

Programmers, Promise Yourself This - leftnode
http://artisansystem.com/blog/entry/28

======
wushupork
I love this post. As a hacker myself I can relate. I did not do much while at
school - that pretty much took all my time. Also, "regular" sports did not
appeal to me. I started taking up martial arts as soon as I started working
and it has completely changed my life. It clears my head, keeps me fit.

I never liked the idea of hitting the gym just so you could have a "beach
body". The idea of learning a new skill (or set of skills in my case) appealed
to me. Having a fit and healthy body was a side effect. The inverse wasn't
true, - lifting weights at the gym wouldn't yield any additional skill so it
definitely did not appeal to me.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you find the physical equivalent to
hacking - whether it's rock climbing, free running, or doing wushu - it's fun
and will also keep you in shape.

~~~
jscn
This essay by Henry Rollins sums up a number of the 'extra' benefits of
strength training/weight lifting nicely. <http://www.gittlen.com/rollins.htm>

------
tdavis
I love exercising, particularly weight training, and do it daily. I stopped
for about a year, but now that I've developed the habit again I remember how
amazing it is to just... feel _good_ about my body and my health. I wouldn't
trade it for anything.

~~~
swombat
Ditto... I'm on a break at the moment because my house is too far from the gym
and I don't want to risk being flattened by an angry bus or cab by biking to
it every day - and, perhaps more importantly, I'm too lazy to go out much in
the cold and wet London winter.

But I'm planning to move soon, and one of my first priorities while moving
will be to find a place close to a gym so I can start weight-lifting again. It
does feel absolutely great, and the article is right - it's a
scientific/experimentation endeavour. It took me 2 years to figure out how to
make my body actually build muscle.

For the record, it turned out to be a combination of the following (and all
these ducks needed to be lined up, which is why it took me so long to figure
out the winning combination):

\- Rely primarily on heavy Squats and Partial Deadlifts (which have to be done
very carefully following good form to avoid injury - see
[http://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Tell-All-Handbook-Weight-
Trai...](http://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Tell-All-Handbook-Weight-Training-
Technique/dp/9963916325/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233645065&sr=8-2)
for information) as my core exercises... if I don't do these two, the other
weight lifting exercises don't build much muscle for me.

\- Over-eat and particularly eat some protein shakes while training (need to
ensure there's an abundance of foodstuff for my body to build new muscle)

\- Make sure I get at least 8, ideally 9 hours of sleep every night - sleep
deprivation == no new muscle tissue

\- Train each major muscle group only 1.5 times a week - i.e. 3 times every 2
weeks. More often than that is actually counter-productive.

The benefit of doing all this is feeling fit, feeling great, feeling on top of
things. I strongly recommend it to anyone (just make sure you follow safe
exercise form - and don't necessarily trust the gym staff about that, I've
seen many of them practice or even advise very poor exercise form that will
cause injuries in the next 10-20 years).

~~~
revorad
I think cycling in London is not as dangerous or scary as people generally
like to believe by default. You can avoid most of the traffic by following
cycling routes. Transport for London publishes quite good cycling maps
-<http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/8966.aspx>

I was lazy about cycling for a long time for the same reasons you mention. But
now I find that cycling is actually a great way to beat the cold.

And the rain? Well, you just get used to it...

Slowly wheeling around small lanes is also good thinking time, especially at
the end of the day.

~~~
jrockway
+1

I have never cycled in London, but I'd imagine it is similar to the US. There
is no need to be excessively afraid of cabs and busses -- if those people hit
you, their life is ruined. (Don't take this as an invitation to drive
stupidly, though. Stay predictable.)

It's the dumbasses from the suburbs that I find to be the problem. They have
never seen anyone riding a bike before, so they don't know how to act
properly. If I had a nickel for every time I was almost hit from behind by
someone with non-Chicago stickers... (Hint to these people: if there are 3
lanes, you don't have to drive so close to the right side that you clip the
mirrors off parked cars.)

