Is Exercise Bad for You?

ForkSnorter on 05/02/2023 - 10:26
Last edited 06/02/2023 - 15:28

Edit: due to all the sarcastic comments, I decided to add this opening comment as clarification:

Regular (or constant) activity is definitely good for you but maybe we don't really need to do dedicated, specialised exercises that increase the risk of injury, like jogging, long-distance cycling, and gym. Maybe just walking is sufficient to stay healthy.

Here is the original post:

Consider the following:

  1. My grandpa didn't exercise once in his life. The closest he got to exercising was walking to the letterbox to check the mail. He did this once every 2 days, and it was a major expedition for him. His favourite book was called "Exercise is bad for you", it was always lying around on the coffee table. He was enormously overweight for most of his life, yet lived to the age of 88.

  2. His wife, my grandmother, didn't even walk to the letterbox, and rarely left the house. She basically either potted around in the kitchen or sat on the sofa watching TV (not actually watching, just staring at it). In the last few years of her life, she had a glass of wine every night with dinner. She lived to the age of 93.

  3. I have numerous unhealed injuries which are the result of exercise or strenuous activity. These include bad knees, one bad hip, bad lower back, 2 bad shoulders, and 1 weak foot. As a result of these injuries, I have much less flexibility, mobility and strength than my friends and relatives of similar age, who have been much less active than me throughout their lives. They are now much more active than me, due to injuring themselves far fewer times than I have.

  4. My mother never engaged in regular exercise (no swimming, running or cycling or any sport) in her younger years, yet she is now extremely healthy and active for her age; she is far more flexible and mobile than me, and has never injured any of her joints.

  5. I'm seeing more and more studies finding that intensive exercises is correlated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease or heart attack/stroke.

Keep in mind, I've always loved to exercise, and it has always been important to me and made me feel amazing. But over the years, my ability to exercise has become more and more limited due to injuries caused by exercising.

Poll Options

  • 26
    Intensive exercise is good for you.
  • 607
    Frequent moderate exercise is good for you.
  • 44
    Occasional light exercise is good for you.
  • 12
    Exercise is not necessary for health.
  • 22
    Couch potato is the healthiest lifestyle.
Health & Beauty

Comments

    • [Deactivated] on 05/02/2023 - 13:32

      tbh when i first read this i thought it was a satire of anti-vax people whose arguments are just personal anecdotes and weird websites as sources

  • ddhar on 05/02/2023 - 13:18
    +2

    I feel shit when I don't exercise for a while and I don't sleep well either, hence I exercise.

  • Keplaffintech on 05/02/2023 - 13:47

    If you don't want to exercise, no one's forcing you to. But don't try to convince yourself it's somehow healthy. Probably the best thing you can do for your health is to do regular moderate exercise.

  • Hardlyworkin on 05/02/2023 - 13:48
    +9

    Your grandparents got a lot of exercise with sustained elevated heart rates. They probably didn't tell you about this particular activity at the dinner table.

    • Heaps for Cheaps on 05/02/2023 - 14:05
      +2

      Sexsercise

      • Herbs on 05/02/2023 - 20:19
        +1

        I read somewhere it is recommended to exercise for 30 minutes a day. You have sex 6 times a day? (note, this is a rhetorical question)

  • Kamsi on 05/02/2023 - 14:37
    +4

    My old man still swim 5 laps in the pool every morning and his 92 yrs old. His words move it or lose it :)

  • IceCreamBandit on 05/02/2023 - 14:43
    +1

    A few things…(Note: Below points don't necessarily correlate to your numbered points)

    1) Exercise ≠ Physical Activity Source

    2) Anecdotal evidence of a sample size of one family and you want to draw that conclusion? I know people who exercise daily and are fit and healthy in every way imaginable. Therefore, exercise must be good for you?

    3) So you have injuries that have caused pain/limited your activity? What exactly has been done to rehabilitate that rather than just call it 'unhealed' as if things are irreversible? There are people who've experienced traumatic injuries that require years of rehab and can return to 'healthy' and 'mobile'. Some people also need to consider alternative activities that suit their body to maintain or improve health.

    4) Back to the exercise ≠ physical activity thing. People can live busy active lives without getting the chance to (or choose not to) participate in sport/exercise. People who walk lots (for commuting etc.) or are physically active in their daily lives (work/shopping/housekeeping) do not necessarily need to participate in planned activity to sustain or improve their fitness because they are already so active.

  • cookie2 on 05/02/2023 - 15:03

    Ofcourse exercise isn't bad for you. In theory. In actuality you may be overdoing, incorrectly doing which may have a negative effect. You also may think that if you exercise then nothing else you do matters but it does. Lifestyle, genetics, food and nutrition, stress, all play a part in how overall healthy you are as well as pre-existing illnesses and weaknesses. I didn't chose an option from the poll as none fit. Ofcourse exercise is healthy, both moderate and periods of more intense. But exercise isn't the only factor in overall health of an individual.

