UKC

Is it too much to expect? Just 30minutes a day with 2 rest days per week?

Doesn't seem much to me.

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-30915437

In reply to Thickhead:

I do at least twice that just walking the pooch. Should be fairly easy to achieve. If you class walking as exercise then most people could do this by making simple changes such as taking the stairs rather than the lifts etc.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Completely agree. IMO the biggest mistake health advocates commonly make in promoting more active lifestyles is to compartmentalise exercise, usually illustrating recommendations with photos of people in a gym. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that gyms are better considered as a last resort when other circumstances make activity in everyday life quite hard to achieve.

Ordinary life just needs to be more active. I spend a fair amount of time in hotels and it's often hard to even find the stairs and even when you find them you feel like a trespasser actually walking up them. Same with many department stores.

In reply to john arran:

Totally agree that daily life needs to be more active generally.

However, I do believe too many people consider their "work as exercise" when in fact its mainly weights rather than aerobic activity - hence why they're obese.

I heard another report recently which said if you don't feel like exercising go anyway for 5-10mins and if you've changed your mind continue, if not then your body is telling you need a rest. I can relate to this as quite often I push myself to go for a run when I could just as easily stay at home, feeling much more energised 5mins down the road.

In reply to Thickhead:

I bloody love exercise but I can't find 30 minutes more than twice a week. It's easy to see how people end up doing none as we all work longer and longer hours and have to commute longer and longer distances.

Obesity is a direct result of the society we live in.

In reply to XXXX:


I understand that it's difficult but we all make choices about how we spend our time, and for many who 'don't have time' (not saying this applies to you btw) they manage to find an hour each evening to sit in front of Emmerdale or whatever.

Even if you have a long commute, small steps like walking up the escalator on the tube, parking your car further away from your office, or getting off your bus two stops early and walking the rest are small things that can make a difference.

I pass through a lot of airports with work and a pet hate is the amount of perfectly able-bodied people who just stand still on travelators. Apart from getting in my way, they're about to spend at least an hour or two sat on their arse eating crap food so they might as well take the opportunity to go for a walk.

In reply to yorkshireman:

Agreed it can be hard with hectic lifestyles due to work and family commitments but it comes down to priorities without doubt. I worked today from 8am to 11pm, same tomorrow, but still managed a 5km run after with the collie. A lot of people would go home and have a drink to unwind...

Also I go swimming with my toddler, which probably would count as exercise for most people but I wouldn't count it myself as it barely raises my heart rate above 60, but this is a way to get some exercise involving a young family too.

In reply to Thickhead:

I do 100mins a week walking 10mins from my car to the office and back.

Then I do about 400mins running 45miles.

Whenever 'they' release figures suggesting a certain amount of exercise there's a counter article that condemns it in the grounds that a small minority wouldn't be able to manage it.

Well, anything is better than nothing, an there's a large proportion of people doing well over 150mins.

Can people actually work 8-11 every day? Or just Monday to Friday?

In reply to DancingOnRock:




I'm sure some people can (and do) but I know I couldn't.

3days like that this week is more than enough for me!

Anyway, distracting from the point. We exercise as a way presumably of controlling our mental state where as some people clearly don't and eat/drink/smoke etc instead. Encouraging people to find 150mins a week doesn't seem like a great deal to me.

In reply to Thickhead:


I think we would all agree that 8-11 is on the extreme end of the scale. When I used to commute into the office every day (work from home, or travel to other offices every couple of weeks now) then I could easily say that 8am-7pm was going to be dominated by work. A 45 minute run at lunchtime, or a run to work could be squeezed in though.


That will do it! I've got a Collie too - wasn't going to run yesterday but he nagged me to go out at lunchtime - ended up doing a great 8km through the snow - was good fun.


I think this is key. Exercise is always portrayed as payment for some indulgence, and a means to an end. My primary exercise is running, and I do about 2000km a year mostly on trails. I do it because I love it, enjoy it, and the fact that it makes me very fit is a welcome side effect. I also love the fact that when I'm traveling on business, I can just bring my trainers with me and get out for a run in whichever city I'm visiting.

