7 ms·

Personally, I think aren't many better return on investment activities than spending half an hour every day on a morning jog. You can run more than that but I

Personally, I think aren't many better return on investment activities than spending half an hour every day on a morning jog. You can run more than that but I think half an hour steady state easy run each morning gives you 80% of results. If you love running (I do), knock yourself out. But that half an hour is enough to do wonders to your health over long periods of time with minimum chance for negative consequences. By easy run I mean one when nothing aches and you can converse easily throughout the run. I think a lot of people go hard on it and overdo it and then get injured or stop it for other reasons. It is better to make those runs easy and enjoyable so that you can keep running daily forever. I have also started 4/20 intermittent fasting 3 months ago and keto a month ago and I can tell you, I have never felt better. And this even when I do 10k run in the morning on an empty stomach after 18h of not eating anything.

dweekly 4y ago
Run! Even an hour of running over the course of a week has proven benefits to morbidity and mortality. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4131752/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4131752/ "Running, even 5-10 minutes per day and slow speeds <6 mph, is associated with markedly reduced risks of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease."
- twawaaay 4y ago
  I think all those studies that say running even 5-10 minutes makes you almost invulnerable from death should be taken with caution. One problem is that people who run regularly are just different from people who do not. People who will run will make a lot of other choices that are also better for their health, for various reasons like being probably more intelligent (to see the reason), having means (to be able to carve time each day to do it consistently) and also have the willpower to stick to something that will only have positive results sometime in the future. Running might be, at least to some extent, a result of people being in better health both mentally and physically and not the cause. Don't get me wrong, I truly believe running is good for you and I see how I get worse when I can't run and then get better when I can. But I red a bunch of those studies and pretty much every one of those studies has some problems, and basically that is because it is neigh impossible to have long term randomised study on real people on a topic like running where it is basically impossible to point finger at people and get them to adhere to your prescribed lifestyle.
  - twosdai 4y ago
    One of the things I've always wondered about, and I don't know if there is a good scientific answer for it (haven't looked deeply), is if you end up committing to running 5 to 10 minutes a day will you end up turning into the type of person you're describing eventually. I guess my question is that is it likely a person would get the outsized health benefits because they commit to the minor health change which then causes them to commit to more later.
    - twawaaay 4y ago
      I noticed on myself that running long distances is also willpower training. Being able to force myself to stick to something hard/painful causes me to also expand my ability to stick to other things. And when I can't run (for example due to injury) it also affects my ability to stick to a lot of other things that should not be affected by my knee. Another reason why I think running is so beneficial is because when you start it you see obvious, epic improvements in your performance. I literally was doing runs I did not think possible just a month earlier. It changes your perspective on what is and what is not possible. And if this happens to you it may cause you to start investigating and making a lot of other health-related changes.
      - iamacyborg 4y ago
        Steve Magness has a great book on the topic called Do Hard Things. It’s a great read, but makes extra sense for folks who run of engage in hard endurance exercise.
      - macNchz 4y ago
        There's definitely a lot of psychological interplay with running and willpower/self discipline. I think I read somewhere that there are disproportionate number of professionals/PhDs/otherwise successful people who are into ultra running, in part because they have the resources and flexibility needed for the training, but also because the ability to delay gratification and work towards a long term goal is required in both venues. On a more micro level, a good run can make the rest of life's challenges much less daunting...as I say to my wife: busy days seem a lot less overwhelming if you start them by dragging yourself out of a warm bed to run 8 miles in freezing rain.
- ipdashc 4y ago
  Is this specific to running, or just any kind of daily strenuous exercise?
OJFord 4y ago
Personally I think (I don't do!) I'd rather go harder/faster/longer less often. Getting ready for and then showering etc. after such a brief activity every day is just annoying isn't it?
- twawaaay 4y ago
  I shower every day anyway, so I don't count shower time as cost of running. I head out first thing in the morning immediately after I get up and then shower immediately after I come back. Which I think is a terrific way to start my day. Does it take time? Yes, it does, but only if you look at it in this simplistic way. Even if I did not enjoy running itself, it makes the rest of the day feel better for me which I think makes up for the time "wasted". I also use my runs to listen to news, audiobooks or podcasts. I am walking every day in the evening and I use that time to listen to audiobooks and also get some grocery, etc. -- trying to get as much from the time I spent on walks as possible. If I don't listen to something I am trying to be productive by rethinking things that happened to me, preparing arguments for upcoming meetings, thinking through other problems that I have at the moment.
  - OJFord 4y ago
    > I shower every day anyway, so I don't count shower time as cost of running. So do I, and there's no way I could go out for a run before it - so the post-run one would be additional, that's why I count it as a cost.
    - Retric 4y ago
      If you shower every day you aren’t noticeably dirty in the morning and you will get sweaty either way so why not?
      - twawaaay 4y ago
        I guess it all depends on your climate or what you do for work.
      - 4y ago
oezi 4y ago
> I think a lot of people go hard on it and overdo it and then get injured This is the biggest risk. Always remember that your bodies ability to adapt is quickest for breathing, slower for muscles and slowest for tendons/joints. Once many people overcome breathing they go too hard when muscules develop and end up with achilles or knee issues.
buu700 4y ago
I've found that simply incorporating a few miles of brisk walking into your routine with a moderately heavy backpack and good posture (no/minimal slouching or leaning forward) is reasonably effective exercise, particularly if it's at all hilly. I think it works out similarly to low-intensity deadlifting and squatting, and becomes much easier if you also lift consistently. As a bonus, it's also fun and relaxing.
- buu700 4y ago