------
tsally
Two main reasons why working is important to programmers in particular:

1.) In general, programming is a well paid, lucrative profession. It takes a
long time to learn how to program well, so naturally the rewards are large.
However, these rewards really don't mean all that much if you aren't in a
position to enjoy them. Becoming a millionaire before you are 40 is cool and
all, but most people would rather have a long lifespan full of good health.

2.) Programming naturally leads to a large amount of time sitting down in
front of a screen. It is also a pretty high stress job, which often results in
excessive use of caffeine or other stimulants. Both of these habits are
draining and unhealthy. In the long run they are bad news.

My biggest challenge when working out is the mental focus required. It takes a
lot of energy to manage your sleep and eating schedules to the necessary
degree. Also, there is a lot of background knowledge and thinking involved in
planning proper work out plans. Bottom line is that as a Computer Science
student, I work on things that require a large amount of mental focus every
day. Adding another item to the list is of course difficult.

Having been in excellent shape only a year or two ago (I was a competitive
swimmer in high school), I can say with full confidence that being in shape
has a huge impact on how you run the rest of your life. I found that I was
able to accomplish much more with my time and take on larger loads because of
the discipline I learned through being an athlete. There's no question in my
mind that staying in shape is worth it, but the difficulty in doing so should
not be ignored. I am still struggling to adjust to the demands of a Computer
Science education. In high school swimming competitively pretty much meant
working out 4 to 5 hours a day all total. That's simply impossible in college
when studying any type of Engineering or Science. I'm sure it's also
impossible for a founder/working professional as well. Instead I'm trying to
figure out how much I can accomplish with only an hour a day. With proper
dieting habits, I'm convinced the hour will be enough, but it is a challenge.
It will be worth it, but it's not easy!

Friends I've talked to who also struggle with these types of issues talk about
how they don't have time. Obviously I understand that, and I'm sure most
readers of news.YC can relate :-). Ultimately though one hour a day is a small
price to pay. Mentally programmers are capable of doing some pretty crazy
things. Anyone who's done an all night coding marathon to finish a project on
time knows what I'm talking about. Getting in shape is simply a matter of
redirecting that mental energy towards a different cause.

EDIT: Something I forgot to add. Another big barrier that people face is an
aversion to going to the gym, where there are people who are in really good
shape. It certainly can be intimidating, but have faith in the fact that your
body is biologically designed to respond to regular and difficult work outs.
The difference between you and the guy next to you bench pressing twice your
body weight is a lot smaller than you think.

~~~
medearis
I particularly agree with your point about caffeine and stimulants. I've found
that I very rarely do my best work when I'm all hyped up. Yes, sometimes you
have to stay up to finish that last really cool feature or whatever... but
most of the time when I go too long I just end up writing bad code that needs
to be rewritten the next day anyways.

~~~
TrevorJ
that's the ONLY time I do work it seems.

------
makecheck
People have more opportunities to stay in shape than they often realize.
Walking helps a lot, and is very easy to do; for instance:

\- park _really_ far away, every single day at work

\- find excuses to walk over to talk to people instead of calling or E-mailing

\- use stairs instead of elevators

\- when walking from point A to point B, choose an indirect route

\- take a walk around the building every day after lunch

\- a few days a week, walk around your neighborhood for half an hour

\- every time you drive somewhere, walk inside (no drive-throughs)

~~~
callahad
For programmers in colder climates and without gym memberships: don't
underestimate the value of shopping centers. They're large, climate
controlled, and a godsend when the wind chill drops to -40.

