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To Lose Weight with Exercise, Aim for 300 Minutes a Week

nytimes.com

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Re: To Lose Weight with Exercise, Aim for 300 Minutes a Week

#11

Post by lotsofpulp »

hirundo wrote: post #2

That's 50 minutes per day with a day off per week. Two pomodoros. E.g. cardio in the morning and resistance in the afternoon. That sounds like a lot to fit into a busy life, but a low price if it's all it takes to emulate the health of the hunter gatherers we evolved from.

Only because the purpose of modern life is to work rather than working to live life.

There’s no need for people to work 8 to 10 hours a day, and commute 30+ min in an automobile.

Rather than use our technological efficiencies to improve quality of life now, we use them to compete with others to increase probability of securing quality of life in the future.

Re: To Lose Weight with Exercise, Aim for 300 Minutes a Week

#12

Post by subprotocol »

blindm wrote: post #3
hirundo wrote: post #2

That's 50 minutes per day with a day off per week. Two pomodoros. E.g. cardio in the morning and resistance in the afternoon. That sounds like a lot to fit into a busy life, but a low price if it's all it takes to emulate the health of the hunter gatherers we evolved from.

Walk to work instead of driving?

This. I know many folks who have a 30min - hour commute each way (pre-pandmaic). If they lived a bit closer, and spent that time walking to/from work instead of driving, there you go.

Re: To Lose Weight with Exercise, Aim for 300 Minutes a Week

#13

Post by shaftoe »

blindm wrote: post #3
hirundo wrote: post #2

That's 50 minutes per day with a day off per week. Two pomodoros. E.g. cardio in the morning and resistance in the afternoon. That sounds like a lot to fit into a busy life, but a low price if it's all it takes to emulate the health of the hunter gatherers we evolved from.

Walk to work instead of driving?

Pre-COVID and WFH becoming normal, I had a short commute. Only 6 miles.

Many places, walking to work is a joke.

Re: To Lose Weight with Exercise, Aim for 300 Minutes a Week

#14

Post by derbOac »

commandlinefan wrote: post #6

Note that the article describes "walking moderately for 30 or 60 minutes". I'd be curious to see how high-impact exercise like running would make a difference.

It's hard to say although last time I looked into this literature really deeply, it seemed like distance was kind of the key. That is, most health gains could be equated by distance in that whatever gains you'd get from 1 hour of walking, epidemiologically speaking, would be accrued by running the same distance that's covered in that hour of walking (on average or whatever).

Re: To Lose Weight with Exercise, Aim for 300 Minutes a Week

#16

Post by carlmr »

commandlinefan wrote: post #6

Note that the article describes "walking moderately for 30 or 60 minutes". I'd be curious to see how high-impact exercise like running would make a difference.

Yeah, it would be interesting to have HIIT, running and walking with the same calorie count, to see whether the type of exercise makes a difference, too.

Re: To Lose Weight with Exercise, Aim for 300 Minutes a Week

#17

Post by jasonv »

hirundo wrote: post #2

That's 50 minutes per day with a day off per week. Two pomodoros. E.g. cardio in the morning and resistance in the afternoon. That sounds like a lot to fit into a busy life, but a low price if it's all it takes to emulate the health of the hunter gatherers we evolved from.

And yet, the population of people who commit to this is pretty solid. Every gym is populated with regulars who show up most days, no matter the kind of jobs or the size of family they have at home. You have to be slightly more creative now, with gyms being closed... but a little equipment can go a long way.

It's completely doable, as long as you see it that way.

Re: To Lose Weight with Exercise, Aim for 300 Minutes a Week

#19

Post by tlamponi »

blindm wrote: post #3
hirundo wrote: post #2

That's 50 minutes per day with a day off per week. Two pomodoros. E.g. cardio in the morning and resistance in the afternoon. That sounds like a lot to fit into a busy life, but a low price if it's all it takes to emulate the health of the hunter gatherers we evolved from.

Walk to work instead of driving?

But walking is rather easy and does not really count as demanding exercise, at least if there's almost no elevation change.

Also, I only need about 12-13 minutes for my walk to work, so I get only 25 per day - surely better than nothing but not enough to really counter work sitting at a desk 8 to 10 hours a day.

Re: To Lose Weight with Exercise, Aim for 300 Minutes a Week

#20

Post by NickNaraghi »

shrimp_emoji wrote: post #10
meremortals wrote: post #4

You can't outrun a bad diet

This. Exercise is a hilariously inefficient way to lose weight (but it's really good for you, otherwise). The metabolic boost that vigorous, regular exercise will give you will also make you hungrier, so you're still in the woods if you can't moderate what/how much you eat anyway. Less Cal in than out is the way to go.

Read the article - the whole point is that the increase in hunger is capped at about 1000 calories of week regardless of amount of exercise.
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