How to stay healthy in a DevOps job: Balancing Code Sprints with Fitness Runs.

We, as DevOps engineers or developers, spend a lot of time in front of monitors.

We are sitting for at least 9 hours a day, most often with incorrect posture. Our heads are locked to the monitor, and our hands repeat the same movements day after day.

In this article, I will discuss why we need to be physically active and how we can combine it with our work.

Evolutionarily, our body is designed to be in motion. Some say movement is life, and they are right.

People who retire and sit all day in front of the TV quickly burn out. People who lie down too much have lung and breathing problems.

In hospitals, after surgery, doctors try to get the patient back on his feet as quickly as possible, and there is a good reason for that.

Our body is designed to be in motion.

However, as DevOps engineers and software developers, we spend a lot of time sitting. So it’s not surprising that many developers have health problems by the age of 40–50.

Because we sit all the time, it is especially important for us to exercise. Fitness exercises have many physical and mental benefits.

I can name some rules that I follow in my daily sitting job:

• Keep the correct sitting posture.
• Do a 15-minute morning warm-up and stretch.
• Walk or run outside, far from cars and roads. Spend 30–60 minutes daily, three times a week, for fitness exercises.
• If you can walk, do not use elevators or escalators.
• Don’t overeat, eat when you're hungry. Drink more water.
• Do 5-minute breaks every hour for a small stretch.
• Ventilate the room.

Let’s extend it a little.

Good posture helps you stay healthy, work better, and feel good.

• Good posture helps you avoid pain in your back, neck, and shoulders.
• Bad posture can harm your spine.
• Sitting up straight helps you breathe better. When you slouch, your lungs don’t have as much space to expand. This means you get less air.
• When you sit correctly and breathe better, more oxygen reaches your brain. This can help you think clearly and stay focused on your work.
• With good posture, your muscles work correctly. With bad posture, some muscles work too hard and others not enough. This can make you feel tired faster.

Always remember to check your posture when using a computer. It’s not easy, but it worth it in the long term.

Here is an image of correct sitting posture, provided by Columbia Chiropractic Center:

Tip: Try sitting straight without leaning on the back of the chair as much as you can. This makes the back and core muscles stronger and improves your posture.

15-minute morning warm-up and stretch.

For those of us who have cats, what is the first thing cats do when they wake up? They stretching.

Spending just 15 minutes each morning to warm up and stretch can help both our body and mind get ready for the day ahead.

• Wake Up Your Body: Our muscles can be stiff in the morning. A warm-up helps get blood flowing to all parts of the body, waking us up and making us feel more alert.
• Reduce Injury: Stretching can make muscles more flexible. It’s decreasing the chances of muscle injury.
• Boost Mood: Moving our body releases “feel-good” chemicals called endorphins. These can help us start our day in a positive mood.
• Increase Energy: Warming up boosts blood circulation, which means more oxygen reaches our muscles and brain. This can give us more energy to start the day.
• Flexibility: Regular stretching keeps muscles long and flexible, which can help in daily activities and improve overall movement.

Starting the day right sets the tone for everything that follows.

A simple 15-minute morning routine, focused on warming up and stretching, can transform not just how our body feels but also how our mind operates throughout the day.

Such a simple act holds profound benefits.

Walk or run outside, far from cars and roads.

Usually I do it after the working day. It helps me to clean my mind, sum up the past day, and make plans for tomorrow.

Three times a week, every other day, I spend 30–60 minutes walking, along with some squads, push-ups, and pull-ups. Personally, for me, it’s the best meditation for putting things in order in my head.

And I’m not talking about the fact that I’m becoming stronger, faster, and more energetic.

Exercise also improves brain function, and it’s a proven way to reduce stress hormones. Physical activity boosts blood flow to the brain and can improve cognitive functions, aiding problem-solving and focus.

Do not train too hard. Otherwise, it will be a punishment for you (unless you know why you need to train hard).

A couple of pushups and pullups three times a week is enough to keep you in good shape.

Try to exercise in the park, avoid the roadside runs. First, you might get hit by a car. Second, why would you breathe exhaust gas?

If you can walk, do not use elevators or escalators.

You are inside the shopping mall and have to get to another floor?

Instead of taking the escalator, take the stairs.

You need to buy bread at a bakery a mile from your house. Take a walk and leave your car in the garage.

Don’t overeat. Drink more water.

Try to reduce soda drinks or any other sugar bombs. Water is more than enough for a healthy life.

Do not overeat.

Overeating regularly can make you gain weight. Extra weight can lead to health problems like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

After overeating, many people feel sleepy or tired. This can make it hard to do tasks or stay focused.

Eating too much at once can make your stomach hurt. It can also cause bloating or a feeling of being too full.

If you don’t take food as medicine, you will take medicine as food.

Do 5-minute breaks every hour for a small stretch.

At the end of every hour, get up and do a short stretch from your neck to your feet.

Sitting or standing in one position for a long time makes muscles tight. A short stretch helps relax them.

When we move, blood flows better in our body. This brings more oxygen to the brain and muscles, helping them work better.

Stretching can help you feel more relaxed. It’s a quick way to let go of tension or stress.

That’s it. I hope this article will be useful for you.