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I can't stand gyms. If I'm off work, I am outside in the fresh air and sunshine, I just won't trap myself inside for another hour or two. Yard work, mountain hiking, swimming or just a brisk walk up and down the hills in our neighborhood or on any of the many walking trails in our area.
I believe that sunshine is as important, if not more important, as keeping physically active.
Last edited by KaraG; 08-30-2017 at 07:56 AM..
Reason: spelling
I can't stand gyms. If I'm off work, I am outside in the fresh air and sunshine, I just won't trap myself inside for another hour or two. Yard work, mountain hiking, swimming or just a brisk walk up and down the hills in our neighborhood or on any of the many walking trails in our area.
I believe that sunshine is as important, if not more important, as keeping physically active.
Certainly not everyone lives in climes amenable to daily outside work or play. Besides, 1-2 hours a day is really overkill to be in a gym - it certainly doesn't take that much to equal a 20 min. walk or a few outside chores.
Sunshine may be important but 15 min. a day will do it with a bit of skin exposed to the sun. You aren't doing yourself any favors by increasing your risk of skin cancer.
Certainly not everyone lives in climes amenable to daily outside work or play. Besides, 1-2 hours a day is really overkill to be in a gym - it certainly doesn't take that much to equal a 20 min. walk or a few outside chores.
Sunshine may be important but 15 min. a day will do it with a bit of skin exposed to the sun. You aren't doing yourself any favors by increasing your risk of skin cancer.
I disagree. We are designed to be outside getting sunshine, not inside under man made lights 24/7. We intentionally chose to live in a moderate climate where we can be outside for some time nearly every day.
Imagine the uproar if a zoo decided to keep all animals inside all the time, it would be considered abuse.
And yes, it is about 1-2 hours out of your day to drive to the gym, do your workouts and drive back home.
I can't stand gyms. If I'm off work, I am outside in the fresh air and sunshine, I just won't trap myself inside for another hour or two. Yard work, mountain hiking, swimming or just a brisk walk up and down the hills in our neighborhood or on any of the many walking trails in our area.
I believe that sunshine is as important, if not more important, as keeping physically active.
That would never cut it for me. We do all that stuff on weekends, and I still go to the gym an hour a day (about 5 days a week). That's really the only thing that affects my body tone and my numbers at the doctor's office.
We paddle board during the week too, run my dog on the bike, and I do tons of household stuff like yard work.
I think being outdoors is good for the psyche, but I need the weight training and increased cardio I can get in the gym.
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Certainly not everyone lives in climes amenable to daily outside work or play. Besides, 1-2 hours a day is really overkill to be in a gym - it certainly doesn't take that much to equal a 20 min. walk or a few outside chores.
Sunshine may be important but 15 min. a day will do it with a bit of skin exposed to the sun. You aren't doing yourself any favors by increasing your risk of skin cancer.
Added to that, the gym might be the only viable option for people who work and have limited free time during daylight hours. I don't love the gym, but I'm there at 5am with Mr.Mathlete, get our workout done, and we're headed back home as the sun comes up. That gives me just about an hour to eat, get myself and the kids up and off to our respective destinations. Work all day (I could go for a walk during lunch, but that's not enough exercise to offset a desk job. At least not enough for me to give up my one free hour of the day to read). Plus that is highly weather-dependent. Then it's back home just in time to get dinner on the table, overseee homework, get in line for the shower, get clothes and food prepped and laid out for the next day, watch a little TV and then head to bed.
Weekends? Pft, those are for doing all the tasks we don't have time to do during the week. Believe me, I'd live to be out there hiking, padding a canoe, or cycling. But life is full-throttle right now, and the gym has become a solution for fitting exercise into the chaos. Plus I've fallen in love with the Stair Master. I'd marry it if it were legal and consensual.
But to answer the original post: yes, exercise is important. Diet is important for weight loss, while exercise is for heart health and body composition. You can reach weight loss goals strictly through diet, but if you want to look good too, you need exercise for muscle tone. I have no issues with weight, but I look like a skinny, flabby, plucked chicken if I don't work out.
Last edited by Ginge McFantaPants; 09-02-2017 at 06:31 AM..
^^^ That's my DH. Skinny as can be, but a total couch potato. Skinny yet flabby arms and butt. I worry about him sitting there immobile all day long in retirement....while his peers are surfing, biking, playing sports...have actual hobbies. SIGH.
^^^ That's my DH. Skinny as can be, but a total couch potato. Skinny yet flabby arms and butt. I worry about him sitting there immobile all day long in retirement....while his peers are surfing, biking, playing sports...have actual hobbies. SIGH.
I retired; but I continued to work. I have always worked hard. I have had coworkers that told me I would work myself to death. But, ten years later; they are dead and I am still working (hard). Everybody needs some exercise and, yes, it doesn't have to be a gym. Push a mower around the house or get a hobby that requires physical movement. Don't just sit and watch; 'do' instead. I think people can gradually build up by walking farther: park farther and farther away from the stores. Park where there are no cars that can open their doors and damage your car. Never pull in the fire lane or wait for somebody close to pull out; the walk will help you and not kill you. On tenants in apartment buildings; they can tackle the steps (not all at one time; but start with maybe one or two flights). In some areas people can go to the park and walk around the park or walk around inside a mall on a rainy days. Find something that appeals to your DH and encourage him to get involved.
I say that because my great-grandmother lived to be 92 and she never exercised a day in her adult life. Her husband and her were both complete couch potatoes. She also ate whatever she wanted, but she was thin, so she must have naturally had a high metabolism.
Although quite a bit younger, my mother is in her late 60s and has had no health related problems besides hypertension, which is being treated well with medication. She has never exercised either.
I have met people who act like you'll drop dead of a heart attack if you don't work out regulary, but I haven't seen it.
A lot of it is diet and also genetics.
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