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Ask Slashdot - Careers In Computer Science That Keep You Physically Active?
First time accepted submitter ozzyoli writes "I love computer science (IT not so much) but I despise the thought of being stuck behind a desk for the rest of my life. Are there any career paths that would suit a computer scientist who likes to be physically active and on his feet a lot?"
I woke up this morning, did 80 press-ups and 80 situps (the first time I've done this in years and years) and later I will go for a 5k run. Don't change career, just make a little time for exercise. You may be surprised how energetic and awake you feel in the morning after some light exercise. Keep your body healthy and the mind will follow!
I used to work in a 15-floor building and exclusively used the stairs. Mostly this meant a few dozen 2-3 floor trips and a couple of ~10 floor trips. These days I work in a building where all my co-workers are on the same floor... and it shows (despite going to the gym ~4 times a week).
It's remarkable how little excersice you actually need, it's just that you have to do it all through the day. The hours at the gym don't match up to walking a few stairs every hour.
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I love computer science (IT not so much) but I despise the thought of being stuck behind a desk for the rest of my life.
Why would you have to be stuck behind a desk for the rest of your life? Can't you, like, I dunno, put a timer that makes you get up off your desk every 30 minutes, to stretch your hips or take a walk? Go to the gym during lunch (specially if there is one on or near your work premises)?
At my desk I keep a tennis ball, rubber bands and two CoC grippers #1 and #2 for grip training, and several resistance bands, including for a variety of exercises, which I do throughout my work day. I had a co-worker who kept a pair of dumbbells under his desk for lunges, standing up presses and stuff like that. Myself, every other day I drive to the gym in the middle of lunch, and when I don't have time to go to the gym, I simply walk up and down the stairs (6 floors in total), or take a 15 minute walk. There is nothing in a professional career (not just CS) that requires you to be stuck on a chair.
Life choices man, life choices. You are making this too complicated, a badly thought of solution looking for a non-existing problem.
Are there any career paths that would suit a computer scientist who likes to be physically active and on his feet a lot?"
Physical labor. You can be a computer scientist by education who chooses a physical labor career path instead.
If your concern is about physical activities while working as a computer scientist, all you have to do is plan your work day, and your work week so that it integrates physical activity of some kind (possibly in addition to an after-hours physically active lifestyle). This is not rocket science.
Now, if your concern is that being a computer scientist will deprive you from enjoying the outside world, dude, you are on the wrong career path. At the end of the day, being in career like computer science requires dedication to tackle problems that, many times, require undivided attention. When you do work, when you get paid to do work, that's what you do, and if that means that sometimes you'll be sitting on a desk, solving problems that you are getting paid to solve, then, that's what you do.
You inter-mix (sp?) physical activity during your work day, and after hours, but you do not expect your CS career to keep you physically active. You should expect yourself to do that, not your CS career. If you want your career to keep you physically active then you need to look at a different career.