9 ms·

Exercise More to Hack Better

126 points by rjurney 16y ago

jfb 16y ago
I think this is largely true. I've lost a lot of weight in the last eighteen months, and started exercising, and I find that my concentration and ability to handle abstraction are significantly better when I'm working out than not. Healthy body, healthy mind and all that.
kevinherron 16y ago
It's even worse than lowered productivity for me. I just start getting straight-up depressed; just absolutely terrible feeling. No energy, no drive, no light. And then I realize that somewhere in the last two weeks I stopped my regular exercise regiment for some reason or another and pick it back up - cured instantly. It's easy to fool yourself into thinking that the funk caused the stop in exercise but that's nearly never the case. EVERYBODY, hacker or not, should be getting regular exercise. Please. You won't regret it.
- swah 16y ago
  Same thing here. Stopped running, restarted 3 days ago, feeling better already. Although I do think that doing something like painting a house or doing gardening for a couple hours would also do the trick.
  - burnedouthacker 16y ago
    From experience, I would say activities like painting a house, or gardening aren't a substitute to running in every aspect; sure, they can clear up your mind, but you won't experience an improved cardiovascular and respiratory health, or even a "high".
    - tjpick 16y ago
      I like to "garden" using a chainsaw. That's a pretty good workout.
      - burnedouthacker 16y ago
        This reminds me of the ex Google programmer who switched to a job in the lumbering industry: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/c1rcu/iama_person_with_a_cs_degree_that_decided_to_work/ http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/c1rcu/iama_person_with...
      - thwarted 16y ago
        When I lived in areas that had a lot of snow, I enjoyed the workout of shoveling snow. Always felt fantastic doing it and afterward, so much so that I'd often fantasize about shoveling the entire neighborhood if I had enough time.
        swah 16y ago
        Seen this? http://www.shovelglove.com/ http://www.shovelglove.com/
      - bilban 16y ago
        Problem is with that type of regime, you'd end up with no garden left and some really annoyed neighbours.
        tjpick 16y ago
        the closest neighbours are several hundred metres away, and the garden is large and located in a very fertile area. It only gets attacked like that a couple of times a year. It's not something you'd do every night after work.
        bilban 16y ago
        Oh to be able to run around a garden with a chainsaw. Sadly I like in a block of flats, and you'd be glared at for smoking outside. Lucky you.
- bilban 16y ago
  You are so right of course. Even a few breaks throughout the day - increases my coding. If I forgo any kind of exercise - it's a fast downward cycle.
- Alex3917 16y ago
  As a rule of thumb, the best predictor of your mental health is what you do physically, and the best predictor of your physical health is what you spend all day thinking about.[1] Kind of funny how that works. [1] Assuming you're not outright poisoning yourself or something.
momotomo 16y ago
I can't back this up with statistics but I'd hazard a guess that a portion of antidepressant subscriptions are entirely related to a sedentary lifestyle. My world goes completely to shit if I'm not exercising on a regular basis, it changes everything.
- rjurney 16y ago
  Agree 100%. Also caffeine. Not doing anything, and getting pep from caffeine is like a recipe for a Paxil prescription.
- burnedouthacker 16y ago
  The World Health Organization predicts that depression will create the second greatest burden of disease by 2020, requiring cost-effective prevention and intervention strategies. The evidence to support the benefits of exercise in offering protection from depression and as an intervention in the treatment of mental illness is growing. The literature is reviewed with 11 prospective longitudinal studies that include measures of physical activity and depression at two or more time points showing a protective effect from physical activity. Fifteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and three meta- analyses provide evidence that exercise can reduce depression and that it can be as effective as cognitive therapy. Four RCTs report exercise as an intervention in alcohol addiction and two RCTs in the use of illicit drugs. While many of the studies reviewed have methodological weaknesses, including lack of concealment in randomization, limited use of intention to treat and blinding, the benefits of exercise far outweigh the risks. There is evidence that exercise protects against depression and is an effective intervention and adjunctive intervention for the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Exercise provides some health and psychological benefits as an adjunct to treatment in complex mental health problems such as alcohol and drug rehabilitation. [1] [1] MARIE E. DONAGHY School of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University, Leith Campus, Edinburgh
hwolf 16y ago
I notice ideas come to me more readily when exercising, especially on the beach. Sometimes I get such a flood of ideas I run faster to get home to write them down. If you can't get outside, juggling is a great indoor exercise, and it also helps with focus.
chipsy 16y ago
