Exercise and the Hacker 

Working long hours in a sedentary career can lead to burnout and health problems. One thing that can help is exercise. Depending on your fitness level, you might loath to start exercising. It's always good to get a health checkup before you exercise to make sure exercise is advisable for you.  

What Are The Health Benefits of Exercise?

According to the CDC, “being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.”  It's recommended to do up to 150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity. This level of activity will help you maintain your weight, but should a person want to lose weight, they would need to work out more than this amount. If a person would work out 30 minutes a day, 5 days per week, they would be able to meet the minimum goal.  

Many people have a busy schedule full of activities for work and then go home to face errands and chores. 

Exercise may improve your endurance for your daily marathon - getting through one’s own life! Whether it's taking care of elderly relatives, children or pets, having more energy can mean one can be more present for other people. Putting yourself and your work out first helps make that happen. It may seem selfish to take time out for exercise, but this is actually a self compassionate act that benefits everyone around you. 

Mental Aspects of Nutrition and Exercise 

A person can gain weight by consuming more calories than they burn through body movements. Sometimes, eating habits may contribute to weight gain. Eating when not hungry, bored or feeling emotional can result in excessive weight. Experts recommend pausing before a person eats to think about whether they are really hungry. This might prevent intake of too many calories.   

In combination with eating mindfully, regular exercise can reduce the risk of mental health issues. In this article by Sharma et al. they write, “Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function. 

Exercise has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.” They also mention that aerobic exercises, in particular, have been shown to reduce depression; these may include: jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing. Exercise should not be considered a substitute for seeing a mental health professional, primary care provider, and obtaining needed treatment, but rather should be adjunctive to these modalities.  

Exercise can also help with sleep. Exercise may increase the amount of slow wave sleep an individual gets which in turn may lead to better sleep. It can also mellow an anxious mood so that a person can rest. The exact process by which exercise improves sleep is not completely understood at this time. 

Here are some great places to start if given the green light to exercise by your health care professional. These youtube videos are somewhat more geared for beginners. In any case, you can do more or less reps to match your skill level. It’s ok to pause the video sometimes for an additional rest and water break. That’s definitely ok! You deserve a break.  

Nourishmovelove - Ten Minute Toned Arms

Mad Fit - Ten Minute Arms 

Mad Fit - Ten Minute Toned Arms 

Beginner Boot Camp For Full Body With Optional Weights

Absolute Beginner Bodyweight Workout

Pilates Thigh Sculpt 

10 min Leg Workout 

MadFit - Ten Min Leg/Butt/Thigh

15 Min Full Upper Body 

15 min Cardio

For more information:

6 Low-Impact Cardio Exercises in 20 Minutes or Less

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/low-impact-cardio

Have Some Self-Compassion

Incorporating even small increases in one’s daily movement can improve a person’s everyday  well-being. There are numerous health benefits to exercising regularly, but the most important benefit is in how someone might feel. Having more energy to get through a busy schedule can make a big difference! Also, having the mental clarity from a regular workout routine might help a hacker score a win. No matter what the reason for pursuing exercise as a regular habit, do it for yourself. Do it because you are worth it.  

References

• https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389
• https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/eating_habits.html
• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/exercising-for-better-sleep#:~:text=Research%20Shows%20Exercise%20Decreases%20Insomnia,to%20those%20of%20sleeping%20pills.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/#:~:text=Exercise%20improves%20mental%20health%20by,self%2Desteem%20and%20cognitive%20function.&text=Exercise%20has%20also%20been%20found,self%2Desteem%20and%20social%20withdrawal.