  I've since learned that there's actually a specific name for this kind of workout: rucking. It's apparently fairly popular with many benefits; people even buy specially designed packs and weights.
arcade79 4y ago
I agree with you, but there's one big "Oh, right..." in there. Up until a year and a half ago, I had never enjoyed a jog in my life. I had done plenty of "jogging" during school years, as part of gym class, but nobody had ever explained to me difference between a pleasant jog and running until you drop. I stopped exercising for many years. Then started powerlifting. A couple of years ago I decided that I should take a walk every day. Then that I should do at least 10.000 steps a day. A year and a half ago, I figured I could probably do a very light run. I enjoyed it. Then I started running at least every other day (during summer). Stoppped during winter. Picked it up again last spring. Now I'm again awaiting spring. It took 41 years of my life before I realized what a light run was. I think most people don't run because they have never actually learned what a light run is. It's always flat out.
- twawaaay 4y ago
  Yep. This is the thing that I wish somebody told me when I first ventured to start running. Light run is when I run with somebody else and I still can have a pleasant conversation. I take phonecalls when I am running and I had situations where people were surprised when I told them I am running (they expected me to be panting probably). IMO there is no need to run any harder than that if your goal is maximising your wellbeing (unless your wellbeing comes from winning races...)
  - str1k3 4y ago
    The other option is run faster but intermittently. It came as a surprise to me that many people are self-conscious about stopping to walk during running -- that's how I've always done it! I never thought anything of it because I have always been in shape as 100m / 200m sprinter... I'd encourage others to try this, because although I love running, I also could never really get into jogging.
    - cafard 4y ago
      A friend used to do ultramarathons. If we were out for a run and she didn't wish to run a hill, she would say, "ultra rules", and we would walk the hill. She covered 100 miles in less than 24 hours in one race I helped with, and she had not the least self-consciousness about walking.
somethingreen 4y ago
> I think a lot of people go hard on it and overdo it and then get injured or stop it for other reasons. Yes, I think C25K and the "just run" sentiment in general is missing half a dozen asterisks about this aspect. Like "except don't run on concrete for the first year", or "except do this progression of exercises for feet and tendons for 3 months before you start doing continuous 2-3k", or just "hire a trainer to get you started". I've never been overweight, been active as a kid, was in increasingly good physical shape throughout my 3 attempts to start running over the years and got injured for months every time. By the last attempt I was taking multi-hour walks as a habit, lifting weights 5 days a week, watching my sleep and diet. And heart rate monitor has shown that I straight up didn't have this magical "easy run" heart rate zone available - brisk walk was well below 120 bpm and even jogging in place got me over 130. C25K is great for what it is, but I feel what it is is not enough to start running safely.
- igouy 4y ago
  > got injured for months every time What did you injure? What did you do after thinking you were injured?
  - somethingreen 4y ago
    Plantar fasciitis, shin splints and some minor, I assume, tendon inflammation above ankle joint. PF was the worst - icing, stretching, rolling, exercises - nothing helped, only went away after switching from casual/dress shoes to sneakers for daily. Shin splints seemed to have went away in couple weeks with some massage and exercises, but came back after 1-2 runs on multiple attempts. Last injury coincided with me receiving an old elliptical from parents as a gift, so I didn't need to run for cardio anymore. And now I'm a refugee and my running trails back home were in the zone russians dropped cluster munitions on. So it's not looking good for running going forward, lol.
    - igouy 4y ago
      Yeah the shoes we wear most of the day do matter a lot. Don't recall having plantar fasciitis or shin splints; but spent a lot of time on steps doing many many single leg heel raises, to work around achilles tendon and calf muscle pain. Exercise finds our weaknesses.
jimmaswell 4y ago
I never liked running or walking much, I think due to a kind of impatience where it feels like I'm going too slow. If someone relates to this you might love ebikes. A lot more fun and you can get as much exercise as you want to out into it. And you can ride them on the road where it might be dangerous or awkward to walk.
rzimmerman 4y ago
I think phrasing it as “30 minutes of light runnning” is a great way to explain it. A lot of people get turned off by “3 miles” or “5km” and it doesn’t account for slower paces. A great way to start is to commit to 15 minutes of run/walk time 3-4x a week. When I decided to start, I did one long block where I’d run one way and walk back for 20 minutes. A few weeks later I’d run 7 minutes out (with occasional breaks at first) and 8 minutes back. The goal is to feel good afterwards - not like crap. It’s better to do a workout at 80% of your capacity and want more than to go 105% and feel like butt. You want to develop a positive association in your brain so that you crave a run. So number one piece of advice - go slow! If it helps, get a watch with a heart rate monitor and keep it below your 80% level. Worry about your times after the first 5k.
- twawaaay 4y ago
  I think the problem with anything we do like weight loss strategies or healthy diet or exercise is adherence. Long time ago, when I would start something I would try all the way. Loose all crappy food or not at all. The problem is that these would only last as long as my enthusiasm. This is a disaster, because it means I just spent a bunch of effort on a project that brings no long term results. So nowadays I always think how I can bring most results with as little resources (resources being my effort/focus) and then how I can get as much bang for the buck long term. Running must be sustainable. That's why I run easy, every day. I could run every other day but there is something magical in building strong habits. In my case I no longer think about it -- I get up, I empty myself, I weigh myself, I head out the door for a run, I come back, take a shower, drink coffee. This is my morning routine and the only decision I make is what to put on based on the weather. And it can't feel hard. And you need to have good shoes and clothes for any weather. All nutrition advice in the world will not help if you will not stick to it. So I resolved to not start punishing myself by removing foods that I like, but rather I started by learning new foods that I can like but are also healthy. Over time, with more and more healthy foods I know I started pushing out the unhealthy ones. This is my advice for lasting lifestyle changes.
  - igouy 4y ago
    Yes, the best exercise is whatever you will choose to do instead of sitting down. Like body-weight and light 10lb dumb bell strength exercises while watching soccer on TV.