  • MrKnowItAll on 05/02/2023 - 15:20
    +1

    I recently decided to get my health under control by changing up my diet and activity levels. I'm 23kg down and feel better than ever. Recently bought a treadmill and since doing so I've noticed a significant jump in my mood, I'm sleeping better and don't tire / wear out anywhere near as easy - I can do the HIIT program for 40 minutes when it nearly killed me at 16 minutes just a month ago. Prior to this my activity levels were going to the letterbox.

    Exercise is indeed very good you in so many ways, please don't skip over it.

  • Benoffie on 05/02/2023 - 15:49
    +1

    People underestimate the role of genetics. We are told to place a high value on food and exercise when, for many people, one or both of those factors will have little to do with their end outcome.

    The issue is not to conflate total lifespan with quality of life. It is also important to not conflate 'staying healthy' with an improved quality of life either.

    The only person anyone should be talking to is their GP/specialist and going from there.

  • johndoe789 on 05/02/2023 - 16:01

    Survivorship bias gonna bias

  • djones145 on 05/02/2023 - 16:12
    +5

    is trolling bad for you
    1. slavoz got banned.
    2. trolls are good
    3. bikies
    4. troll

  • ihbh on 05/02/2023 - 16:25
    +1

    The exception does NOT prove the rule.

    Also, how many more years would they have lived to had they exercised?

  • ihbh on 05/02/2023 - 16:29

    HIIT (e.g. Tabata protocol) every couple of days is good for you.

    • taradavey on 06/02/2023 - 11:55

      But not everybody at all times! If you have a highly stressed body and immune system, hiit is another stressor on the body. For some, low intensity exercise is much better for them.

      • ihbh on 06/02/2023 - 13:29

        Comment assumes people have a brain and know their individual circumstances. E.g. if you're on your death bed, might be better to just lie there.

        The average person who's never done it before, might huff and puff after a quick 50m run. Next week they might huff and puff less or be able to do another 50m run. And so on. Doing a quick 50m run (I'm not using the word sprint because someone might die from it) vs a walk probably won't kill anyone, but it can help significantly over the long term.

        Anyone who can't think for themselves should see a doctor / their dad / mum, etc. before doing anything.

  • Miami Mall Alien on 05/02/2023 - 16:38
    +2

    OP's smooth brain logic: I was an idiot and hurt myself numerous times because I don't know the meaning of moderation and/or my body's limits, so let's throw out an entire body of established scientific literature because I'm bitter now that everyone else hasn't completely ruined their body like mine.

    Also, my grandparents were basically invalids with a miserable quality of life in their later years but at least they lived to around the average human lifespan, so that kind of life is definitely worth aspiring to over being as healthy as possible in the prime of your life to give yourself the broadest possible range of life experiences.

  • EdenKai on 05/02/2023 - 17:01
    +2

    Exercise is 100% good for you, but much like many things in life, too much of something can be bad. I found a lot of my patients that have knee or hip injuries also didnt really develop them because of exercise, but more the nature of the exercise or what they've done for work. For example, a bunch of patients with horrible knees are the ones that played a ton of footy or basketball or something, but then back injuries are formed due to bad lifting technique. If you do a lot of high impact sports or even just exercise with horrible form, of course youre gonna develop injuries a long the line. Developing injuries is the nature of growing older.

    At the same time, youre sorta using exceptions to define the answer. For example, its commonly said that smoking causes cancer. In reality, it only increases the chances of cancer. There are people who are fortunate enough to have smoked their entire lives and die at a ripe old age.

    The other thing is, ofc your grandparents didnt have injuries, they didnt do anything? If truly, all they did is walk to the letter box and garden, than yeah… why would they have injuries. They were sedentary people. You cant hurt yourself if you just sit on the couch all day.

    There is also this misconception that exercising means youll live longer, where in reality, people have a set life span, as your telemeres grow shorter so does your life span. Being morbidly obese can accelerate the rate at which they shorten. So i would say your grandparents were relatively lucky, they might just have been fortunate that it didnt accelerate it by much.

    I dont mean to sound rude or anything, but from what I can gather, youre an intelligent enough person to understand all of this, but at the same time youve allowed exceptions and personal comparisons to change that opinion quite drastically. Its just weird. I've worked with a lot of patients, and the ones who seemed the most okay were the ones who stayed fit, stayed active, stretched, exercised. The ones who were falling apart were the ones who werent.

  • Zapwap on 05/02/2023 - 17:18
    +2

    Not sure how many times this needs to spoken- "moderation is the key"

    Intensive anything will cause problems.

  • cliff dev on 05/02/2023 - 17:23

    Im going to assume your examples passed away within the last 20 years or so?

    They would have had access to modern medicines etc. At the time of passing they may have been older than the average but surviving past 80 would have been normal

    While im not 100% sure about your examples generally Im sure people that lived in their era were more active in their life than general people of today that say they dont excersise (generally) in Australia. Now days cars is a given and amount of walking as apart of live (not walking for the case of walking) is lot less. Next thing is diets. Generally again people were not eating out as much and fastfood/takeaway wasnt as big back then. Lot more whole foods and less processed foods. While these things became big later in their life im sure if you lived 60 years in one way your less likely to change your ways.

