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Exercise. Exercise. Exercise.

There aren’t many posts here in Self Care about working out. I pressed the end key until the page stopped loading and found only 2. “Stop telling me to exercise” and “How do Indie Hackers exercise?” I get it. This group is primarily about mental health related to the challenges of a founder. But it needs to be stated. You are not maximizing the quality of your work if you are not regularly exercising. Move your body to feed your mind to produce the results you need to succeed.

Exercise and Mood

Physical activity, be it dancing, yoga, running, weight lifting, and even Hockey, has been proven to be a critical component in promoting mental health. When you perform strenuous activity, your body responds by producing neurotransmitters calls endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals whose primary functions are to reduce pain perception and generate a feeling of pleasure in its place. People who regularly exercise experience this chemical process more often than those who do not. This continual process alters their mood and decreases physiological tension, resulting in an overall feeling of content. In short, the primary benefit is not in the physical activity itself but in the body’s response to the stimulus that lowers stress levels and improves mood, resulting in better work.

Exercise and The Mind

Physical activity, precisely that of an aerobic nature, promotes positive changes to the brain. These changes range from the molecular level to material changes in the brain's structure. Aerobic activities like running or bike riding increases heart rate. An increased heart rate sends more oxygen to the brain. The brain then uses that oxygen to create and fortify neural pathways that transmit and process information. There are far too many benefits to fit into this post. The main takeaway is that working out can make you smarter.

The point is working out will increase the quality of your output. It stabilizes your mood and promotes efficient cognitive ability. We founders need to be on our A-game if we want to succeed. Regular exercise is just one of the tools at our disposal.

Note
I’m not an expert, and I am certainly not a doctor. Though it should go without saying, please speak to your primary physician before undertaking any strenuous activity.

Thanks for reading.

I’m considering producing level 1 fitness content. The very basics of weight lifting and personal development. If you’re interested, leave a comment or subscribe to my newsletter on JustFitness.io

  1. 3

    I always had some prejudice against weight training and exercises in general.

    Six months ago I bought a couple of dumbells and started a home program.

    I am much more productive now.

    1. 2

      Heck Yeah!!
      What was the prejudice, and how'd you overcome it?

      1. 2

        I always thought that "smart people like me" don't care about "material" things like body, appearance, and health.

        I overcame it after knowing a few people smarter than me that were also fit.

        1. 3

          Yeah. It's an odd place to be. 80s tropes on nerd and jocks have really done a number on us, haven't they? Great job getting out of the trap! How do you exercise ?

          1. 2

            Absolutely.

            I bought a home program from https://builtwithscience.com/

            Using dumbbells.

  2. 1

    It's absolutely right to say that both physical exercise and mental stability is much more important to be cool and calm. I always do bike riding to some attractive places by my dirt bike coach. It is best for me to release my stress and also some physical activity.

  3. 2

    I consider working out as a great stress reliever. It's also helping with my back. Sitting all day behind my laptop is just bad for my back.

    You should have a look at what @rosiesherry is doing. You might like it. She's building strength in public. The Indiehackers way. 😎

    https://www.indiehackers.com/post/strength-building-in-public-bd0f88ddf5

    1. 2

      Thanks for the heads up.
      Yeah, I most certainly hopped on the hype train for that one.

  4. 2

    Couldn’t agree with this article more.

  5. 1

    One of my favorite parts of being an indie hacker is that I can take an hour or two during the middle of the day and go get some exercise. Used to be impossible when working a "real" job.

    I find that I come back with new energy to tackle the afternoon, and am significantly happier for the rest of the day.

  6. 1

    This comment was deleted 3 years ago.

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