80% of women too unfit to be healthy?

[FlowerArranger]

I listened to Women's Hour while doing my workout today. In a segment on women in sport, one contributor stated that research shows that 80% of women are too unfit to be healthy.

I Googled and found a reference to a Canadian study from 2007 and CDC research from 2013:

A new (US) government study estimates that nearly 80 percent of adult Americans do not get the recommended amounts of exercise each week, potentially setting themselves up for years of health problems.

www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-80-percent-of-american-adults-dont-get-recommended-exercise/

I don't suppose British women do much better? If this is indeed true, it is is shocking.

I remember when my children were little and I was working full-time, there was little or no time to exercise in a formal way - though I'm sure all the running after them and running up and down stairs and housework and gardening kept me fit enough!

If this is you, you are excused......... but what about all the years before and after looking after children? Why don't women exercise enough to keep themselves healthy? Which the CDC defined as:

at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or a combination of both

Personally I (in my 60s) work out most days and I feel so much better for it.

YABU - I don't see the need to exercise regularly
YANBU - regular exercise is vital

The sleep issues sound absolutely horrendous and I wouldn't be able to workout either if I were being woken up every hour. I am sorry if this is unhelpful advice but sleep is just so important (even more so than working out in my opinion.) Have you sought help from a sleep expert? There are some great online sources that myself and friends have used including Taking Cara Babies. Made by Mumma's podcast has had multiple sleep experts on too that I found helpful.

totally agree about discipline over motivation. expecting to be motivated every day is unrealistic, you have to find the strength to do it anyway.

I play tennis 4-5 times a week and walk loads. I am still very overweight. I honestly feel like I can’t win. Obesity runs in my family.

The idea at age 55 or 60 I wouldn't be able to easily easily get up off the floor, bend or crouch down to tie laces, reach for stuff or balance is hugely motivating. Funtional fitness is a huge deal. I mainly value my independence and don't want to be incapacitated until at least late 70's. Cancer might kill me but years of poor health and quality of life due to preventable stuff would be far worse by my reckoning....

It's slightly different for men but DH has a friend of 93 who still runs, swims and plays tennis regularly. He always prioritised being and keeping fit. I aspire to be like him when I'm old(er).

Before anyone starts with the "yes, but"s, he has always been a fantastic and hands on Dad and Grandpa. Had a very busy job, did most of the cooking, lots of housework, all the gardening - which he still does.

This
I was never a sporty child or young adult, but in my 40s began strength training and pilates. I'm mid 60s now and still do it, plus spin and 8 mile walks.
My fear is being immobile.

Does walking count? I walk the dog for an hour every day and I play tennis once per week. I used to run, complete muddy obstacle courses and ride horses before I had DD4 but I have completely lost my fitness.

Do you think you could do this, @betweenarockandhardplace ?

Lucy Wyndham Reed has lots of short workouts that are very good for beginners. I like the fact that she is very calm and there's no loud music.

I agree, @hettie . Mobility and balance can become huge issues as we age. I have a friend in her early 70s who keeps falling over and hurts herself. She has never exercised in her entire life but cannot see the connection.

It's very sad.

Walking definitely counts - it's great exercise.

However, as we age, weight bearing exercise becomes increasingly important to preserve the strength of our bones and prevent osteoporosis.

The above was meant as a reply to @Ooshie 😀

But why are we doing this, knowing that we'll pay for it with poor health later in life?
Because we are socially conditioned to do so?
Because we then become unfit and exercise is more difficult?
Because when we put on an exercise video or children wail for attention and climb on us?
Because the male gaze oriented media generally doesn't show sweating, straining, heavy breathing women as valid people to be?
Because running around the local neighbourhood isn't always safe or desirable?
NB.
There is a body of literature on this topic which you can read here:
scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=attitudes+towards+exercise+gender&oq=attitudes+towards+exercise+

I was the one who was jeered at in PE at school, with PE teachers that couldn't process that someone could be genuinely that inept. Fortunately I did dance (badly) out of school. I also had enough drive at 16 to go to adult swimming lessons and learn to swim 25m... which led to a mile in a year. The dance led to aerobics, which led to yoga which were my exercise in my 20s.

Then I had babies, lost my fitness thanks to SPD. I literally started from walking 100m and going to bed to recover. I built up, walked with the pram, went to a fitness class on a Sat am. Second baby I ended up doing C25k after the evening cluster feeds. It felt so good to not pant everywhere all the time. While I was still slowly plodding through C25k, a job opportunity came up. I could fit in a 30 min C25k here, the Sat am class, a Sunday long run and somehow found myself doing a half marathon a year after my first C25k run. It wasn't easy, but it was doable because I used 20 mins here, an hour there.