    Over exercising is bad and yes can cause a negative effect. But taking care of yourself (including moderate excersise) is good. Have you seen how 60-80 year olds look/act today compared to 30 years ago.

  • leiiv on 05/02/2023 - 17:38

    Past 70, the most important thing is not how old you can live until, but how you live the last years of your live. Whether you are still mobile or immobile, etc.
    And as usual with anecdotes, you just never know what would happen otherwise. For example, if your grandpa or your grandma were to do some exercises, they could have lived longer.

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 05/02/2023 - 18:37

    no there is loads of research to say Exercise is good for you however having poor technique or over training can result in injury

  • Dogsrule on 05/02/2023 - 18:37

    The answer to your question is in the first paragraph of the third article you linked:

    Exercise and physical activity definitely reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), with many studies showing that an active individual is at a 30 to 40 per cent lower risk. But latest research has busted the myth of limitless exercise, overdoing it and pushing too hard and advised a moderate amount instead. An intense workout regime exercise may actually encourage calcification in arteries or atherosclerosis in active, middle-aged people.

    Work like a draught horse your whole life and you’ll blow your poofer valve. Work like an elephant instead - medium effort in all things with an occasional burst of stomping predators when necessary.

  • 87percent on 05/02/2023 - 18:59
    +4

    My grandpa smoked at least one packet a day for 80 years, does that mean smoking is good for him?

    • bobolo on 06/02/2023 - 22:33

      Same with my grandpa. He is close to 100 now. However to answer your question truthfully, he would probably cark it if he had to quit now from the withdrawals. So yes, smoking is probably good for him at this point in life

  • jatbinks on 05/02/2023 - 20:04

    As with everything there are other factors to consider as well. Like what you eat and your genetics. Alot of ppl who don't exercise develop obesity which causes heart problems etc etc. So as a general rule exercise is good, but if you eat healthy, have a fast metabolism and do small amount of exercise you should be fine.

  • Camelface on 05/02/2023 - 20:34

    This post (and most of the comments) are based on the assumption that health is based on what you do with your body, which is not the case. The equation is not complete so you can't derive someone's health solely based on the body.

    I think OP need to learn more about who we are and what this life is about.

    Answering the question, I think it depends on how you exercise. If you are stretching or torturing or abusing your body, trying to be someone that you're not, then it may not help. But if you can listen to your body and compliment it by exercise, it may be beneficial, and more likely will stick around for a long period.

  • Tasmaniac on 05/02/2023 - 20:45

    Alcoholism and bad health ruin 20% of all retirements. That's 40% when you count the impact on the spouse.

    Looking after your body is not up for negotiation.

  • node modules on 05/02/2023 - 21:02

    could be genetics. for the most of us, we need it, as suggested by mountains of credible scientific evidence.

  • Bypass on 05/02/2023 - 21:16
    +1

    My Great grandmother lived to 101, she smoked everyday since she was 13. Based on that anecdotal evidence, does that mean smoking isn't bad for health?

  • da1andonly on 05/02/2023 - 21:21
    +5

    I read in the news once, a guy in the US got shot in the head and survived, a lot of people have survived when they have been shot in the head. So don't worry if you get shot in the head, you will survive.

    • SpainKing on 08/02/2023 - 09:55

      Think that guy became awesome at piano as well so if anything, it's a good thing

  • Daddy Chill on 05/02/2023 - 21:46
    +1

    To be fare to the OP 50000 years ago nobody ran for fun

    • Guybrush57 on 07/02/2023 - 23:53

      Run for fun? What the hell kinda fun is that?

  • plasmoske on 05/02/2023 - 22:35

    I previously worked in manufacturing for a decade, where this one company I worked for had heaps of long time employees (20-40 years). The job was fairly physically intensive (a lot of lifting, walking, rotating stuff, assembling, sorting etc). 85%+ of the workforce there were all in their 50s and 60s… and guess what? They were all really fit if you compare them to someone who's also their age who haven't done anything physical.

    I see people who are in the same age group, who've never worked out, yet look like they're struggling with life. As in walking slow, can't do much, slow hands, slow reaction and look very fragile. Just poor quality of life.

    Yes, a lot of these guys at this company also have work related injuries/aches/pains. They can't escape it because that's their job. That's the one downside of the job that I saw and for a lot of these guys… I think the job is not suitable for them anymore. But they been doing it for so long, they don't know where else to work anymore.

    In my opinion, exercise in moderation is really beneficially to have a better quality of life when you're older. This is just from experience having seen so many elderly people who exercise and those who don't.

    • mauricem on 06/02/2023 - 00:09

      The job was fairly physically intensive (a lot of lifting, walking, rotating stuff, assembling, sorting etc). 85%+ of the workforce there were all in their 50s and 60s… and guess what? They were all really fit if you compare them to someone who's also their age who haven't done anything physical.

