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How much time do you have to get into shape? When it takes 50 years, the statistic probably doesn't hold because you will be dead by then due to the negative i

How much time do you have to get into shape? When it takes 50 years, the statistic probably doesn't hold because you will be dead by then due to the negative influence of smoking on your health.

wrycoder 2y ago
It only takes a few months to make substantial gains in c-v fitness.
- kccqzy 2y ago
  Define substantial. I find that incredible. EDIT: Now that I've seen the replies, I realize that this is from a very low baseline. I'm personally going to the gym four to five days a week already and my own cardiovascular fitness has not seen much of an improvement in many months.
  - hnick 2y ago
    One example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couch_to_5K https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couch_to_5K 9 weeks. I have basic fitness but have never been close to completing a 5km run (I think I finally realised I have breathing issues - seeing an ENT soon).
  - s1artibartfast 2y ago
    Not a source, but it tracks for me. Walk, jog, or run daily and you will have massive CV improvement from baseline in 3 months. people can and do go from being exhausted walking to their car to being capable running many miles in an incredibly short time. The typical human body is very responsive when pushed.
    - WalterBright 2y ago
      The heart, lungs, and muscles get strong fast. But the bones and tendons take more time. It's best to give them time so you don't wind up with shin splints, etc.
  - elijaht 2y ago
    It’s true. Between myself and some close friends I have seen the following in ~6 months: - unable to run -> run a 10k - increase of ~50% in a all out 20 minute cycling test - max mile time 9min->6:30min The human body can make incredible cardiovascular leaps when starting from a relatively low point
  - hamandcheese 2y ago
    I went from having not run in years to running a 5k in about 2 months. I was obese when I hit that goal, though I recently graduated to being merely overweight. My VO2 max as reported by my Apple Watch has been making steady gains, though I'm still far below average for my age. I didn't train hard, just consistently.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - Jimmc414 2y ago
    n=1, but I can personally attest to going from average sedentary 29 year old to marathon running shape in roughly 3 weeks of continuous hiking 8 to 10 hours a day in the Appalachian mountains with a pack that was about 35% of my body weight.
    - TylerE 2y ago
      I have a hard time believing that a truly sedentary person could do that.
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
  - EasyMark 2y ago
    the only way I was able to improve mine was to use interval training to get my heart rate up. It took a few months but going from a walk to sprint levels on my elliptical did wonders after a while. Observing my heart rate carefully of course.
  - SamPatt 2y ago
    It's the same with lifting and adding muscle mass. If you've never lifted before and you hit the gym consistently and have the proper diet, you will get some serious "newb gains." The first year can be amazing. But if you've lifted seriously for a decade, it's totally different. Muscle mass is very hard to add now. Cardio gains from a coach potato introducing a serious routine will be incredible. I went from not being able to run more than 30 seconds to running a 5k in 4-5 months, and that's without pushing myself extremely hard.
    - pepa65 2y ago
      Why would you want to add muscle mass when you've lifted seriously for a decade?
      - SamPatt 2y ago
        Many bodybuilders are aiming to add as much muscle mass as their genetic potential allows, which can take more than a decade. The point is about how the body adapts.
  - Mawr 2y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminishing_returns https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminishing_returns
- refurb 2y ago
  This is very true. Long ago I started biking to work, and biking really hard - basically making the best time I could. The first few weeks, at the end of a 10 minute sprint, my heart would be racing and I would be out of breath for 5 minutes after arrival. I was amazed after 2 months of doing the same thing I wasn't out of breath, it took maybe 1 minute for my heart rate to slow back down.
dopidopHN 2y ago
A bit less than a year ? And also I made friends along the way.
s1artibartfast 2y ago
Its not cardiovasuclar, but the top 2 causes of death in the US are tied to obesity, which takes zero time to reduce. You just have to not eat, which is actually time positive. Most humans are just incredibly bad at impulse control.
- bagels 2y ago
  It can take months to go from obese to not obese through calorie restriction
  - s1artibartfast 2y ago
    Of course. I was responding to the time spent (out of ones day), opposed to calendar days of not eating. That said, people can make pretty rapid weight loss without eating. skip eating 1 day a week and that is 30 lbs a year for an average obese man. skip 2 days/week and that is 60 lbs/year.
    - jagraff 2y ago
      Those numbers are assuming someone who skips a day of eating doesn’t increase their calorie consumption on other days to compensate
      - davorak 2y ago
        And keep track of the calories in the meals they do eat to make sure they are not compensating is going to take nonzero time.
      - aidenn0 2y ago
        Exactly; when I fast for 24 hours, I feel a compulsion to consume every single calorie within a 3 block radius afterwards.
        WalterBright 2y ago
        People who do this regularly tell me it gets a lot easier after a while.

