Why (and how) you should stay fit and healthy as a game developer.

It’s too easy to sit at a desk getting absorbed for long hours in whatever it is your next big idea is... especially making games, it’s fun and time can fly.

I say “too easy” not because coding games is a walk in the park.

I say “too easy” because this is what your body thinks.

When you sit for long periods of time, muscles that have been fine-tuned by billions of years of evolution aren’t being used.

A recent study of more than 1 million women and men showed people who sit at a desk without moving for long periods of time have increased risks of several chronic conditions and mortality.

Let’s just say the outlook isn’t good.

And now, after the pandemic, with work from home the norm in our industry, there’s quite a few of us nerds (me included) sitting at home for long periods of time instead of walking to the train station, cycling to work or going for a lunch time stroll.

But let’s ignore the doom and gloom for now because there are actually benefits of leading an active lifestyle as a game developer.

Your productivity will go up.

You might think sitting at desk trying umpteen different ways to solve a problem with your nav mesh is the best use of your time, but it likely isn’t.

Without damaging your ego too much — your brain, like everyone else’s has limits. It gets tired, it gets sore, it misfires. Taking regular breaks can actually improve your productivity. And during these breaks is a great time to get out and move around.

You’ll feel more confident.

As expected, I haven’t found much science on how people feel after exercise, but there are plenty of studies demonstrating a wide range of mood-altering chemicals released after a workout.

Yes, it’s a pain in the ass doing exercise (sometimes literally), but you will feel better about yourself, and that can only be good for your confidence.

You’ll be more focused.

Apparently, the same endorphins that make you feel better also help you concentrate and feel mentally sharp for tasks at hand. And it’s also an investment in yourself, as it likely prevents memory loss as you get older.

You’ll be more motivated.

Motivation begets motivation. Remember when you used to dread going to school, or work, but once you got there it wasn’t so bad? Yeah, same thing applies with exercise. Just start, the motivation will come. Not only that you’ll also be more motivated to work on your game.

Your social skills will improve.

Let’s face it, software developers didn’t get into the software industry for public speaking. Having more confidence might just give you that conviction to take that interview you about your game, talk to people at a conference or, heaven forbid, stand up and talk in front of people about your game.

You might just figure out that difficult problem

Your subconscious is smarter than you might think. Just by taking a break and not thinking about your game, or some of the difficult problems you face with it, you might find that your subconscious is doing the heavy lifting while your body is doing the same.

Here’s my health tips for game developers:

1. Don’t go full Rambo.

If you haven’t exercised for a while, or never, start easy and gradually ramp it up each session. The last thing you want to do is injure yourself. The older you are, the more you will need to warm up and stretch before you get into it.

2. Don’t listen to your brain’s excuses.

Your brain really doesn’t want to exercise, no seriously, it doesn’t. It’ll ask, “What’s the point in wasting energy when you could conserve it for something more exciting, like running away from a deadly predator?”

Here’s some of the brain's classic hits, and ways to overcome them:

“I don’t have the time”. I always hear this one. Set your alarm 45 minutes earlier than you usually do or give up one thing that is taking up your time that is also bad for your health.

“I can’t be bothered”. Hardest bit is actually getting going but remember, once you’re up and going, you’ll feel more motivated.

“5 minutes is long enough”. No, it’s not, this is your brain telling you to conserve energy, don’t listen to it for a few minutes and focus on the exercise at hand, it’ll shut up eventually.

“I’ll do it tomorrow”. The only real excuse you should have is illness or injury. Don’t let your brain win.

3. Choose an exercise that is exciting.

This might be a lot harder than it sounds, but here’s a few ideas.

• Think of something you used to love doing when you were younger — liked riding bikes? Going on long walks with your family? Going for a swim? Playing a ball sport? Do that.
• Are you more result oriented? Set yourself a goal — time yourself running each morning and try to reduce it over time, walk a few minutes longer each day, lift slightly heavier weights or do more reps each time.
• Know someone that is into a sport you might like trying? Reach out — doing exercise with other people and sharing the experience can reduce (or eliminate) the monotony of exercise.
• Games, games, games! We’re gamers here aren’t we? There’s plenty of sports games out there — 10 Pin Bowling, Minigolf, Table Tennis, Soccer, Badminton, Athletics, Cricket, Martial Arts, Baseball, Softball, Squash, Tennis — the list goes on… do a search in google for your closest club and try it out.
• More the creative type? Buy a drone, fly a kite or make a working model aircraft and go fly it, you’ll be puffed in no time chasing those things around! Dance, Theater, Music Lessons (especially drums) will all get you moving.
• Like nature and/or animals? Jump on google maps and find your closest nature walks and/or animal sanctuaries. Do them all one by one— and bring a friend to share the experience. Find your closest beach or swimming center and learn a water sport — water sports are especially good exercise.

4. Eat well (and eat slowly).

Your body needs energy to exercise, and for energy you need nutritious food. It’s okay to have cheat days, but for the most part, try your best to eat healthy.

What’s healthy? Pretty much anything on the outside isles of the supermarket (except perhaps the deli).

Generally, you want a good mix of protein and carbohydrates. More carbohydrates mean more energy, but if you don’t use that energy, it will turn to fat. More protein means more potential to build muscle (but you can’t build that muscle without carbohydrates)

Breakfast Ideas:

• Yoghurt or Porridge with Bran.
• Yoghurt or Porridge with Peaches, Apricots or Nectarines.
• Scrambled/Poached Eggs with Spinach and Avocado.
• Mixed fruit platter (Mangoes, Rock Melon, Apple, Pears, Strawberries, Grapes, Raspberries).
• Homemade fruit and yoghurt smoothy.
• Avocado and Feta Cheese on Toast.

Lunch Ideas:

• Tuna/Chicken/Falafel/Salmon/Prawn Salad with Tomatoes, Red Onion, Cucumber and Feta Cheese.
• Sushi.
• Scrambled/Poached Eggs on toast.
• Salmon/Chicken and lettuce sandwich (stick to grainy bread).
• Homemade Fried Rice.
• Homemade Vegetable Soup.

Dinner Ideas:

• Chicken/Beef/Salmon/Tofu with Rice and Broccoli.
• Chicken/Beef/Salmon/Tofu stir fry.
• Chicken Cacciatore — Cafe Delites
• Pesto Pasta — with plenty of pesto sauce! | RecipeTin Eats
• Try one of these 50 one-pan dinner recipes (taste.com.au) — try to stick with the one with lots of vegetables and protein.

Want to lose weight?

Don’t listen to all the “magic” weight loss fads on the internet. There’s a simple equation to (natural) weight loss: Eat less, move more. I like to stick to what I call the Five Fist Diet. Clench your fist — that’s the size of the meal you can have five times per day. If you’re not getting results, go to four fists.

It’s calories in, calories out. Simple as that.

One weight loss tip I was unaware of until recently was to eat slowly — benefits include better digestion, better hydration, easier weight loss or maintenance, and greater satisfaction with our meals.

Want to gain muscle?

You’ll need to up your weights and protein intake — heavy weights, chicken, eggs and broccoli are your friends here.

Here is a good starting point for gaining muscle Strong Lifts 5×5 Workout Program: The Definitive Guide (2022).

Not seeing results?

Results won’t come instantly, and they might be so slow you don’t even notice them — so good to track your progress with a set of scales or photos.

One thing Arnold Schwarzenegger said that has stuck with me was:

“If you want to gain muscle, you have to shock the body”

Now I’m not saying we should all turn into gym junkies, but if you want to see different results, you need to change your routine — your body won’t change if you don’t.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out there, get going and you’ll find you might even finish that game you started this time!