dweekly 4y ago

Run! Even an hour of running over the course of a week has proven benefits to morbidity and mortality. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4131752/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4131752/ "Running, even 5-10 minutes per day and slow speeds <6 mph, is associated with markedly reduced risks of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease."

twawaaay 4y ago
I think all those studies that say running even 5-10 minutes makes you almost invulnerable from death should be taken with caution. One problem is that people who run regularly are just different from people who do not. People who will run will make a lot of other choices that are also better for their health, for various reasons like being probably more intelligent (to see the reason), having means (to be able to carve time each day to do it consistently) and also have the willpower to stick to something that will only have positive results sometime in the future. Running might be, at least to some extent, a result of people being in better health both mentally and physically and not the cause. Don't get me wrong, I truly believe running is good for you and I see how I get worse when I can't run and then get better when I can. But I red a bunch of those studies and pretty much every one of those studies has some problems, and basically that is because it is neigh impossible to have long term randomised study on real people on a topic like running where it is basically impossible to point finger at people and get them to adhere to your prescribed lifestyle.
- twosdai 4y ago
  One of the things I've always wondered about, and I don't know if there is a good scientific answer for it (haven't looked deeply), is if you end up committing to running 5 to 10 minutes a day will you end up turning into the type of person you're describing eventually. I guess my question is that is it likely a person would get the outsized health benefits because they commit to the minor health change which then causes them to commit to more later.
  - twawaaay 4y ago
    I noticed on myself that running long distances is also willpower training. Being able to force myself to stick to something hard/painful causes me to also expand my ability to stick to other things. And when I can't run (for example due to injury) it also affects my ability to stick to a lot of other things that should not be affected by my knee. Another reason why I think running is so beneficial is because when you start it you see obvious, epic improvements in your performance. I literally was doing runs I did not think possible just a month earlier. It changes your perspective on what is and what is not possible. And if this happens to you it may cause you to start investigating and making a lot of other health-related changes.
    - iamacyborg 4y ago
      Steve Magness has a great book on the topic called Do Hard Things. It’s a great read, but makes extra sense for folks who run of engage in hard endurance exercise.
    - macNchz 4y ago
      There's definitely a lot of psychological interplay with running and willpower/self discipline. I think I read somewhere that there are disproportionate number of professionals/PhDs/otherwise successful people who are into ultra running, in part because they have the resources and flexibility needed for the training, but also because the ability to delay gratification and work towards a long term goal is required in both venues. On a more micro level, a good run can make the rest of life's challenges much less daunting...as I say to my wife: busy days seem a lot less overwhelming if you start them by dragging yourself out of a warm bed to run 8 miles in freezing rain.
ipdashc 4y ago
Is this specific to running, or just any kind of daily strenuous exercise?

