Is Physical Exercise really good for you?

[dottypotter]

Someone I know had a heart attack while playing tennis.Someone else was telling me their friend died while playing football last month.
It got me thinking is physical exercise good for you or dangerous?

On borrowed time, clearly

Well sport is dangerous. Even without the risk of dying. I've broken 4 major bones while doing horse riding. I know people that have broken backs, become paralysed and tragically died as well. In most sports you can break bones easily enough, and some you can die if an accident happens. It's a risk you take to do something you love. I won't give up horse riding.

People do die or have heart attacks when doing exercise you are correct.

But that number is nothing compared to the amount of people who die or have heart attacks due to lack of exercise.

A friend died at parkrun last Saturday. He had been a runner for many years, but a paramedic described his heart as a ticking time bomb. He could have collapsed at home and died at any point.

Another friend had congestive heart failure. Her consultant couldn't believe she'd recently completed a marathon. He said her fitness levels were what prevented her from showing signs much earlier.

Neither of these problems were caused by exercise. Indeed, exercise probably prolonged their lives.

Yes he survived. Received treatment on the spot luckily.

I know someone who choked on a chicken bone. Eating is dangerous, we should probably all stop immediately.

I work in a sports venue. Only had to use our defib once and we've had it about 6 years.

Loads of old & unfit people doing their best and they don't perish.

Just take it easy if it worries you.

Well, it depends on the type of exercise, it depends on the context and it depends who’s doing it. Nuance doesn’t read well in politics or social media. But in general, yes. Physical exercise is good for you.

One or two caveats: if you’re an obese 45 year old who hasn’t run around since school, it’s not the best idea to go straight into running a marathon or climbing Mount Snowdon. Similarly don’t try skiing if you’re more likely to end up on your bum than your skis. Hill walking isn’t the best choice for dodgy knees. Exercise is not one size fits all, and in very rare cases there can be serious or fatal consequences for people with pre-existing vulnerabilities. But that’s not a reason not to do it.

A paramedic actually said that? In the park, after the deceased was loaded into the ambulance? How strange.

Excellent 😂

Eat burger🍔

I realised running was bad for me after I went arse over tit and almost broke my arm in the process. Now I play it safe and just watch Netflix whilst scoffing chocolate. I’ve not had an accident since.

I think it's about moderation, OP. I exercised in my 20s and 30s but don't seem to have very resilient joints so I wish I had held off a bit so I can do more now.

Good luck with your exam results in the next couple of weeks.

In moderation, with common sense, of course its good for you.

In extremes though - yeah if I were to try to run for the bus I would probably die, but then I have multiple health issues that make that a stupid thing to do in my case.

If you push your body to the limit, theres a higher chance you will hit that limit, a school friends mum died in her early 40s, she was INCREDIBLY fit, ate a very lean diet, ran, swam, skied, climbed, worked out ... and had a heart attack on a golf course which she didn't survive. In her case, her bodies limits were lower than she'd realised, on the other hand had she not been as fit as she was, perhaps she'd have died far younger?

I am now 4 years past the 10 years the specialist cardic lot at Manchester gave me... I do pretty much fuck all, my exercise is rolling over in bed and going upstairs twice a day to the loo and to bed. Exercise won't help me now and I did plenty of it when I could, it may be why im still here... or maybe its why bits of my heart are dead. I don't know.

Some people really do push it too far, gymnasts and ballet dancers spring to mind, they start before they're finished growing, and they are often badly damaged by their 20s or 30s.

Be sensible eh.

Of all the dumb questions….

Sitting on your arse is definitely more dangerous than exercising.

12yr old DS is an athlete, he’ll be competing in 100m/200m/800m/long jump over the course of Sat & Sun. I’ll be sitting in a picnic chair cheering him on and driving him 6hrs there and back . Guess who is in the better health?

Funny thread.
I hate exercising and get no endorphins but even I know it's good for people.

To a point but I think these days people take it to overkill. When I see ordinary people trying to beat their deadlifting PB I giggle at how foolish they are.
Having a healthy weight and doing some physical excersise is good, anything else on top of that is just doing nothing to prolong life. But some people think gym 7 days a week is just making them healthier and healthier lol.

Also older people (and they 40’s and 50’s is getting old) think they should still excersise the same as they did in their 20’s and do all this intensive stuff which they shouldn’t.

I say just do what you need to stay in shape and that you’ll be able to keep doing all your life. Don’t do some crazy cross fit regime or something. That’s not good.

@WiddlinDiddlin

Running and working out to extremes can actually be bad for your heart. Not just in the moment but over time they can damage it.
High intensity cardio really isn’t for everyone (maybe most) and it wouldn’t surprise me if in the future we learned it had caused or worsened heart problems.

I have never mentioned to get my heart rate up when playing tennis. Hit the ball, miss the return. Pick it up. And repeat

Depends on what you do and how you do it.

If someone who lives on a diet of telly, crisps and beer suddenly took a bimble up Everest they'd likely be proper fucked.

I have arthritis which isn't a family trait but I also have low cholesterol which also isn't a family trait. Both could be attributed to me having lived a far more exercise rich lifestyle than the rest of my family.
I would still choose to be an 'exerciser' if I went back in time. It's part of me and my mental wellbeing.