My "exercise hack" (if one might call it that) is to do some isometric holds in my closet doorframe, and around a few of the sturdier metal bars in my vicinity when I go on walks. The holds aim for around five seconds length at maximum intensity(but without overly spiking blood pressure, something which is learned with practice). It takes 5-10 minutes per day and has a dramatic soothing effect almost immediately.
- udrr 16y ago
  Mine is short intense workouts early in the morning. 3 birds with 1 stone.
- rjurney 16y ago
  Go outside.
kiba 16y ago
I can't stop running. It's too addicting. Though, I can't help but feel the pain of my exercise.
- SkyMarshal 16y ago
  If by 'pain' you're referring to the bone and joint pain alot of runners eventually incur, try swimming an/or biking too. I find you can get the same cardio workout minus the pounding and wear & tear.
  - kiba 16y ago
    Mostly, it's my lungs that's getting tired out. My legs are completely fine for a while with some conditioning until I run longer than I used to. That's when I experience pain, because my legs is getting too tired. These days, it's alway one of the other but never both. At the start, both my lungs and my legs are pretty much exhausted. Now my lungs and legs can endure for much longer.
- balakk 16y ago
  It could be your shoes as well. I've been running for a couple years, and take frequent breaks now. Vary your run; do different distances, speeds etc. But don't neglect shoes; indulge in a new one every 500 Km.
  - kiba 16y ago
    I don't use shoes at all when I run. However, I would be willing to buy shoes like the vibram 5 fingers to protect me from the occasional pebbles and the dangerous glasses but not modify how I run barefoot.
    - Gotttzsche 16y ago
      what do you do in winter?
      - 16y ago
skm 16y ago
Exercise also grows neurons, according to many recent studies (so the effect is more than just short-term). See e.g. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/what-sort-of-exercise-can-make-you-smarter/ http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/what-sort-of-exerci...
zackattack 16y ago
exercise reduces stress. stress encroaches on working memory.
codypo 16y ago
One of my cofounders has a PhD in neuroscience. Whenever I am stuck on a technical issue, he encourages me to get up and exercise for a while. His reasoning is that vigorous activity increases bloodflow to the brain, which in turn leads to creative problem solving. Anecdotally, this has served me well so far. Our entire architecture came to me during the middle of a hellish session on the treadmill.
alexwestholm 16y ago
Not central to the authors point, but I think surfing, and exercise like it (mountain biking, for instance) are superior to simply hitting the treadmill. Getting out into nature and getting some vitamin D is a whole lot better than doing the rat-run in a gym cardio room. That said, anything is better than nothing.
- rjurney 16y ago
  Definitely going outside is required. The gym does not give you the same benefit, imo. Its definitely also about connecting with nature. Editing now to clarify, thanks!
  - pyre 16y ago
    Pet peeves with these types of comments/articles: 1) They are completely anecdotal. "This worked for me, so it applies equally to all 7+ billion humans on this earth!" 2) They assume that everyone lives in the same climate and/or lives in a similar region. e.g. How are you supposed to 'connect with nature and the sun' when you live in Alaska and it's dark 6 months out of the year? How are you supposed to regularly 'connect with nature' when you live in the middle of a metropolis?
    - krschultz 16y ago
      Seriously. Forget alaska, I live in the northeast and this time of year it is dark before I go to work and dark when I get out. And it is mostly gray inbetween. Right now it is borderline freezing and pouring rain out there, I choose the gym over my usual jog this morning. There was no Vitamin D to be had anyway.
    - rjurney 16y ago
      1) Almost all 7 billion humans on earth don't have a problem with not going outside. Just the Hacker News crowd. 2) I'm not assuming anything. Alaskans can snowmobile or dogsled. Stop making excuses and go outside. You will thank me for it.
chewbranca 16y ago
Lately I've found the best way for meto consistently exercise is to incorporate it with hacking and work. I've started using my bike as my primary mode of transportation when I leave the house to program. So instead of driving to a coffee shop or library, I ride my bike. Its made a noticeable difference in my energy, creativity levels and ability to focus.
Eliezer 16y ago
After going outside and walking in the sun for a couple of hours, I'm too tired to get any work done the rest of the day. As far as I can tell, everything said about exercise is lies. Or perhaps mileage varies. Just remember, mileage varies, and also, you're not alone.
- rjurney 16y ago
  You have to do it regularly. :) It sucks at first.
  - Jach 16y ago
    Is this a meth argument? If I'm relatively okay without exercise, and start exercising, staying on it for a while, the anecdotes here seem to suggest that if you ever stop it throws you in a huge funk.
    - Tyrannosaurs 16y ago
      It's not a huge funk, you just drop back to your non-exercise level of health and happiness. It's more an indicator of the positive impact it can have than something negative.
    - rjurney 16y ago
      Yes, only the opposite of what you suggest. You are in a state of permanent withdrawal right now. You feel like crap, way worse than you're supposed to, and you don't know it. Your body requires exercise and you aren't giving it what it needs. Yes, if you stop exercising you will return to your current relatively miserable state. Thats the worst that would happen - which is actually pretty bad.
