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Exercise More to Hack Better

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Re: Exercise More to Hack Better

#31

Post by CoreDumpling »

My problem with deliberate exercise is that it doesn't feel purposeful (vague notions of improved health notwithstanding). Picking up a chunk of iron just to put it back down again or stomping on a moving platform just to remain in the same place feels about as useful as typing out a bunch of boilerplate code just to delete it shortly afterwards. I might change this attitude should I find more interesting activities.

Instead, I choose to integrate exercise into my lifestyle rather than go out of my way to do it. Serious gym rats will scoff at me, but it's far more satisfying to carry a 10-kg watermelon home from the supermarket 3 km away.

It's also a lot easier when the exercise is compulsory. Twice a day I pass through 1.5 km of hilly terrain to reach my bus stop, and the panoramic view of the city along the way is certainly a nice bonus.

Re: Exercise More to Hack Better

#32

Post by balakk »

kiba wrote: post #10

I can't stop running. It's too addicting. Though, I can't help but feel the pain of my exercise.

It could be your shoes as well. I've been running for a couple years, and take frequent breaks now.

Vary your run; do different distances, speeds etc. But don't neglect shoes; indulge in a new one every 500 Km.

Re: Exercise More to Hack Better

#33

Post by jamesjyu »

CoreDumpling wrote: post #31

My problem with deliberate exercise is that it doesn't feel purposeful (vague notions of improved health notwithstanding). Picking up a chunk of iron just to put it back down again or stomping on a moving platform just to remain in the same place feels about as useful as typing out a bunch of boilerplate code just to delete it shortly afterwards. I might change this attitude should I find more interesting activities.…

Try a sport!

I too hate treadmills and lifting weights -- it's just dreadfully boring. However, if you pick up a sport, you can hone your coordination skills and progress to become a better player. I find that it's much more motivating when you're competing with people. And, I feel much better knowing that I am acquiring a useful skill that can be measured against in competition.

Personally, I play competitive table tennis (very unlike garage ping pong). What's good is that you can actually do this inside, and, it's cheap to play at clubs. It's also a sport that keeps your mind sharp. I even wrote a whole article about why I think it's a great hacker sport: http://jamesyu.org/2009/01/11/why-table-tennis-is-a-great-ha...

Re: Exercise More to Hack Better

#34

Post by pyre »

rjurney wrote: post #20
alexwestholm wrote: post #17

Not central to the authors point, but I think surfing, and exercise like it (mountain biking, for instance) are superior to simply hitting the treadmill. Getting out into nature and getting some vitamin D is a whole lot better than doing the rat-run in a gym cardio room. That said, anything is better than nothing.

Definitely going outside is required. The gym does not give you the same benefit, imo. Its definitely also about connecting with nature. Editing now to clarify, thanks!

Pet peeves with these types of comments/articles:

1) They are completely anecdotal. "This worked for me, so it applies equally to all 7+ billion humans on this earth!"

2) They assume that everyone lives in the same climate and/or lives in a similar region. e.g. How are you supposed to 'connect with nature and the sun' when you live in Alaska and it's dark 6 months out of the year? How are you supposed to regularly 'connect with nature' when you live in the middle of a metropolis?

Re: Exercise More to Hack Better

#35

Post by AngryParsley »

alexwestholm wrote: post #17

Not central to the authors point, but I think surfing, and exercise like it (mountain biking, for instance) are superior to simply hitting the treadmill. Getting out into nature and getting some vitamin D is a whole lot better than doing the rat-run in a gym cardio room. That said, anything is better than nothing.

In northern California, it's often cool enough to require covering most of your skin. A person surfing at Linda Mar is almost certainly wearing a wetsuit and gloves. This covers almost all of the body and drastically reduces vitamin D production.

To reliably get vitamin D, take a supplement. Exercising outside is more fun than a gym, but it won't make you any healthier than doing the same thing indoors.

