Anybody run or walk on a treadmill or elliptical machine during trading? My trading strategy mainly entails entering the trade manually, but upon entry, I try to let the trade take care of itself(profit target reached or stopped out). I sometimes get bored during trading, so I am wondering if doing some stress relieving cardiovascular exercise might be good. Anybody else do this, or is everyone too glued to their screens and chairs eating potato chips?
Yes----I do this frequently, but I actually leave the house. Stops are in, let them do their thing. These days I'm 95% automated so I'm better of just checking my systems every hour or so to make sure everythings still running properly hardware and connectivity related.
I do quite a bit, especially during the summer. I either sneak in an hour at the pool or on the treadmill around noon, or leave an hour or two before the close for a bike ride. But then, I'm training for an Ironman.
Yes it's healthy. When I first started and was a bit more anxious I would hit the floor in my trading office, at home, and do atleast 30 pushups and maybe some jumping jacks, dissipated the nervous energy. Now I break at 10 AM MT, and do 20 on my eliptical trainer, feel much better and fresh for the rest of the day. A friend of mine would walk a few miles and bring charts marked up with notes and stop and review them and keep walking, a good way to multi task for basic overview.
Funny - I was at a traders seminar , about 200 people, and I have to say there were fewer than a handful that looked like they take care of themselves. Many were heavy smokers, leather skin, over weight, liquid lunches and so on. I think the stress from wild swings to boredom to total fear and euphoria might cause us to glue the screen and eat, smoke, drink, whatever. I could see myself heading down that path too - but I realized it and started only giving the screen attention when the markets are deserving of my time. I take lunches off, and pursue other interests on those sideways zigzag days (not my play). Good plan I say.
With my style of trading, I only trade a few times per month, so I get incredibly bored in front of my computer screen. I always take the lunch off, I work out in the afternoon and read books when no trading is necessary (which is most of the time)
Yep. I'm normally flat before heading out to the gym and to run mid-day errands. Lets me clear my head and focus myself, plus it keeps me out of the lunchtime doldrums on the ES.