OJFord 4y ago

Personally I think (I don't do!) I'd rather go harder/faster/longer less often. Getting ready for and then showering etc. after such a brief activity every day is just annoying isn't it?

twawaaay 4y ago
I shower every day anyway, so I don't count shower time as cost of running. I head out first thing in the morning immediately after I get up and then shower immediately after I come back. Which I think is a terrific way to start my day. Does it take time? Yes, it does, but only if you look at it in this simplistic way. Even if I did not enjoy running itself, it makes the rest of the day feel better for me which I think makes up for the time "wasted". I also use my runs to listen to news, audiobooks or podcasts. I am walking every day in the evening and I use that time to listen to audiobooks and also get some grocery, etc. -- trying to get as much from the time I spent on walks as possible. If I don't listen to something I am trying to be productive by rethinking things that happened to me, preparing arguments for upcoming meetings, thinking through other problems that I have at the moment.
- OJFord 4y ago
  > I shower every day anyway, so I don't count shower time as cost of running. So do I, and there's no way I could go out for a run before it - so the post-run one would be additional, that's why I count it as a cost.
  - Retric 4y ago
    If you shower every day you aren’t noticeably dirty in the morning and you will get sweaty either way so why not?
    - twawaaay 4y ago
      I guess it all depends on your climate or what you do for work.
    - 4y ago

oezi 4y ago

> I think a lot of people go hard on it and overdo it and then get injured This is the biggest risk. Always remember that your bodies ability to adapt is quickest for breathing, slower for muscles and slowest for tendons/joints. Once many people overcome breathing they go too hard when muscules develop and end up with achilles or knee issues.

buu700 4y ago

I've found that simply incorporating a few miles of brisk walking into your routine with a moderately heavy backpack and good posture (no/minimal slouching or leaning forward) is reasonably effective exercise, particularly if it's at all hilly. I think it works out similarly to low-intensity deadlifting and squatting, and becomes much easier if you also lift consistently. As a bonus, it's also fun and relaxing.

buu700 4y ago
I've since learned that there's actually a specific name for this kind of workout: rucking. It's apparently fairly popular with many benefits; people even buy specially designed packs and weights.

arcade79 4y ago

I agree with you, but there's one big "Oh, right..." in there. Up until a year and a half ago, I had never enjoyed a jog in my life. I had done plenty of "jogging" during school years, as part of gym class, but nobody had ever explained to me difference between a pleasant jog and running until you drop. I stopped exercising for many years. Then started powerlifting. A couple of years ago I decided that I should take a walk every day. Then that I should do at least 10.000 steps a day. A year and a half ago, I figured I could probably do a very light run. I enjoyed it. Then I started running at least every other day (during summer). Stoppped during winter. Picked it up again last spring. Now I'm again awaiting spring. It took 41 years of my life before I realized what a light run was. I think most people don't run because they have never actually learned what a light run is. It's always flat out.

twawaaay 4y ago
Yep. This is the thing that I wish somebody told me when I first ventured to start running. Light run is when I run with somebody else and I still can have a pleasant conversation. I take phonecalls when I am running and I had situations where people were surprised when I told them I am running (they expected me to be panting probably). IMO there is no need to run any harder than that if your goal is maximising your wellbeing (unless your wellbeing comes from winning races...)
- str1k3 4y ago
  The other option is run faster but intermittently. It came as a surprise to me that many people are self-conscious about stopping to walk during running -- that's how I've always done it! I never thought anything of it because I have always been in shape as 100m / 200m sprinter... I'd encourage others to try this, because although I love running, I also could never really get into jogging.
  - cafard 4y ago
    A friend used to do ultramarathons. If we were out for a run and she didn't wish to run a hill, she would say, "ultra rules", and we would walk the hill. She covered 100 miles in less than 24 hours in one race I helped with, and she had not the least self-consciousness about walking.

