Comment by _dps | Hacker News Reader

Comment by _dps | Hacker News Reader

Others mentioned lifting weights — +1 to that but let me add something I haven't seen mentioned yet: rowing.

Rowing is, in my opinion, the perfect anti-programming exercise.

  - you unfurl your body instead of hunching over, stretching it in a way counter to the usual strains programming creates 
  
  - you exercise your back, especially lower back, giving you support muscles for good posture

  - you also exercise your forearms, building strength to support your wrists

I've been rowing consistently for about 20 years now, and have never once had wrist or lower back pain, despite programming professionally.

Hey! Former rower here! ;) I haven't rowed for several years and only just started again about 5 months ago. I was hoping it would help, but any improvement has been marginal at best.

Hard to row without having a boat, unless of course you're talking about rowing machines. Which do you recommend?

If you can do it on the water even better, but obviously that's harder to arrange. The basic physiological benefits come from either IMO, and 95% of the time I've been rowing on a machine.

P.S. If I've misunderstood your question and you're asking what machine specifically, I use a Concept 2 I bought 8 years ago but only because that was what my gym was using and I figured might as well match it at home. Nowadays there is a huge variety of machines to choose from, and the basic physiological benefits are going to be the same for all of them.

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