      - Jach 16y ago
        I hope you're using "you" in the general sense, since a) as a rule one shouldn't trust people's medical judgments (especially when they don't know you) unless they're a doctor, and even then, get second opinions etc., and b) you're experimentally wrong.
amanuel 16y ago
I started running again after I read Spark by John Ratey. Look it up on Amazon or your local library. Yes we are born to run and then hack it seems. Of course I am totally wired up with a heart rate monitor/watch/iphone/gps which makes it more fun. Whatever works for you. Run or whatever gets you pumping then hack like you never have.
jamesriley 16y ago
I wouldn't agree at all with 'the gym don't count' - I'm an on-off gym user for years now and can say that my energy levels are so much higher when I am exercising multiple times weekly, whether is be cardio or weight lifting. My general mood and spark is multiplied, to the surprise of many who believe they are exhausted most evenings and certainly couldn't put any spare energy to a workout. When I'm not working out - I also suffer a peculiar kind of depression mentioned here in the comments. Yet I'm not sure how much of this is due to a release of certain chemicals in the body, or the psychological hit of knowing you're letting yourself go. Either way, I'm back in the gym after 3 weeks out: last week I struggled to get up, today I'm up and coding at 5am. Much like exercise itself, work out what's best for you and realise the importance of training your body as much as we all train our mind. Edit: spelling correction
- Deejahll 16y ago
  I'll second everything said here. "The gym doesn't count" is an utter lie. If you've led a multiple-year sedentary lifestyle, a mere 15 minutes on a treadmill in the morning will show you an immediate difference in your motivation and mental clarity. Also, fat-asses: you don't have to kill yourself at the gym. Look up on the internet what your target heart rate should be, and stick to it. If you feel like you're going to fall over and die, you're making it too hard on yourself. If you're just getting started, developing the habit of going regularly (at least 3x/week) is immensely more important than minutes ran, reps, or pounds lifted. It's incredibly hard to start and stick to a routine if you're not used to it. I've only done it three times in my life, but it paid off every time. And the years in between were racked with life-altering depression and failure.
  - rjurney 16y ago
    Hackers are inside all the time. You're telling me 15 minutes on a treadmill beats 15 minutes outside for your well being?
    - Deejahll 16y ago
      Where did you get that? I'm telling you that 15 minutes on a treadmill beats doing no exercise at all. It's contemptible to suggest to a sedentary person that if they can't exercise outside in the sun then they shouldn't even bother.
CoreDumpling 16y ago
My problem with deliberate exercise is that it doesn't feel purposeful (vague notions of improved health notwithstanding). Picking up a chunk of iron just to put it back down again or stomping on a moving platform just to remain in the same place feels about as useful as typing out a bunch of boilerplate code just to delete it shortly afterwards. I might change this attitude should I find more interesting activities. Instead, I choose to integrate exercise into my lifestyle rather than go out of my way to do it. Serious gym rats will scoff at me, but it's far more satisfying to carry a 10-kg watermelon home from the supermarket 3 km away. It's also a lot easier when the exercise is compulsory. Twice a day I pass through 1.5 km of hilly terrain to reach my bus stop, and the panoramic view of the city along the way is certainly a nice bonus.
- jamesjyu 16y ago
  Try a sport! I too hate treadmills and lifting weights -- it's just dreadfully boring. However, if you pick up a sport, you can hone your coordination skills and progress to become a better player. I find that it's much more motivating when you're competing with people. And, I feel much better knowing that I am acquiring a useful skill that can be measured against in competition. Personally, I play competitive table tennis (very unlike garage ping pong). What's good is that you can actually do this inside, and, it's cheap to play at clubs. It's also a sport that keeps your mind sharp. I even wrote a whole article about why I think it's a great hacker sport: http://jamesyu.org/2009/01/11/why-table-tennis-is-a-great-hacker-sport/ http://jamesyu.org/2009/01/11/why-table-tennis-is-a-great-ha...
  - jamesaguilar 16y ago
    I want to echo your advice. I recently started playing a combat sport after a few years of not really exercising. I have no illusions about its likely effectiveness in a real fight (not much), but since I don't plan on getting in a real fight that doesn't matter. It is fun and interesting compared to other forms of exercise I've tried, and it definitely helps me get my cardio up. There are a couple other benefits too: when you are paying $150 a month for the class sessions, you show up. And it's easier to keep going with an instructor there pushing you than by yourself. There's also no team depending on you to be good, so there's not the same kind of pressure to perform. For someone like me whose self-control and discipline are perhaps below average, these benefits are no small issue. I didn't start doing this to be a better worker; my primary motivation was vanity. But anecdotally, I have noticed that my productivity level has been somewhat elevated in the month since I started doing it. I'm not sure if it's the fact that I have to leave work at exactly six PM every day, giving me a solid deadline for whatever I want to accomplish in a day, or if it's the exercise itself. Heck, it could be a mix. But as far as I've seen so far I would definitely recommend it.
