
Exercises for a programmer sitting by the PC all day - NARKOZ
http://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/6/exercises-for-a-programmer-sitting-by-the-pc-all-day
======
stiff
There is hardly any knowledge of human physiology behind most of the answers,
just like the question was "what exercises do you like" and not "exercises for
someone sitting by the PC all day". Sitting at a desk for 8+ hours tends to
cause various posture problems through shortening and chronic contraction of
some muscle groups (e.g. hip flexors) and weakening of others (e. g. glutes).
Especially cycling strikes me as a bizarre recommendation, I would say 2 hours
of cycling has the same effect on posture as 8 additional hours of sitting at
the desk. The recommendation to do bench presses is a great way to further
round ones already rounded (from all the sitting at the keyboard) shoulders.
Swimming is great, but not everyone has warm weather all year long or likes
swimming pools. For someone looking for gym exercises for people with desk-
bound jobs I would recommend this more:

[http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_trai...](http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/deconstructing_computer_guy)

[http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_trai...](http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/deconstructing_computer_guy_the_other_23_hours)

~~~
steven5122
Some of the exercises in the links you give are okay. Front squats are an
especially advanced exercise--a lot harder than they look. And bench presses
won't give you rounded shoulders.

I'd recommend Bootstrapper Squats (google it) or regular barbell squats, bench
press, shoulder press, deadlifts and chins.

Riding a bike is an excellent warmup for your knees prior to doing any kind of
leg work.

~~~
stiff
_And bench presses won't give you rounded shoulders._

Healthy shoulders are a result of a balance between the static tension of the
upper back muscles and the chest muscles. If you already have rounded
shoulders, it means that the chest muscles are too strong and too contracted,
while the upper back muscles too weak. That's why a personal trainer or a
doctor will prescribe regular _stretching_ of the chest muscles as part of a
treatment for this condition. If you're healthy, then bench pressing won't
give you rounded shoulders, provided that you balance the training
appropriately with upper back exercises. But the point is that people with
sedentary lifestyles tend to have their chest muscles already chronically
contracted from the posture they keep for most of the day, so they should
first work on stretching the chest muscles and strengthening the upper back.
When their posture is balanced again, they can workout normally, balancing
bench pressing with rowing exercises.

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Swizec
What works (and has worked for at least a year) for me is taking 30 minutes
every morning to exercise. The regime used to be very simple, it's gotten more
complex as time went on.

Right now I'm at 110 pushups, 130 situps, 50 side situps, 3min abdominal
bridge and 10 minutes of jumprope or shadow boxing.

I used to also do two hours of boxing at a gym three times a week and that was
really the best thing ever until it got too expensive.

But the best effect of doing this every day isn't even physical. It's the
knowledge that no matter how sucky a day turns out to be, I have done
something to better myself.

~~~
asymptotic

        It's the knowledge that no matter how sucky a
        day turns out to be, I have done something to
        better myself.
    

This, a hundred times. Especially if you do this first thing in the morning;
keep this up on regular basis and you can rest assured that you're part of a
very small elite. Of course, I provide no evidence to back up my assertion;
part and parcel with being an elitist.

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psykotic
This will strike most of you as weird, but I have a door-frame pull-up bar,
gymnastic rings, a kettlebell, a jump rope and paralleletes for my office at
work. I mostly use them on weekends or after normal office hours so it won't
distract other people. Exactly what I do varies but often I'll do something
like submaximal sets (e.g. 15 pull-ups followed by 15 ring dips) on the hour,
every hour, throughout the day. It's a good way to build strength endurance,
and it really helps my body reset and relax so I can concentrate more on
thinking.

"Any exercise" is definitely better than nothing at all, but I'd do something
that addresses your specific issues. For example, I tend to get really tense
in my shoulders and upper back when I'm programming, and doing push-ups to
failure is a great way of releasing the tension. Back when I was completely
out of shape, I managed to build up to 40 push-ups per set in a month of just
doing them daily to release tension. I started at 10 and just added one more
rep per set every day. It was a nice bonus.