somethingreen 4y ago

> I think a lot of people go hard on it and overdo it and then get injured or stop it for other reasons. Yes, I think C25K and the "just run" sentiment in general is missing half a dozen asterisks about this aspect. Like "except don't run on concrete for the first year", or "except do this progression of exercises for feet and tendons for 3 months before you start doing continuous 2-3k", or just "hire a trainer to get you started". I've never been overweight, been active as a kid, was in increasingly good physical shape throughout my 3 attempts to start running over the years and got injured for months every time. By the last attempt I was taking multi-hour walks as a habit, lifting weights 5 days a week, watching my sleep and diet. And heart rate monitor has shown that I straight up didn't have this magical "easy run" heart rate zone available - brisk walk was well below 120 bpm and even jogging in place got me over 130. C25K is great for what it is, but I feel what it is is not enough to start running safely.

igouy 4y ago
> got injured for months every time What did you injure? What did you do after thinking you were injured?
- somethingreen 4y ago
  Plantar fasciitis, shin splints and some minor, I assume, tendon inflammation above ankle joint. PF was the worst - icing, stretching, rolling, exercises - nothing helped, only went away after switching from casual/dress shoes to sneakers for daily. Shin splints seemed to have went away in couple weeks with some massage and exercises, but came back after 1-2 runs on multiple attempts. Last injury coincided with me receiving an old elliptical from parents as a gift, so I didn't need to run for cardio anymore. And now I'm a refugee and my running trails back home were in the zone russians dropped cluster munitions on. So it's not looking good for running going forward, lol.
  - igouy 4y ago
    Yeah the shoes we wear most of the day do matter a lot. Don't recall having plantar fasciitis or shin splints; but spent a lot of time on steps doing many many single leg heel raises, to work around achilles tendon and calf muscle pain. Exercise finds our weaknesses.

jimmaswell 4y ago

I never liked running or walking much, I think due to a kind of impatience where it feels like I'm going too slow. If someone relates to this you might love ebikes. A lot more fun and you can get as much exercise as you want to out into it. And you can ride them on the road where it might be dangerous or awkward to walk.

rzimmerman 4y ago

I think phrasing it as “30 minutes of light runnning” is a great way to explain it. A lot of people get turned off by “3 miles” or “5km” and it doesn’t account for slower paces. A great way to start is to commit to 15 minutes of run/walk time 3-4x a week. When I decided to start, I did one long block where I’d run one way and walk back for 20 minutes. A few weeks later I’d run 7 minutes out (with occasional breaks at first) and 8 minutes back. The goal is to feel good afterwards - not like crap. It’s better to do a workout at 80% of your capacity and want more than to go 105% and feel like butt. You want to develop a positive association in your brain so that you crave a run. So number one piece of advice - go slow! If it helps, get a watch with a heart rate monitor and keep it below your 80% level. Worry about your times after the first 5k.

twawaaay 4y ago
I think the problem with anything we do like weight loss strategies or healthy diet or exercise is adherence. Long time ago, when I would start something I would try all the way. Loose all crappy food or not at all. The problem is that these would only last as long as my enthusiasm. This is a disaster, because it means I just spent a bunch of effort on a project that brings no long term results. So nowadays I always think how I can bring most results with as little resources (resources being my effort/focus) and then how I can get as much bang for the buck long term. Running must be sustainable. That's why I run easy, every day. I could run every other day but there is something magical in building strong habits. In my case I no longer think about it -- I get up, I empty myself, I weigh myself, I head out the door for a run, I come back, take a shower, drink coffee. This is my morning routine and the only decision I make is what to put on based on the weather. And it can't feel hard. And you need to have good shoes and clothes for any weather. All nutrition advice in the world will not help if you will not stick to it. So I resolved to not start punishing myself by removing foods that I like, but rather I started by learning new foods that I can like but are also healthy. Over time, with more and more healthy foods I know I started pushing out the unhealthy ones. This is my advice for lasting lifestyle changes.
- igouy 4y ago
  Yes, the best exercise is whatever you will choose to do instead of sitting down. Like body-weight and light 10lb dumb bell strength exercises while watching soccer on TV.