Vigorous exercise study

[Tubs11]

47% of women have done no vigorous exercise in the past 12 months

This news story had irked me and feels like a women bashing exercise

Me: I haven't done vigorous exercise since pre pandemic and damn right I have no motivation or interest in doing any as I'm still knackered from having to raise and educate kids whilst working during the pandemic. Incidentally I'm the thinnest I've ever been as I didn't have time to eat!!

Anyone else annoyed by this study?

The getting started bit is the worst
In March I was managing a 10 min class, out of breath and my legs were giving out before my lungs. If you get past that bit then it gets easier but the getting started is so uncomfortable
I was just sick of feeling so shit

So the study shouldn't have been done because of the risk of offending you? Ok...

I have kids, 33 weeks pregnant, work full time and exercise ('vigorously') 3-4 times per week. Is that statement of fact offensive too?

@Bubblebubblebah I actually would still work if I won the lotto but likely set up my own business. Could be because of my age though (30s). My dad worked beyond retirement age despite not financially needing too as he loved it & thought it was good for mental health.

I'm not sure I know what the study means by vigorous exercise. Would a brisk walk count?

If you're out of breath and sweating

I walk an hour a day, to be out of breath & sweating for the whole hour Id have to do that funny jog walk you see in competitive sport 😆

It’s not just 15-30 mins though is it? Then you need to shower and do your hair (and make up) if you wear it. I work out 3-4 times a week, but it’s only possible now because my kids are older and I’m not as knackered and I can leave them alone.

I had to learn to be “selfish” to start doing regular exercise- basically prioritise my time to go for a run, over house work and the like. But if I’m honest I was using my “duties” as excuses not to get out. I’m sure there are people who genuinely cannot make time - but I bet they are few and far between and most people just don’t prioritise it.

Now I do 3- 4 hours running every week, I enter races pretty regularly and just make the time to stay fit. I have so much more energy than before, I am far less tired as a result of doing more exercise!

Does wrangling a toddler into the buggy count then 😂

I know I'm classed as very active which always surprises me, but it's because I walk everywhere and do a bit of exercise on top. I hate walking slowly and enjoy exercise, but am also obese and have chronic health problems including fibromyalgia so it surprises me that I'm classed as very active.

I only used "women" rather than Pepe because this discussion is about women.

I didn't mean women specifically need to find it fun, as opposed to men.

Anyway they generally enjoy their exercise - their cycling clubs, their five aside, their running clubs etc. Why shouldn't women? Why should women have to cram in 20 minutes in front of a YouTube video before the kids are up or after they have gone to bed?

I agree with a PP that a lot of this is about men stepping up to their parental responsibilities.

"People" not Pepe!

I thought it was shocking & sad news.
Surprising, too, because I thought pandemic made us more not less into exercise.
The 2 women I know who meet this definition of no or almost no vigorous exercise: it's nothing to do with childcare or physical fear. A lot to do with mental health issues :(. They spend their time & energy on other obsessions.

I can’t do much vigorously as my spine’s knackered, and I’m on a never ending waiting list for surgery. I regularly walk between 4-6 miles though.

I am out of breath climbing the stairs, but then I have just had a nasty case of covid and my lungs are still knackered.

No vigorous exercise for me in the last 6 months as I have been doing back to back IVF cycles and it is verboten (and even when not doing that, I’m too down to do anything but walk the dog).

I'm fed up with the obssession with exercise. Especially in relation to mood & depression. A US study a few years back found having a daily routine that had elements of any thing or any activity you enjoy was better at lifting mood than exercise. Despite this every HCP you see re depression bangs on about exercise. I was so weak from not eating when was bad, that I used to faint regularly & exercise wasn't an option. I walk every day now & do stretches but the gym is way too expensive .

Two have said that going off on all-day hikes/bike rides at the weekend is "a bit blokey"

This reminds me of teenage years, particularly cycling. I used to cycle a lot with my two best male friends, and we'd go camping and hiking occasionally, but I couldn't get any of my female friends to join us. The camping occasionally.

I'm impressed you have the confidence to wild camp, cycle alone, etc

Christ I realised I haven't cycled for years. The nostalgia!