~~~
TrevorJ
I've also had a TON of fun cross-country skiing. If you dress for the weather
it is a FANTASTIC workout.

~~~
jrockway
Agreed. If you are exercising, it is hard to stay cool even when it is -10
outside. (Layers are your friend. Cotton is your enemy.)

------
blackguardx
In my experience, going to a traditional gym to lift weights or run on a
treadmill is very boring. I never was able to maintain a traditional exercise
program like that for any length of time. However, I have recently found the
secret to getting addicted to exercising: sports.

I fell in love with rock climbing about a year ago and feel the need to go at
least three times a week. I would go more often, but I am usually too sore
from the intense work out. Climbing creates a physical and emotional high that
is unmatched by anything I have ever experienced.

I lifted weights in college, but never achieved the muscular definition and
level of fitness that I have achieved through rock climbing. It helps create a
balance of strength, endurance, and flexibility throughout the entire body.
With weight lifting, I could never acquire the discipline to strive for the
next weight increment. But with rock climbing, I yearn to be able to complete
the next route and am singularly focused on reaching that goal.

It also helps that rock climbing can sometimes be a more social activity that
weight lifting.

------
TrevorJ
We need to start a hacker health site. Hackers know that there is the way
everybody does it, and then there is the less obvious, simpler and infinitely
cooler way to approach it. The same has got to be true for fitness. I for one
hate the idea of driving to a gym to stand next to a bunch of sweaty guys who
look like they actually belong there for an hour 6 days a week. There has to
be other, more fun way of getting in shape and eating right that will work
better in the hacker lifestyle.

~~~
gravitycop
_There has to be other, more fun way of getting in shape_

Say hello to 7-OXO DHEA (also known as 7-Keto DHEA):
[http://www.bulknutrition.com/advanced_search_result.php?&...](http://www.bulknutrition.com/advanced_search_result.php?&keywords=dhea)

<http://www.bulknutrition.com/?products_id=4948>

 _Researchers discovered that 7-OXO does not convert to testosterone or
estrogen, minimizing androgenic activity, and supports various physiological
processes. It is several times more potent than DHEA in stimulating the
thermogenic enzymes of the liver, promotes basal metabolism, and helps to
increase the lean/adipose ratio._

~~~
shaunxcode
What are the downsides to this stuff? I googled a bit and couldn't find
anything particularly detrimental. It even seems have "memory enhancement"
attributed to it.

<http://www.delano.com/Articles/ketoDHEA.html> \- this was the most
informative page that I could find discussing the benefits and claims against
it. Seems to come out on top as being safe and effective though.

~~~
gravitycop
_What are the downsides to this stuff?_

I don't know of any downsides to 7-Keto (7-oxo). However, I know that DHEA, on
the other hand, has _many_ downsides. It is important to note that 7-Keto
(7-oxo) is _not_ DHEA. It is a _metabolite_ of DHEA. For a complete list of
studies and abstracts, including the latest, I would search PubMed:
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&term=...](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&term=7-keto+dhea)
(7-Keto search; 14 hits.)

[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&term=...](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&term=7-oxo+dhea)
(7-oxo search; 47 hits.)

There was an LEF (Life Extension Foundation) magazine cover story on 7-Keto
(7-oxo) in the May 2005 issue:
[http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2005/may2005_cover_keto_01.ht...](http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2005/may2005_cover_keto_01.htm)

 _Scientists have documented DHEA’s wide-ranging benefits in numerous clinical
studies. DHEA helps to retard the effects of aging and promotes enhanced
longevity, exerting a multitude of effects through its conversion to some 150
metabolites, each with unique actions within the body.

One of the most important of these is 7-Keto DHEA (commonly referred to as
7-Keto), a hormone metabolite that can safely boost immune function and help
reduce body fat. Unlike DHEA, however, 7-Keto does not convert to estrogen and
testosterone. Because DHEA and 7-Keto have separate and unique functions and
properties, it is important to understand the differences between these two
popular dietary supplements. [...]

A study with mice suggests that 7-Keto can boost memory as well.17 In this
experiment, researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison trained
young mice in the use of a water maze. They found that a single injection of
7-Keto (at 24 mg/kg of body weight) reversed experimentally induced memory
loss. The scientists then fed 7-Keto or DHEA to old mice that had learned the
maze. They discovered that memory of the water-maze training was retained
during a four-week test period in the mice receiving 7-Keto but not in those
treated with DHEA._

The article includes 18 references.

