Good advice. When I was young I used to just "plug in" for one constant (more or less) session all day long. I don't know how I did it to be honest.
But yeah now, I NEED breaks. Walk around, get a snack, go for a quick walk outside. Really anything to break it up. The impact is better on you mentally as well as physically.
I think this is key. I never had too many issues taking breaks, to be honest. Even when 'programming', I spend a lot of the time thinking about what to do, and not actually typing. I heard early on that if you're constantly typing, you're doing it wrong, and I must've taken it to heart.
I'm 44 myself, and fortunately haven't had that sort of pain in my hands/wrists/forearms.
Have had back pain though, and that sucks.
But yeah now, I NEED breaks. Walk around, get a snack, go for a quick walk outside. Really anything to break it up. The impact is better on you mentally as well as physically.