davidamcclain 16y ago
I don't know how many more of these kinds of posts I have to read before I get my act together. One more at least.
- marcinw 16y ago
  Get up off your ass, get out there and just do it!
chriseidhof 16y ago
I work from home, and either run or swim during lunchtime. It's great, I get so much more done. If you start, the first weeks you will feel very tired and it seems counter-productive. After a while, you suddenly realize that you are way more productive. If you run races regularly, you'll also see progress, which is great for motivation and general self-esteem. That being said, the trick to keep running is to stay injury-free, and this is harder than it may sound. Don't run very long distances, take a lot of rest (I run every other day and sleep a lot), and do lots of interval running. Listen to your body: never, ever ignore injuries. If you feel pain, don't run until it's gone. Don't think you're special and tough and you can run through the pain (I did that, and it didn't work).
- dasil003 16y ago
  ...and don't buy expensive running shoes. The more padding a shoe has the more it leads to bad technique that actually increases the impact on joints. Humans are made to run, go thin-sole or 5fingers to teach yourself proper technique.
  - Johngibb 16y ago
    We also weren't made to run on asphalt and concrete. I agree with thin sole for trail running, but don't you need some sort of artificial cushion on hard surfaces?
    - chriseidhof 16y ago
      It depends on how you land. I land on my forefoot, which means I don't need cushioning at all. Previously, I landed on my heel, which is when you need the cushioning. If you really want to go all the way, search for "natural running", those people run without shoes, even in the winter.
thesteg 16y ago
I usually start and finish my day exercising. However, motivation comes from recording each workout to measure my progress and adjust training accordingly. It's hacking your body and any kind of hacking is fun :-)
chops 16y ago
My sport of choice is beach volleyball (2v2). My problem is that I'm wildly obsessive - so instead of just going out there and playing volleyball for a couple hours, then heading home to work, I stay at the beach for 5-6 hours, and after that I'm completely spent. And then the next day, if it's mildly nice, I'll just head back to the beach because I'm completely obsessed with improving my game. I'm finding that late fall is doing wonders for my productivity, since the beach is colder now (but damn nice for Wisconsin November), I'll only spend 2-3 hours down there once or twice a week, rather than 6-7 hours 4-5 times a week (summer schedule). But I do recommend picking up a sport. Good exercise and doesn't feel like a waste of time, the way lifting does (though I do try to do lifting to improve my game, even if it's boring as watching grass grow).
- vidar 16y ago
  Obsessive behaviour can be remedied. If you want.
ponce 16y ago
I commute by bike (2x30 min/day), go running 1h30 once a week and have a rowing machine (1h/week). I don't want to live without these highs. It also helped me in productivity and mental illness.
noginn 16y ago
This year I joined a cycling club and starting riding time trials. I'm now training hard to improve my times for next season. Having something to aim for works for me. It doesn't have to be competitive either, setting yourself personal goals works too.
jakevoytko 16y ago
Exercise makes an amazing difference. I began a marathon training program six month ago, and it has dramatically impacted my energy level. I haven't gotten sharper in the past six months, but I'm more robust to energy-sapping conditions. An occasional bad night of sleep doesn't ruin my work day. I have a lesser mental block when starting big projects. I'm not worn out after a long work day, so I've worked more on pet projects without sacrificing time with my girlfriend. I have a major incentive to eat light, since nothing is worse than a hard run with a stomach full of grease. As a plus, I now understand the value of working incrementally towards a large goal. I didn't find it difficult to work into my schedule. My highest-mileage week only took six hours of my time, and most weeks were less than four hours.
phpnode 16y ago
For people who can't get motivated about treadmills or lifting weights and who have the space, a full length (floor to ceiling) punch bag comes highly recommended. I lost 60lbs in 6 months by channelling my aggression and frustration into that bag for 15 minutes at the start of each day. Take a few Muay Thai classes at your local gym so that you know how to punch and kick, then go to town on that bag as often as you can. After the first 3 weeks you won't be able to go a day without using the bag, it's addictive and probably one of the most effective forms of exercise after running.
EthanEtienne 16y ago
I absolutely agree with this %100, "Get up, go outside, move around, and come back. You’ll get more done." Not only helps with the Vitamin. D, but gives your sub-conscience time to process the top idea/problem on your mind.

