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I think it depends just how grueling the physical work is. My dad is 71 years old (I'm 28) and has been doing autobody repair work for 55 years (still working

I think it depends just how grueling the physical work is. My dad is 71 years old (I'm 28) and has been doing autobody repair work for 55 years (still working to this day). He has mild arthritis, but he's in remarkably good shape. On the other hand, I'm starting to develop a gut after 7 years of full-time programming. I genuinely believe that if I were to keep up my current lifestyle, I'd be in for a bad time by the time I hit 50. Ideally, I should be doing more physical exercise, but the difference is that it's a choice that I have to make whereas it's not a choice for my dad, and it's hard for me to find motivation to go to the gym. So, in terms of health, I suspect that: Desk job + gym > Physical labor job > Desk job with no physical activity

wil421 7y ago
The difference is the work is actually hurting your dad (arthritis) and your choice of sedation is doing it to you. The past few offices I’ve worked in all had gyms. Healthy food options are a must for office jobs. I’m saying this as a office worker who’s lost 15 pounds by diet change small walks. Looking to add some days at the gym soon.
war1025 7y ago
Autobody work probably doesn't cause the same repetitive stress injuries that working on an assembly line does. I have an uncle who is a plumber of a similar age and is in pretty great shape for his age. My understanding is that most of his aches and pains are related to a car accident he was in when he was young and reckless.
darkarmani 7y ago
> I genuinely believe that if I were to keep up my current lifestyle, I'd be in for a bad time by the time I hit 50. That's mostly diet. With a better diet and 20 minutes of working out a day, you could make yourself healthy. Hell, run just a mile a day, and do pushups, pullups, and planks every other day. It's amazing how short workouts done consistently can actually keep you fit.
TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago
I work in metal fabrication and my I'm lithe. I don't have any trouble at all keeping my weight under control, but in order to stay strong and flexible I still need to work at it constantly. To that end, I have a weight bench, barbell and dumbbells in my lounge room, and a pull up bar hung between two door ways in the hall. I find 'working out' tedious, incredibly boring. But I'll walk by the pull up bar and do 10 pull ups multiple times a day, or grab a couple dumbbells and do a few sets here and there.
- detritus 7y ago
  I do wish you'd said > I work in metal fabrication and my I'm lathe.
  - TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago
    That’d put a different spin on things

wil421 7y ago

The difference is the work is actually hurting your dad (arthritis) and your choice of sedation is doing it to you. The past few offices I’ve worked in all had gyms. Healthy food options are a must for office jobs. I’m saying this as a office worker who’s lost 15 pounds by diet change small walks. Looking to add some days at the gym soon.

war1025 7y ago

Autobody work probably doesn't cause the same repetitive stress injuries that working on an assembly line does. I have an uncle who is a plumber of a similar age and is in pretty great shape for his age. My understanding is that most of his aches and pains are related to a car accident he was in when he was young and reckless.

darkarmani 7y ago

> I genuinely believe that if I were to keep up my current lifestyle, I'd be in for a bad time by the time I hit 50. That's mostly diet. With a better diet and 20 minutes of working out a day, you could make yourself healthy. Hell, run just a mile a day, and do pushups, pullups, and planks every other day. It's amazing how short workouts done consistently can actually keep you fit.

TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago

I work in metal fabrication and my I'm lithe. I don't have any trouble at all keeping my weight under control, but in order to stay strong and flexible I still need to work at it constantly. To that end, I have a weight bench, barbell and dumbbells in my lounge room, and a pull up bar hung between two door ways in the hall. I find 'working out' tedious, incredibly boring. But I'll walk by the pull up bar and do 10 pull ups multiple times a day, or grab a couple dumbbells and do a few sets here and there.

detritus 7y ago
I do wish you'd said > I work in metal fabrication and my I'm lathe.
- TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago
  That’d put a different spin on things