      Most tradies I know reckon they've stuffed their bodies up well before retirement age. Could just be an excuse for what they charge these days;)

      • OzBarAnon on 06/02/2023 - 00:59
        +4

        Tradies don't really get the benefit of managing their physical workload the way a person exercising in their own time does. If you're jumping rope and your shins start hurting, you can just call it quits for the day before you develop shin splints, whereas a worker needs to get a job done by a certain deadline, even if it's more physically taxing than healthy. Recovery is the same. You can skip a workout if you need time to recover, but a worker can't always take a day off or take it easy, and the stress on their bodies accumulates.

  • Ughhh on 05/02/2023 - 22:36

    Everything revolves around a good balance. Too much or too little can increase risk of (different) health issues, some will be short term, others long term.

    Sitting on the couch all day with a bad posture can also lead to health issues.

  • OzBarAnon on 06/02/2023 - 00:54
    -1

    "Is exercise bad for you? My extremely obese grandfather lived to 88." Well he's pretty fortunate that he never had to do any laborious activity and was able to cruise through a sedentary life then, isn't he? It's all well and good to be a weak and fat slob until you need to carry something up a flight upstairs, or god forbid, carry an injured person. It's easy to be fat and sedentary when you have a cushy life, a cushy job, and modern medicine to keep you alive.

    • ForkSnorter on 06/02/2023 - 07:17
      -1

      He fought in world war 2. He had a cushy retirement because he had a bunch of kids and a million grandkids to look after him. Typical WWII generation.

      • jdawg on 06/02/2023 - 09:31
        +1

        Preparing for and fighting in WWII seems like it would have been a lot of physical exercise, as well as a great deal of mental, physical and emotional strain.

      • mauricem on 06/02/2023 - 11:38

        Typical WWII generation.

        yeah they had it good. Free cruises to exotic locations, joy flights, parachute jumps, lying around in trenches all day while getting tax free wages!
        Don't worry those good times might come back;(

      • Hangryuman on 06/02/2023 - 20:09

        wait, what ? obese grandpa fought in WWII ? huh - possibly a lifetime's worth of sufficient exercise (even basic training fitness entry check) ? You didn't mention that in your OP …!

  • RefusdClassification on 06/02/2023 - 04:00

    Exercise is overrated. It has just become a means of virtue signalling for the middle class, to proclaim their superiority over the proletariat.

    Osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear leading to cartilage breakdown. The OP has multiple joint injuries due to exercise. I have Medial Epicondylitis thanks to exercise from when I was a teen. Play it safe, be sedentary.

  • Tiredman on 06/02/2023 - 07:49

    Everything in moderation. No point exercising till you mess your body up.

  • thrillhouse on 06/02/2023 - 07:50
    +2

    His wife, my grandmother, didn't even walk to the letterbox, and rarely left the house. She basically either potted around in the kitchen or sat on the sofa watching TV (not actually watching, just staring at it).

    Sounds like the most miserable 93 years of existence.

  • TrumpisKing on 06/02/2023 - 08:13

    Your grandparents are the odd ones out.
    The survived that long due to sheer luck nothing else, and tbh the way you described them, they were overweight and unfit, not really living is it?
    Working smart not hard is the key when you're exercising.
    Do the required warm ups and stretching and don't push your body beyond its capabilities.

    There is absolutely no way that exercising vs not exercising is worst lol.

  • Cleartripe on 06/02/2023 - 08:14
    -1

    As a person who used to do regular excercise and a cardio vascular patient now, I completely agree, excercise has been oversold as the key to health. If anything, stress arising out of excercise only seems to kill your heart, if not yourself. My friends, whose idea of excercise is walking 10 steps for a smoko 10 times a day are in perfectly good health.
    You can outrun your bad genes with good excercise.

  • yokel on 06/02/2023 - 08:29
    -2

    If you do not enjoy moderate exercise and don't want to work towards rehabilitating your joints then don't do it. Do not assert that this the position others would hold or should choose to take.

    • DingoBilly on 06/02/2023 - 12:45
      -1

      I mean, the science is pretty clear that exercise is good for you. So you should do it… If you choose not to you are being unhealthy and that's completely your prerogative though.

      • yokel on 06/02/2023 - 13:10

        Did you read what I wrote?

  • singlemalt72 on 06/02/2023 - 08:58

    Confirmation bias is a strong thing for many people, outliers are just that and do not support the facts.
    Frequent, moderate exercise and diet = good
    Couch potato, bad diet = bad
    Some people win the genetics lottery and live long despite the bad lifestyle choices, but you forget the millions who did not.

  • thousandsuns on 06/02/2023 - 09:33
    +2

    I can't tell if this is a legitimate question or if OP is just trolling? 🤔
    Note to be made that exercise isn't the only thing that gives you a longer life. Genetics, lifestyle, and diet also play a huge part. So why have you singled out exercise specifically? If you're going to pick on something specific, make sure you keep all your variables the same, but wait, you can't because everyone has different genetics and QOL based on where they live and what they eat too. Life expectancy varies across the board.

