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Ask HN: As a software developer how do you maintain your health?

• kojeovo 7y ago
  A few of the things I do have the most impact: make sure I lift / exercise regularly, skip breakfast / cut food off at a certain time, and avoid drinking calories (stick to black coffee, no soda).
• blazetig 7y ago
  There are no tricks. Being healthy and slim is hard work. Hit the gym, run more, eat less.
  • natalyarostova 7y ago
    There are some tricks, so to speak. I purposefully will only live a 30 minute walk to work. While I realize not everyone can do this, I make it such a high priority that I do sacrifice a lot to ensure it happens. I also try to ensure a gym is between work and home. This way on average I walk an hour a day to and from work, and the fixed cost of adding a 30 minute workout is essentially zero. So 1.5 hours a day is spent combined physical activity and commuting. It makes exercise very cheap.
• throw03172019 7y ago
  One easy change is removing sugar and just drink coffee black.
  • Gibbon1 7y ago
    I drink my coffee black and I work from a bench with a lab stool instead of chair. I found you get used to the black coffee and don't miss the sugar rush yo yo. And being on a stool encourages you to get up and move around the office. Like when stuck. Instead of sitting, slip off the stool and got for a walk around the block.
    • snazz 7y ago
      Have you noticed any back discomfort from sitting in a stool or does the increased motion offset it?
      • Gibbon1 7y ago
        My stool it about 30 inches off the ground with a bar to rest your feet on. I find I tend to sit straight with my legs slightly down which is comfortable and the bench is the right height so that my hands end up just gently resting on the keyboard. I started out working on a lab bench in college working as a tech and generally dislike desks and office chairs.
• afarrell 7y ago
  * I have a £200 sit-stand desk and alternate at least once between sitting and standing. * most mornings, I put on death metal and do a 15-minute run while I imagine myself carrying a defibrillator or fighting orcs or something dramatic. I intersperse pushups, squats, and pull-ups in that. * I have an Instant Pot and a chest freezer and a kitchen setup to reduce the cognitive cost of cooking. I usually eat leftovers for lunch. * For snacks, I try to go with apples or carrot sticks for the satisfying crunching feeling. * Most months, I go contra dancing at Cecil Sharp house, which is healthy simultaneous dose of physical touch, social interaction, monofocused mental stimulation, and aerobic exercise.
• randomacct3847 7y ago
  Intermittent fasting, keto, no sugar at all.
• RaceWon 7y ago
  You don't need to go to a gym, But you do need to workout. Push-ups, sit-ups, and buy a curling bar with some weights--nothing crazy. Do a couple of sets of presses, some curls, and two other types of weight lifting exercises consisting of what ever else you want. Do it fast, and a lot of reps. 3 or 4 times a week is enough, and once you get into it only takes 20 - 30 minutes. Also, walk fast; really fast, and run up the stairs whenever you can. I work at a big campus so that helps with the fast walking. Eat vegetarian a few times a week, and as others have said; don't drink sugar, and be wary of the bread and potatoes. Not bragging here but I'm 59 years old and Friday morning I banged out 140 pushups; a set of 30, a 40, and then I did 70 (my most ever. Typically I do a set of 30 and two 40's, but I will do 50 for the last set at times if they are coming easy enough. And I'll max out once in a while--formerly 60 was my high). I only got back into working out around 2.4 years ago so its never too late.
  • thorin 7y ago
    That's impressive. I'm early 40s and have found doing this kind of exercise really beneficial recently. I think push-ups are great for posture and all round conditioning. I could barely do 10 in a row a few years back, but now do 60-100 over 3 sets a few times a week. I also do kettle bell swings and maybe some sit ups and this seems to complement the other exercises I do really well. Like you I like to do lots of walking quite quickly and get out cycling or kayaking at least once a week.
    • RaceWon 7y ago
      You the man! Remember you are only in competition with yourself. Btw: protip, I don't count to 70 or 60 and usually not even 40. I'll typically count to 30; than either just additionally count to 10, or more often just to 5, and than add the sums as I go--but then reset to the lesser count as I continue that set of push-ups. A great psychological trick, at least for me ;) . GL!
• roundthecorner 7y ago
  I go for a short walk at the end of every hour. I have found my fitbit pretty useful in reminding me to do at least 250 steps every hour. The number might be small but i usually end up doing more than that once i get going.
• sethammons 7y ago
  You can't out-exersice a bad diet. Develop lean muscle. Sleep well.
• avichalp 7y ago
  Pay close attention to your diet and sleep. Try avoiding sugar and high carb foods. Try journaling your sleep quantity and quality, your moods and food you eat. Try finding pattens in the journal and keep experimenting till you find a combination that works for you. I tried to fix my sleep few months ago. Written more about it here: http://avichalp.me/2019/04/06/debugging-sleep.html http://avichalp.me/2019/04/06/debugging-sleep.html
• wreath 7y ago
  I do not work longer than 8 hours a day. I have a regular sleep schedule (10PM to 7AM), do strength training 3 times a week. I _try_ to eat properly, stay away from the company fridge which is stuffed with sugary drinks and beer. I try not to drink coffee after 1PM or so to not affect my sleep. I also try to not write any code after work hours, unless it's low work intensity in the office around that time.
• itake 7y ago
  I set some personal rules: Sleep - I go to bed at the same time every night (10pm). Exercise - I go to the gym 3-5 times per week (every other day). Diet - No junk food. I can't stand the wasted plastic or the calories. Di - No coffee after noon.
• duckface 7y ago
  I got it too. there was a time when I was happier, having lots of sex ( like light aerobic exercise ) , and just naturally eating less. my theory is that it starts with the mind. happy mind, light exercise, naturally eat less, and I lost weight.
• throwaway413 7y ago
  I don't use this, but I recently saw the StrongLifts 5x5 [1] workout plan mentioned in an HN comment. Looked interesting, straightforward, and approachable for any level of practice. [1] https://stronglifts.com/5x5/ https://stronglifts.com/5x5/
• lukaszkups 7y ago
  I've replaced regular Cola with Cola Zero (yeah, I'm aware that it's not healthy as well but..) while keeping eating one or two candies while drinking black coffee and I've stopped gaining fat. Once I've started working out (running, ~5km, 1-3 times per week) and doing some pushups (nothing fancy, just 10 of them at the end of the day before shower) and here I am, one year later, feeling much better, with 13kg less :) (before: ~93kg, now: ~80kg)