NHS Exercise advice

[Ryeman]

I’ve always been fairly fit and into sport. In the last couple of years I’ve started a pretty intense exercise class and a few months ago upped it from once to twice a week. I also play a sport 1-2 times a week. I feel like this is probably more than ‘most’ people do. But some weeks I’m only just reaching the recommended NHS amount of exercise: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/
I don’t really know what my AIBU is here but it seems like the recommended amount is fairly unachievable for a lot of people - in fact I’m pretty sure a large proportion of adults do approximately zero intense exercise. It’s so important for our health as we age, particularly bone health for women, balance and strength. As well as mental health benefits. Should there be more help and encouragement for people to be physically fitter vs just being in the ideal weight range?

I think people could make the time, more often that not. However they don’t prioritise exercising. I prioritise it (the intense stuff) because I know it’s good for me and I feel great about myself afterwards. But even so, and we’re a very exercise driven family, the sofa often seems a lot more appealing.

(Exercise) also means you're far more likely to enjoy an active retirement if nothing else. Spending your seventies stuck on the sofa because you can't manage a flight of stairs without struggling is no fun for anyone

Totally this. I'm 70 years old and superficial. I exercise - HIIT/cardio and weight training with 8-15 kg dumbbells at least 6 times a week. I can ski 5-6 hours without a break, walk for hours, bike uphill, et cetera. I see others my age and younger vegetate and barely able to walk to the nearest corner shop. They suffer from arthritis, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes...

There is no guarantee that I'll live longer. Cancer can strike anyone at any age. But while I'm here I stay active, I don't have the aches and pains that often come with old age, and I don't actually feel 'elderly'.

I get it that working parents with young children may find daily exercise difficult, but for most there will be opportunities to be active at the weekend - like the parents walking around the football field while their kids play. Or going on hikes as a family. And once they are older there should be a window most days for some exercise. There are many short workouts on YouTube, including 10 minute tabata sessions and 3-minute planks.

Keep fit, eat healthy and watch your weight........ your future self will thank you! 💪

SUPERFIT....... not superficial...!!!!!!

I think there is a lack of understanding that “fitting exercise into your daily life” means having a bit of resilience about it, and that it requires habits like carrying a proper bag with an umbrella (or Mac), perhaps a water bottle and sunscreen, a strong shoppping bag that’s comfortable to carry, and so on. And teaching kids to walk at your side, possibly use a scooter if they are able to do so sensibly, and so on.

I recently saw a Twitter post about a nice new housing development in the Netherlands that was shared, with photographs. Full of lovely greenery because the cars were neatly tucked away into underground car parks a short walk away from the houses (only about 100 yards. This is shorter than the average walk from our nearest train station for most of us who live in cities and don’t own a car). Most journeys could be done by bike and on foot, and there was a train station within biking distance.

The English language comments (mostly UK and American, it looked like) were pretty telling. “But what if you’ve got shopping with you?” “What about people who have children, you can’t expect parents with children to walk from those parking areas to the houses?” “What if it’s hot?” “What if it’s cold?” “What if it’s raining?” “What if you’re tired after a hard day?” “What about retired people?”

So, people want more exercise in their daily lifestyles, BUT only on condition that this takes place in perfect weather conditions, perfect temperatures, no bag to carry, no children, and always in the ideal frame of mind. Also, people under 12 or 15 or 18 or whatever are invariably incapable of walking 100 yards, and nobody over 60 is capable of walking 100 yards either.

No wonder the British are unfit.

6 kids! No wonder you've no free time! Mind you probably get your steps in just dealing with them.

Totally agree with you @GreenTeaLikesMe -it's quite sad really.

"do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week"

Hardly that time consuming. I wonder if those saying that they do not have time spend more or less than 150 minutes per week watching television.

Or wasting time on phones?

Wow that’s so interesting @GreenTeaLikesMe . And true that people aren’t prepared for the smallest amount of discomfort. One of the things I love about the sport I play is that we carry on whatever the weather. As adults, we always avoid the rain - rushing between house and car. But it’s only water! I actively enjoy playing sport in the rain because it makes me feel like a child again, and alive!

My dd plays football, and she always says she likes playing in the rain

Totally agree. Being active involves spending ten minutes trying to pack too much shopping onto my Bike then getting out of breath cycling up hill on the way back, getting wet and muddy if it rains, sometimes carrying children or cajoling them, sometimes getting too hot or having sore feet or sore shoulders etc, sometimes getting quite tired and hungry before reaching home. Rarely too cold though. Being too cold is what happens getting into a cold car in winter.