126 points by rjurney 16y ago

jfb 16y ago

I think this is largely true. I've lost a lot of weight in the last eighteen months, and started exercising, and I find that my concentration and ability to handle abstraction are significantly better when I'm working out than not. Healthy body, healthy mind and all that.

kevinherron 16y ago

It's even worse than lowered productivity for me. I just start getting straight-up depressed; just absolutely terrible feeling. No energy, no drive, no light. And then I realize that somewhere in the last two weeks I stopped my regular exercise regiment for some reason or another and pick it back up - cured instantly. It's easy to fool yourself into thinking that the funk caused the stop in exercise but that's nearly never the case. EVERYBODY, hacker or not, should be getting regular exercise. Please. You won't regret it.

swah 16y ago
Same thing here. Stopped running, restarted 3 days ago, feeling better already. Although I do think that doing something like painting a house or doing gardening for a couple hours would also do the trick.
- burnedouthacker 16y ago
  From experience, I would say activities like painting a house, or gardening aren't a substitute to running in every aspect; sure, they can clear up your mind, but you won't experience an improved cardiovascular and respiratory health, or even a "high".
  - tjpick 16y ago
    I like to "garden" using a chainsaw. That's a pretty good workout.
    - burnedouthacker 16y ago
      This reminds me of the ex Google programmer who switched to a job in the lumbering industry: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/c1rcu/iama_person_with_a_cs_degree_that_decided_to_work/ http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/c1rcu/iama_person_with...
    - thwarted 16y ago
      When I lived in areas that had a lot of snow, I enjoyed the workout of shoveling snow. Always felt fantastic doing it and afterward, so much so that I'd often fantasize about shoveling the entire neighborhood if I had enough time.
      - swah 16y ago
        Seen this? http://www.shovelglove.com/ http://www.shovelglove.com/
    - bilban 16y ago
      Problem is with that type of regime, you'd end up with no garden left and some really annoyed neighbours.
      - tjpick 16y ago
        the closest neighbours are several hundred metres away, and the garden is large and located in a very fertile area. It only gets attacked like that a couple of times a year. It's not something you'd do every night after work.
        bilban 16y ago
        Oh to be able to run around a garden with a chainsaw. Sadly I like in a block of flats, and you'd be glared at for smoking outside. Lucky you.
bilban 16y ago
You are so right of course. Even a few breaks throughout the day - increases my coding. If I forgo any kind of exercise - it's a fast downward cycle.
Alex3917 16y ago
As a rule of thumb, the best predictor of your mental health is what you do physically, and the best predictor of your physical health is what you spend all day thinking about.[1] Kind of funny how that works. [1] Assuming you're not outright poisoning yourself or something.

momotomo 16y ago

I can't back this up with statistics but I'd hazard a guess that a portion of antidepressant subscriptions are entirely related to a sedentary lifestyle. My world goes completely to shit if I'm not exercising on a regular basis, it changes everything.

rjurney 16y ago
Agree 100%. Also caffeine. Not doing anything, and getting pep from caffeine is like a recipe for a Paxil prescription.
burnedouthacker 16y ago
The World Health Organization predicts that depression will create the second greatest burden of disease by 2020, requiring cost-effective prevention and intervention strategies. The evidence to support the benefits of exercise in offering protection from depression and as an intervention in the treatment of mental illness is growing. The literature is reviewed with 11 prospective longitudinal studies that include measures of physical activity and depression at two or more time points showing a protective effect from physical activity. Fifteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and three meta- analyses provide evidence that exercise can reduce depression and that it can be as effective as cognitive therapy. Four RCTs report exercise as an intervention in alcohol addiction and two RCTs in the use of illicit drugs. While many of the studies reviewed have methodological weaknesses, including lack of concealment in randomization, limited use of intention to treat and blinding, the benefits of exercise far outweigh the risks. There is evidence that exercise protects against depression and is an effective intervention and adjunctive intervention for the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Exercise provides some health and psychological benefits as an adjunct to treatment in complex mental health problems such as alcohol and drug rehabilitation. [1] [1] MARIE E. DONAGHY School of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University, Leith Campus, Edinburgh

hwolf 16y ago

I notice ideas come to me more readily when exercising, especially on the beach. Sometimes I get such a flood of ideas I run faster to get home to write them down. If you can't get outside, juggling is a great indoor exercise, and it also helps with focus.

chipsy 16y ago

My "exercise hack" (if one might call it that) is to do some isometric holds in my closet doorframe, and around a few of the sturdier metal bars in my vicinity when I go on walks. The holds aim for around five seconds length at maximum intensity(but without overly spiking blood pressure, something which is learned with practice). It takes 5-10 minutes per day and has a dramatic soothing effect almost immediately.

udrr 16y ago
Mine is short intense workouts early in the morning. 3 birds with 1 stone.
rjurney 16y ago
Go outside.

kiba 16y ago

I can't stop running. It's too addicting. Though, I can't help but feel the pain of my exercise.

