Most people, including fellow programmers, perceive programming as sedentary activity. It is not exaggerating, because our typical day could consist of sitting for hours in front of computers, writing codes all day, or even pulling an all-nighter. We are likely to be more concerned about bugs or our lines of code rather than about our health, not prioritizing it the way it should be. We often forget that being a professional, it is important to keep our physical and mental well-being intact.

This article will shed the light on some healthy habits and practices that programmers can easily implement in their lifestyles. These activities also work wonders for anyone who works behind the desk or uses computers on daily basis.

Maintain A Good Posture

Bad posture is one of the biggest and most common problems for anyone who works sitting at a desk and uses computers for long hours. The longer we sit in front of a computer, the lesser we pay attention to how we sit. One of the health issues caused by bad posture is RSI or Repetitive Strain Injury. In short, RSI is an injury that we’ve got after doing a repetitive activity for a long time.

The first thing we should consider when we would like to maintain a good posture is a good chair. Find yourself an ergonomic chair that can support your lower back and has an adjustable height. The second thing is the height of our computer’s monitor: the best height for the monitor is aligned with our eyes, so you don’t look down or up to see the monitor. The third thing to bear in mind is the mouse and keyboard we use. Positioning the mouse and keyboard in the right manner will help you prevent strains on your shoulder, wrist, arms, and fingers. Lastly, keep all your belongings like gadgets, stationery, or books you need close to you, so you can reach them easily without having to bend yourself repetitively.

Take Regular Breaks & Move Away From Your Workstation

Taking regular short breaks here and there is better than only taking one long break such as a lunch break, as short breaks help you prevent RSI. After sitting for an hour or two, or after using a mouse and keyboards for several hours, there’s nothing wrong with taking a 10-minute break. Move away from your workstation, stand up from your chair, move around and stretch a bit. These activities will free your body from keeping the same position while sitting. Additionally, your eyes will get some rest from focusing on the monitor, and you can relax your muscle and joints for a while. Taking a walk or doing some stretching during a break is also good for your cardiovascular system and calorie burning.

In addition to health benefits, regular breaks are also good for your mind. Sometimes, when you get stuck on something, taking a break and moving around will enable you to see a problem from a different angle, unleash your creativity, and probably you will end up with an aha moment at the end of your break.

When taking a break, just make sure you actually stand up and move around, don’t spend your break using your gadget or munching at your desk.

Stay Hydrated!

Drinking water is the simplest, yet the best thing you can do to stay on top of your health game. Let’s not forget the science lesson at school that human body weight is made up of 50-65% water, depending on our gender and body composition. Not to mention that most of our internal organs such as the heart, brain, lungs, and muscles are made up of 75-80% water. So, you need to stay hydrated to ensure that they perform their best. Drinking enough water will also increase your metabolism and digestion. Being fresh and revitalized? Who doesn’t want it, right?

You shouldn’t drink only when feeling thirsty. Instead, drink regularly and drink more. Enough water will keep muscle cramps at bay as well as maintain your kidney’s health in the long run.

Get Some Exercise

You will be glued to your desk all day long, so you need to dedicate time for movements to keep your health on track. Indeed, regular exercise will keep you fit and productive. We often consider exercising a time-consuming activity. It’s just an excuse because we only need 30-45 minutes, twice or three times a week to get our weekly exercise dose. If you are not a morning person, you can rock your exercise gears in the afternoon. Just like the old saying, ‘All roads lead to Rome,’ pick up an exercise that you truly enjoy; if a jog in the morning is not your cup of tea, you can ride a bike to the office. Or maybe you would prefer to hit the gym close to your office after work. The point is: do what works for you to get your body moving and get that endorphin rushing.

Besides helping you to stay fit, exercise can also help lower your stress level. Obviously, a slow internet connection leads to frustration, and unsolved bugs could make you scream at the top of your lungs. With the meditative effect that exercise offers, performing it regularly makes you more grounded and mentally resilient.

A Good Night’s Sleep

Good sleep is as important as taking regular breaks and exercises. It is no brainer that poor sleep has negative effects on your hormones and brain functions. Therefore, good sleep is essential for programmers to stay razor-sharp and focused during work.

How to get a good sleep? Some experts suggested that we must stop working and quit screen-time two hours before going to bed. Sometimes we think that we will be more creative at night, thus writing or debugging our code better. But it can’t be farther from the truth, as night time, in reality, is the time when our brains are the most tired.

Sleep is needed by your body to recover from the previous day and to thrive. The body uses sleep to reboot your brain and repair any damage incurred during the day. Try hitting the sack early and waking up early, it will boost your focus and mood during the day, improve your immune system, and even enhance your memory.

Conclusion

You may think that being a programmer is a low-risk job in terms of health issues. If you are not taking good care of your body now, perhaps nothing would harm you in the initial days, but the issues will keep adding as you get older. Make simple changes to your lifestyle and you will be that programmer who is as fit as a fiddle. Invest in your health, as no greater wealth than health.

Author: Aulia Eka Dharma, Software Engineer