How to Stay Healthy as a Web Designer or Developer

Us web designers and developers sit down all day long while we're at work. We don't move as much as we probably should. So many of us are probably not as healthy as we could and should be. I'll be giving you a few tips to get healthier and feel better during the day and sleep better at night.

1. Walk or ride a bike to work
2. Reduce your coffee intake and drink more water
3. Take a stroll every 1 – 2 hours
4. Meal prep
5. Get a step counter
6. Find other people to get healthy together

Walk or ride a bike to work

This could be a no-brainer, but we're trying to maximize your body movement during the day. If your work is too far away to walk or take your bike and you have to take the bus, get out a stop earlier and walk the last part. When you're taking the car to work, try parking at a parking space further away from work and walk the last part. And if you're working in an office building and have to take the elevator, take the stairs instead, or don't take the elevator all the way and climb the stairs the last part. Whatever your travel situation, try to walk as much as you can. This can give you 1000 to 2000 extra steps and that's an amazing start of the day.

Reduce your coffee intake and drink more water

Everyone knows that coffee is dehydrating, but did you know it can also be bad for your physical health if you drink too much of it? Try to switch some of your cups of coffee to tea or water throughout the day. I personally reduced my coffee intake from 5 to 6 cups per day to 2 to 3 and it doesn't feel any different. A good way to start to replace some of your coffee with water is to have a bottle or cup of water on your desk at all times. When the cup is right there, you're more likely to drink it and most of the time you don't even realize it. If you need a way to track your water intake, I can highly recommend Hydro coach. I've been using the app for almost two years and it reminds me to drink when I need to.

Take a stroll every 1 – 2 hours

Taking a stroll every hour or two is not just good for your body movement, it can also help you think. Taking a stroll every so often can help you think about a problem in a different way. Maybe you see something or someone that can help you solve the problem. It's also a great time to fill up your cup of water after you drank the last one.

Meal prep

I hated making lunches for the day in the morning, it took up too much of my time. When you start meal prepping you can make all your lunches during the weekend and just grab a box during the week. This is not only very convenient, but it's also healthier and cheaper than buying a lunch every day. You can decide what you put in your lunches, you can make it as healthy as you want, with some chicken and rice, or less healthy with some pasta. Either way, it's more convenient to bring a ready-made box every day.

Get a step counter

Getting a step counter is a perfect way to keep track of your progress and to challenge yourself. In the beginning, I started out with 8000 steps per day, just to see if I could make that by sitting down all day. It turned out that I could make that and I started to challenge myself. I set my goal at 10000 steps and kept going up until I had trouble reaching my goal. I'm currently at 12000 steps per day and I feel better about myself. I sleep better during the night because I exercise a lot more during the day and therefore I feel rested during the day. That also helps with the second step, reducing your coffee intake.

Find other people to get healthy together

Becoming healthy alone can be difficult. Nobody will stop you from being unhealthy at times and you can easily slip back into your old, bad habits. You'll be more likely to succeed when you have other people to help you stay motivated. This is why Sander and I are coming up with a concept to help developers to keep each other healthy.

What have you tried to get healthy as a developer or office worker? Share your experiences with me on Twitter!

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