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

I mean.. “healthy” is a pretty vague term.

What if I work out seven times a week but have terrible mental health or a chronic or degenerative illness, am I still healthy? It seems a stupid way to measure

I have massive boobs and sports bras are always uncomfortable so it’s just sore basically.

and I feel self conscious doing it because I’m fat.

They said Psychological effort, not physical. The fact you don’t need to leave the house does not remedy this barrier.

I work 60-70 hours a week and have 3 kids at home. I used to run 3 or marathons a year and now manage almost nothing.
I can feel the difference and my clothes also tell me.
It's utterly depressing.
I see my parents and my partner's parents in their late 60s and so so physically old and worn down that it has brought me new insight recently that I need to prioritise my health again.

@FlowerArranger i took my health a bit for granted during my working years but once retired i've really picked up the pace.
my dm is 90 and rather inspiring so i need to stay focused on fitness. love leslie sansone.
that aside when my trio were growing up and my final work push to retirement i was too exhausted (mentally) to do more.
canadian winters are long and dreadful. i believe the stats :(

Sadly this is probably sums it up.

I still don't understand it though. One only has to look around to see so many older, unfit people who clearly struggle with poor mobility and ill-health.

Why not try and invest 150 minutes a week in one's future health?

I think most people agree that getting started on exercise takes a lot of effort.
But my goodness the feel good factor afterwards is definitely worth it.

Honestly? Because I hate it.

I can’t chose either of your options because neither apply. I know it’s important but I still don’t.

I work full time and I’ve got kids with a big age gap so by the time the youngest is 13 I’ll have spent 20 years pregnant or with kids to juggle.

but mostly I hate exercise in all forms and will prioritise pretty much anything above it beyond the odd dog walk/school run

I do zero high intensity or even medium. I do low impact stuff like yoga and Pilates and walking so probably never break into that aerobic level.

Do I want to go running. No. I enjoy exercise but I hate aerobic stuff.

Its interesting because it’s obviously important but then I googled monks who generally don’t move much at all. And they live longer and are healthier than the average person.

I think a lot of the issue is stress.

Have you considered weight training with dumbbells?

See my link to Caroline Girvan above. Very empowering- and no need to even leave the house!

Its not surprising at all, I make sure to prioritise exercise, I wouldn't say I enjoy it overly but it is so beneficial to your health. Lots I expect aren't aware just how much of an effect it has and just tell themselves they couldn't make time when it's a very small percentage of the week to reach the recommended amount.

For those who haven't found something they 'enjoy':

• if you hate running, couch to 5k is horrible. If you want to run even though you hate it (this is a thing!) try 'none to run', it's much more achievable. And also, you don't have to run continuously, there's run-walk-run style called 'Jeffing', and you don't have to do 5km. Do whatever time you have. Go for a walk with the option to run if you feel like it. Sometimes just being outside and walking is exercise and mood boost enough. If you hate it while doing it, how do you feel afterwards?

• try weightlifting. I use nobs app, it's designed for the reluctant/anxious gym goer. I can't believe what a difference weights have made to me. They make me feel so much better - but never at the time. Only in a general way the rest of the time. Again, you don't have to do an hour. You don't have to be in the free weights room with all those men that look at themselves and make weird noises.

Go for 5 minutes, try one thing. And then go home again if you want. If you want to stay, try one more thing. And if you don't want to do a particular exercise burpees. You don't have to.

I've been doing this program for 20 mins twice a week for a year, and I have actual muscles that I can see! When I go past a mirror now, I flex, and I feel so good!

• the "active hobby" has been the gamechanger. What do you love? What have you wanted to try? Have a go. What's the worst that can happen?

im unfortunately not surprised. The book ‘Miracle Pill’ is so interesting on this point - author argues that if you could get the benefits of exercise in a pill it would be the most sought after pill ever. I do work out videos at home with kids and they join in, go for cycles at the weekend.

