
Ask HN: Worried about health - jorgecurio
Hey guys so I&#x27;ve been spending a lot of time in front of the computer working on my SaaS for the past two years.<p>Mainly I&#x27;m concerned that this sedentary lifestyle is having health impact.<p>I also have aspergers and what I can explain as avolition. Like I can&#x27;t even take care of myself, neglecting food while coding or just overall spending too much time working or just playing pc games, reddit &amp; youtube.<p>So what mind hacks or even work out furnitures did you introduce in your life to be more proactive?<p>Like this time I want to actually address being healthier, I&#x27;m 28 and having some health issues I believe caused by being a shut-in and working on my SaaS for like two years straight before making any money.
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angersock
Some things that will help:

 _Nulroute via hosts reddit /youtube/etc._ Maybe setup a cron job to do this
automatically at fixed times.

 _Make it a habit to leave the house at least once a day._ I used to approach
this and think about it like taking myself out for a walk, just to get some
natural sunshine and talk with other people in meatspace.

 _Start exercising_. Get a copy of "Starting Strength" or just start "Couch to
5K" (a great free jogging program) or go on /fit/ and look for a simple
workout routine. Do _something_ to get your body moving...it helps with
depression, anxiety, and just general relaxation.

 _Stack something on your desk to make it a standing desk_. This can be
helpful if you're worried about slouching over too much. You can be a ghetto
as you want here; even a bunch of books is better than nothing.

