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Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?

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Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?

#71

Post by Sputum »

jasonkester wrote: post #3

Rock Climbing, specifically Bouldering, makes a great hobby for a computer programmer: 1. It works the right muscles to fight all the terrible things that programming does to your body. Slouching fixed, wrist issues fixed, obesity fixed. 2. It's crazy fun and addictive. You will make time to go climbing. There is no concept of "I should probably go climbing but..." like there is with the gym, running, etc. If it's ph…

yeah +1

Like many devs, my jobs and most of my hobbies tend to be very cerebral, and I spend almost all of my time deep inside my own head. I think living this way contributes to feeling disconnected from the world and ultimately anxiety.

Rock climbing is extremely grounding, even compared to other sports. You have to use all of your muscles, and pay careful attention to what your hands are doing. You feel the weight of gravity and the stress of being in a high place, and then this wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you reach the top.

Nothing puts you in the 'now' like climbing. It's like the perfect therapy for spacey people.

Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?

#72

Post by techdmn »

cullenking wrote: post #42

Motorcycle racing. It's a surprisingly heady sport that takes intense concentration while you are doing it, and requires you to study and conceptualize what you do right and wrong to help improve your times. It's self-competitive and you have perfect metrics. You literally tick milliseconds off your lap times at the upper end of the sport. The racing part is secondary to the actual fun, which is going around the trac…

No racing for me yet, but I have a track day tomorrow. The level of concentration required is astounding. I still remember being amazed at the difference between my first and second track days. How much more I could SEE after I started to relax, and the tunnel vision faded away. :-)

Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?

#73

Post by Koahku »

I'm into 3D modeling. It's challenging and makes you always think ahead of what you are currently doing. It has a lot of similarities to programming actually, except that since it's my hobby I'm not trying to be extremely productive and allow myself to work at a slow pace. It is pretty relaxing. Being somewhat familiar with a 3D workflow will also make you appreciate videogames or the CGI you see in movies even more. It also has tons of applications. As an example, I recently moved into a new place but I wasn't sure all my furniture would fit into my room, so I made a rough 3D model of the room and of my stuff and quicky tried different configurations to see which one would work the best.

I've also picked up photography. I don't like sports but I don't mind walking, so it's a great way to actually go outside instead of sitting at my desk all day. On the downside it is pretty addictive and can quickly become very expensive.

Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?

#74

Post by snowwrestler »

ejcx wrote: post #35
bonesinger wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just because you exercise doesn't mean you can eat what ever you want. I wish it worked that way. http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB100014240527023039497045794613...

Obviously within reason. Being 24, I don't currently worry about things like 'heart health'. Maybe I will in the future, but for now I'm just trying to take care of the big things like regular exercise and healthy life-long habits.

This is a tangent, but don't write off heart problems TOO much--don't ignore symptoms just because you're young. I know that's not what you were saying, but a very healthy and young friend of mine (serious lifter too) had a heart attack recently. It started out mild but he tried to "push through the pain." Bad idea.

Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?

#75

Post by balabaster »

jasonkester wrote: post #3

Rock Climbing, specifically Bouldering, makes a great hobby for a computer programmer: 1. It works the right muscles to fight all the terrible things that programming does to your body. Slouching fixed, wrist issues fixed, obesity fixed. 2. It's crazy fun and addictive. You will make time to go climbing. There is no concept of "I should probably go climbing but..." like there is with the gym, running, etc. If it's ph…

> If it's physically possible to go climbing now without definitely getting fired, you're going.

Hahaha, it's like this with every outdoor sport I can think of: Climbing, surfing, hang-gliding, mountain biking. When something is crazy fun to do and gives you that adrenaline boost/endorphin rush/seratonin spike, work can wait... as long as you're not getting fired, life is good :P

Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?

