Ask HN: Do you stretch before coding?

3 points by nerdfiles ↗ HN
Following http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html I have always wondered by there exists stigma/myth/folk-theory surrounding "popping" one's knuckles, or more generally, engaging in Asperger-esque self-stimulatory behavior (stressed finger-flipping, simply stretching fingers, rhythmic finger counting, talking out loud to one's self ((vocal stimming)), toe-walking). At the same time, I find that I cannot apprehend my hands and the rest of my body for use of vim/bash/coding/etc. unless I stretch well. (Coding, for me, is a full body experience, where music is also by and large essential.)

Holding a proper posture seems to, as a "low-cost body hack" strengthen the fluidity of thought. At various points throughout the day I notice that when I accidentally in engage in self-stimulatory behavior, either for need to reach a raised item on a shelf, before playing an instrument, even curiouser listening to noise music, and on, "sharpening my tongue" (guided vocal stimming: re-enacting preferred comedians), I find that various modes of thought are more readily accessible.

4 comments

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I don't stretch before coding per se, because I am usually standing while coding, so I am already alert. but I do stretches in between coding sessions, like may be every 20-30 minutes. My wife is a physical therapist and I usually follow most of her advise to keep myself energized throughout a marathon of coding.
Usually if its something I'm not excited about coding I warm up with a sudoku. Other than that I sit down and immediately start working without a thought.