HACKER Q&A
📣 teamonkey

How to Move While Working?


Or perhaps, how to work while moving?

I work from home and I spend a lot of time sitting at my work-provided PC. I'm finding myself getting more and more sedentary and I want to find ways to move and be active during my core hours at work, so that I'm not continuously sitting at my PC for two blocks of 4 hours every day.

About 50% of my work must be using proprietary software at that PC, but there are also the regular documentation and administration tasks and that's where I'm hoping to spend some time simply not sitting.

I don't just mean stretching every 20 minutes and taking regular breaks (which I try to do). I want to know if anyone has found a way to, for a hypothetical example, write documentation while walking the dog? Or planning sprint tasks on an exercise bike?

I find dictation software patchy and that it's hard to exercise while typing, but perhaps you've found a combination of techniques and technology that works for you. In which case I'd love to hear it!


  👤 toldyouso2022 Accepted Answer ✓
I was in the same boat, I realized I had the wrong approach. You are trying to solve a problem that it's not there if you eat well and train regularly. Be active outside work so you can focus on work when you work.

👤 asimpleusecase
I have a walking desk and typing works ok for me. I ground my palms on the work top and type away ok.

Works great for conference calls - best if no video as you will Bob about. I highly recommend it.


👤 aszantu
a colleague got a treadmill that he uses when he's in meetings. It's not ideal for when you type. I did art and I wasn't brave enough to try and publish, so now I'm paying an artist on fivver to refine my works for publishing, will do the same with the texts once the artworks are done.

But I guess that's not the same for written documentation. I'd think you could dictate and then give it to someone for transcription?


👤 brudgers
Maybe look at what Wolfram was doing a few years ago, https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2019/02/seeking-the-prod...

👤 surprisetalk
I go outside and take long walks during all my meetings.

You might also consider getting rid of your chair and sitting on the ground or on a stool. I find that when I work on the ground I naturally move positions a lot because it's uncomfortable haha