~~~
noelwelsh
Not weird; awesome. I have a set of gymnastic rings in my bag. I hit the park
most mornings for a workout. I also do gymnastic holds at work (L-sit,
planche, etc.) I find headstands are great way to remove tension in the upper
back. A pull bar would be sweet.

~~~
psykotic
Yeah, I obviously dig it, but not everyone is on our wave length.

Here's one reason having a random assortment of equipment at the office is
useful. Loop a 53 pound kettlebell through a gymnastic ring strap and you have
yourself a makeshift device for weighted chin-ups:
<http://instagr.am/p/KkfcV/>

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simon_weber
"Any exercise" gets my vote. It seems to me that a lot of people - myself
included - get wrapped up in the body hack mentality (4-Hour Body?) or in
finding the "best" exercises, when the important thing is just to get moving
and make it fun.

~~~
erikb
You know, doing anything can actually hurt you more then it helps. For example
"just go outside running" can be really bad to your feet and joints, if you
don't wear the right shoes/clothes, do it too much, without warming up. It can
also be bad for your heart, if you run too fast. "Any exercise" is really the
worst thing possible.

~~~
noelwelsh
The body you were born with? You're allowed to use. No really -- you don't
need permission from your doctor, your personal trainer, or the Internet
before you do so. Really, this bullshit idea that exercise is something exotic
and dangerous doesn't help anyone. Exercise is just doing stuff with your
body. It's the most natural thing in the world, the thing that every child
knows how to do. You don't need special clothes, special shoes, or people's
permission to go and do it.

~~~
kd0amg
Where did GP bring up permission? It looks to me like there's just a tacit
assumption that people prefer to keep their bodies in good condition.

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jpallen
It sounds silly, but I find juggling is a great way to get a bit of exercise
in the office. Once you can juggle it's a great way to step away from a
problem and do something interesting but mindless for a while. After 10-15
minutes of it your arms will have had a little workout.

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Flow
Install something like WorkRave for Windows and Linux:
<http://www.workrave.org/> or TimeOut for Mac OS X:
<http://www.dejal.com/timeout/> to avoid sitting still for too long.

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vimalg2
In my experience, Squats and Deadlifts with a 7' Olympic bar are the best bang
for your 'time-bucks'.

I'm also looking at Hindu Squats as the 'do-anywhere'/'rainy day'/'other
excuse' general purpose exercise.

~~~
highace
Deadlifts are arguably the best thing you can do to your body, however they're
also the easiest to get wrong and wreck your spine, so be careful and don't
push them - based on 3yrs of personal gym experience and 1 yr of gym
retirement due to herniated disc.

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Khao
What really works for me is using Endomondo.com to track my workouts and using
C25K to do my jogging all on my Android phone. I really want to exercise
because I need to if I don't want to become ridden with health problems, but
motivation is what really made it impossible for me in the past. Now by using
both tools on my cellphone I have the motivation to go out and do some
exercise because it appeals the geek in me. I want to better myself so that I
can look at the graph of my performance and say "wow! I'm getting better!". If
I jog 30 minutes each time I jog, I will at least try to beat the distance I
have set last time since Endomondo is tracking all the data from my runs.
Also, there are a lot of user-made challenges on Endomondo, and it further
motivates me (for example : Travel 150km in August, running or cycling).

I think a lot of people have the same problem I had : They know they NEED to
work out, they don't really know how or even if they do, they don't have to
motivation to go out and do it. The problem is that you don't see instant
results when you work out, it takes weeks and months to see the results, but
by using all sorts of tracking tools, it motivates you to keep getting better
because you will be able to see exactly your progress as you make it.

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kkovacs
Workrave is a must have, unfortunately there is no OS X version :( (If someone
can show something similar (not AntiRSI), I'd be grateful...)

And, these sitting yoga exercises can really help:
<http://www.soundtells.com/YogaSitting/Online/index.htm>

~~~
jvanloov
<http://www.rsiguard.com/>

They have both Windows and OS X versions.

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msluyter
This exercise has had some clinical support for treating Tennis Elbow. I've
also found it helpful for general wrist/hand strengthening:

[http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/phys-ed-an-easy-
fix...](http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/phys-ed-an-easy-fix-for-
tennis-elbow/)

------
yummyfajitas
Assuming the exercises are going to be done during breaks from the computer,
I'd recommend taking a look at Convict Conditioning. Most bodyweight training
programs tend to focus on increasing volume, e.g. hundredpushups.com. In
contrast, CC increases strength by progressing to more difficult versions of
the exercises.

For example, instead of going from 20 to 100 ordinary pushups, you go from
pushups -> diamond pushups -> uneven pushups -> one handed pushups. (I gloss
over a few steps).

