Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 370 posts

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#61

Post by pdiddy »

Gnarl wrote: post #58

#1: Reduce your exposure to wireless radiation. It causes severe oxidative stress load and Rapid Ageing Syndrome. #2: Regard sleep as sacred! Switch off all wireless devices when you go to bed and avoid mains-powered clock radios etc. in your sleeping room to minimize disruption of Melatonin production in the body. #3: Get enough anti-oxidants through your diet and/or supplements (they get rapidly depleted due to #1)…

You would probably help your cause by supplying some scientific evidence re claim #1.

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#62

Post by michilehr »

nlawalker wrote: post #49

I did fitness classes and weight training on my own for years, but about six months ago I discovered indoor (gym) bouldering and have made it my own. It's awesome. If you have a bouldering/climbing gym in your area, give it a try. I think a lot of people in the HN demographic would find it appealing. - Easy to start: Bouldering is rock climbing but you don't need certifications, training, ropes, expensive equipment o…

This matches exactly with my experience with bouldering or climbing. Well explained nlawalker!

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#64

Post by aaronbasssett »

gmays wrote: post #35

* Strength training: I focus on building strength not size (I'm already a pretty big guy, 6' 1" 220lb). Workout 4 times/wk, 5 sets/5 reps using a moderately heavy weight I could lift 8-10 times (stopping at 5). * Cardio: I don't do as much cardio as I used to due to a knee injury, but I recently bought a standing desk and have been experimenting with cycling on a spinning bike for .5 - 1hr/day on the bike. * Diet: I…

If you're training for strength can I ask why you're only lifting a moderately heavy weight? At 5x5 you should be lifting 80–85% of your 1RM.

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#65

Post by tim333 »

Presently gym daily but only for 5-10 minutes. I've been alternating doing the weight machines (heavy, only a few reps) and walking uphill at about 6 kmh on a running machine. Modest eating - the odd omelette / burger. Seems to be going quite well - losing weight, gaining muscle, low hassle/suffering.

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#66

Post by mamcx »

Is easy for exercise to focus to fast/soon in goals like become stronger or lose calories.

The first goal is just "go to class". Be able to form a routine. Don't get crazy and not worry with other goals until the body is in shape (and routine) to it.

But probably because your are more concerned in the health you already know this ;)

This is a very simple one to ramp-up:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=scientific+work...

Eat well. I'm in Colombia, so is far easier than in the US (get raw food is just a 1min walk in most areas of the city!). I think also get crazy and do a too fast switch is wrong. Living here, we never thought "We must buy organic!, Not processed food!". Good food is what we already have. Don't worry about it until the US culture get widespread in this area.

So, also not worry too hard about calories. Get normal food, not processed, and think about it as a normal thing. From what I hear from people that live in USA the food thing is probably the hardest to pull off...

--- Use a standing desk. Not be standing all the day! I use a fatigue mat:

http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Joe-Anti-Fatigue-Beveled-3-Fee...

(Super-durable!)

and a bar chair (to sit without move the desk). I lift the keyboard mouse on top of my speakers (they are squared) and put a pice of wood on top of it. So with ingenuity you can setup one...

Think like put a small table on top of the desk, and put everything there...

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#67

Post by Gnarl »

yodsanklai wrote: post #47
up_and_up wrote: post #32

> ...who have been sitting at their computers... > ...sitting down all day... I am 32. I noticed after years of sitting down that my back and hips began to ache and my body started feeling oldish. So I recently (two months ago) switched to a standing desk and feel really good. Back pain went away and I feel engaged and on point all day long. I do sit down for lunch and do a couple stretch breaks to break things up bu…

Was it difficult to adjust to a standing desk? For some reason, I found it difficult to focus while standing up. Also, is it something that is easily accepted in a company? Isn't it viewed as eccentric in more conservative workplaces?

Give your back a few days to adjust to the change. First days might hurt a bit. After that you'll begin to feel your back muscles strengthen. Its worth it IMHO. Possibly get a motorized sitting/standing desk so you can shift postures.

Any good company will accept whatever makes you most productive.

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#68

Post by Kiro »

wdewind wrote: post #51
Kiro wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since you didn't mention muscle size once... do you think I'm a loser for lifting weights primarily for hypertrophy?

Not at all, but this was a thread about fitness not aesthetics. Overall I'd still recommend a few months of strength focused training before shifting into a more hypertrophy focused program. For a novice you're going to experience a fair amount of myofibrilar hypertrophy doing a strength based program anyway, and when you shift over to a body building focused program you'll be able to get much faster sarcoplasmic hyp…

Alright, fair point!

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#69

Post by Gnarl »

pdiddy wrote: post #61
Gnarl wrote: post #58

#1: Reduce your exposure to wireless radiation. It causes severe oxidative stress load and Rapid Ageing Syndrome. #2: Regard sleep as sacred! Switch off all wireless devices when you go to bed and avoid mains-powered clock radios etc. in your sleeping room to minimize disruption of Melatonin production in the body. #3: Get enough anti-oxidants through your diet and/or supplements (they get rapidly depleted due to #1)…

You would probably help your cause by supplying some scientific evidence re claim #1.

Thanks for your interest pdiddy. Thousands of scientific studies in the biological effects of low-level RF and ELF are summarized and referenced in the independent Bioinitiative Report: http://www.bioinitiative.org/table-of-contents/

Re: Ask HN: What are you doing to improve your health?

#70

Post by mrfusion »

thorin wrote: post #34
junto wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for this. I've also noticed my energy level reduction since having children. I guess that is just par for the course. I guess your children are older? Mine are still young, so I wouldn't have the time to go kajaking at the moment (although I would love to)! I think I also need to get out and do some sport. Do you find yoga helps a lot? A friend suggested this to me too.

Not older, very young. I have a 1 year old daughter and another child on the way so I thought it was a good time to set a routine. I'm lucky in that where I kayak there is reliable whitewater within 15 mins of my house. I go to the gym at lunchtime during work. I've just restarted yoga - it has great benefits in relaxation and strength and really helps with all that time in the chair/bad posture. I did pilates previo…

Dumb question, but how do you get home after kayaking down the river? Is it a two person operation?
Post reply on HN