SkyMarshal 16y ago
If by 'pain' you're referring to the bone and joint pain alot of runners eventually incur, try swimming an/or biking too. I find you can get the same cardio workout minus the pounding and wear & tear.
- kiba 16y ago
  Mostly, it's my lungs that's getting tired out. My legs are completely fine for a while with some conditioning until I run longer than I used to. That's when I experience pain, because my legs is getting too tired. These days, it's alway one of the other but never both. At the start, both my lungs and my legs are pretty much exhausted. Now my lungs and legs can endure for much longer.
balakk 16y ago
It could be your shoes as well. I've been running for a couple years, and take frequent breaks now. Vary your run; do different distances, speeds etc. But don't neglect shoes; indulge in a new one every 500 Km.
- kiba 16y ago
  I don't use shoes at all when I run. However, I would be willing to buy shoes like the vibram 5 fingers to protect me from the occasional pebbles and the dangerous glasses but not modify how I run barefoot.
  - Gotttzsche 16y ago
    what do you do in winter?
    - 16y ago

skm 16y ago

Exercise also grows neurons, according to many recent studies (so the effect is more than just short-term). See e.g. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/what-sort-of-exercise-can-make-you-smarter/ http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/what-sort-of-exerci...

zackattack 16y ago

exercise reduces stress. stress encroaches on working memory.

codypo 16y ago

One of my cofounders has a PhD in neuroscience. Whenever I am stuck on a technical issue, he encourages me to get up and exercise for a while. His reasoning is that vigorous activity increases bloodflow to the brain, which in turn leads to creative problem solving. Anecdotally, this has served me well so far. Our entire architecture came to me during the middle of a hellish session on the treadmill.

alexwestholm 16y ago

Not central to the authors point, but I think surfing, and exercise like it (mountain biking, for instance) are superior to simply hitting the treadmill. Getting out into nature and getting some vitamin D is a whole lot better than doing the rat-run in a gym cardio room. That said, anything is better than nothing.

rjurney 16y ago
Definitely going outside is required. The gym does not give you the same benefit, imo. Its definitely also about connecting with nature. Editing now to clarify, thanks!
- pyre 16y ago
  Pet peeves with these types of comments/articles: 1) They are completely anecdotal. "This worked for me, so it applies equally to all 7+ billion humans on this earth!" 2) They assume that everyone lives in the same climate and/or lives in a similar region. e.g. How are you supposed to 'connect with nature and the sun' when you live in Alaska and it's dark 6 months out of the year? How are you supposed to regularly 'connect with nature' when you live in the middle of a metropolis?
  - krschultz 16y ago
    Seriously. Forget alaska, I live in the northeast and this time of year it is dark before I go to work and dark when I get out. And it is mostly gray inbetween. Right now it is borderline freezing and pouring rain out there, I choose the gym over my usual jog this morning. There was no Vitamin D to be had anyway.
  - rjurney 16y ago
    1) Almost all 7 billion humans on earth don't have a problem with not going outside. Just the Hacker News crowd. 2) I'm not assuming anything. Alaskans can snowmobile or dogsled. Stop making excuses and go outside. You will thank me for it.

chewbranca 16y ago

Lately I've found the best way for meto consistently exercise is to incorporate it with hacking and work. I've started using my bike as my primary mode of transportation when I leave the house to program. So instead of driving to a coffee shop or library, I ride my bike. Its made a noticeable difference in my energy, creativity levels and ability to focus.

Eliezer 16y ago

After going outside and walking in the sun for a couple of hours, I'm too tired to get any work done the rest of the day. As far as I can tell, everything said about exercise is lies. Or perhaps mileage varies. Just remember, mileage varies, and also, you're not alone.

rjurney 16y ago
You have to do it regularly. :) It sucks at first.
- Jach 16y ago
  Is this a meth argument? If I'm relatively okay without exercise, and start exercising, staying on it for a while, the anecdotes here seem to suggest that if you ever stop it throws you in a huge funk.
  - Tyrannosaurs 16y ago
    It's not a huge funk, you just drop back to your non-exercise level of health and happiness. It's more an indicator of the positive impact it can have than something negative.
  - rjurney 16y ago
    Yes, only the opposite of what you suggest. You are in a state of permanent withdrawal right now. You feel like crap, way worse than you're supposed to, and you don't know it. Your body requires exercise and you aren't giving it what it needs. Yes, if you stop exercising you will return to your current relatively miserable state. Thats the worst that would happen - which is actually pretty bad.
    - Jach 16y ago
      I hope you're using "you" in the general sense, since a) as a rule one shouldn't trust people's medical judgments (especially when they don't know you) unless they're a doctor, and even then, get second opinions etc., and b) you're experimentally wrong.