How much time do you have to get into shape? When it takes 50 years, the statistic probably doesn't hold because you will be dead by then due to the negative influence of smoking on your health.

wrycoder 2y ago

It only takes a few months to make substantial gains in c-v fitness.

kccqzy 2y ago
Define substantial. I find that incredible. EDIT: Now that I've seen the replies, I realize that this is from a very low baseline. I'm personally going to the gym four to five days a week already and my own cardiovascular fitness has not seen much of an improvement in many months.
- hnick 2y ago
  One example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couch_to_5K https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couch_to_5K 9 weeks. I have basic fitness but have never been close to completing a 5km run (I think I finally realised I have breathing issues - seeing an ENT soon).
- s1artibartfast 2y ago
  Not a source, but it tracks for me. Walk, jog, or run daily and you will have massive CV improvement from baseline in 3 months. people can and do go from being exhausted walking to their car to being capable running many miles in an incredibly short time. The typical human body is very responsive when pushed.
  - WalterBright 2y ago
    The heart, lungs, and muscles get strong fast. But the bones and tendons take more time. It's best to give them time so you don't wind up with shin splints, etc.
- elijaht 2y ago
  It’s true. Between myself and some close friends I have seen the following in ~6 months: - unable to run -> run a 10k - increase of ~50% in a all out 20 minute cycling test - max mile time 9min->6:30min The human body can make incredible cardiovascular leaps when starting from a relatively low point
- hamandcheese 2y ago
  I went from having not run in years to running a 5k in about 2 months. I was obese when I hit that goal, though I recently graduated to being merely overweight. My VO2 max as reported by my Apple Watch has been making steady gains, though I'm still far below average for my age. I didn't train hard, just consistently.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- Jimmc414 2y ago
  n=1, but I can personally attest to going from average sedentary 29 year old to marathon running shape in roughly 3 weeks of continuous hiking 8 to 10 hours a day in the Appalachian mountains with a pack that was about 35% of my body weight.
  - TylerE 2y ago
    I have a hard time believing that a truly sedentary person could do that.
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
- EasyMark 2y ago
  the only way I was able to improve mine was to use interval training to get my heart rate up. It took a few months but going from a walk to sprint levels on my elliptical did wonders after a while. Observing my heart rate carefully of course.
- SamPatt 2y ago
  It's the same with lifting and adding muscle mass. If you've never lifted before and you hit the gym consistently and have the proper diet, you will get some serious "newb gains." The first year can be amazing. But if you've lifted seriously for a decade, it's totally different. Muscle mass is very hard to add now. Cardio gains from a coach potato introducing a serious routine will be incredible. I went from not being able to run more than 30 seconds to running a 5k in 4-5 months, and that's without pushing myself extremely hard.
  - pepa65 2y ago
    Why would you want to add muscle mass when you've lifted seriously for a decade?
    - SamPatt 2y ago
      Many bodybuilders are aiming to add as much muscle mass as their genetic potential allows, which can take more than a decade. The point is about how the body adapts.
- Mawr 2y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminishing_returns https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diminishing_returns
refurb 2y ago
This is very true. Long ago I started biking to work, and biking really hard - basically making the best time I could. The first few weeks, at the end of a 10 minute sprint, my heart would be racing and I would be out of breath for 5 minutes after arrival. I was amazed after 2 months of doing the same thing I wasn't out of breath, it took maybe 1 minute for my heart rate to slow back down.

dopidopHN 2y ago

A bit less than a year ? And also I made friends along the way.

s1artibartfast 2y ago

Its not cardiovasuclar, but the top 2 causes of death in the US are tied to obesity, which takes zero time to reduce. You just have to not eat, which is actually time positive. Most humans are just incredibly bad at impulse control.

bagels 2y ago
It can take months to go from obese to not obese through calorie restriction
- s1artibartfast 2y ago
  Of course. I was responding to the time spent (out of ones day), opposed to calendar days of not eating. That said, people can make pretty rapid weight loss without eating. skip eating 1 day a week and that is 30 lbs a year for an average obese man. skip 2 days/week and that is 60 lbs/year.
  - jagraff 2y ago
    Those numbers are assuming someone who skips a day of eating doesn’t increase their calorie consumption on other days to compensate
    - davorak 2y ago
      And keep track of the calories in the meals they do eat to make sure they are not compensating is going to take nonzero time.
    - aidenn0 2y ago
      Exactly; when I fast for 24 hours, I feel a compulsion to consume every single calorie within a 3 block radius afterwards.
      - WalterBright 2y ago
        People who do this regularly tell me it gets a lot easier after a while.