I have been at my computer almost exactly 20 years. Most of that time I just sat there, hacking away. Granted, I did things outside of work that necessitated st

I have been at my computer almost exactly 20 years. Most of that time I just sat there, hacking away. Granted, I did things outside of work that necessitated staying healthy, but for the most part I avoided it when I could. These days, I meditate as often as I can (I try to daily), I run a 10k every other weekend, and most significantly, I lift weights pretty intensely. My brother has been a bodybuilder for years and years, and finally got me on the boat to getting big. I made a comment elsewhere recently that this has made me significantly more effective as a programmer. I'd venture between 15% and 25% more effective in my day job due to my lifestyle, which is and has been a daily habit for a while now. I'm not sure exactly what mechanic precisely is responsible for making me a better programmer (though I guess each activity plays its part), but it is noticeable in my commit history: More commits of higher quality since I got into the habit of working out and meditating daily. Nobody was more surprised than I. Edit: The points here about eating a regular, healthy diet and sleeping enough each night could not be more salient to my own regimen. I have been experimenting with sleeping six hours a night with a nap immediately after I shower after the gym to some success in saving me a tiny bit of sleep while not running on fumes during the day. Regardless, you need seven, eight or nine hours to be healthy. Every night.