As long as you can ignore the stupid marketing name, CC is actually a very
good program to follow. (Of course, lifting actual weights at a gym might help
too.)

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ulisesroche
I actually recommend Judo/BJJ as a form of exercise that lets you apply and
sharpen your problem-solving skills, aside from getting you very much in
shape. I tried keeping track of stats and stuff, but often give up because
it's too much work. The mirror check is far more effective. (Am I fat? yes/no)

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john2x
I try to do "medium" weight lifting 3 times a week at home. It's good, it
helps, but I know it could be better. I've been at a plateau for several
months now, though. I sometimes feel bad when I miss a workout now.

Also, I keep on looking for a nice standing desk so I don't have to sit all
day.

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dredmorbius
I'm seeing a fair number of hacker/fitness articles at HN, and there are some
long-live well-known instances online (John Walker's "Hacker Diet", Jeremy
Zawodny "Diet Tips"). At the same time, there's a lot of naiveté in many of
the comments.

A few basic principles might be helpful here.

 _1: It's really not that complicated._ There are a few well-known principles
of weight/fat gain and loss, cardiovascular fitness, and strength /
hypertrophy (muscle building) training. You'll get a long way with sound
nutrition based on good food choices, appropriate caloric intake for your
goals, and the right mix of both cardio and strength training modalities
(methods). A decent starting point is Liam Rosen's "Beginners Guide":
<http://www.liamrosen.com/fitness.html> Understand concepts such as SAID /
training specificity, progressive overload, and caloric balance.

 _2: Do some research._ The Wikipedia "Strength Training" article covers
basics of sets, reps, weights, and rest periods for use in strength training.
ExRx.net (<http://exrx.net>) has a lot of solid information and exercise
guides. YouTube is a great resource for finding form videos (both good and
bad) for exercises. Watching Olympic lifters is inspiring, watching "fail"
vids has its own benefits.... Read Michael Pollan, Andrew Weil, and others on
diet. I'm not a nutrition nazi -- there are a huge range of native diets,
people vary, and lifestyle demands vary, though I'd suggest minimizing the
highly processed crap you eat (and a lot of foods you might not consider
"highly processed" or "crap" are). But go ahead and read Dean Ornish (low-
fat), Atkins (low carb), Vegan (no animal products) classic old-school
bodybuilding (BIG FOOD, high protein) sources. Figure out which seems most
sensible and appropriate to you. Jack LaLanne got a ton of stuff right in the
1950s. Understand your basic macronutrients (carbs, protein, fats) and how
they're used by your body.

 _3: Read a good book on fitness._ One of the best I've seen in the past
decade is _The New Rules of Lifting_ by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove. It
covers basics of fitness, nutrition, strength training, identifies six
foundational exercises (squats, deads, lunges, "push" (presses), "pull"
(rows/chins), and twist). Coverage of some of the more technical lifts (squats
and deads) is limited, I'd suggest Mark Rippetoe's comprehensive and excellent
_Starting Strength_ , for this. I'm a fan too of a good 5x5 program (such as
Rippetoe's or as you'll find at <http://www.stronglifts.com/>). "New Rules"
includes a suite of training programs aimed at various goals, which others may
like. _Body for Life_ is another good pick. There's considerable scholarly
research on strength training as well, Google Scholar is a good place to do
some digging (but don't obsess with minutia and details).

 _4: Realize that this is a long-term, lifetime project._ Start light, start
short, start easy. But start. _Increase the intensity and duration of exercise
gradually over time._ Too many novices obsess over how much weight they should
use, what intensity they should exercise at, or how long they should move. _It
doesn't matter_ , and lighter/less is better initially. The 5x5 programs above
start light and add 5# per lift per workout (10# for deads). Believe it or
not, this is a rapid progression, and though the programs start very easy,
they get challenging within a month or two. You'll stick with them for 3-9
months typically, then switch programs according to your goals.

 _5: Training should be balanced._ This doesn't mean doing everything every
day. It does mean that you want to include both strength and cardio, that
nutrition _and_ exercise matter. That you want to train your front _and_ your
back (no, pushups and crunches are _not_ a comprehensive training program, and
can lead to or exacerbate imbalances in the long run), your top _and_ your
bottom, multiple planes of motion (sagittal tends to dominate, transverse and
frontal are neglected), varying rep/set/weight ranges (strength: 1-6, size:
8-12, endurance: 15+), both interval and long-duration cardio. Compound/whole-
body and freeweight lifts are generally preferred, though isolation movements
have their place, especially in bringing up weak points or for rehab.
Bilateral (balanced) and unilateral (one-side at a time) movements. Excesses
in any one dimension can be bad (look up the bone-loss issues of competitive
cyclists for some really interesting reading).