I always work up a sweat doing hoovering and housework. Try doing it at twice the speed, running up and down stairs tidying up etc

I am currently selling my flat in European holiday destination. It is a first floor apartment with a fairly innocuous circular staircase. The first estate agent who was British said that I will have difficulty selling it due to “the stair situation”. I was speechless. Hired a European girl and she seemed to have no issues with the “stair situation”. Granted, it’s not suitable for a wheelchair user but, surely, most people should be able to climb 20 steps without giving it much though. Space for parking strollers is at the bottom of the stairs.

Must admit that my thought was 'but how do I get the dog in the car at the same time as the cat carrier if it's 100 yards away?'

Admittedly that was probably a one-off problem yesterday and not a sufficient excuse for a whole lifestyle

With my judgy pants on, I am constantly surprised on here when people as for comfortable shoe recommendations for city breaks. Why do you not have shoes you can walk in day to day when not on holiday?? Do you only walk across a car park, into a restaurant or up your own drive? Don't you ever walk to a pub on a pleasant evening?

I wear shoes that I can walk a few kilometres in every normal day. Even fashion trainers that I can easily do 5k in, some NB ones that I walked 15k in on a city break and some flat chelsea boots I did another 5k in when going to and from a restaurant that evening.

People look shocked when DH and I walk into the nearby city - it's only 4k and a pleasant walk with many variations. Similarly a friend always meets us at pub driving (in countryside) when the walk is only 2k.

Walking (health issues, plantar fasciitis etc aside) should be a normal part of our lives but it appears it isn't for many.

I thought you were just doing some radical honesty or something 😅

They recommend 20 minutes a day of ‘moderate exercise’. Nobody is too busy to slot in a 20 minute walk or run. People just like making bullshit excuses up because they’re lazy and can’t be bothered.

Agreed. I walk everywhere if I can. Commute to work on the train then walk 30 mins each way from the station to work and usually have either dr marten boots on or loafers. ‘Comfy’ shoes aren’t necessary.

I mean, I am only going on your description and obviously haven't seen the staircase, but I am picturing something it would be difficult to carry things up and down. I would steer clear of a property I couldn't get my furniture in to. Or when I have to replace a heavy appliance. I doubt if literally walking up one flight of stairs would be the issue.

My arthritic hip hurts at just the sound of this

I think walkups do get tricky for parents because of the difficulty of trying to negotiate a pram, a baby and shopping up the stairs at the same time. I think they should be OK for non-elderly/non-disabled without children though, and they are a very affordable way of building lots of housing (because they are dense and do not require elevator construction and maintenance), so I'm in favor of building them as long as other types of housing are built too!

Yes a lot of people are too lazy.

The human body is designed to need movement and even challenge.
If you don't move enough, the body apparently ages faster. It switches off some protective parts of genes I think I remember hearing - basically walking regularly tells your body that you are 'still in the game' and this part of the gene remains active. I heard a podcast the other day - can't recall which - the said that our body are not designed to remain comfortable and neither are our minds - they need challenge to stay as healthy as possible. Dong hard sets of weights is now thought to release hormones that are neuro protective.

Bed rest is advised by doctors for virtually nothing now. It used to be routine for bad backs, heart attacks etc. Ditto no longer having long rest periods after knee and hip replacements. It's just not good for the body. Obviously there are exceptions.

So yeah, a lot of people are lazy and maybe don't appreciate the myriad benefits of exercising on a day to day basis for both physical and mental health.

I suppose part of the problem is that we should be active in our day to day lives but for a lot of people sitting at home or in the office, driving everywhere and only moving when it's exercise time means that we don't do anywhere near what is a reasonable amount.

I think a lot of people see taking the dog for a walk as their exercise - a few friends have said this is the reason they got a dog - but unless you're running alongside, it's generally a fairly sedate walk.

Nearly all of us need to move more (I include myself in this!)

It's ridiculous. I would never be able to function on a day to day to basis without comfortable shoes. Some people are so lazy/inactive. Perhaps some people just totter from work/home to the car. I drive to work though and I get plenty more steps than that.

Whenever I have had to spend time in hospital, the muscle wastage is quite noticeable and I'm not even 4 yet and pretty active. This is after 1-2 weeks. No wonder inactive people are weak.

It is sold fully furnished but also I refurbished the apartment multiple times including ordering bulky furniture. The stairs are wide enough to fit everything through (much easier than carrying the furniture upstairs in our end of terrace house in England) and delivery guys have never had an issue with anything or ever refused to deliver and install the furniture/appliances upstairs. The first EA was saying that older people and families with young children will not be interested in the apartment on the first floor unless I sell at a very low price because it will be difficult to climb the stairs.