Smart phones and youtube have made exercise much more accessible. It was an app thàt taught me to run where PE teachers failed. I can put on a 5-10 min yoga stretch video to do when I get up that gets my body functioning for the day. My body has always been niggly and stiff, and if I don't exercise, I feel worse than when I do and I'll take fit and hurty over unfit and hurty.

I don't want to be dead from heart failure in my early 50s like my dad. I want to protect my bone density from osteoarthritis so I can reduce the years of painfully creaking around like my mum (20 years and counting...) I want to keep the functional strength and mobility to do things like sitting on the floor and getting up without too many sound effects. I sleep better when my body's tired.

I'm fortunate to be in a position where I have time at the moment, but I haven't always been, but there was time to shoehorn something in even when stretched with FT work and babies/ toddlers, because I wanted the benefits.

Parkrun is a fabulous movement at getting communities active. Walking has always been encouraged and since October, there is a Park Walker role seperate to the Tail Walker who is at the rear. It's open to all ages, can be done with prams (most courses) and at a gentle pace www.parkrun.org.uk/
There are also 2k junior parkruns for 4-14 year olds, and parents can participate too (but don't get a result) many families use it to build fitness together. I struggle with the lack of social element to running, but can get that community togetherness at parkrun that's different to running (or walking!) solo.

And don’t you think this starts at a young age, how often are little girls given craft kits for their birthdays and boys given a football?

That’s great for you but getting up at 4 am is hardly sustainable for most people.

I guess there are women who are put off exercise by the factors you mention, @neverendinglauaundry , but they have never stopped me. Most seem like excuses or temporary impediments that can be overcome if there is sufficient motivation.

I think the fundamental problem is lack of motivation and the fact that the health problems mostly occur way down the line.

I'm not sure about that second one.

The first one looks doable, but do you think it would even make a difference?

I’m another who hated sports at school and went on to develop a perception of not being good enough for sport in my early adult years. I learnt a lot more about sports when living in a country where everyone is far more focused on fitness than here.

Since having children, my biggest focus is the daily activity - walking rather than car wherever possible is the best start. I hit 10000 steps each day without thinking and make sure I get that upto 15-20k with intentional walks. When I have time, I do an activity I enjoy as I’m motivated to do it.

I encourage the same for my children. If they happen to be good at competitive sports, I support them to achieve any goal they want but if not, they are not a failure and I keep reinforcing that the daily movement is what keeps their bodies fit and strong.

It absolutely would if you do it regularly! That's the whole secret of exercise - doing it again and again and again. As time goes by, one gets better and better and starts doing slightly more challenging stuff.

Lucy has a huge back catalogue of short workouts, most of which are suitable forbeginners- have a look at some of them and figure out what's doable. Do one or two most days and see how you get on.

I do try, I'm out of the house 10hrs a day and in an office based role. I exercise for 30 minutes in the mornings and either walk or lift weights in the evening but I don't feel it anywhere near compensates for the 9 hrs of either sitting at my desk or walking a mere 10 - 20 minutes to the other buildings on site.

I'm just too knackered to do any more though so what's the answer?

Wow, if you are doing exercise for 30 minutes in the mornings and either walk or lift weights in the evening, you are doing great, @Purplepeopleeaterz !!

I've been thinking for years that there's a gap in the market for fitness classes run by, and for, reluctant fatties.

Rather than being run by terrifyingly bouncy 25yo gum bunnies who can't wait to spring out of bed and into a burpee routine, these would be run by imperfect who feel every horror with you. They know it's hard, and empathise. It has fun music, and some kind of reward scheme where six classes gets you a free cake.

The class members can moan along with each other, and laugh at the absurdity. No one will take it too seriously, and it would never be scary.

I can feel a nationwide franchise coming on.

The biggest general health gains come from doing a bit. There reaches a point of diminishing returns on effort/ benefit. A marathon runner does not have substantially better health than a half-marathon runner. The best value effort: reward ratio comes from smaller achievements, like being able to run a mile. A lot can be done for general health in a 10/ 20/ 30 min window.

People who spend the day doing incidental movement are better off than those being totally sedentary. The difficulty with constant low-level activity is that it's draining, but doesn't necessarily give much targeted cardio/ strength/ flexibility benefit. A small window of doing targeted exercise can help a lot by long term improving your energy capacity.

My legs used to ache from being on my feet all day at work. After I started running, that eased off a lot.

Here are some stretches that might work for you, @betweenarockandhardplace

I think the PE of the past has a lot to answer for - I was rubbish , always chosen last not encouraged and not encouraged at home to do any real exercise . I took up c25k in my mid 40s .. and so wish I’d started running 20 years earlier