3 ms·

HN is probably the wrong forum for health advice, as it's not really something you'd "hack". Your best bets are mostly mundane according to the large, peer-revi

by tyrw 9y ago

HN is probably the wrong forum for health advice, as it's not really something you'd "hack". Your best bets are mostly mundane according to the large, peer-reviewed studies that have been done, and you could summarize them as: * Eat a balanced diet, avoiding excess * Exercise regularly, avoiding excess * Don't smoke * Don't drink more than a glass of alcohol each day, if at all * Cross your fingers and hope for the best

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
blacksmith_tb 9y ago
I am skeptical many people could manage to exercise to 'excess', a little digging online suggests there isn't much evidence[1] there's a real danger, with the possible exception of some competitive athletes - one example that comes to mind is Graeme Obree[2] 1: https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/24/can-you-get-too-much-exercise/ https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/24/can-you-get-too-mu... 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme_Obree#Taking_the_record https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme_Obree#Taking_the_record
- freebish 9y ago
  It depends on your definition of "excess", I guess. If you work out in the cardio section of any gym, you will eventually see regulars who are hitting some machines very hard, with a visual appearance of anorexia. I'm sure some of those people were just skinny, but not all of them. It's not my role, as a fellow gym member, to recommend psychiatric help. But heavens knows I thought it, more than once. In addition, gyms are built around luring in people while assuming that a large percentage of them will quickly stop attending. Some of the drop-off is just from laziness or dislike of exercise. But some of the drop-off is from going too hard, too fast, resulting in injury, especially for first-time weightlifters.
  - blacksmith_tb 9y ago
    That's fair, I wasn't considering psychological problems (it would remain to be seen if borderline-OCD exercising had negative or positive physical effects, though). Along similar lines there's 'bigorexia'[1] 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_dysmorphia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_dysmorphia

by tyrw 9y ago

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

blacksmith_tb 9y ago

I am skeptical many people could manage to exercise to 'excess', a little digging online suggests there isn't much evidence[1] there's a real danger, with the possible exception of some competitive athletes - one example that comes to mind is Graeme Obree[2] 1: https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/24/can-you-get-too-much-exercise/ https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/24/can-you-get-too-mu... 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme_Obree#Taking_the_record https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme_Obree#Taking_the_record

freebish 9y ago
It depends on your definition of "excess", I guess. If you work out in the cardio section of any gym, you will eventually see regulars who are hitting some machines very hard, with a visual appearance of anorexia. I'm sure some of those people were just skinny, but not all of them. It's not my role, as a fellow gym member, to recommend psychiatric help. But heavens knows I thought it, more than once. In addition, gyms are built around luring in people while assuming that a large percentage of them will quickly stop attending. Some of the drop-off is just from laziness or dislike of exercise. But some of the drop-off is from going too hard, too fast, resulting in injury, especially for first-time weightlifters.
- blacksmith_tb 9y ago
  That's fair, I wasn't considering psychological problems (it would remain to be seen if borderline-OCD exercising had negative or positive physical effects, though). Along similar lines there's 'bigorexia'[1] 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_dysmorphia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_dysmorphia