 _6: Rest and recovery matter._ Training is stimulus. Food is fuel. _Recovery
is when your body adapts to stimulus with what you feed it._ Yes, you really
_can_ burn fat while you sleep (and do routinely).

 _7: Intensity matters._ If there's one error I see at gyms, it's working out
at too little intensity, usually cardio, for too long. I can point you at a
4-minute workout that will 1) have you trying to get your lungs back inside
you and 2) have very significant impacts on your cardio potential as measured
by VO2 Max (it's called Tabata intervals, Google it). Yes, this is what that
idiotic $14,000 SkyMall exercise thing is based on, but you can do 'em with
minimal equipment -- jumprope or burpees -- among other alternatives.

 _8: Training should be goal-oriented._ Define your goals (usually something
like "lose fat", "gain muscle", "run faster", "get over this nagging <insert
problem here> issue". Find out what training modalities work best for this. If
you're working with a trainer _ask WHY you're doing a particular exercise or
training method._

 _9: You're not that special._ Premature optimization of fitness regimes is
the heart of much fitness evil. Start with a basic program. Especially as a
novice, you'll make rapid gains -- and as a consequence, you'll think you've
found the One True Way. That's complete bullshit -- you've just experienced
the Novice Effect (Google that). As you progress toward goals, training
specificity will increase -- you're tailoring your program to both your goals
and your body's ability to adapt. You'll learn about training cycles
(sets/reps, weekly, meso, and macro cycles).

 _10: There's a ton of fitness information on the InterWebs._ Some of it's
silly/stupid/biased, some isn't. I've noted a few good starting points.
T-Nation (mentioned by others) has an active forums section, as do other
fitness sites. Share knowledge. It's not just for IT/CS problems.

Answering the original post: I'd say techies (or anyone) would benefit from a
weekly exercise regime consisting of 2-4 days of whole-body freeweight
training, a HIIT cardio session or two, and an endurance cardio session or
two. Addressing typical issues such as upper-cross syndrome, weak posterior
chain, excess carb consumption, and generally neglected muscular strength,
particularly lower-body (legs, glutes, spinal erectors) will matter. How far
you take this is up to you, but you'll be stronger, hurt less, do more, and as
you get older (it will happen, eventually), look and feel better. Especially
naked.

~~~
kahawe
While this is incredibly informative and I wish I had more than one up-vote, I
feel quite intimidated by the information flood especially the point where it
seems very VERY easy to do something wrong and end up with worth results in
the long run...

~~~
dredmorbius
The areas that end up being the most complex with regard to training end up
being properly designing progression (how you increase the intensity of your
workouts), rest and recovery (including extended breaks from training), injury
and recovery, and yes, form.

These are also the areas in which I've seen most trainers spend the least time
and offer the least value. Most are little more than motivational coaches -- a
high-margin, easy-to-provide, but ultimately low-value service (you've either
got motivation or don't, and either way, you've got to drag your ass to the
gym or wherever else you train).

If you do start light, progress slowly, get critiqued on your lifting form
(and realize that _everyone_ has an opinion), and sort it out for yourself,
you'll generally do pretty well.

------
jberryman
This might just be me, but I find that doing 20 pushups every hour sort of
helps "reset" my back, neck and ab muscles, and keeps me from getting chronic
pain from unnecessary, habitual tension (holding my stomach, locking neck
muscles, pushing shoulders forward, etc.)

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ansy
I am not a physical therapist, but I did find a video of some interesting
hand/wrist/elbow exercises which can be done at a desk or while riding in a
car. [1]

[1] <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hlWgH3_0NU>

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wenbert
I jog with my wife a couple of times a week; back-pains, neck, etc. are all
gone. I mean _everything_. I feel much better.

Seriously, jogging makes me feel better and helps me think straight.

I can now sit down in coffeeshop for a couple of hours without a $500 chair.

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mitko
don't forget eye excersices - they eye doctor recommended the other day that
every half an hour or so I rest my eyes from staring at the monitor by looking
at something few meters away or just closing them.

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anactofgod
Don't sit all day. Stand.