amanuel 16y ago

I started running again after I read Spark by John Ratey. Look it up on Amazon or your local library. Yes we are born to run and then hack it seems. Of course I am totally wired up with a heart rate monitor/watch/iphone/gps which makes it more fun. Whatever works for you. Run or whatever gets you pumping then hack like you never have.

jamesriley 16y ago

I wouldn't agree at all with 'the gym don't count' - I'm an on-off gym user for years now and can say that my energy levels are so much higher when I am exercising multiple times weekly, whether is be cardio or weight lifting. My general mood and spark is multiplied, to the surprise of many who believe they are exhausted most evenings and certainly couldn't put any spare energy to a workout. When I'm not working out - I also suffer a peculiar kind of depression mentioned here in the comments. Yet I'm not sure how much of this is due to a release of certain chemicals in the body, or the psychological hit of knowing you're letting yourself go. Either way, I'm back in the gym after 3 weeks out: last week I struggled to get up, today I'm up and coding at 5am. Much like exercise itself, work out what's best for you and realise the importance of training your body as much as we all train our mind. Edit: spelling correction

Deejahll 16y ago
I'll second everything said here. "The gym doesn't count" is an utter lie. If you've led a multiple-year sedentary lifestyle, a mere 15 minutes on a treadmill in the morning will show you an immediate difference in your motivation and mental clarity. Also, fat-asses: you don't have to kill yourself at the gym. Look up on the internet what your target heart rate should be, and stick to it. If you feel like you're going to fall over and die, you're making it too hard on yourself. If you're just getting started, developing the habit of going regularly (at least 3x/week) is immensely more important than minutes ran, reps, or pounds lifted. It's incredibly hard to start and stick to a routine if you're not used to it. I've only done it three times in my life, but it paid off every time. And the years in between were racked with life-altering depression and failure.
- rjurney 16y ago
  Hackers are inside all the time. You're telling me 15 minutes on a treadmill beats 15 minutes outside for your well being?
  - Deejahll 16y ago
    Where did you get that? I'm telling you that 15 minutes on a treadmill beats doing no exercise at all. It's contemptible to suggest to a sedentary person that if they can't exercise outside in the sun then they shouldn't even bother.

CoreDumpling 16y ago

My problem with deliberate exercise is that it doesn't feel purposeful (vague notions of improved health notwithstanding). Picking up a chunk of iron just to put it back down again or stomping on a moving platform just to remain in the same place feels about as useful as typing out a bunch of boilerplate code just to delete it shortly afterwards. I might change this attitude should I find more interesting activities. Instead, I choose to integrate exercise into my lifestyle rather than go out of my way to do it. Serious gym rats will scoff at me, but it's far more satisfying to carry a 10-kg watermelon home from the supermarket 3 km away. It's also a lot easier when the exercise is compulsory. Twice a day I pass through 1.5 km of hilly terrain to reach my bus stop, and the panoramic view of the city along the way is certainly a nice bonus.

jamesjyu 16y ago
Try a sport! I too hate treadmills and lifting weights -- it's just dreadfully boring. However, if you pick up a sport, you can hone your coordination skills and progress to become a better player. I find that it's much more motivating when you're competing with people. And, I feel much better knowing that I am acquiring a useful skill that can be measured against in competition. Personally, I play competitive table tennis (very unlike garage ping pong). What's good is that you can actually do this inside, and, it's cheap to play at clubs. It's also a sport that keeps your mind sharp. I even wrote a whole article about why I think it's a great hacker sport: http://jamesyu.org/2009/01/11/why-table-tennis-is-a-great-hacker-sport/ http://jamesyu.org/2009/01/11/why-table-tennis-is-a-great-ha...
- jamesaguilar 16y ago
  I want to echo your advice. I recently started playing a combat sport after a few years of not really exercising. I have no illusions about its likely effectiveness in a real fight (not much), but since I don't plan on getting in a real fight that doesn't matter. It is fun and interesting compared to other forms of exercise I've tried, and it definitely helps me get my cardio up. There are a couple other benefits too: when you are paying $150 a month for the class sessions, you show up. And it's easier to keep going with an instructor there pushing you than by yourself. There's also no team depending on you to be good, so there's not the same kind of pressure to perform. For someone like me whose self-control and discipline are perhaps below average, these benefits are no small issue. I didn't start doing this to be a better worker; my primary motivation was vanity. But anecdotally, I have noticed that my productivity level has been somewhat elevated in the month since I started doing it. I'm not sure if it's the fact that I have to leave work at exactly six PM every day, giving me a solid deadline for whatever I want to accomplish in a day, or if it's the exercise itself. Heck, it could be a mix. But as far as I've seen so far I would definitely recommend it.

