I stumbled across a post on Instagram that promoted an anonymous quote.
A healthy body is a healthy mind and a healthy mind takes care of business
I think it's a powerful quote. It's accurate and I can resonate with it. Before 2024, my physical and mental health were terrible. I had a bad diet, I barely moved and I was constantly stressed.
In 2024 I went on a journey that changed my life. I want to write about what I learned in the hope that others can hear my perspective and maybe change their lives too.
Start with Step Count
If you're reading this post on dev.to then it's fair to assume that you work in the tech industry. I assume you spend the majority of the working day at a desk. A percentage of readers might have access to a standing desk with a treadmill - go you 🤘
With that in mind, have you considered how many steps you walk in a day?
I'm 35 years old. Websites I found on Google say that a person of my age should be walking between 6,000-10,000 steps a day. Most days I manage to hit this number. But prior to 2024 I was lucky if I walked 1,000 steps and that was "normal" for me.
This attitude was destroying my body.
The NHS claims that:
Studies have linked being inactive with being overweight and obese, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and early death.
Sitting for long periods is thought to slow the metabolism, which affects the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat.
Extract taken from the Live Well post "Why we should sit less"
So if these numbers feel "normal" to you too. It's time to take some action.
It's not just Physical Health
A sedentary lifestyle contributes to poor mental health too. If we spend long periods of time indoors, especially with little movement, we deprive ourselves on sunlight and fresh air.
Sunlight triggers the production of Vitamin D and the release of a hormone called serotonin both of which are associated with improving your mood, focus and reducing stress.
Exercising releases a cocktail of amazing hormones, one being the "feel good" hormone - Dopamine. That's right! If you're feeling like crap then taking a break and exercising will make you feel better. I can vouch for this!
I'm too busy to exercise
I'm the co-founder of a small agency in the UK. Starting the business was tough. I worked very long hours and prioritised work before so many things, including my health.
I managed to convince myself that if I wasn't working long hours then my business would fail. But it didn't occur to me that if I was more productive and focused, I wouldn't need to work late every night.
Being tired also contributed to a load of mistakes. The quality of my work was not to my usual standard and I was beginning to doubt my ability. It became a vicious cycle.
It only takes 30 minutes
As the last title suggests, my excuse for not exercising was "I'm too busy". I believed that taking time away from a task would result in less time to finish the task.
Eventually I realised that all I needed was thirty minutes of something:
- Taking a walk
- Going for a jog
- Riding a bicycle
- Lifting some weights
- Following a workout video
I also told myself that I could only do one of these things on my lunch break. I couldn't wake up early because I was tired from a late night of working. I couldn't workout when I got home, because I "needed" to be back on the laptop.
All it took was 30 minutes. Everyone can find 30 minutes in their day. We probably spend more than 30 minutes scrolling through TikTok and Instagram!
My Solution
This won't work for everyone. But my solution was to wake up at 6am and attend a spinning class at the local gym. The spinning class was a high intensity session, so it only lasted 30 minutes, but damn it worked you hard!
Waking up early and working out in the morning meant I was using more energy. I needed to make time for sleep. I changed my routine to make sure I was asleep by no later than 10pm. This meant I was guaranteed at least 8 hours sleep.
Given that the recommended number of hours for an adult is 7-9 hours, this worked well.
Stay Consistent
Over the last 10 years I had been very inconsistent when it came to diet and exercise. I would do well for a few weeks but then fall of the wagon. I think it was because I would set unrealistic expectations.
This time I have always reminded myself "it's just half an hour of something".
Basically. You need to just show up. Whether it's at the gym, running around the block or going for a walk to a coffee shop and back. Remember that something is better than staying inside, sat down, doing nothing.
The benefits will follow.
Today, I am 10kg lighter than I was in January 2024. My cardiovascular health is better, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels have dropped. I am training for a half marathon, and a year ago I couldn't run around the corner without being breathless.
Finally, my mental health has significantly improved. I deal with high pressure situations better than before. I'm more focused and attentive with coding and I'm happier with the applications I build.
People have told me they see a difference in my mood. Which must mean I'm a better person to be around 😂
Being a healthier developer made me a better developer.
What are your thoughts on the importance of health and working in tech? Have you embarked on a similar journey and noticed the same improvements? Leave a comment below and let's spark a discussion.
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