Remote Work Tiny Tips - Staying Healthy (Exercise)
2020-03-25 18:02
It's relatively easy to get the technology running to work from home. The hard part is the doing. Don't beat yourself up! Try these tiny tips on...
Staying Healthy (Exercise)
If you're a developer or someone who works mostly at a computer, you know that exercise is a) important, and b) hard1.
You might be in pretty good shape. You might be overweight. Regardless, there's an exercise you can do near your desk and make it as easy or difficult as you want.
Push-ups.
Starting Easy, Winning Fast
Someone out there immediately thought, "I can't even imagine getting up off the ground. I'll never do a pushup."2
Gotcha. You're not ready for modern pushups that target the pectorals and brachial triceps, along with the anterior abdominals. Fine. Let's make it easy. Do a wall push-up.
- Stand in front of the wall
- Take one or two steps back
- Put your hands on the wall
- Do your push-up.
There. Celebrate. You did it! Seriously. You gosh-darn did what you set out to do. That's worth celebrating!
Push-ups are the gateway drug to other exercise.
Want to do more than (whatever your easy number is)? Fine. But don't plan to. They're a bonus.
Push-Up Form Basics - You Look Mahvelous
Most people do push-ups wrong. They spread their arms like albatross wings, splay their elbows out, and pump up and down fast.
That's terrible mechanics. It's not so great for your rotator cuffs, either. Modern trainers focus on safety and stability.
- Start in plank, even doing wall push-ups: hands and elbows stacked directly under shoulders like pillars, a flat line from back to feet.
- Inhale, go down slowly...three to five seconds. Most important: scrap your elbows against your sides. Don't let them flare out. Don't. Ever.3 Done right, your hands will end up near your floating (bottom) ribs.
- Exhale, rise up even slower if you can.
When?
That's simple, and you're not going to like it, but I think researcher BJ Fogg is right. Do your push-up(s) after you pee. You're going to do that at least once a day, right?
Finally
I'm suggesting push-ups because they're easy to do right, easy to measure, and you can find a way to do just one. But if you have another exercise that fits the bill, do it.
