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Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults

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Re: Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults

#91
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exercise didn't help me with my occasional back issues, but switching to a standing desk really did. I didn't get one of those adjustable ones, because $400 for a desk that raises and lowers was silly--instead I just got a draft-height chair and stand and sit as appropriate.

fwiw, they make drafting stool aeron high-chairs. protip: buy one used, because the new price is high even for HM.

You can also buy high bases for existing Aeron chairs. I use a knock-off, though.

Re: Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults

#92

I baffled by how many tech guys/girls don't understand this. This is so obvious it hurts. At my company's last year medical checkup the results were just absurd, specially for men above 30 years old. Abdominal fat, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc..Yet, nobody gives a damn, almost no one changed their habits. Guys, just get up and move. 30m-40m a day, you can fit this into your daily schedule, don't come up with excus…

It might sound stupid but one of the things that's stood in the way of establishing a workout routine for myself is lack of consistent private space to do it in. The self consciousness and embarrassment is just too overbearing, and between an open office at work and having a roommate at home, adequately long contiguous blocks of privacy just aren't there. Gyms aren't really a solution either, as not knowing those sur…

You can do a remarkable amount of bodyweight exercise with minimal equipment and not a lot of space.

http://www.startbodyweight.com/

Planks, push-ups, and squats of many variations require no equipment at all.

Add dip bars and a chin-up bar/rings and you're basically set.

Variations mean people who've never exercised before can start very small and work their way up to incredibly challenging routines.

For cardio, good ol' walking and running work. And if you try running, don't think you have to immediately start running continuously; interval training is a thing, and is a great way to start small and work your way up.

Re: Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults

#93
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why in the world do you care what some rando in a parking lot thinks about you?

Because I've been socially and culturally conditioned to, and no matter how much I can rationally justify that what other people think doesn't matter (which isn't entirely true), that doesn't mean I can emotionally accept that without angst. Put another way, it's not rational to ignore how you think you will respond to social pressure just because you think you shouldn't respond that way to the pressure. The human mi…

Those fools? You'll be dancing on their graves.

Re: Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults

#94
Let's ignore the morality claim and look at this from a pure productivity and intellectual standpoint. It has been proven, many times over, that being active (moving) will make you think better, work better and basically outperform those who do not. So if you need a reason to move around do it for job performance.

Re: Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults

#95
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why in the world do you care what some rando in a parking lot thinks about you?

Because I've been socially and culturally conditioned to, and no matter how much I can rationally justify that what other people think doesn't matter (which isn't entirely true), that doesn't mean I can emotionally accept that without angst. Put another way, it's not rational to ignore how you think you will respond to social pressure just because you think you shouldn't respond that way to the pressure. The human mi…

To be fair, if you can rationally justify the behavior, the feelings will disappear overtime. I used to be embarrassed working out in playgrounds. After doing it for a few years, I have 0 embarrassment. People also respond more positively than you initially imagine, on average.

Re: Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults

#96

I changed my primary work goal 2 years ago. Now I try to minimize stress as the most important goal of the work day. I redefined my job; it now is to solve problems in the lowest stressful way. In other words, my employer is not paying me to kill myself. I walk 10 mins every 1 to 2 hours and use that time to review. I try to find ways to solve problems in ways that are more fun, easier, and effective. So to me a 10 m…

I walk 10 mins every 1 to 2 hours and use that time to review. I try to find ways to solve problems in ways that are more fun, easier, and effective. So to me a 10 min break is a work requirement. Ah, the old Walk-n-Talk meeting style. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WalkAndTalk If I could get Alan Sorkin's endorsement I'd sell it as a work out routine and make millions.

only tangentially related ... but this is a funny take on the ol' walk and talk :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2_Re7wmd2o&ab_channel=Rocke...

Re: Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults

#97
post #62

Here's one thing I've done to increase exercise in my life: I keep a jump rope in the trunk of my car, and I have a self-imposed rule that it costs 100 jumps to get into the car. I drive a few times per day, so that adds up to many small workouts!

If that wouldn't result in me embarrassing myself in the Target/Costco/supermarket/work parking lot multiple times per week, I would actually be really interested in that approach.

Front load your jumping jacks, do 200 jumping jacks before driving to Costco.

Or just park in the way way back.

Re: Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults

#98
post #62

Here's one thing I've done to increase exercise in my life: I keep a jump rope in the trunk of my car, and I have a self-imposed rule that it costs 100 jumps to get into the car. I drive a few times per day, so that adds up to many small workouts!

If that wouldn't result in me embarrassing myself in the Target/Costco/supermarket/work parking lot multiple times per week, I would actually be really interested in that approach.

I had the same concern and decided to do it anyway. Here's what happened:

- At work, a few coworkers saw me jumping and now it's something we do every afternoon as a way to break the day up and get some fresh air.

- In parking lots, people walking by me will usually compliment me and sometimes that turns into a nice conversation.

So after a few good experiences with it, all of my social anxiety about it melted away.

(edit: formatting)

Re: Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults

#99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"still refuse to get up" It's hard to be the first one to do this. I've been in some places where it would get you funny looks, some where it would get you marked as lazy (somewhat paradoxically), and some where it's encouraged. I like to do a decent swim on my lunch breaks (1250 meters these days). It was a good sign when my boss asked about how to join the same gym instead of wondering what I was gone for 50 minute…

People would give you funny looks for standing up to stretch? People need to stop caring what others think.

Things like FB Snap, Instagram are heavily and successfully invested in convincing people that what others thing of them is the most significant aspect of their lives.

Re: Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults

#100
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why in the world do you care what some rando in a parking lot thinks about you?

Because I've been socially and culturally conditioned to, and no matter how much I can rationally justify that what other people think doesn't matter (which isn't entirely true), that doesn't mean I can emotionally accept that without angst. Put another way, it's not rational to ignore how you think you will respond to social pressure just because you think you shouldn't respond that way to the pressure. The human mi…

I totally understand. I know it's irrational to care what others think, but I still do. That said, people are positive about it to me.

Think about it: if you were at Costco and saw some random person jumping rope by a car, what would you think of that person? Would it be anything bad?

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