Your opinion on this article?

This was sent to me by my insurance company.. How do you feel about what it says?  I like exercising but not how they describe it. That would take up a LOT of my time. Exercise: How much should I do? You know regular exercise helps protect your health. But what's considered "regular?" Do you have to work out like a bodybuilder, or is walking around the block enough? Guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend:

		30 minutes of moderate exercise — such as brisk walking, bicycling or recreational swimming — five times weekly. Or,
		20 minutes of vigorous exercise — such as jogging, running, playing basketball or lap swimming — three times weekly. And,
		A session of strength training — such as weight lifting, pushups, and sit-ups or other calisthenics — twice a week. Try to do eight to 10 different types of these exercises with eight to 12 repetitions each.

Caution: For safety's sake, see your doctor before significantly increasing your level of activity. You always can do more! The 20 or 30 minutes recommended is just an average of how much exercise tends to yield health benefits. Doing more is even better for you. In fact, you may need to do at least 60 to 90 minutes to lose weight or maintain weight loss. Ready to get started? Follow these tips to work fitness into your daily routine: Chop it up. Can't do 30 minutes all at once? Doing it in 10-minute chunks throughout the day can be just as effective. Mix and match moderate and vigorous activities. You can take brisk, 30-minute walks two days a week and go on 20-minute runs on two other days. Choose activities you like. You don't want to get bored! And, you may be more likely to stick with it. Bring the family. Play an active game in the park. Go on a hike or bike ride. Exercise is more fun as a group. And, it teaches kids the importance of fitness. Following these guidelines can help you reduce risks for serious illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. It also can help you stay strong, flexible and independent as you age.

Any activity is better than none, but some activity is better than others.  I've learned that the above is really light. You want real results, you need more in frequency, duration, and intensity. You can get something out of that vigorous exercise, but 20 minutes will keep you where you are today, not change you much for tomorrow, unless you're coming from absolute and total inactivity. I'm afraid when people read the above, they don't think or do the level required.  They think intensity is a 5 on a scale of 1-10 and it's really more like a 12, off the charts.  Most fear going where they should go and so they reconsider "vigorous" and "moderate" to a definition that is less effective.

I do 1 hour vigorous exercise daily minimum

I do cardio, core, and strength daily minus one rest day a week.  (Oh, they should reinforce the importance of rest in that article!)

I guess I just dislike routine exercise.  I enjoy my 2 days a week of 1 hour karate sessions. That's the most routine I'm willing to do.  Outside of that my exercise comes from outdoor activities like hiking, lawn work and landscaping.  I think back to when my grandparents were alive. They did go to gyms and work out for hours a day, yet they stayed fit. My grandfather just worked his garden and ran his machine shop.  < shrug! >   I'm not saying that going to the gym for an hour a day is bad. It's not... A lot of people really enjoy doing that. I, myself, despise it.  It's boring to me. I guess I just feel a little resentment towards the article telling me that I have to do these things daily otherwise I'm not doing anything good at all.  I beg to differ!  I guess overall it is a good article.  I just don't like the part from the American Heart Association. The rest of the article makes sense to me.. LOL

Hate to say it, but it makes sense to me.  I hear ya tho, I hate excercising also..until it's done!  You always feel so good afterward.  The past few weeks I've been trying to make myself get in a half an hour Monday thru Friday.  I slacked and didn't do it Friday or yesterday because of a cold.  I'm worried I'm gonig to start coughing up a storm.  But today I think I'm gonna give it a shot.  I also have been thinking of what else to do, so I 'm glad to see the strength training in there.  I love sit ups, lol when I get on my butt and do them!  I've always noticed results so fast from them, probably why their my favorite.  When I lose my tummy always disappears.  Lol, man..that just made me want to go do sit ups!  I forgot all about that!

Anyways what I'm trying to say is I know you don't like it, but reality is your body needs it regardless we like it or not.  I think it's great some people can do more than this, but I personally think this is just fine.  If  you don't like routine, don't do it in a routine.  No one says you have to go by the books.  Hell, I know I don't.  Ask my husband, I'm one that HATES routine, despises it.   I just know everyday I have GOT to try my best and move my body and get my heart rate going.

