This article is a dry record of Joe Kutner's "Programmer's Health Guide". Always remind yourself to have a healthy work and lifestyle. The body is the capital of the revolution. When you are young, you trade your body for money, but when you are old, you may have to trade money for your body. When you have health problems that are plagued by programmers, I hope this dry record can give you some help and comfort.
Health Issues Faced by Programmers
It should be said that not only programmers, but most Internet practitioners will encounter many similar health problems, such as:
- psychological stress, insomnia
- Long-term overtime
- Sedentary
- staying up late, even all night
- Irregular work and rest
- unbalanced diet
It may not appear in the short term, but in the long term the body will show signs, and various chronic/acute diseases will appear.
Common Occupational Diseases
The following are the health problems that many programmers may face. If there are bad signs in the body, please go to a regular hospital for examination and treatment in time, and don’t feel young and stubborn. The author has experienced wrist pain before. It may be because of a problem with the posture of typing on the keyboard. After wearing a wrist brace for a while, it will gradually heal.
- cervical spondylosis
- wrist pain, tenosynovitis
- dry eye, eye discomfort
- Chronic diseases, gastritis, indigestion, etc.
- psychological stress, insomnia
- Fatty liver, obesity and other problems
health tips
There are many good suggestions in the original book, but some are more difficult to implement. Summarized some easy-to-operate methods. Many of the following are actually known to everyone, but they are easier said than done. Persistence in doing them is very good for the body.
- take a walk . For example, taking a walk at noon or after dinner is good for your eyes and your physical and mental health. You can also use the walking time to discuss and discuss issues with colleagues.
- Adjust your posture more . Combination of standing and sitting, sitting and standing for a long time is not good. It is best to adjust your posture every half hour. Many people may also use standing desks, a combination of standing and sitting.
- The Pomodoro Technique . Take a break every 25 minutes of work (appropriately adjusted), get up and drink a few sips of water, go to the toilet, blink, get up and take a few steps to prevent sedentary.
- Nutritionally balanced, regular diet . Don't be picky eaters, eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Ergonomic equipment . Such as ergonomic mouse, keyboard, chair, desk, etc., if the budget is sufficient, it can be considered
- Smart bracelets, watches, etc. Nowadays, many smart bracelets and watches have functions such as motion detection, sleep detection, stress detection, and sedentary reminders. It is recommended to make good use of smart wearable devices
- Get some sleep . Go to bed early and get up early, try not to stay up late, improve the efficiency of daytime work, and reduce interference
- Sports, fitness . I personally like jogging, which is a more economical and convenient way of activity. If you can't persist at the beginning, you can do a small amount and many times, and gradually improve your physique. Avoid physical injury during exercise
- indoor fitness . If you are too lazy to go out, you can also consider buying some indoor fitness equipment, so you can exercise without going out. Such as dumbbells, yoga mats, bench presses, spinning bikes, etc. There are even some somatosensory games
- If you feel unwell, see a doctor in time, don't delay .
- If it is difficult to persist, you can form an exercise group, find a few friends, colleagues, etc. to support each other, and it will be easier to persist
Summarize
Generally speaking, it is a combination of work and rest, good work, exercise, diet, work and rest habits, and long-term persistence to have a good body. If there are any bad signs in your body, please go to a regular hospital for examination and treatment in time, and follow the advice of a professional doctor. I hope everyone can have a good health!
force of habit
Every habit has at least three elements:
- hint signal
- routine behavior
- reward
When I receive a 【cue signal】, I should perform a 【routine behavior】 so that I can get a 【reward】
Know your own health
- Measure heart rate.
- Blood pressure.
- Get an eye exam.
- Test your core muscle groups. The most commonly used method is the Kraus-Weber fitness test (Kraus-Weber Test).
- Test the wrist. Test methods are: Tinel test, reverse wrist flexion test and wrist compression test.
working posture
Do not sit for more than 20 minutes at a time, but do not stand for more than 20 minutes at a time. The key, then, is to keep your body moving—adjust your posture frequently and take breaks as you work.