------
madmanslitany
I can't agree with this more. I despised gym and sports in high school, but in
college I gradually took on more physical activity through a bit of martial
arts (I was still a total slacker when it came to showing up for training, but
it was better than before...) and I really think there's something that all
intellectuals can learn through the concentration and coordination required
from some sort of intense physical exercise. It's just my theory, but I think
that part of the problem for "hackers" is that we tend to have eclectic tastes
and conventional sports don't always appeal to us. So, if you don't like the
normal sports of baseball, football, etc., seek out something different that's
still good exercise. Try ultimate frisbee, or kendo, or rock climbing. You're
bound to like something.

~~~
patio11
In my case it was a combination of factors, including a doctor advising I
urgently make lifestyle changes to avoid premature death. Because nothing
concentrates the mind like a well-written bug report with Issue: Programmer
Dies flagged at the top.

The actual changes turned out to be fairly simple. I bike daily now, pay a bit
more attention to what I eat, and have 45 minutes chiseled out to exercise
approximately twice a week. (I really wish I had discovered the Hacker's Diet
about, oh, 16 years ago would have been great.) I've never felt healthier,
never had objectively better readings on my annual physical, and my personal
Trac shows Bug #666 closed.

(Although I'll confess I have Feature Request: Abs still pending.)

------
jcs
Healthy body = healthy mind.

For those who aren't sure of how to spend their gym time most efficiently, and
get bored of doing the same old bike/treadmill routine, should check out
CrossFit.

A workout is posted every day which is designed to deliver "a fitness that is,
by design, broad, general, and inclusive". You can scale the workout to your
own abilities and feel encouraged by the knowledge of thousands of others
putting themselves through the same pain around the world.

CrossFit would be good enough on its own - having world experts design your
training program takes the guesswork out of what to do - but it's the
community that makes it special. You've got world class athletes and beginners
having interesting and informed discussions on fitness and nutrition.

Take five minutes and see what you think. I've been a convert for two years
and it beats all my previous training experience for getting fit and feeling
healthy.

<http://crossfit.com/>

<http://www.board.crossfit.com/>

------
RiderOfGiraffes
I hate exercising. I've always been in good shape, and I've never had to have
any kind of exercise regime. But that's changing as I get older. Now I've
tried exercising in several different ways, each time giving it a good solid
month to get used to it, and I hate it.

Now I've started using the Hacker Diet method of general fitness, and I'm
finding it simple, efficient, and unobstrusive. And I feel better. I've also
started on the diet itself and I'm losing weight. At 5'10" and 175 pounds I'm
targetting losing 35 pounds in the next 6 to 12 months. I've only just
started, but I'm on track, and so far it's not a problem.

The Hacker Diet (and exercise) seems to suit me. The gym definitely doesn't,
and I'm deeply suspicious of any drugs or supplements.

<http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/chapter1_2_5.html>

~~~
jacquesm
Hilarious:

"Even if you're resolute in believing you won't feel one whit better from
exercising, you'll certainly concede that you'll feel a whole lot worse after
collapsing to the floor with a coronary. I've no direct experience with this
particular unpleasantness from life's menu of surprises, but folks I've talked
to who have are unanimous that it's best avoided. Those who dropped dead right
away were unavailable for comment."

~~~
RiderOfGiraffes
I liked this:

 _"The marvelous mechanism that is your body has many signals to let you know
when problems arise. If you're exercising and you encounter chest pains,
shortness of breath, or other indications that something is awry inside your
rib cage, don't ignore them! ... Ignoring these signals from your body is the
height of folly. It can lead to all kinds of tedious and exasperating side
effects such as sudden death. "_

------
beamso
Going to the gym after work Monday through Thursday improves my state of mind
for the next working day. I've found that it has a huge bearing on my eating
habits on those days, and my sleeping habits in general. I eat better and
sleep less.

------
raamdev
I've made a similar transformation, going from 233LBS to 160LBS.

<http://blog.raamdev.com/2004/03/07/changed-for-life>

After losing the weight and getting in shape, my asthma and allergies
disappeared, along with my eczema. Fitness has become one of the most
important things in my life.

If there is one piece of advice I can give to anyone looking to get in shape
it would be this: Stick with it and stay consistent. Fitness is a lifestyle,
not a goal or destination (that's why diets fail).

------
alrex021
I changed my lifestyle by introducing fitness and health about 2 years ago. I
suffered from really bad migraines at least once a month. Now I get them about
once a year if at all.

I'm a programmer too and here is my story. Blog a bit out of date. :(
<http://www.hackersinshape.net/>

------
petercooper
I went on a health kick for several months a couple of years ago. Went to the
gym three times a week for an hour a shot. Did I feel better and was I more
productive? Not really. At least, I didn't feel it except for about twenty
minutes after the exercise. The exercise itself felt horrid, even after a few
months.. and we're only talking running on a treadmill here.

So, like a lot of gym-goers, I stopped going, I've put on a few pounds back to
my seemingly "natural" weight, and I'm sitting right here for now. I'm not
sure organized exercise is for everyone, just like TDD or vegetarianism isn't
for _everyone_ either. Instead, I just eat reasonably (junk food at most two
or three times a month, lots of veggies), make sure I don't sit down for a
whole eight hours a day, and that seems to work for me even if I'm a bit
squishy around the edges.

------
yan
Exercise doesn't always have to be straight body building. I go rock climbing
2-3 times a week and I absolutely love it. One of the very few hobbies I kept
up for well over a year (so far). On my off days, I run and sometimes
supplement in the gym.

------
dmoney
One caution for people hoping to start exercising and go from picture A to
picture B: if you want to lose weight, exercise is not enough. You need to
keep track of your calorie consumption, or you will just end up eating more.
At least that was my experience. Restricting calories, on the other hand,
works with or without exercise. Not that I'm advocating non-exercise.

------
light3
I used to exercise a lot in high school but since college I've been doing less
and less. Still, I seem to be unable to gain weight, its been like this my
whole life, and it doesn't seem to matter what my diet is and how much I eat.
My excuse for not exercising is that I would be even skinnier then I already
am :)

~~~
beza1e1
Your goal for exercising (and nutrition) could be to gain some muscles. :)

~~~
chris11
Or your reason could be that aerobic exercise makes you smarter.:)

------
sown
I have to agree. Being in ketosis is the best thing has happened to my career.

------
DanielBMarkham
Speaking as a fat guy who's slowly getting back into shape (after taking 2
years off and gaining a bunch of weight), I liked the article -- everything
except for the picture at the end.

People, probably for a good reason, have negative feelings associated with
guys/girls who spend a huge amount of time at the gym. The word narcissistic
comes to mind, also vanity. I'm not saying the writer is vain, just that a
bodybuilding shot can be a little put-offish to some.

But more to the point, it emphasizes this huge gulf between the totally out of
shape and the totally in-shape. The thing to focus on isn't the body building
contests (if you like that sort of thing, which I don't), but it's his
description of the day-to-day dedication it takes to make it work. If you want
to lose a thousand pounds or run a marathon or whatever, those are great
goals. Forget about them for now. For somebody who hasn't done it before, an
even greater goal _is to get out of bed tomorrow morning and go to the gym_
\-- even if you don't exercise more than 5 minutes. Then do that again. And
again and again.

Later on you lose the 40 pounds and start weight-lifting, as he did. Or maybe
you go into flexibility training, or endurance training. Then even later you
run the marathon, do the body-building show, etc.

Don't try to stick all of that in your head at one time. To a great degree,
this is all about doing the same little things each day over and over again.
It's not about the big things. Heck, you might not even want to do any of the
competition stuff. Functional health -- being able to get around easily, climb
stairs, lift heavy boxes, run for a departing plane, go for a 10-mile day hike
-- that's a huge thing in itself. It doesn't have to be Twinkies or the Boston
Marathon. There's lots of room in-between.

------
mroman
I spent $200 US on a cross trainer last year - best $200 I have ever spent.

I highly recommend one, you do not really feel how much of a workout you are
getting until you stop, and it is also gentle - I have yet to experience
soreness or injury.

No gym fees, no time spent going there and coming back, no having to deal with
people, it works great . . . win win all around for me.