Re: Exercise More to Hack Better

#36

Post by Deejahll »

jamesriley wrote: post #30

I wouldn't agree at all with 'the gym don't count' - I'm an on-off gym user for years now and can say that my energy levels are so much higher when I am exercising multiple times weekly, whether is be cardio or weight lifting. My general mood and spark is multiplied, to the surprise of many who believe they are exhausted most evenings and certainly couldn't put any spare energy to a workout. When I'm not working out…

I'll second everything said here. "The gym doesn't count" is an utter lie. If you've led a multiple-year sedentary lifestyle, a mere 15 minutes on a treadmill in the morning will show you an immediate difference in your motivation and mental clarity.

Also, fat-asses: you don't have to kill yourself at the gym. Look up on the internet what your target heart rate should be, and stick to it. If you feel like you're going to fall over and die, you're making it too hard on yourself.

If you're just getting started, developing the habit of going regularly (at least 3x/week) is immensely more important than minutes ran, reps, or pounds lifted.

It's incredibly hard to start and stick to a routine if you're not used to it. I've only done it three times in my life, but it paid off every time. And the years in between were racked with life-altering depression and failure.

Re: Exercise More to Hack Better

#37

Post by jamesaguilar »

jamesjyu wrote: post #33
CoreDumpling wrote: post #31

My problem with deliberate exercise is that it doesn't feel purposeful (vague notions of improved health notwithstanding). Picking up a chunk of iron just to put it back down again or stomping on a moving platform just to remain in the same place feels about as useful as typing out a bunch of boilerplate code just to delete it shortly afterwards. I might change this attitude should I find more interesting activities.…

Try a sport! I too hate treadmills and lifting weights -- it's just dreadfully boring. However, if you pick up a sport, you can hone your coordination skills and progress to become a better player. I find that it's much more motivating when you're competing with people. And, I feel much better knowing that I am acquiring a useful skill that can be measured against in competition. Personally, I play competitive table…

I want to echo your advice. I recently started playing a combat sport after a few years of not really exercising. I have no illusions about its likely effectiveness in a real fight (not much), but since I don't plan on getting in a real fight that doesn't matter.

It is fun and interesting compared to other forms of exercise I've tried, and it definitely helps me get my cardio up. There are a couple other benefits too: when you are paying $150 a month for the class sessions, you show up. And it's easier to keep going with an instructor there pushing you than by yourself. There's also no team depending on you to be good, so there's not the same kind of pressure to perform. For someone like me whose self-control and discipline are perhaps below average, these benefits are no small issue.

I didn't start doing this to be a better worker; my primary motivation was vanity. But anecdotally, I have noticed that my productivity level has been somewhat elevated in the month since I started doing it. I'm not sure if it's the fact that I have to leave work at exactly six PM every day, giving me a solid deadline for whatever I want to accomplish in a day, or if it's the exercise itself. Heck, it could be a mix. But as far as I've seen so far I would definitely recommend it.

Re: Exercise More to Hack Better

#39

Post by PilotPirx »

Eliezer wrote: post #22

After going outside and walking in the sun for a couple of hours, I'm too tired to get any work done the rest of the day. As far as I can tell, everything said about exercise is lies. Or perhaps mileage varies. Just remember, mileage varies, and also, you're not alone.

Drink more water. Dehydration is your enemy.

Re: Exercise More to Hack Better

#40

Post by maxawaytoolong »

Eliezer wrote: post #22

After going outside and walking in the sun for a couple of hours, I'm too tired to get any work done the rest of the day. As far as I can tell, everything said about exercise is lies. Or perhaps mileage varies. Just remember, mileage varies, and also, you're not alone.

Walking around for a couple hours is not really exercise, it's normal human behavior. For instance, my 86 year old grandfather does this every day. If you aren't exaggerating you might want to see a doctor. That level of exercise intolerance is a key indicator in a number of severe health disorders, such as morbid obesity, congestive heart failure and multiple sclerosis.
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