35&Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.y=6&keywords=quilt+ergonomics&qid=1642898855&s=books&sr=1-4&unfiltered=1

I try to vary what I'm doing so that I'm up regularly, and stretch...but I tell ya, typically I have back and neck pain from sewing...maybe 5 hours of sewing makes me feel like I need pain meds! And last night, for some reason, my R hip and glutes were killing me (yes, I"m right handed and push the pedal with R foot, but wow! This was new!)

Thank you, Judy!

The right height of your sewing table and a good chair are really helpful.  I also use a "Posture Pleasure" by Bodyright (not sure if this is the brand I have - I've had mine for a long time) - it has a rectangular weight that hangs about at your bra line on your back with adjustable straps on your shoulders and it helps keep you from scrunching over. 

On my yearly retreat, I actually take my chair with me because the retreat center only has stacking chairs that are lower than the table and there is no way I could sew for 4 or 6 days on one of those chairs!  There is a woman who attends the retreat and she elevates the table and stands to do all her work.  I KNOW I couldn't do that but she swears by it.

Good luck!

Mary in Michigan

Thanks for the suggestions :) 

I'm not going all medical here, but I have found great relief for tight muscles after a lot of machine sewing in a roll-on called Ted's Pain Relief gel. No aroma and works for me.

Sue in IL

Thanks :)