5 ms·

This should be obvious, however people still refuse to get up, and just walk around every hour for a minute. I spend a silly amount of time behind a computer, b

This should be obvious, however people still refuse to get up, and just walk around every hour for a minute. I spend a silly amount of time behind a computer, but I'll do 10-20 pushups / jumping jacks, every hour or so. After hours, I'll bang out six miles on the hiking trails. Get up, go get a drink, do a lap around the office. Get a stand/sit desk. Do some simple exercises. Pushups can be done anywhere, and will alleviate lower back pain.

ffumarola 9y ago
Seconded. I used to feel lower back pain due to the amount of sitting at a desk. Running and lifting weights did wonders for how I feel on a daily basis.
- eropple 9y ago
  Exercise didn't help me with my occasional back issues, but switching to a standing desk really did. I didn't get one of those adjustable ones, because $400 for a desk that raises and lowers was silly--instead I just got a draft-height chair and stand and sit as appropriate.
  - gknoy 9y ago
    At some point, I decided I wasn't even going to bother with a chair. Every time I sit on the tall chair at work, I'm just Not Productive compared to standing.
  - flachsechs 9y ago
    fwiw, they make drafting stool aeron high-chairs. protip: buy one used, because the new price is high even for HM.
    - eropple 9y ago
      You can also buy high bases for existing Aeron chairs. I use a knock-off, though.
- komali2 9y ago
  Just running and lifting before or after work doesn't necessarily solve the problem though. I was talking to my doctor about it, and she said it was equally if not more important to take regular breaks during work to walk around, "look at something far away" (computer job), etc.
- technofiend 9y ago
  Losing enough weight so that there's not cantilevered fat out front acting as a lever on your lower back muscles really helps.
  - DougWebb 9y ago
    That also makes things like using a standing desk, or taking breaks to walk around, a lot easier to do. That weight hanging out in front makes everything but sitting painful.
kbutler 9y ago
The report said sedentary periods >= 10 minutes were sufficient to cause increased mortality. "(high sedentary time [≥12.5 h/d] and high bout duration [≥10 min/bout]) had the greatest risk for death." I don't think I know anyone who is active on < 10 minute intervals.
- sliverstorm 9y ago
  Christ, unless I'm missing something that's practically fundamentally incompatible with modern society and just about any intellectual pursuit.
  - ZoF 9y ago
    Standing desk
  - Bartweiss 9y ago
    That is 'average sedentary period', so you can still sit for 30 minutes occasionally. It would pretty much take a standing desk and constant focus on activity to get <10, though.
- overcast 9y ago
  Sure, but I'm advocating getting your ass up and doing anything but sitting down all day. 10 minute intervals aren't realistic, but I frequently stand up, at least a half dozen times an hour just to stretch.
puranjay 9y ago
Two habits that have changed my life: 1. Waking up early and reading something significant with my morning coffee. Usually something on philosophy or theology. Not looking at any screens until I'm at work. 2. Working out for an hour each day. It's like a switch: once I work out regularly, everything else falls into place. I eat better (because I don't want to lose the benefits of the 1 hour workout I just put in). I sleep better (because I have to be up early to workout). Working out daily truly is one of the best habits I've ever picked up.
- windexh8er 9y ago
  Fully agreed on the screens part. I've gone back to ditching the screen at night. Previously I'd want to read an electronic book, but would end up distracted with everything else. The upside to ditching the electronic screen is focus and general avoidance of the light prior to bed. While RedShift/NightLight modes are nice, I still notice a profound difference by dumping the phone an hour or so before I turn it in. I think the other component we'll see questioned more and more over the coming years is the general questioning around homeostasis. I recently finished Scott Carney's: "What Doesn’t Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude and Environmental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength" and it was a great read. While the main premise of the book is Scott's initial mission to debunk the Wim Hof Method he delves into a lot of newer research and training that is centered around building up our bodies beyond traditional exercise. Recently I read through comments on HN when the Bay area hit record highs and how people were cautioning of all of the bad things that would happen if one didn't seek A/C. It really hit home how many people are not acclimated, at all, to any level of extreme that other portions of the planet and people deal with on a daily basis. Just as we're sedentary, we're also not as capable to environmental adaptation - and I'll speculate this isn't good for us long term either. I've moved to 5+ minutes per shower of full cold and stopped using A/C in my vehicle, and more sparingly in my home. If you've never done the cold showers as a test to see what you're body is truly capable of - do it. It's amazing how you adapt in a short period of time. Also the clarity and anxiety reduction it brings to either the start or the end of the day is an understatement. Try it, it's cheap and takes no additional time out of your day if you're already showering anyway.
CalRobert 9y ago
"still refuse to get up" It's hard to be the first one to do this. I've been in some places where it would get you funny looks, some where it would get you marked as lazy (somewhat paradoxically), and some where it's encouraged. I like to do a decent swim on my lunch breaks (1250 meters these days). It was a good sign when my boss asked about how to join the same gym instead of wondering what I was gone for 50 minutes.
- overcast 9y ago
  People would give you funny looks for standing up to stretch? People need to stop caring what others think.
  - QAPereo 9y ago
    Things like FB Snap, Instagram are heavily and successfully invested in convincing people that what others thing of them is the most significant aspect of their lives.
    - CalRobert 9y ago
      Things like paying rent and student loans made me care quite a bit what my boss thought.
      - QAPereo 9y ago
        Did it, or did it just teach you to appear to care?
  - CalRobert 9y ago
    No, but if I left and went for a ten minute walk I would definitely get disapproving looks. At the time I was at a point in my career where I had fewer options and took what I could get.
- QAPereo 9y ago
  You're that way until that behavior gets you in some real pain, then you stop caring about the looks you might get.

