Housecleaning is great exercise. Keep your space unnecessarily tidy and clean.
Ask HN: Improving health despite working in a screen-based job
41–50 of 53 posts
Re: Ask HN: Improving health despite working in a screen-based job
#42I work freelance, and have been glued to my couch all day for a long time. I became physically depleted and demoralized, and the money couldn't compensate. In the end, I cut a quarter of my workload and now have at least one afternoon a week (two, some weeks) where I walk at a good pace about 7-10 miles + whatever walking I can get at weekends with my girlfriend.
I was sorry to lose the money, but there was just no other way forward, and I have to say that it's proved worth it. The work that remains, I perform better than before, and my life has more balance.
Working an office job that's been WFH'd, I don't know what the answer is, particularly in the darker winter months (for me, I am resolved to switch to morning walks and working later into the afternoon and early evening).
Re: Ask HN: Improving health despite working in a screen-based job
#43Have an exercise routine. I think weight lifting gives you most bang for your buck.
Around technologists there still seems to be a sort of nerd vs. jock thinking where people are afraid they have to become some "gym douchebag" who only thinks about lifting weights. People definitely fixate on it sometimes because exercise can become addicting, but there is nothing preventing one from taking a minimalist approach to it that doesn't demand much time or thought, but has huge benefits. It is sad to see a kind of gnostic thinking where people are contemptuous of anything non-cerebral, especially when exercise is actually good for your brain! Boosts BDNF.
Plenty of routines out there which only require 3 days a week with workouts being under an hour. This is a nice example: https://physiqz.com/workout-routines/powerbuilding-programs/...
I think this sort of thing is best. Walking on a treadmill at work while coding is a bit gimmicky.
Re: Ask HN: Improving health despite working in a screen-based job
#44Dynamic body movement, dancing, running, jumping. Desk jobs force us to be static, the longer we are static the more accustomed our muscles, tendons, ligaments and nervous system become to being static. Stretching doesn’t overcome a lack of movement, movement overcomes a lack of movement. Lifting heavy weights & body weight exercises, lifting and holding your own weight is very important. A calorie maintained diet. I…
>8000 IU of vitamin D per day
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for most adults of 600 IU of vitamin D a day
if anyone actually takes this much vitamin D eveyr day they will get kidney stones and hypercalcaemia... this is incredibly irresponsible advice.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-h....
Re: Ask HN: Improving health despite working in a screen-based job
#45My secret weapon against the 35 pounds that I keep at bay is to get two solid half days of manual labor a week. I'm not highly skilled so I just offer neighbors to help with their projects. Digging out a pool, building a deck, cleaning up on a job site, roofing, cutting firewood. Anything. Along the way, I learn new skills, have fun with a few people, keep their project cost down, and often take some pride in the project when it's done. I bring a half gallon of iced tea, lightly salted and lemoned.
My other routine elements are pretty common:
Walk as often as possible with notebook
Stop eating by 7pm and don't break the fast until about noon
Don't let my enemy foods in the house. I'm looking at you Sr. Oreo!
I also have a score card in .txt, along with Convict Conditioning for days I don't have any labor. I look for 10 sets and a nice walk.
Lastly, if I'm doing all this, I don't beat myself up when the Oreos do show up and I manage to clean them out in a matter of hours. Resistance is futile - don't blame yourself.
Re: Ask HN: Improving health despite working in a screen-based job
#46Dynamic body movement, dancing, running, jumping. Desk jobs force us to be static, the longer we are static the more accustomed our muscles, tendons, ligaments and nervous system become to being static. Stretching doesn’t overcome a lack of movement, movement overcomes a lack of movement. Lifting heavy weights & body weight exercises, lifting and holding your own weight is very important. A calorie maintained diet. I…
Wow! I really like lots of this, and I’ll look into air quality monitors. The only exercise I recently had an urge to do was laying on the bed (diagonally) and lay my arms up near my head. I swim almost daily for 10mins and I do not know: how to incentive exercise?
Vaporize some ground cannabis herb!
Re: Ask HN: Improving health despite working in a screen-based job
#47Have an exercise routine. I think weight lifting gives you most bang for your buck. Around technologists there still seems to be a sort of nerd vs. jock thinking where people are afraid they have to become some "gym douchebag" who only thinks about lifting weights. People definitely fixate on it sometimes because exercise can become addicting, but there is nothing preventing one from taking a minimalist approach to i…
+1
A few months ago I purchased a barbell and some bumper plates, and I’ve been doing ~3 workouts per week pretty consistently. Can’t recommend it enough.
Re: Ask HN: Improving health despite working in a screen-based job
#48My top tip would be to regularly sip water while desk bound. This has the dual advantage of both hydrating and ensuring a physical break is regularly taken (a trip to the bathroom that involves a flight of stairs is a bonus).
Paradoxically, it seems to me that smokers are most likely to take regular breaks from their desk...
Re: Ask HN: Improving health despite working in a screen-based job
#49Build a floor desk: https://youmemindbody.com/aches-pains/re-design-your-work-st...
Re: Ask HN: Improving health despite working in a screen-based job
#50I set up a pull up bar next to my desk. Any time I start compiling I try to do a few pullups or pushups on the ground!
I use a solid wood workbench from Lowes as my standing desk - it is very solid but does not easily go down. I use a stool if I want to sit but stand most of the day.