141–150 of 209 posts
However, deanproxy seems like the kind of guy who can tackle anything and throw in a few ounces of obsession to make it work. For the regular Joe standing desks might just be the one tiny thing they can do. They've become super popular at cubicleland here at HP and our facilities people will come and set them up for free.
My humble advice: Don't be an armchair health & fitness expert. Read up on it for intellectual stimulation, but don't expect to learn any magical secrets to being in shape or healthy. All the magical secrets have been known for a long time, and they're really, really boring. You should do whatever makes you happy [within reason]. You should probably not drink 10 sodas and 5 bags of chips a day. But if you feel like h…
>>But if you feel like having one, fuck it, life is short. Yes, life is short. Therefore you should avoid things that will make it even shorter. I always hear stuff like "whatever man, you only live once." It seems so irrational to use that to justify bad habits. If you only live once, should you not try to increase the length and quality of that life by trying to be in the best health possible?
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If anybody needs to optimize exercise time, also consider high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and bodyweight or dumbbell exercises. These can both be done at home, and they consistently have more effect on my overall fitness than long, medium-intensity cardio. HIIT is an old, popular technique; it's basically intervals of intense cardio separated by rest. For an introduction, see Couch-to-5K or the Zombies Run tr…
c25k isn't HIIT(high intensity interval training). It is just IT. HIIT would be more like (sprint for 30 seconds, jog for 30 seconds) * 8
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> Isn't physique, like, orthogonal to fitness? Not if "physique" means not being obese. If "physique" means "photogenic," then yes -- they're pretty much unrelated. > Bodybuilding may be a way to get fit, but working out in general does not require it at all. Very true, and if people thought they had to build up muscle and look like Arnold, it would set the fitness movement back.
> If "physique" means "photogenic," then yes -- they're pretty much unrelated. Where do you get your information? They couldn't be more related. I GUARANTEE you that any physique model you see on stage or in a magazine is far more "fit" than someone who sits around all day. No, having a great physique doesn't mean that you could run a 4 minute mile, but saying that they aren't related is just ignorant. >Very true, an…
> Where do you get your information?
You misunderstood me. I didn't mean that physical fitness can't lead to a photogenic appearance, only that they're not strongly correlated to a dispassionate third party, over all cases in the population. For example, there are any number of very highly paid, photogenic models who are not only unfit, but who suffer from anorexia and other ailments, and there are any number of people who benefit from a modest fitness regimen but who do not look any better because of it.
> So, people trying to get in shape and look good at the same time is bad for the fitness/health movement?
Ah, I just got it. You misunderstood me on purpose.
> Are you trolling?
I just demonstrated who's trolling. Being physically fit, and being photogenic, are unrelated, i.e. not correlated. That doesn't mean that one won't lead to the other, only that the absence of a photogenic appearance doesn't demonstrate a lack of fitness.
I can see you're not a deep thinker, so let me explain this more precisely. Let's call engaging in a fitness program X, and a photogenic appearance Y. The fact that X can lead to Y (and it certainly can) doesn't assure that outcome in all cases or even a majority, because the absence of Y by no means implies an absence of X.
I would strongly suggest anyone looking at this and saying they don't have the time to invest in this to also consider the mental benefits that exercise brings. I don't feel I have time (which I know is wrong) and I particularly do not like gyms, but I cycle to work (2 miles) and on the way home I'll take a detour and add an extra 5-10 miles to my trip home. It clears the cobwebs. Cycling can be very meditative as we…
I have to concur with the exercise-as-commute routine. I also cycle to/from work. My ride home, where I keep a brisk pace with some sprints mixed in, is actually my real workout. It is quite satisfying to arrive home having already worked out, effectively. Not to mention, it is faster than taking the bus in my case. A few catches: it does help strengthen your core, to an extent, but you aren't working your arms and u…
Gear makes a big difference.
Couldn't agree more with the standing desks - no doubt they bring some improvement, but they do seem more like the 'in-thing' and 'hip' rather than genuinely life changing. As it always has been, regular (even if short) exercise sessions are a key part in healthy living.
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Where in Canada are you? I live in Southern Ontario and there are usually only a couple of days a year when the weather is too lousy to cycle.
Hah.. I live in Toronto, and I used to cycle year round, but I don't anymore.. I think "too lousy to cycle" is a very subjective thing.. When I was working for a startup I could show up sweaty and grimy (or looking like a Mad Max extra in the winter). Now I'm in a management position in a larger company, so while I still cycle to work as much as I can, I usually have to bring a change of clothes with me (dress shoes,…
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"FYI before starting this I weighed about 310lb and have got myself down to 275lb within a year without focusing too much on what I eat." Keep it up!! Every incremental pound gets harder as your body gets smaller, but it's still worth it!
Have a read about the "Famine Response". You need to stop trying to lose weight to let your body adjust its setpoint, then go again.
My humble advice: Don't be an armchair health & fitness expert. Read up on it for intellectual stimulation, but don't expect to learn any magical secrets to being in shape or healthy. All the magical secrets have been known for a long time, and they're really, really boring. You should do whatever makes you happy [within reason]. You should probably not drink 10 sodas and 5 bags of chips a day. But if you feel like h…
>>But if you feel like having one, fuck it, life is short. Yes, life is short. Therefore you should avoid things that will make it even shorter. I always hear stuff like "whatever man, you only live once." It seems so irrational to use that to justify bad habits. If you only live once, should you not try to increase the length and quality of that life by trying to be in the best health possible?
The second doesn't derive from the first.
If anything, "life is short, so don't obsess about its duration" is a better guideline.
>I always hear stuff like "whatever man, you only live once." It seems so irrational to use that to justify bad habits. If you only live once, should you not try to increase the length and quality of that life by trying to be in the best health possible?
"Bad habits" are some of the most quality time people get to have.
My humble advice: Don't be an armchair health & fitness expert. Read up on it for intellectual stimulation, but don't expect to learn any magical secrets to being in shape or healthy. All the magical secrets have been known for a long time, and they're really, really boring. You should do whatever makes you happy [within reason]. You should probably not drink 10 sodas and 5 bags of chips a day. But if you feel like h…
>>But if you feel like having one, fuck it, life is short. Yes, life is short. Therefore you should avoid things that will make it even shorter. I always hear stuff like "whatever man, you only live once." It seems so irrational to use that to justify bad habits. If you only live once, should you not try to increase the length and quality of that life by trying to be in the best health possible?
Trying to be in the best health possible would make me miserable. If you find it rewarding, then go do that. But please remember that others are entitled to live however they want (and preferably without someone telling them how unhealthy and short their life will be). I'll probably be dead by 70 from being too happy, which is okay with me.