ffumarola 9y ago

Seconded. I used to feel lower back pain due to the amount of sitting at a desk. Running and lifting weights did wonders for how I feel on a daily basis.

eropple 9y ago
Exercise didn't help me with my occasional back issues, but switching to a standing desk really did. I didn't get one of those adjustable ones, because $400 for a desk that raises and lowers was silly--instead I just got a draft-height chair and stand and sit as appropriate.
- gknoy 9y ago
  At some point, I decided I wasn't even going to bother with a chair. Every time I sit on the tall chair at work, I'm just Not Productive compared to standing.
- flachsechs 9y ago
  fwiw, they make drafting stool aeron high-chairs. protip: buy one used, because the new price is high even for HM.
  - eropple 9y ago
    You can also buy high bases for existing Aeron chairs. I use a knock-off, though.
komali2 9y ago
Just running and lifting before or after work doesn't necessarily solve the problem though. I was talking to my doctor about it, and she said it was equally if not more important to take regular breaks during work to walk around, "look at something far away" (computer job), etc.
technofiend 9y ago
Losing enough weight so that there's not cantilevered fat out front acting as a lever on your lower back muscles really helps.
- DougWebb 9y ago
  That also makes things like using a standing desk, or taking breaks to walk around, a lot easier to do. That weight hanging out in front makes everything but sitting painful.

kbutler 9y ago

The report said sedentary periods >= 10 minutes were sufficient to cause increased mortality. "(high sedentary time [≥12.5 h/d] and high bout duration [≥10 min/bout]) had the greatest risk for death." I don't think I know anyone who is active on < 10 minute intervals.

sliverstorm 9y ago
Christ, unless I'm missing something that's practically fundamentally incompatible with modern society and just about any intellectual pursuit.
- ZoF 9y ago
  Standing desk
- Bartweiss 9y ago
  That is 'average sedentary period', so you can still sit for 30 minutes occasionally. It would pretty much take a standing desk and constant focus on activity to get <10, though.
overcast 9y ago
Sure, but I'm advocating getting your ass up and doing anything but sitting down all day. 10 minute intervals aren't realistic, but I frequently stand up, at least a half dozen times an hour just to stretch.

puranjay 9y ago

Two habits that have changed my life: 1. Waking up early and reading something significant with my morning coffee. Usually something on philosophy or theology. Not looking at any screens until I'm at work. 2. Working out for an hour each day. It's like a switch: once I work out regularly, everything else falls into place. I eat better (because I don't want to lose the benefits of the 1 hour workout I just put in). I sleep better (because I have to be up early to workout). Working out daily truly is one of the best habits I've ever picked up.

windexh8er 9y ago
Fully agreed on the screens part. I've gone back to ditching the screen at night. Previously I'd want to read an electronic book, but would end up distracted with everything else. The upside to ditching the electronic screen is focus and general avoidance of the light prior to bed. While RedShift/NightLight modes are nice, I still notice a profound difference by dumping the phone an hour or so before I turn it in. I think the other component we'll see questioned more and more over the coming years is the general questioning around homeostasis. I recently finished Scott Carney's: "What Doesn’t Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude and Environmental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength" and it was a great read. While the main premise of the book is Scott's initial mission to debunk the Wim Hof Method he delves into a lot of newer research and training that is centered around building up our bodies beyond traditional exercise. Recently I read through comments on HN when the Bay area hit record highs and how people were cautioning of all of the bad things that would happen if one didn't seek A/C. It really hit home how many people are not acclimated, at all, to any level of extreme that other portions of the planet and people deal with on a daily basis. Just as we're sedentary, we're also not as capable to environmental adaptation - and I'll speculate this isn't good for us long term either. I've moved to 5+ minutes per shower of full cold and stopped using A/C in my vehicle, and more sparingly in my home. If you've never done the cold showers as a test to see what you're body is truly capable of - do it. It's amazing how you adapt in a short period of time. Also the clarity and anxiety reduction it brings to either the start or the end of the day is an understatement. Try it, it's cheap and takes no additional time out of your day if you're already showering anyway.

CalRobert 9y ago

"still refuse to get up" It's hard to be the first one to do this. I've been in some places where it would get you funny looks, some where it would get you marked as lazy (somewhat paradoxically), and some where it's encouraged. I like to do a decent swim on my lunch breaks (1250 meters these days). It was a good sign when my boss asked about how to join the same gym instead of wondering what I was gone for 50 minutes.

overcast 9y ago
People would give you funny looks for standing up to stretch? People need to stop caring what others think.
- QAPereo 9y ago
  Things like FB Snap, Instagram are heavily and successfully invested in convincing people that what others thing of them is the most significant aspect of their lives.
  - CalRobert 9y ago
    Things like paying rent and student loans made me care quite a bit what my boss thought.
    - QAPereo 9y ago
      Did it, or did it just teach you to appear to care?
- CalRobert 9y ago
  No, but if I left and went for a ten minute walk I would definitely get disapproving looks. At the time I was at a point in my career where I had fewer options and took what I could get.
QAPereo 9y ago
You're that way until that behavior gets you in some real pain, then you stop caring about the looks you might get.