Time to suck it up Chris.  hehe   I know I'm trying. 

I do like exercise. I dislike daily exercise.  I don't feel like it's necessary honestly. I do feel like I'm getting a decent amount of exercise but I could probably use more. My current routine: Two 8-10 minute walks per day, Mon-Fri. One in the morning, one in the afternoon. I do this for work. I park 3/4 mile away from my office.  My choice. There are closer lots. Mondays/Thursdays - Karate for 1 hour which consists of a good 30 minutes of very vigorous cardio, 5-10 minutes of strength (push ups, crunches, etc.) and the rest is training. Sparring increases the cardio time of course. Weekends - I sometimes go hiking, landscaping, etc.  Just normal everyday activities. Whatever I can do..and if I don't feel like doing anything I don't. I feel like I do enough to reap the benefits of exercise. I may not be in the best shape and my body isn't tone and muscle ripped, but I feel like I'm doing pretty good considering.

Your routine doesn't sound that bad to me either.  I love the parking 3/4 mile away from the office every day.  I think that is a great idea.  

Ya know, you made me start thinking of the old fashioned way to get exercise, like mowing the yard, raking leaves, working out in the fields, you get the picture.  We are so obsessed with gyms and equipment we forget how simple day to day exercising can be.  I remember a nutritionist I saw once told me to never let my kids carry in bags of groceries again.  They can do other things like running around, playing, to burn off energy.  But she wanted ME to carry in the groceries ONE bag at a time.  Just something simple as that.  Think we tend to forget the fundamental basics of it all. 

Holly & Kriz...mind you , I loved my time in the gym over years of lifting. The day will come when I go back to something again, maybe pool stuf, whatever. However, i now much prefer being outside...and studies show that perhaps the caloric burn in gyms is not quite what they say it is - walking/jogging outside does burn a larger percentage of calories because more effort is required by the body. Lifting free weights does burn more AND tone more - weights on machines, not so much. I agree that life-movements like groceries, housework, etc. do count on some level, but I feel less sure when I think about cardio - just about gotta move for at least 10 minutes straight to get any real benefit.  kriz, your parking job would meet that, so wtg there!

Ok little boy.. you asked for opinions!  LOL   The article is RIGHT ON target.  Whether you chose to use any of that information or not is up to you. NEXT:  you walk to work.. THAT'S exercise Karate is definitely exercise.  You also said you were hittin' that whitewater place.. THAT's exercise.  Yard work.. sure.. that's exercise (since I sweat and breathe heavy when I do it.. I have to consider it exercise).

I think that article speaks to those who don't do anything and have no clue where to start.  It's quite cursory.

You have to identify your fitness goals and formulate a plan.  Yea.. I go to the freakin' gym every day.. lol.. and I lift.. but I LIKE TO BUILD.. that's a goal for me.  I use the cardio equipment at the gym cause it gets me out of the house and gives me variety.  I can't walk on uneven ground because of torn acls and meniscus removed.....  so... it gives me a level place to walk.  If the weather is bad.. there's always the gym.  If I wanna put my fist through a wall.. I go to the gym instead.  You don't have to do the do at the gym, but you do have to do the do somewhere not only for your physical health, but for your emotional well being. Whatever it is you do.. it's gotta be something you enjoy (like whitewater and karate).  Bottom line is if you don't enjoy it.. you're not going to do it as often as you should ANYWAY.

Now.. be a good boy and go for a WALK!   (snicker)

 

 

I dunno what my aversion is to that article! Lol It just makes me angry everytime I read the AHA suggestions. :P It's like they're insulting me and saying I don't exercise enough. Lol.. I know.. I'm reading into it too much..  Ooo wait.. perhaps it's my inner self speaking to me saying get out and move more!!.... Nahh..that's probably just a craving for a butterfinger.. 

Put the butterfinger down and GO FOR A WALK!   ... and LAUGH at the article as ya do it!! I gotta be honest.. I've read this same information over and over again.. and whenever I feel convicted about something..... it indicates I feel like I've been doing something wrong.  Hmm.. could your inner little boy be telling you something you don't want to hear???????