davidamcclain 16y ago

I don't know how many more of these kinds of posts I have to read before I get my act together. One more at least.

marcinw 16y ago
Get up off your ass, get out there and just do it!

chriseidhof 16y ago

I work from home, and either run or swim during lunchtime. It's great, I get so much more done. If you start, the first weeks you will feel very tired and it seems counter-productive. After a while, you suddenly realize that you are way more productive. If you run races regularly, you'll also see progress, which is great for motivation and general self-esteem. That being said, the trick to keep running is to stay injury-free, and this is harder than it may sound. Don't run very long distances, take a lot of rest (I run every other day and sleep a lot), and do lots of interval running. Listen to your body: never, ever ignore injuries. If you feel pain, don't run until it's gone. Don't think you're special and tough and you can run through the pain (I did that, and it didn't work).

dasil003 16y ago
...and don't buy expensive running shoes. The more padding a shoe has the more it leads to bad technique that actually increases the impact on joints. Humans are made to run, go thin-sole or 5fingers to teach yourself proper technique.
- Johngibb 16y ago
  We also weren't made to run on asphalt and concrete. I agree with thin sole for trail running, but don't you need some sort of artificial cushion on hard surfaces?
  - chriseidhof 16y ago
    It depends on how you land. I land on my forefoot, which means I don't need cushioning at all. Previously, I landed on my heel, which is when you need the cushioning. If you really want to go all the way, search for "natural running", those people run without shoes, even in the winter.

thesteg 16y ago

I usually start and finish my day exercising. However, motivation comes from recording each workout to measure my progress and adjust training accordingly. It's hacking your body and any kind of hacking is fun :-)

chops 16y ago

My sport of choice is beach volleyball (2v2). My problem is that I'm wildly obsessive - so instead of just going out there and playing volleyball for a couple hours, then heading home to work, I stay at the beach for 5-6 hours, and after that I'm completely spent. And then the next day, if it's mildly nice, I'll just head back to the beach because I'm completely obsessed with improving my game. I'm finding that late fall is doing wonders for my productivity, since the beach is colder now (but damn nice for Wisconsin November), I'll only spend 2-3 hours down there once or twice a week, rather than 6-7 hours 4-5 times a week (summer schedule). But I do recommend picking up a sport. Good exercise and doesn't feel like a waste of time, the way lifting does (though I do try to do lifting to improve my game, even if it's boring as watching grass grow).

vidar 16y ago
Obsessive behaviour can be remedied. If you want.

ponce 16y ago

I commute by bike (2x30 min/day), go running 1h30 once a week and have a rowing machine (1h/week). I don't want to live without these highs. It also helped me in productivity and mental illness.

noginn 16y ago

This year I joined a cycling club and starting riding time trials. I'm now training hard to improve my times for next season. Having something to aim for works for me. It doesn't have to be competitive either, setting yourself personal goals works too.

jakevoytko 16y ago

Exercise makes an amazing difference. I began a marathon training program six month ago, and it has dramatically impacted my energy level. I haven't gotten sharper in the past six months, but I'm more robust to energy-sapping conditions. An occasional bad night of sleep doesn't ruin my work day. I have a lesser mental block when starting big projects. I'm not worn out after a long work day, so I've worked more on pet projects without sacrificing time with my girlfriend. I have a major incentive to eat light, since nothing is worse than a hard run with a stomach full of grease. As a plus, I now understand the value of working incrementally towards a large goal. I didn't find it difficult to work into my schedule. My highest-mileage week only took six hours of my time, and most weeks were less than four hours.

phpnode 16y ago

For people who can't get motivated about treadmills or lifting weights and who have the space, a full length (floor to ceiling) punch bag comes highly recommended. I lost 60lbs in 6 months by channelling my aggression and frustration into that bag for 15 minutes at the start of each day. Take a few Muay Thai classes at your local gym so that you know how to punch and kick, then go to town on that bag as often as you can. After the first 3 weeks you won't be able to go a day without using the bag, it's addictive and probably one of the most effective forms of exercise after running.

EthanEtienne 16y ago

I absolutely agree with this %100, "Get up, go outside, move around, and come back. You’ll get more done." Not only helps with the Vitamin. D, but gives your sub-conscience time to process the top idea/problem on your mind.