  • afah0447 on 06/02/2023 - 09:57

    Exercise and keeping in shape has many positive psychological benefits. Being overweight and never leaving the house would take a toll on your mental health.

  • Bold Eagle on 06/02/2023 - 10:12
    1. Poorly executed exercises will hurt people causing injuries and poor outcomes but proper training by technical experts ensuring you have the mechanics of the movement will ensure proper execution and lead to beneficial outcomes,
    2. Not a single scholarly or academic source in those links, you may as well just be getting your facts from FB or the 'Today' show for all they are worth. Stop believing garbage and absolute rubbish and look for actual credible sources from 'google scholar' or medical journals!

    If we google the term 'exercise is bad' in google scholar then start trying to confirm this 'confirmation 'Donald Trump' BIAS' your presenting:
    https://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=e…
    First one of the rank!;
    https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/36/23/1445/229335…

    The benefits of exercise are irrefutable. Individuals engaging in regular exercise have a favourable cardiovascular risk profile for coronary artery disease and reduce their risk of myocardial infarction by 50%. Exercise promotes longevity of life, reduces the risk of some malignancies, retards the onset of dementia, and is as considered an antidepressant. Most of these benefits are attributable to moderate exercise…

    As others have stated moderate 'well trained' exercise is beneficial for the vast majority of people, exceptions are those who have specific 'rare' conditions. I have chronic lower back pain and if I don't exercise I will start to develop mobility impairment as inflammation increases causing stiffness, the conditioning of my back degrades and my pain becomes more frequent and more pronounced this leads to me starting to protect those specific back regions and pushing the load onto other muscle groups, often incorrectly then they start stressing and locking up in a vicious circle. I then have to start taking all the pain killers again in a never ending 'negative feedback loop' and my mood also crashes with increased anxiety and depression. Whereas, if I get to gym/swim ~3 times a week to undertake targeted exercises (Exercise Physiologist program) and hydrotherapy then I won't need pills, have full mobility and can move comfortably and confidently with excellent balance and have a good mood.

    We could all readily counter your grandparents and show many examples of elderly people who are still undertaking exercises like the geriatric or senior Olympics or The Australian Masters Games:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senior_Olympics
    https://australianmastersgames.com/
    The differences between these people and your granparents would be the term 'quality of life' (QOL) as active people will often lead a rich & complex life full of diversity, engagement whereas it reads like grandmother didn't have much complexity or richness in hers and was just waiting for her time to come.

    I invite you to go and see some specialists who can help design some targeted exercises to focus on your impairments and weaknesses and address them. To then undertake that program for 6months before the benefits will become meaningful and then reflect on your post. You might start with your GP having a conversation about addressing 'your chronic conditions' and make sure all of the tests have been undertaken (XRAYS, Bloods, MRI, etc.) and then getting a referral to people who know what they are doing (Exercise Physiologists (EP) are my go to), physios are for fixing injuries but EP are more about exercises programs to target around those injuries and provide support and engagement for the muscle groups.

    It is about quality not quantity.

    Pro-tip: keep embracing the 'exercise is bad' paradigm and your going to end up a pain-killer pill popping, miserable wreck feeling sorry for yourself and simply 'looking forward to your end day' or you can try and do something about it and change your paradigm.

  • squaredonut on 06/02/2023 - 10:18

    I think the issue is that you're sampling relative to your genetic pool. You guys may have the magical gene that makes you guys have more longevity.

    I am sure there has been multiple studies out there for that samples a broader range.

    One of the things about life is, there are too many variables, and it makes it difficult to correlate. Your environment, your family and friend network all adds up. How much stress someone has gone through in their lives for example, how happy they consistently have been.

  • whitepuma on 06/02/2023 - 10:25

    I'm suprised this even needs answering, but in the event this isn't a troll, here is your answer:
    excercise is good for you. But ofcourse there is much more to it than that. much like anything, too much excercise, or too strenuous excercise can cause more problems than it's solving.

    But there is certainly a "healthy amount" of excercise that is indeed good for you, best to speak to a doctor on what that healthy amount is on a person by person basis.

  • Whomastadon on 06/02/2023 - 10:34

    Wow, obviously OP is a troll shit post, however,

    the amount of replies conflating injuries with exercise is amazing.

    And conflating work with exercise.

    Performing awkward, repetitive manual labour for 30 years doesn't count as " exercise "

    The lack of education around fitness is crazy

  • Herbse on 06/02/2023 - 10:54
    +1

    Agreed, Exercise is for chumps.

    You have 3 people out of the 9 billion as your test subject to prove this and that's enough proof as anyone can give and enough for me

    Now I'm off to get 50 wicked wings from fountain gate and watch Netflix on my Turkish account until I fall asleep on my Eames lounge chair

  • morebunnings on 06/02/2023 - 11:44

    You sound like someone who drives their car without servicing it or getting it fix, then complains when parts of it break.

    If you have unhealed injuries then go see a doctor and get them healed.

