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Ask HN: Stay fit as a time-poor remote worker

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Re: Ask HN: Stay fit as a time-poor remote worker

#31

Post by Cthulhu_ »

Exercise is something you should set aside / make time for if you're doing computer work, it's not something that will happen passively. Treadmills are okay, but they're not a substitute for focused exercise.

Do sports; there's bound to be something around that vibes with you. Team sports might be a good motivator, or things like boxing / martial arts. If you prefer to be by yourself, walking/running/cycling are options if you can get over it being boring (get good rain gear and put on a podcast or audiobook if it's too boring for you). It'll be good for your mental health as well to do an activity outside of work entirely.

How much time did your commute use to take? Take that time to spend on yourself. And what else do you do in your spare time? See if you can combine that with exercise. I mean if you spend an hour watching netflix or whatever, you could get a static bike and put a tablet on there. Just make sure to get a sweat on, it should be an active activity that gets your heart rate way up.

Re: Ask HN: Stay fit as a time-poor remote worker

#32

Post by chrisseaton »

simon_000666 wrote: post #4
ddorian43 wrote: post #2

> any other suggestions? You should train hard at least for 1 hour, at least 3x/week. Find a sport that you like and that trains the whole body (swimming, kickboxing, weight lifting etc). I've done all 3 in different periods and currently do weight-lifting (might resume kickoxing too). Walking and counting steps is not training, is kinda like crawling or barely surviving. You should talk about walking & steps only wh…

x3 hours a week + travel time is infeasible given other commitments. I have approx 50 mins per day available.

You said yourself - it’s starting to impact your health. And it will get worse not better.

You have to make time for it.

You’d make time to get a cancer treated - make time to exercise to preserve your health while you can, or there’s no point in those other commitments.

Re: Ask HN: Stay fit as a time-poor remote worker

#33

Post by Hard_Space »

barry-cotter wrote: post #21
Hard_Space wrote: post #10

I am in the same situation. It has caused me such deterioration in mind and body that my relationship has been affected, and we are in counseling now. As a remote worker, I have decided to give up on walking - it takes up so much time that I conclude that is suitable exercise for rich people only. Furthermore, three months of the year here it is too hot to walk; six months, it is dark by the time I am freed enough fr…

> Furthermore, three months of the year here it is too hot to walk; Have you tried pushing through and getting used to it? I run for half an hour in Shanghai summer weather. Over 35 degrees and humid. > six months, it is dark by the time I am freed enough from work to go walking That sucks. Are there parks nearby or could you use a headlamp and wear high visibility clothing? > and trying to get a worthwhile walk in b…

> Have you tried pushing through and getting used to it? I run for half an hour in Shanghai summer weather. Over 35 degrees and humid.

I am a person that runs cold, terribly affected by heat; I don't think I could make much headway doing this. I get heatstroke very easily.

There is a park, but it's not so near, and walking in the dark just has zero appeal.

Re: Ask HN: Stay fit as a time-poor remote worker

#35

Post by Pepe1vo »

What worked for me is signing up for a crossfit gym and try going there at least 3 times a week before work, at my gym they have classes at 7:00 which means I'll be home at 8:15 which is plenty of time to get ready for my first meeting at 9:00.

The beauty with crossfit is, that it offers a nice balance between strength training and HIIT. Also, if you're of weak mental resolve like me then Crossfit is doubly great because something about doing the same workout with a group of people is extremely motivating and makes it much easier to really push yourself.

If you have a crossfit gym within a 15 minute drive of your home then I would definitely seriously consider this!

Re: Ask HN: Stay fit as a time-poor remote worker

#36

Post by John23832 »

bobsmooth wrote: post #27

Join a gym. Free weights are cheap. Do some curls while you're on a call. Balance ball instead of a chair. Jumping jacks don't require equipment.

That’s not the type of movement that will keep you healthy though.

Proper biomechanics requires that you move, a lot. Lifting weights while not actually moving around enough actually puts you at risk for injury and imbalances because your body isn’t progressing through proper range of motion enough.

Re: Ask HN: Stay fit as a time-poor remote worker

#38

Post by imdsm »

Hard_Space wrote: post #24
adrianpthomas wrote: post #14

Hi fellow PM! Sign up for one of the training apps (e.g. Apple Fitness+, Freelytics or similar) that offers shorter training sessions (10-20mins) that you can do with a simple floor mat. Do it during lunch break before you have food. Get it all set up so there's no effort to starting and try to make it part of your daily routine.

I would say that the social benefits of leaving the house to go to a gym, even if you talk to nobody throughout the visit, outweigh trying to solve the problem in the place where you already live and work.

I'd say that we shouldn't disregard easier targets. In the UK we have this "five a day" campaign, to eat 5 unique pieces of fruit or veg a day. If someone said they were going to eat an apple every day and we said no, don't do that, it's better to eat 5 different things, you may end up with that person not eating any.

Some of us are time poor, or to flip it round, very busy. Our 24 hours can be hectic, filled with parenting and work. 10-20 minutes a day at home is easier to fit into a busy schedule than an hour to go to the gym.

Is an hour at the gym better? Yes, but 10-20 minutes a day consistent will outweigh sporadic visits to the gym.

Re: Ask HN: Stay fit as a time-poor remote worker

#39

Post by thorin »

Assuming that you don't want to get into any fun exercises / sports ( I do kayaking, cycling, hiking, climbing for instance), then you need to prioritise some kind of movement. Go out for a walk before work or at lunchtime, then it won't be dark and you get a proper break from sitting. If you're in a call where you are more listening than talking consider doing press ups/sit ups/kettlebell during the call once a day.

Re: Ask HN: Stay fit as a time-poor remote worker

#40

Post by imdsm »

simon_000666 wrote: post #11
ddorian43 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Come on man, you can't have such a busy life. You have to cut somewhere for your own sanity. What about weekend? Use Saturday & Sunday and Wednesday? > I have approx 50 mins per day available. Build a minimal home gym and train hard? It's important to train hard for 1 hour or more, not just do 10K steps.

kids, literally make your life that busy. Home gym would be ideal - unfortunately space is the issue there, I have about 1.5m2 available.

Lots of people don't realise just how much time kids take up, especially as single parents, and in the UK, how much space is at a premium. Cupboards are a luxury, let alone space for home gyms.
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