I also think that gyms are an easy place for people to convince themselves they're exercising when really they're just pottering around. My mother in law drives to the gym three times a week and forces herself through whatever machines they have in gyms these days, but constantly struggles with her weight. Despite living in a beautiful part of the countryside, the thought of going for a 30 minute walk every day seems alien to her (she's retired so time isn't an issue).

In reply to Thickhead:

Even with my now aged and very infirm dog, I get that walking him! When he was in his prime it was two hours a day fast walking, now its an amble to the neareat park and back.

In reply to Thickhead:

I do wish that these studies/articles/clickbait wouldn't put numbers on this sort of stuff. Some people will look at 150mins and think "I could never do that" while others might think "well I probably do more than that gardening" when in reality most (non-athletic) people could stand to do a bit more exercise. Don't give targets, give ideas!

In reply to john arran:


So it's not just me that does that then ! Even when I worked on the 8th floor of a tower block I still avoided the lifts - mind you that had something to do with the fear of having to make small talk !

A look at my Garmin stats for last year tells me I did an average of 6 hours cycling and one hour running each week. Add to that walking, climbing, skiing and the odd game of badminton. 150 minutes too much to expect ? - rubbish.

In reply to Thickhead:

No it's not too much to expect. I walk and get a tram to work instead of driving because it gives me 40 minutes a day of exercise. Hey presto, I've met the target, that was difficult.

In reply to Thickhead:

It's certainly an interesting question to ask a forum of climbers/hill walkers/cyclists/runners. I'll be surprised if you get many disagreeing.

Wonder what the response would be on a computer gamer forum.

In reply to yorkshireman:


Mm, I used to see plenty of people spending an hour or more in the gym doing maybe 10 or 15 minutes of productive work. Mind you, I see plenty of that at the climbing wall too

In reply to SteveRi:

Another problem might be the phrase "150 minutes". I was talking to someone in the newsagents at lunchtime and she said "150 minutes? That's like nearly five hours!".

In reply to SteveRi:

Both partners working means a lot of people have to do a long commute since work can't be found for two people in close proximity - living close enough to work to use that as the way to get to work (walking/cycling) is a luxury that many many people can't achieve. Those that could are put off by an urban environment that is hostile to walking and cycling found in most towns and cities.

If the government were serous about this they wouldn't be encouraging folk into gyms, they would encourage a wholesale re-design of our streets. We can't do this with 30 min in the gym 5 nights a week, its not practicable, we need to convert the 30min- an hour each way to work into active time...

In reply to Clarence:

Then one of the problems is stupid people. Maths classes in the gym?

In reply to Thickhead:

I have always tried to think of "every little helps" with regards exercise. Whatever my limits for the day/week I always count every small effort as a positive benefit.
Even 10 minutes run is better than nothing, always walk up stairs wherever, a few pressups, cycle to the shops, any effort is better than sitting on your arse and making no effort.
Soon mounts up and helps to get in the right mind for more exercise.

In reply to Thickhead:

Doing a quick calculation for my dog today whilst out on the daily morning constitutional, and guessed that maybe he has clocked about 17,500 miles during his lifetime, so I can't understand why he is not as active now as when a pup. Not if all this exercise is supposed to be so good. I must get him a pipe and some slippers!

In reply to Thickhead:

My point is, our lifestyles make it very hard to fit exercise in. We are obsessed with a global race that no-one is ever going to win. Why do we have to work longer, harder than everyone else? Lets take a step back, make housing affordable, make jobs pay so people don't have to do 2 each. Make it affordable for one parent to work and still have a house. Then see obesity levels drop as everyone is less stressed and less busy. I guarantee we'd all be happier AND fitter.

In reply to XXXX:

I certainly agree that we need to step away from the rat race. You should look into moving

I also agree most would be happier, but would we ALL be fitter? It doesn't seem to matter how much time some people have on their hands, they still don't set aside adequate time for aerobic exercise.

Look back to the early twentieth century - people used to work as long hours as they do now - but work was more manual and there were less cars/elevators/escalators etc. Subsequently there was less obesity.

In reply to DancingOnRock:




Well yes, it is going to be slightly skewed but on UKC anybody can disagree with anything.

