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

Bones and injuries heal quickly and I am rarely ill.

How often do you break your bones?

i did say I hate it, I think it was pretty much the first thing I said, as did other poster.

next question is why do I hate it… I give reasons, you and others dismiss them
as ‘excuses’ as if that magically changes things. It doesn’t work to invalidate people’s feelings because they don’t align with yours if the real goal is to motivate & drive societal change.

I have a half-baked theory that there are some types of bodies that 'enjoy' exercise - release endorphins, get stronger, feel nice when exercising - and some that don't. I never get stronger, release endorphins or feel nice.

I've done the couch to 5k - though it took me two years, not nine weeks, and I never got to 5k, just 30 minutes. There were a couple of minutes during the 30 that sometimes weren't torture, but never any actual enjoyment. I go to the gym, but never can increase the weights I lift. Being sweaty and out of breath is unpleasant.

Yet others talk of a high, of the thrill of challenging yourself, of the actual physical pleasure of exercise.

The two types of people are never going to understand each other!

I absolutely hated exercise through my childhood, teens and as an adult. I was the most ardent exercise refuser you could find. Then in my 40s I had a health scare and started forcing myself to do 30 minutes a day because I was scared of dying young. I hated every minute of it.
but after a year or so I suddenly started experiencing endorphins.
and I started feeling stronger and healthier.
now I’ve done an absolute u turn and am an exercise evangelist.
so don’t ever tell yourself ‘this is the way I am and I will never change’
because you might surprise yourself one day

I don’t get any kind of buzz from exercise and I’m relieved to see that I’m not alone. I have forced myself, but it is a chore and not remotely enjoyable.

I don’t foresee see any kind of exercise epiphany happening any time soon.

I’m very active and fit but I generally dislike exercising. I spend my lunch breaks in the gym lifting increasingly heavy stuff and at best, I endure it. I resent being out of bed and on the start line for Parkrun. I cycle to work and have enormous contempt for my stupid bicycle. I’ve run marathons wishing I was at home on the sofa with a glass of wine for the entirety of three hours I’m moving and the only thing that stops me pulling up mid-way and going home is that I’d have to push through the spectators lining the route to do it. I don’t get any kind of a “high”, the most I ever really get is a “thank fuck that’s over and I can go to the pub and have a drink” feeling.

I think “fit people just naturally enjoy exercise” is a bit like the “most slim people are just naturally slim” claim. For most people it’s a lot of work to be fit or to be slim, and we need to be honest about that because pretending that it comes naturally contributes to dissuading people who are finding it difficult from continuing because they get the idea that there’s something wrong with them for not enjoying it and give up.

I listened to a podcast yesterday where the concept of 'exercise snacking' came up.

basically 3 x 1 minute of vigorous activity (like a quick walk, squats, walking up stairs) a day can be very beneficial for health.

cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/apnm-2018-0675

That's a very interesting point, @ComtesseDeSpair.

If the idea that only fit people enjoy exercise is a myth, and they're only fit because they enjoy it, it is a damaging one.

Prior to having DC I never worked a standard 9-5 job so making classes were difficult due to working hours and travel so it felt like a waste of money. I used to run regularly but I got increasingly fed up of men shouting comments and feeling unsafe running in the dark. A friend was sexually assaulted out running locally and it was a frightening time.

Since having DC I work part time and go to a mums exercise class once a week with DD2, one evening Pilates class and try to walk as much as possible. DH runs so he usually goes out after work for a run twice a week. I do occasionally do a YouTube video but if DH is around its not ideal as we only have one open plan living space. I pretty much only end up watching one hour of TV a day once we've had dinner, got the kids to bed, tidied etc, I'm not willing to give up my small amount of daily leisure time.

Sadly the 'waker' has medical issues..even when I do get sleep I need to get up early though..I had to get up at 5 this morning to start work to fit in enough before breakfast and school run (which I did walk today but then was late for a meeting)

I'd guess it's higher than 80%.

I didn't even realise this was the minimum amount of exercise we should be doing until 3 years ago.

They are excuses but look I don't care if you exercise or not, its your body you're harming so it's up to you.

Broke my foot 3 years ago and arm 5 years ago.