    End of the day genetics and luck play a big part into getting old. You have to just roll the dice and enjoy life with as much risk as you are happy with.

  • kusala on 06/02/2023 - 12:08

    Trump doesn't believe in exercise, but has never been a nicotine or alcohol user. He is extremely overweight (wears a corset to hold in his belly) and apparently, doesn't have the fitness to walk very far. His physical unhealthiness is probably mirrored in his mentality. From all reports, his working days at the White House were much shorter than other Presidents. However, for a 76 year old, he is quite active with his travelling & speaking schedules.

  • OBEY YOUR MASTERS on 06/02/2023 - 12:19

    Ive often wondered the same. People know they have to excercise but nobody really knows why?

    My best guess is that intensive excercise is just stress to the body. Excercising at a high level on a daily basis does not leave adequate recovery time hence fatigue and injuries.

    So what is the purpose of excercise?

    1. Detoxifcation (research the lymphatic system and hiw it works)
    2. New Mitochondria (anyone who doesnt know what Mitochondria are should probably not be commenting in this thread)
    3. Fitness (Probably relates to the above)

    Im sure there are other reasons but I would try to choose excercise that optimizes the above. Also make sure to enjoy what youre doing cause otherwise youre wasting away a whole lot of time.

    • MrMarket on 06/02/2023 - 18:03

      I exercise because I enjoy them and I feel very uplift and energised, the feel of drinking a cold cup of water and going into a shower after an hour run is just magical
      I feel really good and it last me the whole day and food seem to taste a lot better after my exercise and shower maybe due to hunger

      I like going into the bush for a hike, it nice and relaxing and the dipped at the waterfall on a hot day is a bonus

      • OBEY YOUR MASTERS on 06/02/2023 - 18:25

        I get that you feel good bro but thats not everybody. Some people dont feel good and that makes them avoid exercise. Perhaps you are at a decent level of fitness? You are pretty healthy already and exercise gives you those feel-good chemicals in the body.

        • MrMarket on 07/02/2023 - 09:41

          fitness and exercise is something that just doesn't happened over night, it is always hard at the begining and you may hate it but you know it is good for you so you got to find ways to fit into your routine and enjoy them.

          I used to hate exercise when I was younger, TV and Computer is all I do then I start having back pain in my late 20s from too much sitting and not enough exercise but I am the sort of person that tend to tackle problem as soon as I encounter them. I deal with any problem as soon as I see them and made the hard and uncomfortable decision if that is what required to fixed it.

          So I start an exercise routine of walking and running, at first I deliberately catch the bus so I can walk to the bus stop, I deliberately walk to 2-3km bus stop away from my house, it tough having driven every where in my life, then I start running, then I start hiking and then I start riding bike
          and the rest is history.

          I now don't use the car to go to work, bus, bike or walk it part of my routine and all the health issues I used to have just disappeared, no more back pain, no more cholesterols etc…

          • OBEY YOUR MASTERS on 07/02/2023 - 11:41

            @MrMarket: So youre saying that excercise strengthens your muscles and is a big stress releaver for you? Sounds good to me. Should probably add those 2 points to my list at the top.

            • MrMarket on 07/02/2023 - 12:08

              @OBEY YOUR MASTERS: When I had back pain, I went and see a specialist and got a scan, it reveal I have a slight slipped disc and it was extremely painful, some days I cant even walk.

              He talk about surgery and shit if I cant handle it and with it carry risk but he said my case is not that bad and in time it may slipped back in and suggest I change my habits from too much sitting down.

              I ask what can I do? Can I exercise? Can I carry on my normal activities and anything I should avoid? he said yes you can start exercise and do your normal every day thing but don't lift anything heavy, a few Kg max

              So I start to exercise and after 2 years it just went away, I was the happiest person alive, no more back pain. Since then I kept up the routine and don't sit around and watch too much TV
              I find other things to do like hiking, gardening, travel and be out door most of the time
              that was 20 years ago.

  • trapper on 06/02/2023 - 12:48

    Exercise is good for you, getting injured is not. So exercise with care.

    Also a life with more activity, even at higher personal risk, will be much more fulfilling than a life spent sat inside on the couch.

  • BuyoTheCat on 06/02/2023 - 12:48

    New version of AFL where no one runs for the ball. Just wait in their spot for the ball to come their way

  • 2esc on 06/02/2023 - 12:52

    Last job i had management wanted to move me into the office to sit on my ass with a pay rise i declined as im someone who puts weight on easy. My job involes physical work thats how i keep fit. Apart from light occasional exercise such as bush walks i dont do planned exercise.

  • AlextheMeertkat on 06/02/2023 - 13:10

    I am totally pro for reasonable exercises but here is my family story.
    my old man has been smoking a pack daily and drinking since 15, zero exercises but still going relatively strong, in the meantime, majority (if not all) of his friends who proudly did jogging and hiking have passed away.
    I have my own unscientific possible explanation: no questions - smoking is bad but maybe partially the harm from it can be offset by stress reduction and less calories intake? for example, when a non-smoker is stressed at work and eating junk snacks to calm down, a smoker goes downstairs and back (a light exercise) and has a cig without eating anything (less calories intake). I am not sure what is worse for your health a cig or a Snickers bar.