- Take a 5 minute break every hour
- Work in at least three different positions each day
- The same posture is best not to last more than 20 minutes
- While you're at work, it's a good idea to do some flexibility exercises
- Measure your blood pressure regularly to find out which measurement method is suitable for you, and pay attention to whether your blood pressure has changed significantly
healthy diet
A healthy daily diet should basically include the following parts:
- 30% fruits and vegetables
- 30% of grains and starchy foods
- 16% lean protein (meat, fish, eggs, and legumes)
- 16% milk and milk products
- 8% fat and sugar food
Health Peripherals
Computer monitors : The damage to the eyes caused by glare is similar to the damage to the eyes caused by a monitor with too high brightness. In general, red tones of light are less damaging to the eyes than blue tones. By lowering the color temperature of the display, you can reduce the exposure of your eyes to blue light and reduce the amount of blue light emitted by the display. However, in this way, there may be chromatic aberrations when making floor plans or visual media. If you can't adjust the color temperature, then change the computer desktop background, IDE color scheme or other places that require long-term gaze to red. The ideal distance between the eyes and the display screen is 51-101 cm
prevent pain
CVS
It is a temporary phenomenon caused by looking at the computer screen for a long time. Symptoms include headaches, dry eyes, eye irritation, bloodshot eyes, blurred vision, neck pain, eye strain, double vision, and inability to focus the eyes.
Blink often Remind yourself to blink often, ideally every 20 minutes. Close your eyes slowly, as if falling asleep, then open them again, repeat 10 times. For every 20 minutes of working in front of the computer, look at an object 20 feet (6 meters) away for about 20 seconds. When computer workers are working, if they can take 4 more breaks for 5 minutes each time, they can effectively relieve eye discomfort and fatigue. Many myopic people do not need to wear glasses when using computers. Try taking your glasses off and you'll find that you can see clearly without them. In fact, many optometrists recommend wearing glasses as little as possible.
Headaches can be divided into two main categories: primary headaches and secondary headaches. We focus on primary headaches because that's the type of headache that programmers face most often (secondary headaches are usually caused by physical injuries, tumors, and other causes, and those problems should not be related to programming). But even within the category of primary headaches, there are many subcategories, including tension headaches, migraines, cluster headaches, sinus headaches, and rebound headaches.
- Pain-sensing cells around the brainstem release neuropeptides;
- Swelling of blood vessels that supply blood to the brain;
- Neuropeptide compounds are released from blood vessels in the brain, causing tissue around them to swell.
Staying well hydrated can prevent headaches. So, to make sure you're getting enough fluids throughout the day, drink a large glass of water (about 16 ounces) with each meal and then another glass that night.
backache
When we sit, the lower back consists of 3 muscle groups: the extensors, flexors and obliques are at work. The most painful muscles in the upper back include the infraspinatus, teres major, and trapezius. Problem-solving exercises: cat back exercise (to lubricate the nerve roots around the spine and reduce spinal viscosity, which is resistance and friction within the spine), double heel slides, single knee bends, curls, side bridges, bird hounds, shoulder Baselift Bridge, Bicycle Hamstring Stretch, Bicycle Calf Stretch.
wrist pain
When the wrist is flexed or pressure is applied to the wrist, the carpal tunnel is compressed and the median nerve is squeezed. There are many factors that affect how compressed the carpal tunnel is, the most common being a congenital predisposition, with some people born with a narrow carpal tunnel. Other factors include swelling from trauma, injury, or obesity.