Is it that shocking or sad though? Lots of people are getting plenty of enjoyable exercise that just doesn't meet the definition of "vigorous" exercise.

Personally I exercise regularly, probably 6 days a week most weeks, and probably average 8-10 hours a week but I rarely do any exercise that would be considered "vigorous". I absolutely adore my chosen sport and it has huge benefits for my mental and physical health. I don't think that is sad. It is far better for me than a grudging HITT/spinning class twice a week, especially as I am much more likely to keep up my chosen exercise into old age.

Personally I exercise regularly, probably 6 days a week most weeks, and probably average 8-10 hours a week but I rarely do any exercise that would be considered "vigorous". I absolutely adore my chosen sport and it has huge benefits for my mental and physical health. I don't think that is sad. It is far better for me than a grudging HITT/spinning class twice a week, especially as I am much more likely to keep up my chosen exercise into old age.

Are you able to say what exercise do you do? I'd be surprised if you didn't get any vigorous exercise from that number of hours. A smartwatch, if you have one, would be the best indicator.

You really don't. Walk 4 miles in an hour and you will have raised your heartrate and have broken a bit of a sweat. Race-walking is much faster - they can "walk" faster than I can run - eg 19-21 minutes for 5k.

The notion of 'vigorous exercise ' is surely a modern concept? I'm nearly 70 and I can't remember my parents ever talking about exercise, let alone doing it. Purpose built gyms didn't exist.

They did more walking though. Driving to a supermarket and doing the shopping all in one space didn't exist. They walked to the butcher's, the fishmonger's, the grocers, the baker's, probably averaging well over the seemingly magical 10,000 steps a day.

Everyday activity certainly constitutes exercise.

All this exercise for exercise' sake hasn't altered the human lifespan at all (it probably keeps people healthier for longer though).

It's certainly true that 'in the old days' people were naturally more active. More physical jobs and lack of cars and household appliances saw to that. However, most people today would find it difficult to walk enough to get sufficient exercise without additional exercise.

'Vigorous' exercise is an efficient way of getting the exercise needed to make up the shortfall. A 12 minute tabata workout will burn as many calories as half an hour's brisk walking, as well as targeting a wider range of muscles.

I give up. I spent a while trying to find the original survey questions, but can't find. So I don't know how they defined "vigorous".

Not getting out of breath with exercise even once in the entire last year: is almost its own achievement. No running for the bus. No digging hard in the garden. No chasing the dog's ball before it goes in the canal. Just nothing.

It’s a shocking statistic but it’s probably down to vigorous exercise definition. I walk 5 miles a day but not sweating and still able to talk. I used to swim a few times a week breast or backstroke - not vigorous. I go to gym - do a weights programme and BLT and pump classes - I get a bit sweaty but can still speak. I’ve started running couch 2 5 k and that gets me sweaty but I could still speak - is that vigorous?
I was very unfit. What changed for me was losing weight. I’d have never had guts to join gym overweight, I’m still self conscious and find it intimidating - everyone is fit and lots of men.
I managed to lose 5 stone through diet and walking miles/swimming because I prioritised me. My child was 13 and could be left for a few hours and husband worked away. I only worked Pt. It was a massive time commitment away from family life not realistic for most women.
I agree with impact of childbirth injuries too - my pelvic floor is ruined and my abdominal muscles would need surgery to repair.
There’s very mixed messages too. Walking is best exercise - tick off walking. Oh you need to do weights especially important as you hit peri/menopause - tick off weights. Something for flexibility important as you age, something vigorous- there’s only so many hours in day plus a full time desk job where I’m full sedentary. Plus household chores, volunteer role, family life.

I'm irked how bad science reporting is. I'm irked how many of the articles on this study didn't link and even some that linked to the The Nuffield Health Healthier Nation Index - they don't have it up, just snapshots. At least their press release has the methodology, or at least some of it, but I doubt many if any of the journalists asked for the dataset to get anymore of the picture or see how well the survey was done. We need better challenging and the media is widely failing.

From the data available, I found the 32% who don't know how to get started exercising far more interesting. I think that should get more digging into because it reflects badly on PE education among other things.

No surprise that a higher proportion of men are managing to prioritise their gym time while women pick up the pieces of doing everything else.