In reply to Thickhead:

Rubbish, that's not true!

In reply to Thickhead:


It's more complicated than that. There's more obesity also because people eat more sugar and modern hybrid, semi-dwarf wheat.

In reply to Thickhead:

I liked the bit when they said we should be getting up and excercising when the adverts were on! Admittedly this was for the over 60s. What happens for those of us who only watch BBC! When are we supposed to exercise.

In reply to Phil1919:

When EastEnders is on

In reply to felt:

Absolutely, but the point I was making is we've long worked stupid hours - that's not really a modern phenomenon. Infact, if anything, we're generally working less hours now than 30-40years ago.

Which means your point about sugar is an important one.

In reply to Phil1919:

Don't watch TV!

It's so easy to come home, flick the TV on, fall back on the sofa, look at your watch and an hour has passed. Damn, could have exercised in that time.

In reply to Thickhead:

Yes, I agree. However the screens can be useful. Don't they reckon one reason crime rates have fallen is that 'everyone' is back home on the internet and get distracted from doing breakins etc?!

In reply to Thickhead:

I don't think a lot of people put the effort into cooking that we used to. Stick something in the microwave, watch TV until it's ready, eat. Or order a takeaway.

If you prepare even a simple meal from scratch that takes 30mins to prepare and cook, you're active on your feet for 30mins. Then there's washing up.

There's maybe 7 hours of 'activity' that a lot of people just don't do.

In reply to yorkshireman:


And what about all the people who just stand on downescalators? I can understand stopping on the up one, even if it is morally degenerate, but walking down stairs takes almost no effort at all. Spanners, the lot of them

In reply to nufkin:

Downstairs is harder on the old knees. I walk up but stand on fhe down.

In reply to Thickhead:

I go to the gym for an hours workout at least 3 x, but more often up to 5 x, a week. The wife and I get up at 5.20 am, and are in the gym by 5.45 am, which sets us up for the day.

I also give my two Jack Russell pups an hours walking, split over two sessions, each and every day.

It's all about priorities. I want to retire at 60, and enjoy it. Putting in the hard yakka now will help.

In reply to nufkin:

I used to work in a centre full of environmentalists.. 3 stories high, yet you'd still see people waiting for the lift..

Excercise is just so important in fighting aging, from osteoporosis, cognitive decline to heart disease..

We now have all these cardiac rehab walking routes but a lot needs to be done to get people out before cardiac issues..

More shorter walk loops.. Better surfaces.. Lit..

But we also need to change our working day to allow people access to the 'green gym' it's huge in fighting depression, changing moods.. It's even shown that crime levels are lower in cities with more trees...

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

I think the point is that it needs to be moderate intensity? This means that normal working (or easy cycling) would not count to this goal? In the book "The first 20 minutes" they say 150 minutes cardio per week, or 75 cardio and 75 weight lifting (e.g. climbing). This book says there is good evidence of health benefit up to this, beyond does not seem to make much difference. Less intense exercise is still worth it, but does not have the same dramatic health benefit? I worry that people think that walking the dog for half an hour a day is all they need?

For the record, I am doing 3-6 hours mountain/road biking and about 9 hours climbing per week, with the occasional swim or run thrown in if I do not feel too tired. I also do a 30 minute walk at lunchtime, and at least one 2-3 hour walk every weekend. I have an understanding wife, although I do take the kids climbing most times I go.

In reply to RobertHepburn:
For many people walking is moderate exercise, 30 minutes a day for someone doing no exercise will make a huge difference to their health.

Personally, I love exercise so do lots. 8-10 hours a week running, 6-7 hours walking, 3-4 hours on the bike, plus occasional climbing, swimming etc.

In reply to Thickhead:

I remember years ago watching a documentary (while slobbed on the sofa with my 6-pack (Tennants) and pop-corn) about US obesity. They had a case study of an insurance company in the mid-west where they noticed that their company health insurance was being hit by lots of weight related issues. Since it was hitting their bottom line (sorry!) they brought in some consultants to see what could be done. The corporate headquarters was one of those huge campus style affairs that you get in the States that covered about a square mile. The consultants did three things:

1. They turned off the lifts.
2. They reassigned parking spaces as far from each individual's desk/office as they could.
3. Removed vending machines and the cake trollies going round the offices.

