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How little exercise can you get away with?

economist.com

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Re: How little exercise can you get away with?

#4
Median age of 61… 4.4 minutes of “vigorous” activity. Hard to interpret this as anything else that if you remain being able to be somehow active in your later years you will be better off.

I find all of the studies of “how little exercise” is needed sad. Instead we should be focusing on how to restructure modern lifestyle to allow everybody to achieve the minimum of cardiovascular and strength exercises.

Re: How little exercise can you get away with?

#6
post #4

Median age of 61… 4.4 minutes of “vigorous” activity. Hard to interpret this as anything else that if you remain being able to be somehow active in your later years you will be better off. I find all of the studies of “how little exercise” is needed sad. Instead we should be focusing on how to restructure modern lifestyle to allow everybody to achieve the minimum of cardiovascular and strength exercises.

> allow everybody to achieve the minimum of cardiovascular and strength exercises

Aren't you just asking the same question?

I certainly prefer sitting then doing exercise, I just also don't like the consequences of doing none.

Re: How little exercise can you get away with?

#7
What a weird question. The amount depends on what you hope to accomplish.

Want to be able to get on the floor and play with your grandkids? That's going to require a certain amount of mobility work.

Want to be able to hike up Mount Whitney? You'll need regular cardio.

I also hate the phrasing that exercise is something to "get away with". Most people who exercise regularly enjoy it. Moving your body is fun, especially once you get fit enough to do it without pain or immediate exhaustion.

Re: How little exercise can you get away with?

#8
post #4

Median age of 61… 4.4 minutes of “vigorous” activity. Hard to interpret this as anything else that if you remain being able to be somehow active in your later years you will be better off. I find all of the studies of “how little exercise” is needed sad. Instead we should be focusing on how to restructure modern lifestyle to allow everybody to achieve the minimum of cardiovascular and strength exercises.

I'm confused. You're saddened by people researching the minimum exercise needed, but want society to aim to give people that minimum? How would society know what the minimum is?

Re: How little exercise can you get away with?

#9
post #5

At least 30 minutes in a day, probably 3 days a week at minumum as the body requires it to maintain itself that is though if you want to live a happy and good life, but then over doing its isnt good as well, theres need to be a balance in everything

Overdoing it is a real risk, I learned recently. If you work out too hard, you actually produce free radicals. The tricky thing is that some people can get used to higher heart rate so it doesn’t matter if they are working out hard consistently because they are used to it.

Re: How little exercise can you get away with?

#10
post #5

At least 30 minutes in a day, probably 3 days a week at minumum as the body requires it to maintain itself that is though if you want to live a happy and good life, but then over doing its isnt good as well, theres need to be a balance in everything

The level which means you keep doing it is the right level.

For me that's 20 minutes a day on a rowing machine plus some body weight strength exercises.

Which is about a YouTube video long and as a result I basically only watch YouTube content when I'm doing it (hey I'd like to watch this -> I should go start rowing) is a surprisingly good motivator.

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