
Exercise More to Hack Better - rjurney
http://datasyndrome.com/post/1474842339/exercise-more-to-hack-better
======
kevinherron
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
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
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
I like to "garden" using a chainsaw. That's a pretty good workout.

~~~
thwarted
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
Seen this? <http://www.shovelglove.com/>

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CoreDumpling
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
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-
ha...](http://jamesyu.org/2009/01/11/why-table-tennis-is-a-great-hacker-
sport/)

~~~
jamesaguilar
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.

~~~
jamii
Martial arts have an extra motivation bonus as well. You're much less likely
to give up and stop moving when your opponent is still trying to hit you.

------
codypo
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.

------
jamesriley
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
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
Hackers are inside all the time. You're telling me 15 minutes on a treadmill
beats 15 minutes outside for your well being?

~~~
Deejahll
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.

~~~
rjurney
It is contemptible to suggest that I suggested that. You can go outside, so
you should.

------
skm
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-
exerci...](http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/what-sort-of-exercise-can-
make-you-smarter/)

------
momotomo
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.

~~~
burnedouthacker
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

------
Eliezer
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
You have to do it regularly. :) It sucks at first.

~~~
Jach
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.

~~~
rjurney
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
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.

~~~
rjurney
Go outside.

------
jfb
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.

------
davidamcclain
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
Get up off your ass, get out there and just do it!

------
chewbranca
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.

------
alexwestholm
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
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
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?

~~~
rjurney
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.

~~~
pyre
I already go outside. Stop assuming that you know anything about be just
because I'm part of the 'Hacker News crowd.'

------
chops
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
Obsessive behaviour can be remedied. If you want.

------
kiba
I can't stop running. It's too addicting.

Though, I can't help but feel the pain of my exercise.

~~~
balakk
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
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
what do you do in winter?

~~~
rue
Run faster.

~~~
kiba
I just did in the cold. The heat that your body accumulated over exercise
really does make everything warm.

------
chriseidhof
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
...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
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
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.

------
hwolf
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
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
Mine is short intense workouts early in the morning. 3 birds with 1 stone.

------
amanuel
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.

------
jakevoytko
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
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.

------
ponce
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
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.

------
thesteg
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 :-)

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EthanEtienne
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.

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zackattack
exercise reduces stress. stress encroaches on working memory.