One couple interviewed lost 30Kg over the course of a year. Don't get me wrong, they were still *huge* but it showed that just simple things that either cost nothing or very little can have a big impact.

I get really frustrated if I can't get out and do something! but for many this would be seen as a mental aberration. If you are active (and have been all your life) then it's easy (and wrong) to look at obese people and think "why don't you do something to improve yourself?". It's taken them years of succumbing to the temptations put in their way by those selling unhealthy products to get where they are, it will take several years for them to get back to a sustainable reasonably healthy state and many just aren't prepared to put in that effort preferring instead the quick fix that everything else in society these days provides.

In reply to Bob:

Exactly, and for such people 20-30 minutes of walking is very tiring..

In reply to Thickhead:

I've got a thing where I'm incapable of standing still on escalators, I get really anxious. It feels like technology is controlling my destiny and I don't like it. I get really antsy when people stand on the left.

In reply to nufkin:

I'm a bit odd with escalators in that you will never catch me walking down from the top of one of the ones down to the deep level lines on the London Underground, but will start walking down once it's at a more acceptable height. Looking down that far scares me, would prefer to stand still, cling to the handle and look straight ahead. Almost always walk up (luggage dependent - walking up or down with my fencing bag would not have been popular or sensible!

In reply to yorkshireman:

TBF the whole standing on the travelator thing depends on the time of the morning - if it's the usual 4 am check in then I'm going to be more or less asleep on the travelator so walking is less likely while at a more civilized time of day I will either not use the thing (unless I'm running late and it's empty enough that I can make rapid progress on the travelator) or walk along it. Of course on the inbound leg there's no space to move efficiently, just join the queue and stay there like a good little sheep!

In reply to Trevers: How are you with buses and trains and planes?

In reply to Sir Chasm:


Fine. Curiously it's only escalators. Maybe it's to do with the fact that there's no driver, but then I don't have an issue with the DLR or those driverless monorails at airports. I don't understand it.

In reply to Trevers:

I think it's the fact that by walking rather than standing on travelators you can do pretty much the same amount of effort and get there faster. I often find standing still less pleasant than walking, especially if I'm carrying bags and by standing I'd to have to carry them for longer.

In reply to Trevers:

Are lifts ok?

In reply to randomsabreur:


I spend a lot of time in airports and so push my luck as much as possible with getting there at the last minute, hand luggage only etc and so tend to rarely have time to dawdle, and so get bugged by people standing still (and often in the way, since there's no London Underground style 'stand right' rule consistently applied.

Luckily my wheel-along bag makes a real noise on the travelator so most people hear me coming.

As far as things go it doesn't rank with climate change or global poverty as something to be bothered about - but then this is just a message board

In reply to Sir Chasm:


I generally prefer to take the stairs if they exist. Lifts annoy me when they try and talk to me but I wouldn't say they make me anxious.

It's possibly because the escalator gives me the option of continuing to move myself.

In reply to RobertHepburn:

If people walked their dog for 30mins a day that would be a great start... It can be good exercise depending on how fast they go, how much they raise their HR, break a sweat, get slightly out of breath etc. That's what I tell people we mean by aerobic exercise anyway...

However, for some people walking their dog clearly isn't adequate exercise. I've been for a run before now on a small hill/in some small woods behind my parents house - about a mile loop around it. I was doing laps and kept passing some people 'walking their dogs' when in fact they were stopping every few metres talking to other dog walkers and not actually getting any beneficial exercise of their own! Their dogs looked happy though.

In reply to Thickhead:


It is pretty rubbish that people are claiming they can't manage that much a week, it's hardly that much is it?

In reply to IainRUK:





Changing working day/environment could/would help for sure. Adequate protected lunch breaks etc to get out for a blast of fresh air for example.

When we were looking into building a new health centre in a part of North Wales we wanted a shower to be included in the building so people could exercise, cycle to work etc. The LHB refused saying it wasn't necessary as part of a work environment.

When it eventually opened I'm not sure if the shower was installed or not.