    • ForkSnorter on 06/02/2023 - 13:32

      I don't think this reasoning is on the right track. Cigarettes are carcinogenic. That is the main risk. But again, cancer involves luck. Some get it, some don't. But, in the end, everyone gets it (either that or heart/cardiovascular disease or some other organ disease), otherwise we'd live forever. Smoking significantly increases the risk of cancer. Smoking also increases arterial calcification, which means it narrows your arteries, lines them with plaque, and massively increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, heart attack and stroke.

      Eating less does not offset the risk of cancer caused by smoking, nor does it prevent the arterial calcification caused by smoking.

      Over-eating is bad for you, but food is not, on the whole, carcinogenic. Too much salt causes high blood pressure, and may impact on your blood vessels, but it's not as bad as smoking. When you get too much salt, you get thirsty and drink more water to help compensate for the high salt level. This is what increases your blood pressure (temporarily). As long as you let that water out and don't keep eating too much salt, you should be fine.

      I am not sure what is worse for your health a cig or a Snickers bar.

      Cigarette definitely. In fact, if you were lost in the wilderness, a snickers bar could save your life. I can't think of a scenario where a cigarette would save your life.

  • CowFrogHorse on 06/02/2023 - 13:30

    They dont just say well Professor Bob says this so we just believe him, no the details of Bobs papers are tried again and again over and over before it becomes accepted by the scientific community.

    Scientists dont just look at ONE example to understand why something happens.

    They write papers which get reviewed and reproduced by peers around the world - its called the scientific method.

    Just saying because of your grandpa that means its true for everyone is well silly. YOu can believe whatever you want, but that doesnt make it true. Look up what believe means in a dictionary before you hound me.

  • [Deactivated] on 06/02/2023 - 13:39

    I agree exercise is not necessary for health

  • FIVEDOLLAR on 06/02/2023 - 13:45
    +1

    its only monday

    top shit post for the week

  • smartazz104 on 06/02/2023 - 14:09
    +1

    Nah OP has a point; I had a friend who exercised every day. Ten years later, BAM, herpes.

  • JelIyfish on 06/02/2023 - 14:25
    +2

    What happened if he got an important letter on the non-letterbox day?

  • MrFrugalSpend on 06/02/2023 - 14:29

    I was very active when I was younger but now have a desk job.
    Probably what OP is suffering is similar to me - I do very little regularly then try to do what I used to be able to and injure myself.

    Now I've been going to a really good physio I'm amazed how a little bit of regular targeted 'exercises' he designates with massive emphasis on the right technique are what he recommends to make a big difference…. It's not about killing yourself, its about regularly stretching everything the right way to avoid the injuries and keep everything mobile.

    I have no plans to go for a high impact run or the likes.
    A guy I knew was one of the fittest people ever - prided himself on riding a lot for many many kms every week - dropped dead of a heart attack on the side of the road in his mid 50s trying to keep up with his riding mates in their 20s and 30s…. he over did it.
    Like literally everything…. its all in moderation.

  • anglais on 06/02/2023 - 15:58

    Worth observing that lifespan and wellspan are different. Living to 88 doesn't mean much if you feel like crap for the last 20 years of life.

  • nephilim on 06/02/2023 - 16:15

    honestly moderate is best, even 30mins on treadmill a day.
    Once you get into strength, got to consider tendons and nerves… recovery is serious business.

  • cunningdrew on 06/02/2023 - 16:18
    +2

    I'm sure it's been mentioned, however your pops lived well because the world was a different place. Thanks to the processed rubbish we eat, we lack some fundamental health specifics these days.

    Pro-tip, when you go to the supermarket shop around the outside of the store and sprint through the aisles quickly with blinkers on.

  • anfs on 06/02/2023 - 16:22
    +1

    I'm a bit curious on how much pain did the OP ignore when he was exercising to get such injuries? I thought the two things they generally stress when exercising was good form and listening to your body.
    Good form to minimise injuries and listening to your body is knowing when to stop/rest or change up your exercises to suit.
    Assuming you're not a professional athlete or had a freak accident, most normal people won't have the Op's level of injury

  • workerant on 06/02/2023 - 16:27
    +1

    I would advise considering the fundamental principle that correlation does not imply causation.

    I have no professional insight to offer but the medical consensus is that exercise has a positive impact on your health. As with anything, moderation is key.

  • grasstown on 06/02/2023 - 18:38
    -1

    Your parents would have done more than that. But also they would have had good access to good medication.

    Drugs companies nowadays are more greedy and you don’t get as good. Your doctor pushes the drugs he gets rewards for. I would avoid strong exercise if you are boosted. Have a heart check if you are vaccinated.

  • AMLagonda on 06/02/2023 - 18:45

    My Nan Lived to 101 and didn't exercise per se, but she never stopped moving, she did walk the dog every morning and pottered/gardened all day.

