Ask HN: Pragmatic Fitness?
Hi HN, many of us are basically workaholics and don't make time for fitness. Summer's around the corner and no time like the present right. For me, there was a time I felt like I was in great shape, but that time's long since passed. I'm starting to get that itch again - yes, to build habits so it's built-in, but also to jump start things and get leaned out for summer. Any suggestions out there for getting jump started? Looking to put together a simple, pragmatic plan that ultimately is surprisingly effective without taking too long to begin to see results... The idea being that results re-enforces things are working, which gets the habit machine turning in the right direction. Maybe many of us could benefit from taking a hard look at this side of ourselves, no better time like now. Would love your thoughts, ideas, anything that you know to be effective.
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(that link is taken from the Starting Strength website, so if that is an affiliate ID on the end it's not mine)
So even if it isnt the most effective it could help you start building the habit.
When that became routine I started building positive routines around it, exercise was just one missing habit, I had plenty others that were missing or bad, largely because I'm a lot more passionate about my work than many other things. I elaborated on this just the other day with a morning routine that prioritizes everything but work [1].
On Elon Musk's most recent AMA someone asked him what his most important daily habit was, and it was just showering. Makes me rethink the little stuff.
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9095514
[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2rgsan/i_am_elon_musk...
I'd be happy to help come up with some habits that work for you, feel free to reach out to me.
In sum: Lift. Move. Regularly.
The lifting (building of muscle) is seemingly more important than anything else.
https://medium.com/message/put-down-the-pink-dumbbell-104940...
1. It takes a while to see results. This is something you do for life. Don't start working out 2 hours a day, get burnt out because you're not looking like a Greek God by next month, and give up. Your goal isn't to get fit the next few weeks, it's to turn your life around and to get into a balanced routine.
2. Find exercises you enjoy. I hate treadmills, I get bored after a few minutes and I can never stay motivated to use them. However, I enjoy biking, I can bike for hours in a nearby park, my legs will be burning, and I'll be having fun. Indoor exercise bikes I don't mind either. The same applies to weights, I use a few dumbbells and they're alright, but I really enjoy bodyweight exercises. I've been having a lot of fun with weighted parallel bar dips, and pullups lately. I see results with them, and look forward to it. My advice is to try out lots of difference exercises, and pick the ones that feel right for you, while still covering all the major muscle groups. This is the difference between going to the gym on a regular basis, and making excuses not to go. If you hate your workout routine, you're not going to stay motivated.
3. Work is always there. Until you die, there will always be code to refactor, bugs to fix, support questions to respond to, features to add, and higher revenue targets. It doesn't end, you'll never be done. Similar to exercise, it's a lifetime process, so you need to find balance. Set aside a day a week, like Sunday, where you don't work at all, you just clean your house, organize your desk, wash dishes, go shopping, return e-mails to friends and family, and get everything non-work related finished. Also, do the same daily, and set aside certain hours for yourself. For example, every evening, 5-8, you spent time exercising, then making a decent dinner. It doesn't matter what you do, just pick specific hours, and spend it improving yourself.