🤣 we want to help you change and improve the world but your opinions and feelings are all bullshit

so rude!

if there was a post like this about weight/meat eating/alcohol it’d be shot down pretty quickly

I wouldn't say I enjoyed exercise but I like it enough that along with the benefits I do prioritise it. People quite often say I wish I was a runner or whatever else to me, I agree there is an assumption by some that anyone who does exercise does so because they love it or because they find it comes naturally to them; invariably it's not the case. Agree with PP that it's similar to the people who assume some are naturally slim rather than acknowledging they actively watch what they eat.

Somebody said earlier that their professional PT told them that 20% of the time she loves working out, 10% of the time she hates it, and 70% of the time is routine and she just tolerates it and gets on with it - I agree with that and I think that’s the reality for a lot more fit and active people than is portrayed.

It isn’t Insta-reel worthy, in the way that portraying yourself having a fan-fucking-tastic kickass time working out and living your best life is. But ultimately it’s what a lot of people ought to hear, to spur them on: it isn’t easy; often exercise is pretty boring; when you’re at the gym wishing you weren’t, loads of the people around you are feeling the same way. There are definitely some good bits, but even the good bits are hard work. There is really no such thing as effortlessly jumping into your flawless matching gym wear and having an easy and effortless fun workout which gives you the most amazing buzz ever.

I agree so much with the above. I was up at 6:30 to do Pilates. Now I’m going for a lunchtime hill session.

It would be a lot easier to have stayed in bed this morning or to not run now but I will go for a run because I ‘have’ to do it. I didn’t feel like running 18km on Tuesday night but if I want to do well in an event I’ve paid to take part in I need to do the work. I could call it a race but I’m nowhere near winning, I’ll just be taking part.

I don't like exercise.

I like the feeling afterwards though when the pain subsides it's not really a high, more relief and feeling smug

I’ve just got back into exercising after ten years while the kids were younger when I did bob all. There were a few things that stopped me, one is that I was having recurring back pain and around 4 stone overweight (which lack of exercise was exacerbating). Lack of time while the kids were younger was also a problem, they always needed ferrying somewhere or other and then I was too knackered and found it too easy to snuggle on the sofa with my kindle once they’d gone to bed. But a big reason was that I didn’t really enjoy exercising and all of the hassle and time it takes to get there and back, change, shower and something with my hair afterwards (I’m a curly so hello frizz) at least doubling the time of the actual exercise so even if there was ever time and opportunity I’d find an excuse.

Exasperated with my back, I tried Pilates and yoga. The classes are within walking distance of my house, they don’t me too sweaty, but there showers there when they do and my kids are older and so don’t notice if I disappear for an hour. I found almost immediately they helped my back and improved my flexibility and the same people tend to go every week so I see friendly faces too. I had to do slimming world to lose the weight, yoga and Pilates did nowt to shift that, but I feel so much better for it. And because I enjoy the classes, I see taking part as a treat not a chore, I’m not trying to find excuses not to go all the time. You’ve got to enjoy it or it’s miserable.

What seems to put a lot of my friends off is the length of time it takes over and above the exercise itself, plus all the stuff you have to lug about. Washing & conditioning hair then blow drying it, plus removing & reapplying skin care & make up can take some women ages. A 1/2 he work out can easily end up being 90 mins esp if you add travel time in too.

I ended up buying a peloton and it's been the best thing. Finish work, bike/yoga/weights, into the shower and done
Saves so much time and well worth the £40pm

It has to be handy. So, gym on way home from work. Or swimming near home so I don't have to fanny about with hair/clothes etc.

Mind you, I've got short hair and don't care what I look like. Which reduces the stress!

What if you like work but don't like exercising?

But op was asking for excuses. She asked why people don’t get more exercise. And anything outside of ‘I am totally bedridden with paralysed arms and legs’ is going to be brushed aside as an ‘excuse’ because she isn’t actually interested in why people don’t feel they can do it.

I plan my intensity training on hair wash days haha, other than that I shower every day anyway and have the same skin care routine so either go first thing or in the evening and use a dry shampoo- it's pricey but there's a bumble and bumble one formulated for sweat which isn't bad between washes. I agree though it's more of a pain to go spur of the moment unless it's walking or something which won't require a wash after.