    I think they ate better in their day, she never had junk food.

  • Stevecro on 06/02/2023 - 18:53
    +1

    Moderation is definately key. Strenuous exercise like getting your heart rate up quite high is probably not great for you as you get older. The heart is like any muscle, the harder you push it, the more chance something will give.

    Best example is those who are 80 plus, I worked with many in retirement villages, interviewed a group in their 90's and not one exercised intensly throughout their lives, they just kept generally active, did gardening and walked, low intensity exercise but regular. They didn't overeat and kept their weight in check.

    • Hangryuman on 06/02/2023 - 20:19

      'The heart is like any muscle, the harder you push it, the more chance something will give'

      my understanding is the heart is dynamic and a healthy heart can quickly ramp up to max rate and quickly recover and slow down - e.g. when I wore an Apple Watch, doing my 15 pushups each morning I'd see 148 pulse rate (I'm old) - my resting rate is about 69

      regular exercise (not intensive, just e.g. walking upstairs, my 15 pushups) can retain that elasticity - confirmed by my recent annual cardiologist scan checkup

      failure to raise the heart rate regularly can leave it unable to respond to sudden stress, which can result in a heart attack or stroke and death - but those folk aren't here arguing their case … ;-)

  • 42 on 06/02/2023 - 18:57

    If you extrapolate from the fact that the more you use something the sooner it will break down.When you exercise you will be working your heart and other muscles and joints more so hastening their breakdown.

    • Hangryuman on 06/02/2023 - 20:27

      'If you extrapolate from the fact that the more you use something the sooner it will break down.When you exercise you will be working your heart and other muscles and joints more so hastening their breakdown'

      sorry - not a fact. Breakdown is more frequently due to inadequate maintenance, care and attention.

      I recently sold a 30-year car that was running beautifully - we had just done a 6-day inland road trip - the real reason I sold it was because of a 3kph crash - reverse-turning out of a tight motel parking bay I didn't see a post, and I couldn't be bothered to get it fixed.

      another reason is in retirement I prefer to walk - more relaxed, more friendly, stop and chat with people, and … more healthy !

      • 42 on 07/02/2023 - 08:05

        sorry - not a fact

        Eg LED lights - X hours life span
        Eneloops - X cycle lifespan, tyres X kms lifespan, the list goes on.

  • Chong on 06/02/2023 - 20:10

    Depends on what sort of lifestyle you want, if you want to just sit at home in your old age, eating less and some walking would be fine.

    If you still want to be out and about, if you enjoy the outdoors, you want to have regular excercise, and nutrition to go with it.

    The biggest problem nowadays i see is people who push themselves too hard without getting proper guidance (poor/unsafe form/practicses) and pushing themselves too hard in steps, risking injury rather than gradually building up all around fitness and strength.

  • Hangryuman on 06/02/2023 - 20:35

    to summarise what I see here - intensive exercise (heavy gym, strong sports) risks injury

    walking (I call the Johnny Howard exercise) is lower risk of injury - provided you watch where you step (ankle twists) and look right, left, and right again before crossing busy roads - so your life doesn't cease there.

    shorter unhealthy lives have been associated with failure to get regular checkups, failure to follow doctor's advice, and failure to stop unhealthy behaviours like smoking and alcohol, then throwing up your hands and saying 'what can you do!?'

    longer healthy lives have been associated with getting regular checkups, following doctor's advice, and choosing to stop unhealthy behaviours - in other words, paying attention and regular maintenance and improvement.

  • Wasabi Ninja on 06/02/2023 - 20:46

    The reason they probably didn’t exercise is bad genetics. Sounds like you exercised with the bad genetics and now you’re paying the price. My grandfather died last year and he was 103. He swam everyday and was doing competitive swimming into his 80’s. His class division was over 60’s because there weren’t enough people in their 80’s.

  • bobolo on 06/02/2023 - 22:45

    Just do everything in moderation. Whether you live to 70 or 100, you will only ever regret the things you didn't do.

    In my opinion, being 200kg is equally as unhealthy as the hardcore gym bro that has no life outside of training several hours every day and counts every calorie they ingest. Both are going to live and die miserably.

  • klonky on 07/02/2023 - 09:16

    I got in to running 18 months ago and am entering my first half marathon in May. After that I want to train for ultra trails. I feel the best I have ever felt in my 38 years.

  • hawkshead on 07/02/2023 - 11:07
    +1

    I believe the advise is to do what works for you. and keep your body moving. whether thats walking fast, lifting a truck, or embracing the road runner lifestyle.

    • MrMarket on 07/02/2023 - 12:18

      yes that is the best course of action for a lot of people, see what you can handle and keep on moving
      walk, run, bike, hike whatever, don't follow all the BS trends on exercise, there is no need for it.

  • maximum on 07/02/2023 - 12:52

    I think the fact that you don't get injuries like tennis elbow or runners knee from reading books is a pretty good indication that exercise, is bad for you.

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