Freelancers of all stripes face a range of challenges. After all, you must become your own marketing department, bookkeeper, and manager. For freelance developers, though, there is an added challenge to keep fit.
Developers typically spend hours sitting at their desks to do their job. It’s simply unavoidable. It’s the only way you can write the code and do all the other work that supports your freelance lifestyle.
So, what steps can you take to avoid a steady decline into poor cardiovascular health and muscle loss? Keep reading for some key tips that will help you stay fit.
Standing Desk
You do software engineering for a living. It’s time to hack your workspace for better health! A standing desk solves one of the key problems by taking you out of the desk chair.
A few benefits of the standing desk include:
- Reduced odds of diabetes
- lower chance of weight gain
- lower chance of back pain
It’s one of the simplest things you can do to support your overall health and fitness.
Take Breaks
Much like other desk jobs, developers can find themselves sitting nearly motionless for hours. You must get out of the chair regularly and walk around. Ideally, do this at least once an hour. Set a timer to remind you. For an added boost, go outside a couple of times a day for some fresh air and natural light.
Join a Gym
If you don’t have a lot of free space in your home or apartment, it can prove difficult to stuff in some exercise equipment. Any gym worth the name will have essential cardiovascular and strength training equipment.
That means you can hop on a treadmill or elliptical for some basic cardio before you hit the free weights. Make sure you include both cardio and strength training for a more balanced fitness routine.
Worried you won’t stick with it?
Make friends with someone who already works out and join their gym. That way you can schedule workouts together.
Eat Right
The takeout menu might call you like a siren, but resist the temptation. Make a point to make yourself a healthy meal for lunch every day.
Focus on lean meats, such as chicken breasts, and fresh veggies. You can even mix the two and throw some grilled chicken onto a garden salad.
Can boil water without burning it? Consider health-oriented microwave meals with low fat and salt content.
Parting Thoughts on How Developers Keep Fit
Developers often struggle to keep fit. The nature of your job works directly against you.
Fortunately, you can avoid the worst health fallout with some basic steps, such as standing desks, gym memberships, and eating right. As with all goals, however, you must make an ongoing effort to support it. That means committing to your health the way you commit to your work.
G11 Technology offers cloud computing, software engineering, and cybersecurity services. For more information on our services, contact G11 Technology today.
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