June 10, 2015
I work in an office where it’s a part of my job description to look at a screen all day long. When I first started full-time school and then working within the tech industry I watched my body dramatically change. Going from jobs where I was constantly moving and always on my feet made it hard for my body to adjust to the new sedentary lifestyle of a web developer. Within three months of less movement my back ached, I needed glasses so my eyes wouldn’t strain and I moved from the thin weight category to sloppy skinny. The only exercise I was getting was the walk from my car to my chair and back again each day.
Time for some life changes, right? If you find yourself less than impressed with your newly developed developer’s body then you might find my solutions helpful.
Less screen time
The first change was for less screen time and I know, it’s ironic that you’re reading this post on a screen but let’s continue anyway. So when did I realize I needed to make this change happen? When I noticed I was going from projects on my work computer, to freelance jobs on my laptop after work, throwing on a tv show when I wanted to relax and then reading articles on my cell in bed before I fell asleep. There was no break and my eyes felt terrible.
So I’ve challenged myself to limit freelance work where I can, stop watching as much tv and pick up a book instead. I deleted the Facebook App on my phone and even though it used to take up so much of my time I surprisingly don’t miss knowing what Crazy Dave did at the club last night or what Gena ate for breakfast. On my lunch break I try not to look at my phone, especially social media, and instead go on longer walks to farther coffee shops and actually interact with the humans in front of me.
Standing rather than sitting
I’ve also been implementing more standing in my life. There are a lot of benefits to standing at work and for me it’s the best way to go. My boss actually build me a wooden stand for my keyboard and mouse so I can stand whenever I choose. Just by standing at my desk half of the day, I’ve noticed that my back pain has dissipated quite a bit.
Working out like a first lady
The last big change I made was to work out regularly. Since I used to work quite active jobs I’ve never really given much thought to exercising. By adding strength and cardio training into my lifestyle I feel more energetic and awake. Goodbye sloppy skinny.
I’ve noticed changes already and I think the hardest part is realizing that this isn’t a one time thing and then I can go back to normal. It’s a lifestyle and I think Michelle Obama would be proud.