Prevention method:
- Yoga: Balavaga pose (sitting on a chair and twisting the trunk), cane pose (sitting and stretching the trunk), Eagle King pose (crossing and spreading the arms in front of the body), semi-standing forward bend pose (bend the waist forward 90 degrees) degree), Namaste (put your hands on your chest in prayer), Sitting Mountain Pose (arms raised above your head, fingers crossed), Mountain Standing (standing upright), hands-on-hands-up (arms raised above your head), up Dog Pose (hands on the chair, upper body straight), Warrior Pose (arms raised above the head, in prayer)
- Nervous sliding movements: jazz hand, shadow puppet, Egyptian, shoulder shrug, head tilt
exercise the brain
Cognitive flexibility improves after exercise as blood returns to the brain. The Pomodoro Technique is a method of completing a task in a small, defined amount of time. The basic activity loop is as follows:
(1) Set a timer for 25 minutes; (2) Start a task; (3) Stop the task when the timer rings (even if the task is not completed); (4) Take a 5-minute break, Then go back to step 1 and continue with the next 25 minutes of timing and work.
During the Pomodoro workout, many changes occur in the brain, as neurons are restored and new pathways are formed.
keep a workout log
The content is specific and insists on recording the reading log (review, self-motivation)
contact with nature
We may be putting our health at great risk by not being exposed to the sun (the sunlight coming in through the window is not counted, because the ultraviolet rays have been filtered out). If so, we will give you some qualified suggestions to ensure adequate vitamin D intake and avoid the risk of skin cancer due to excessive exposure to sunlight. Spend 10 minutes in the sun, exposing the skin of your shoulders and legs as much as possible. If your skin color is fair enough, the ultraviolet rays you receive in these 10 minutes are enough for you to synthesize 10,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D. If you have darker skin or wear long sleeves and long pants, the amount of synthesis will be relatively small. If you want to get the same amount of vitamin D from food, you have to drink about 19 liters of milk (don't do this). Some early studies have shown that taking vitamin D every day can increase the incidence of kidney stones. There was also little success in preventing fractures. For this reason, a panel of experts commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) recently advised people not to take vitamin D and calcium supplements.
Sufficient sleep is about 7 to 9 hours, and not sleeping must be harmful to the body.
Dehydration can cause chemical imbalances in the body, which can affect the normal functioning of the immune system. So it's best to drink 8 glasses of water a day (follow the "8×8 rule"), and you should also keep your body hydrated during and after exercise.
Sports Health
You'll never experience the joy of exercise if you struggle to get through it. Warm-up Exercises Before embarking on high-intensity exercise, the body needs to be fully prepared: increasing blood flow to the muscles and increasing the range of motion of the joints. These two points are key, in addition to avoiding injury, can make you perform better Most people agree that doing 10 to 15 minutes of low-intensity activity to warm up is ideal.
health assessment
Body Composition: Body composition refers to the relative amounts of fat, muscle, bone, and other body components in a person's body. Skinfold thickness is generally used to measure, but it is also measured by underwater weighing method, and the measurement result of the latter is more accurate.
Cardiovascular Condition: Cardiovascular condition refers to the body's ability to supply oxygen to the circulatory and respiratory systems during sustained physical activity, often referred to as aerobic fitness or aerobic endurance. People typically measure it through several different forms of running.
Mobility: Mobility refers to the maximum range of motion that the joints of the body can achieve.
Muscular Endurance: Muscular endurance refers to the ability of muscles to continue to exercise against fatigue.
Muscle Strength: Muscle strength refers to the ability of a muscle to exert force.
moderate exercise
Walk 10,000 steps a day. This includes walking briskly for 10 minutes. The so-called brisk walking refers to: walking briskly for 1,000 steps or more within 10 minutes, or at least exercising (the exercise intensity needs to be equivalent to brisk walking) for 20 minutes.
Get at least 10 minutes of outdoor activity every day. So that the body can synthesize enough vitamin D. Those with darker skin tones should spend more time in the sun.
Go to the forest if possible. This is good for your health. Learning yoga and rock climbing are also good choices.
If you feel bored exercising by yourself, try joining an exercise group, or use some exercise apps to urge you to exercise.