 _Stock basic cooking ingredients_. Make it super trivial to go from "I'm
hungry" to "I'm cooking". It's not too hard to, for example, make healthy
meals out of eggs and avocados or salads.

~~~
rchaud
With regards to the standing desk, I find that for me (5'11"), placing a
tabletop on top of 2x IKEA Billy Bookshelves (41.75" H x 31.5" W) does the job
perfectly; it easily supports a dual-monitor setup (1x 32inch, 1x 24inch). Add
in a anti-fatigue cushioned mat for your feet, and you're good to go!

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aedron
If there is one piece of advice I can give you which will solve a
disproportionately large amount of your problems, it is this: Get some
exercise.

So simple yet so hard (although it really isn't that hard in comparison to the
benefits it yields). You probably already know it but don't want to hear it,
so you are hoping for other quick fixes like furniture or mental hacks.

Just start small if you've never done it before, run for a minute then go back
home, and do the same next day, until you start to improve your form (which
will happen surprisingly quickly if you're starting from zero).

Think of it this way, if you can't muster up the discipline to go out and
exercise, how are you going to be successful in your project when it comes
time to do some of the things you don't enjoy? Use it as a proxy for your
project's success.

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a3n
I've read about people who work from home, who get up every morning, dress for
"work", and walk around the block to get to "work." That walk in the morning,
or two or three blocks, would go a long way to keeping you healthy.

If you've been spending two years in front of your computer working on your
SaaS, then you've missed some crucial benefit for your SaaS. You need to spend
time not thinking about your project, so your brain can sort through things on
its own. You'll get more and better ideas by not constantly thinking about
more and better ideas.

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vincentbarr
I suggest exercise first. Even semi-regular exercise will help stimulate your
appetite and need for sleep, making both of them harder to ignore or neglect.
Then, of course, there are the benefits of exercise.

I believe the means by which you choose to exercise is extremely important
here. Based on my interpretation of your post, I'm going to divide exercise
into the two categories.

1.'Exercise hacks': intermittent, low-impact physical activity that optimizes
for your convenience and proximity, and done well goes almost undetected in
your day-to-day. Usually, this type of exercise splits its time with another
activity. Examples: use a treadmill desk while working; do five pushups every
time you enter your kitchen; choose stairs over the elevator.

I do not recommend this category for you. I believe you would be disappointed
and unlikely to improve your overall health, and the things in between, by a
meaningful and rewarding degree.

2\. Activity performed as part of a group class that occurs during discrete,
recurring periods of time. Exercise, a safe space for person-to-person
interaction, accountability, and opportunities to laugh at yourself are all
pleasant byproducts. Examples: beginner salsa or swing dancing; rock-climbing;
parkour; whatever.

I think you'll find this form of activity to be a lovely surprise and very
rewarding. I urge you to give it a try.

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SyneRyder
Solo dev working from home here - my main lifehack is that I don't have a car.
That means when I need to do shopping, I have to walk to the shops & carry it
back, enforcing a minimal level of exercise each week. Since I can't carry as
much as a car could, I have to walk to the shops more often. (When I do need a
car, I use Uber or Uber Black.)

I allow myself to eat fast food / McDonalds whenever I want - but if I want
it, I have to walk the 3km / 2 miles each way to get there. That gets me
walking & out of the house. I also take my laptop and work from cafes often,
or work outside in a park to get sunshine.

Joining a gym is a great idea, and when you have enough cash saved get a
personal trainer. You might need to go through a few trainers to find one that
you click with. Right now I'm a member of a 24-hour gym & workout at night
when I have the gym all to myself, great alternative if you're shy or feel
socially anxious at times.

I'm hesitant to recommend hacks, but I do have some URLs permanently blocked
on my router and have used Mac apps like Concentrate [1] and Vitamin-R [2] to
help me focus on work. Try RescueTime [3] if you need to identify which sites
you should block. I love my Herman Miller Aeron [4] chair (helped with back
problems), a Bosu [5] is amazing for doing pushups / crunches / plank at home,
I use the hotspot on my Nexus 5 so I can work at cafes & parks, and I wear my
Bose QC25s at the gym with a Spotify running playlist to get about 10 - 20%
extra speed out of myself. (But you don't need toys & hacks, self-discipline &
self-motivation is more important.)

[1] [http://getconcentrating.com](http://getconcentrating.com)

[2]
[http://www.publicspace.net/Vitamin-R/](http://www.publicspace.net/Vitamin-R/)

[3] [https://www.rescuetime.com](https://www.rescuetime.com)

[4] [http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-
wor...](http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-work-
chairs/aeron-chairs.html)

[5] [http://www.bosu.com](http://www.bosu.com)

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edimaudo
Neglecting things is a big issue which needs to be addressed first. For your
fitness regiment start simple At home When you get up (Look at youtube videos
if you do not have a clue what these are) \- Stretch \- calisthenics

In the office Use a timer and every 90 minutes go for a 10 minutes walk. You
could also do chair exercises but that would depend on your sitting
configuration.

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staunch
Wake up at 6AM every single day. Walk for an hour every single day. It's easy
to wake up early if you go to sleep early. And it's easy to take a walk if you
have something interesting to listen to.

This seems to be enough to "bootstrap" a more active/healthy lifestyle and
stave off the shut-in funk.

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nicholas73
Pick a healthy hobby that is also as addictive as screen time. For me, it's
martial arts. I look forward to my work outs, and it drives me to eat better
so I can win. Yes there is winning in the gym! Well, at least there is still
losing :)

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auganov
Maybe consider doing comprehensive medical testing? If everything is okay it
will help reduce your anxiety about it. If not it will probably help more than
any amount of exercise ever will.

~~~
insoluble
> it will probably help more than any amount of exercise ever will.

Unless the issue is solely anxiety-based, exercise would in most cases help a
considerable amount. Especially for smaller medical concerns (not sleeping
well, aches, mild anxiety), doctors usually cannot really help. Medical
intervention generally does not make sense until something is really wrong,
and a proper exercise habit is a very good way to help prevent many types of
conditions. Before I had experience with doctors, I thought they would be able
to solve any medical problems, but I learned the hard way that with many
problems they often cannot help a significant amount, if at all. Medicine is
still a very crude science. Plus, it would be a folly to think a doctor cares
as much about your health as you do. If you care about yourself, you need to
do your part with diet and exercise.

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tmaly
start walking/hiking/running. It has one benefit in that you can think about
your SaaS with the added circulation helping the mind.

