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sublineartoday at 5:17 AM0 repliesview on HN

I don't really agree with the whole "social jetlag" part they drop in at the end. Not only does it feel like an ad priming people to accept and seek out heavily monetized social trends, but it misses the bigger picture.

Lots of people are stuck in some level of "fight-or-flight" from the moment they wake up because they're under pressure. Adding exercise shouldn't feel like another thing added to the pile of tasks.

If we agree the problem is psychological then we should focus on the same things we do to treat anxiety. Rule out nutritional or medical problems and focus on the state of your nervous system. Check your bloodwork, get a pulse oximeter (not a watch), and get a journal going of your consumption habits.

I did that and found prediabetes, vitamin deficiencies, and sleep apnea. Something like 75% of the population would find out the same, but these simple tests aren't taken seriously. Even when they are, people don't see or decide to ignore the connection.

On paper I improved my resting heart rate, heart rate variability, insulin resistance, ODI events, etc. just from diet and slowing down my day. In reality it was so much more than numbers. I stopped feeling like shit all the time. Now that I can exercise comfortably, I don't see it as a chore and can enjoy it. I'm not even hung up on when exactly to do it anymore. It just happens anyway because it's fun.

Now that I'm exercising more I can manage my health easier than when I had to push myself to do it. I think if we say people need to take the exercise itself at their own pace then we should also tell them to take their broader health more seriously before telling them to exercise. Otherwise it will be too overwhelming and the whole rhythm is lost.