3 ms·

There was a very good book, Being Mortal, where one of the points is that from the point of view of a doctor working with old people our bodies slowly but surel

There was a very good book, Being Mortal, where one of the points is that from the point of view of a doctor working with old people our bodies slowly but surely degrade until we are no longer to get on with our lives. So one aspect of life expectancy that gets missed very often is that my life expectancy is not the only thing that's important. During those extra years of life I also want to not be stuck in my bed, I would like to be able to go do stuff that I consider to make up my life. Exercise especially, among the other good things, doesn't just raise the life expectancy, it also makes sure you can do things yourself independently during those extra years. You don't even need to be forty for being sedentary to affect your life, it just comes to the fore as you age. It was a very motivating, slightly scary, interesting book, by Atul Gawande. The total amount of time recommended as the minimum is something like 90min cardio + 90min strength training per week, that's like 30min/day. I spend more time watching Youtube than that.

generalizations 5y ago
There is an old Greek myth that made the same observation about age and mobility. It's not exactly a new idea. :) A nymph asked for immortality for her lover, but forgot to also ask that he remain young. So he just got older and older, until he shrank so far that he transformed into a cricket.
anyfoo 5y ago
My problem with exercise is just that I hate it. In my youth I went to the gym to build muscle and was fairly successful, but I hated it. Now I am older, married, and don't see much point in wasting time building muscle anymore. So I bought a treadmill for my own home. I use it ever 2-3 days for only 20-30 minute and I hate it. It's painful, it's unbelievably boring, after using it I'm exhausted and have to take a shower. I cannot listen to podcasts or watch TV shows to fight the boredom because the experience is too intense to fully focus on something else. I cannot even really think about things. When I got the usual vaccine side effects the other day, I thought "at least I have an excuse not to exercise". I know exercise is important, but I wish it wouldn't be so terrible.
- kabouseng 5y ago
  I also hate the treadmill and gym. But I absolutely love playing squash with my buddies. Get a sport with friends and make weekly exercise fun that way. (I play 2 - 3 one hour sessions of squash a week) (squash can be hard on the back and knees)
  - anyfoo 5y ago
    I don't, I'm sorry. 2-3 sessions that last one hour a week are effectively 2-3 evenings a week that are entirely dedicated to that. I have to get ready, go out, get there, get back, shower. I love my buddies, but mostly because I actually want to talk to them.
- MattGaiser 5y ago
  > It's painful, it's unbelievably boring, after using it I'm exhausted and have to take a shower. I cannot listen to podcasts or watch TV shows to fight the boredom because the experience is too intense to fully focus on something else. This is basically me for all repetitive maintenance activities including exercise. I could not imagine having a job where I needed an ironed shirt every day. I don't think I could ever bring myself to exercise all that seriously either for similar reasons.
  - anyfoo 5y ago
    I actually love menial tasks like doing dishes, laundry, cleaning etc., because I can just listen to podcasts or audiobooks that I really find entertaining. With exercise, that's not possible, I cannot focus on it. It's actively boring.
- bobsil1 5y ago
  Running hills solves, if you have hills nearby: short (steep), variety, views
- conistonwater 5y ago
  Painful, exhausting, and boring is a combination that usually means you are running too fast for your fitness level. It's usually recommended people run at a pace that allows them to have a conversation relatively easily, and it's rare for people to find that pace painful and exhausting. Especially (!) if you can't focus enough to watch something on TV. When I run hard I can't listen to podcasts either, that's pretty normal and just part of how things work, but it's nothing to do with running per se. Obviously I don't know what your fitness level is, but running can be a humbling experience sometimes, so one shouldn't give up just like that. I know people like to play up individual preferences and personalities, genetic variability and all that, but the basic physiology of running is (scientifically) basically the same for all people barring some health conditions. So if you hate it there's still a good chance that some experimenting will get you running quite fine even if you hate it now. We're all just humans anyway, you know, you're not that special.

generalizations 5y ago

There is an old Greek myth that made the same observation about age and mobility. It's not exactly a new idea. :) A nymph asked for immortality for her lover, but forgot to also ask that he remain young. So he just got older and older, until he shrank so far that he transformed into a cricket.

anyfoo 5y ago

My problem with exercise is just that I hate it. In my youth I went to the gym to build muscle and was fairly successful, but I hated it. Now I am older, married, and don't see much point in wasting time building muscle anymore. So I bought a treadmill for my own home. I use it ever 2-3 days for only 20-30 minute and I hate it. It's painful, it's unbelievably boring, after using it I'm exhausted and have to take a shower. I cannot listen to podcasts or watch TV shows to fight the boredom because the experience is too intense to fully focus on something else. I cannot even really think about things. When I got the usual vaccine side effects the other day, I thought "at least I have an excuse not to exercise". I know exercise is important, but I wish it wouldn't be so terrible.

kabouseng 5y ago
I also hate the treadmill and gym. But I absolutely love playing squash with my buddies. Get a sport with friends and make weekly exercise fun that way. (I play 2 - 3 one hour sessions of squash a week) (squash can be hard on the back and knees)
- anyfoo 5y ago
  I don't, I'm sorry. 2-3 sessions that last one hour a week are effectively 2-3 evenings a week that are entirely dedicated to that. I have to get ready, go out, get there, get back, shower. I love my buddies, but mostly because I actually want to talk to them.
MattGaiser 5y ago
> It's painful, it's unbelievably boring, after using it I'm exhausted and have to take a shower. I cannot listen to podcasts or watch TV shows to fight the boredom because the experience is too intense to fully focus on something else. This is basically me for all repetitive maintenance activities including exercise. I could not imagine having a job where I needed an ironed shirt every day. I don't think I could ever bring myself to exercise all that seriously either for similar reasons.
- anyfoo 5y ago
  I actually love menial tasks like doing dishes, laundry, cleaning etc., because I can just listen to podcasts or audiobooks that I really find entertaining. With exercise, that's not possible, I cannot focus on it. It's actively boring.
bobsil1 5y ago
Running hills solves, if you have hills nearby: short (steep), variety, views
conistonwater 5y ago
Painful, exhausting, and boring is a combination that usually means you are running too fast for your fitness level. It's usually recommended people run at a pace that allows them to have a conversation relatively easily, and it's rare for people to find that pace painful and exhausting. Especially (!) if you can't focus enough to watch something on TV. When I run hard I can't listen to podcasts either, that's pretty normal and just part of how things work, but it's nothing to do with running per se. Obviously I don't know what your fitness level is, but running can be a humbling experience sometimes, so one shouldn't give up just like that. I know people like to play up individual preferences and personalities, genetic variability and all that, but the basic physiology of running is (scientifically) basically the same for all people barring some health conditions. So if you hate it there's still a good chance that some experimenting will get you running quite fine even if you hate it now. We're all just humans anyway, you know, you're not that special.