I always wonder if walking counts. I tend to do between 9-10k of steps a day but don't do any other classes or whatever and cannot run due to birth injury. My steps are reasonably fast but I never get that feeling that I'm going to puke like at gym class previously 😂

I found that the answer was to do the same exercise as your kids. When my daughter started martial arts at 4yrs, so did I - even though I was 46 at the time. It's great for intense aerobic exercise, balance and general fitness. Plus we cycle to her dance classes, and I try to fit in parkrun where I can (and my son sometimes comes). I'm a size 14-16, but easily meet the exercise requirements.

I think the sentiment is probably right, as a nation we probably are unfit. But I don't think we can extrapolated too much from the US. Most places in the US don't even have pavements. I'd wager we're doing quite a bit better just from the amount of walking.

I used to exercise quite a lot every day. Then out of the blue I developed health issues which mean that any exercise with impact, weight lifting or fast movement is out. I can do light yoga but that's it, and not every day. I do do half an hour of yoga about 5 times a week, walk around 15k a day, but IMO it's no match to the buzz I used to get with sweaty cardio or weights. Life was good!

In my environment exercising regularly and formally is not the norm -enjoying it is even more unusual. Many forms of exercise are expensive, inconvenient, far away etc. For example things like jogging are cheap and easy but I personally hate running and used to love swimming which for me would be £4 a session plus £6 for the bus when I could have childcare. We live in an obesogenic society, where I live everything is organised around cars, the indoors and cheap processed food. You really have to push and go against the grain and be awkward not to fall into that rut.

I've hated sport since a child, there was nothing I was good at apart from dance & netball which aren't really things most people carry on into adulthood. It's not about the lack of time for me but generally speaking there aren't a lot of 'sporty' things to do as an adult woman if you don't enjoy the gym or classes. Men are more likely to carry on into adulthood with playing golf, five-a-side football etc whereas women are less so.

There's a thread asking people what thing has the biggest positive impact on their mental health. I'd say about 90% of responses said exercise.

I get that it's hard when you have young children or older children as a lone parent, but out of your life that's quite a short period.

I am fortunate that I love my exercise. I do think people make excuses.

I remember thread on this and it was something like 7 min a day of vigorous activity to keep some level of fitness from NHS website. Apparently most people here do not have 7 minutes a day

I bet they have more than 7 minutes to sit in front of the television though.

😂

Well it can be hard for a lot of people. I have the kids (one with SN), I work, I am at uni trying to improve my prospects for the future. When it comes to prioritising I MUST do all those things, they are necessities, then when they’re all handled I feel exhausted and utterly worn out. The last thing I think at 10pm when I’ve finally managed to get DS off to sleep and snuck out of the room (knowing I’m up again at 5.30) is ‘right time to get down to an aerobics YouTube video!’

Recently I have been swimming and walking though, to keep a bit fitter. But I can’t go to the gym as often as I’d like to.

Swimming, cycling?

I walk everywhere. I have active an active job, not at a desk. I rarely sit down at home, I never watch TV. And I still feel unfit / knackered.

I don’t eat a huge amount, eat fairly well. But if I let it slide a bit (weakness for sweet things) I feel like shite... Wouldn’t even be much extra!

I just think more action / less food is the only way, as I get older (am 46).

It has been a revelation for me. I am not 'sporty', I did not like exercise.

But it has been what has made me feel better.

And I know I sound evangelical about it, but that's because the difference I feel is unbelievable!

But also sleep & eating well (whatever your goals are - mine is more veg & more protein).

Podcasts really helped me navigate this. And help me to do the work too. Running is so boring, but a podcast reaffirming how good exercise is for me really helps!

I agree it is vital. But I currently hardly do any. I did loads before I had kids and even on mat leave. But now, juggling two young kids and a full time job, I'm really struggling to find the time. I leave work early to collect the kids from the nursery, and catch up on work in the evening when they've gone to bed.