Ask HN: How do I get fit and healthy as a software engineer?

I would suggest finding something that is fun, that you _want_ to do. Something you look forward to doing!

I just started playing badminton, which is great fun! Already planning my next few matches. (It is cheap, easy & accessible.)

In my opinion you're looking at the wrong problem.

If you're burned out, you won't have spare energy for anything else, and however you approach it, fitness requires a minimum amount of energy to be sustainable, which you don't have.

Technical solutions may lower the energy threshold, but they won't stick, as they won't lower the energy so much that you will stick to them long term, if you are mentally depleted.

It's true that some people feel a certain rush by starting a fitness plan/activity. But without energy and motivation, in the long (or even mid) term, it will fade.

There are also some motivations (I want to do XYZ), but those are external motivations, not internal; they also don't last.

My advice is to tackle the burnout problem with a therapist, then start a fitness plan, or at least, do it contextually to the mental recovery.

Start small. This is what I do - Drink a large glass of water as soon as I sit at my desk. This forces me to pee within 45-60 minutes. When I go to the bathroom, I ensure I do 20 squats before coming out. Sometimes I do 10 lunges on each leg. Takes about 2-3 minutes. Back to my desk and take another gulp. Repeat!

I can tell you what is working for me and what has not worked for me in the past.

I enjoy being in shape but working out for me is hard. I used to run competitively in high school and college and it’s my default workout. I admit that I hate going to the gym. When I want to get back into running shape, then I know that I want to be running 5 or 6 days a week and at 4-7 miles per day. But I can’t just start on that schedule of running, I have to start off a bit lighter, fewer miles, fewer days. So I start that. And then one day, I have to work late, so I skip it and I’ll make it up tomorrow. And then another day, I have friends in town, so I skip it and will make it up later. Etc, etc, until one day, I’m not really running anymore and I say to myself “gee, I should start running again.” and on goes the cycle. Maybe you can relate.

However there are two types of workout that have absolutely stuck. The first is biking to work for my commute. I just decided that I would no longer drive to work. And I started biking. And I did it everyday, rain or shine, no excuses. At one point I had a 16 mile commute each way, and I did it. I think that the reason it stuck is because I wasn’t “working out” I was “commuting”. It had an external purpose that was worthwhile, the exercise was secondary.

But I’ve been working from home for the past 5 years and so bike commuting isn’t really a thing for me anymore. I have a sit/stand desk and tried doing a standing desk, but really disliked it. I tried setting a 30 minute timer and having to change my stance, but I just really disliked standing.

I tried an under-the-desk elliptical but the ergonomics were really bad for me.

I tried using a stair-stepper under my desk while I worked. And it was great, except an hour of stair stepping is really quite a lot, so I’d still be sitting most of the day. And wow did it make my back hurt.

Finally about a year and a half ago I bought an under-the-desk treadmill and put it down under my desk. From day one, I’ve absolutely loved it. And I’ve been able to stick with it, because it’s really in my way and I have refused to move it out of the way, even when I am feeling sick. I can take my laptop off my desk and work from the small screen when needed, but I really like my big monitor and the treadmill is blocking my chair from being in front of my desk. So to use the big monitor, I have to be walking. This is how I’ve built it into my life and it has stuck. I now an average of 6-7 miles per work day, sometimes more, sometimes less. At this point, if I finish my workday and I’m only at 5 miles, it really feels like I’ve barely even walked at all. I have even started running a few days a week at lunch. Happy to share more about it if you’re interested.

It’s not cardio and I’m not building huge muscle mass, but the consistency of a mediocre workout is worth much more than the plans for a great workout.

Podcast + 45' walk in the morning before work. Couch potato to 5k training plan in 3 months while listening to a podcast you enjoy.

Halve your food intake. Eat the same, just half. Don't snack after dinner.