Does a programmer need physics?
Programmers In Great Shape
Once again, our community member has sparked a thought-provoking discussion, this time delving into the relationship between mental and physical health. It’s a topic that often takes a backseat in our conversations, overshadowed by our focus on mental health. However, the interconnectedness of mental and physical health is undeniable. Here is a simple rule:
Good physical health == Good mental health.
While we frequently share cheat sheets for maintaining mental health in the context of our lives as programmers, such as stress, burnout, and other psychological challenges, the importance of our physical health is equally significant. The demands of our profession, characterized by long hours of coding and high-pressure deadlines, can take a toll on our physical health, leading to lack of sleep, bad eating habits,Bad etc.
In this newsletter, we will understand the relationship between mental and physical health .
What Happens to Your Brain When You Stop Exercising :
For us, sticking to a consistent exercise routine isn’t just about staying fit; it’s about keeping our brains sharp like a new, empty server. A recent study featured in Frontiers sheds light on the importance of regular cardiovascular workouts for maintaining optimal brain health.
In this study, seasoned athletes, aged 50 to 80, accustomed to intense training schedules, took a break from exercise for ten days. Surprisingly, even this short hiatus led to a noticeable decrease in blood flow to crucial brain regions, including the hippocampus, which plays a vital role in memory.
While the immediate impact on cognitive function wasn’t significant, the findings suggest that prolonged periods without exercise could negatively affect memory formation and retrieval, and as you know, the skills we get paid for (problem solving, creative thinking, etc.) are essential for us to tackle complex tasks because, as you see now, there are new tools each day. Our job is not only to write code but also to make things better by thinking in a better way.
This study reminds us that staying active isn’t just about physical fitness; it’s about keeping our minds sharp and our IQs safe. So, even amidst hectic work schedules, prioritize regular exercise to support both our physical and cognitive well-being.
Impacts of Exercise on Our Mental Health :
I want you to remember that exercise isn’t just about physical fitness — it’s also a powerful tool for improving your mental well-being to keep you safe. Here’s how adding exercises to your routine can impact your mental health:
Boost Your Mood: When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins, natural chemicals that act as mood elevators and pain relievers. This release of endorphins can help you alleviate stress, anxiety, and promote feelings of happiness , we don’t need drugs to feel happy :) ; all what we need is to move our bodies every single day.
Stress Reduction: This felling kills us every single day is the cost of being a programmer, but when you move your body helps you lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol while increasing the production of endorphins. By reducing stress and promoting relaxation, exercise can help you manage anxiety and achieve a sense of calm .
Improve your problem-solving skills Power: Exercise improves blood circulation and oxygen flow to the brain. It is like purging the cache from the server to improve the performance of the app running on this server. The same is related to us as humans; it leads to making your brain fresh, which means good memory and more focus to solve more complex problems. By engaging in regular exercise, you can sharpen your mental acuity and reduce the risk of cognitive decline , you will engage in super deep thinking and problem-solving when your brain brain releases endorphins , check this vedio.