#76

Post by brador »

unusximmortalis wrote: post #52
tvanantwerp wrote: post #17

I'm not sure that it's a proper hobby, but walking. It doesn't require any special equipment--just go outside on a nice day, pick a direction, and go. I love the meditative effect it has on me. I also become much more aware of the communities I live in and visit when I just walk everywhere--I find lots of hidden gems that make places seem more alive. And yes, if you find a rose during your walk, you can stop and smel…

This is great, I know personally people in Europe doing this. They plan long walks for days and days. It's like an expedition in many ways.

Do they camp or hotel between walking parts? How long and far are some expeditions? Any examples?

Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?

#77

Post by Sgoettschkes »

Juggling: It's awesome because there is a vibrant community pushing the limits of what's possible. There are so many different things to juggling (balls, clubs, rings - But also devilsticks, pois, diablos, yoyos, ...) and you can always learn something new. It's also pretty easy to start and you can learn new tricks fairly regulary, so (at least in my experience) you don't hit a wall that often. One very cool thing is that you can get started with 3 tennis balls or other objects and, if you think it's worth it, migrate easily to "real" juggling balls and other things that cost more.

Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?

#78

Post by tdees40 »

Dzidas wrote: post #55
tdees40 wrote: post #28

Running. It's free, fun, you can do it anywhere, and it's a great way to get to know places. My favorite thing to do when I get to a new city is a long run: you get a great sense of the city and you can find the parts you want to go back to. I also love that it forces me out of doors in the long New Jersey winters. It happens to be good for you too, I hear.

Unless you run naked it is not free :) At least for me. I spend ~130 euros on running shoes every 4-5 month. Running gear requires investment as well - where I run temperature fluctuates from -12C to +32C so you need proper clothes. Plus, on long runs >20 km I have something to snack.

I bought a bunch of New Balance Minimus on sale for around $70 each. Many of them have >1000 miles on them, and they're going strong. I have yet to retire a pair. And the upside to running clothes is that they're all synthetics so they last forever. I still have pretty much all of the running clothes I've ever bought. Not quite free, but awfully cheap.

Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?

#79

Post by bdat »

jasonkester wrote: post #3

Rock Climbing, specifically Bouldering, makes a great hobby for a computer programmer: 1. It works the right muscles to fight all the terrible things that programming does to your body. Slouching fixed, wrist issues fixed, obesity fixed. 2. It's crazy fun and addictive. You will make time to go climbing. There is no concept of "I should probably go climbing but..." like there is with the gym, running, etc. If it's ph…

Hello fellow boulderer! I have seen (anecdotally) that climbing has adverse effects on slouching. Your back muscles grow disproportionately to your chest muscles producing rounded, hunched shoulders.

Re: Ask HN: What are your hobbies, and why are they cool?

#80

Post by jlewallen »

ExploitsforFun wrote: post #9
jlewallen wrote: post #4

Woodworking, specifically with hand tools. I love everything about it. The history and tradition of the craft and seeing the work of craftsman around me, especially when travelling. Satisfaction from finishing a project or applying a newly learned technique. Not to mention that wood as a medium is both challenging and rewarding. This comment could never do it justice.

How did you get started with something like that? I can barely get a nail straight into a board

The idea of creating things out of wood always appealed to me, but I never knew I could turn it into a satisfying hobby until I set out to build a built-in bookcase in my home (a very typical gateway project) Before woodworking I tended to collect and discard hobbies.

As others have mentioned, I suggest picking a project and going for it. Woodworking for Mere Mortals is a great source of introductory projects you can start building with limited power tools and experience, to get a taste. If you enjoy it, the next thing you know you'll be buying antique tools on ebay, pre-ordering Lost Art Press books and arguing about sharpening methods or bevel up vs bevel down. Or, you'll be happily creating things out of pallet wood using a jigsaw and orbital sander. The craft is very wide and very deep and I make no value judgement on how people enjoy it, I'm just happy to see people building things themselves.

If you don't have any space or tools, seek out a MakerSpace. I'm a member of my local one here in New Haven, solely for the community as I have my own "shop". It would be a great source of tools and help if I were just starting out.

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