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jtrdrew t1_iu46hxp wrote

For anyone dabbling in the idea of becoming more active. Starting out you have to be very humble with your goals. It takes a lot of humility.

I picked some basic weight lifts and push up/sit ups. I call it my prison workout. I live in a small apartment and used to think I didn’t have space/time for exercising daily. Now I budget 30 minutes a night. I started incredibly small and have only really just begun.

I started with the goal of 1 set 1 rep of each, because motivation doesn’t come before action it comes during/after. Set your bar low folks and you’ll be very surprised how quickly you’ll see results!

Edit: I figured I should make an edit on this since it’s gaining a little traction.

I use a habit tracking app on my phone to encourage myself to drink more water, eat consistently (I still allow garbage food, but I was skipping meals and figured if I aim at just becoming more consistent with meals I can adjust as I go), getting out/socializing (I have really bad anxiety/agoraphobia, so just leaving my apartment is very difficult for me sometimes. Sometimes just walking around in the backyard counts, sometimes I make it to a new place or event), and lastly I track exercise/stretching.

I’ve been tracking/adjusting habits for over a year now. I fall off sometimes for days, weeks, or months, but the visual representation of my efforts always brings me back.

I’m on week 3 for my 30 minute daily exercise. I’ve gone from doing 1 set with half reps/bad form and last night I actually completed my first bigger goal of 3 sets, 12 reps/lift to failure. I’m noticing a difference in my physical appearance, my mindset, my ability to rest/remain calm under stress, my focus is getting better, days no longer drag on. There’s so many little things I’m noticing improvement in!

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I_shat_in_yer_cunt t1_iu4u9g3 wrote

The best workout is the one you do regularly.

For your health, walking 10 minutes a day is probably better than running a marathon once a year.

Keep trying out activities and anything active until you find something that you will do consistently, then over time, try to get better at it.

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Junior_Arino t1_iu5f4nt wrote

The hardest part about starting out that no one talks about is the extreme soreness afterwards. It’s debilitating especially if you have to work a physical job later. I’m fairly active and have been trying to get my gf more active but it’s hard to stay consistent when she’s sore for a whole week after one workout.

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BeerMeMarie t1_iu5hpah wrote

That's just from overdoing it, though. Do a few weeks of very low weight (if she's using weight) and low reps, and one set. Build up over time.

Edit: and it may seem counter intuitive, but exercising the same muscles when they're sore actually decreases the soreness. Is she sore? Do some stretches, some exercises (light if just beginning/getting back into it), some more stretching, and she'll feel better.

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Junior_Arino t1_iu5u9vv wrote

That’s the thing, I knew she would be sore so we just did body weight exercises for her. But I’ll keep those tips in mind, just have to start extremely slowly

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I_shat_in_yer_cunt t1_iu680kx wrote

By definition if she’s sore you over did it.

Not everyone likes DOMS :)

It can be really surprising how little a completely untrained person can do on the first few workouts, but it’s key to start easy.

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No_Incident_1120 t1_iu5ykun wrote

Repeat the exercise on top of the soreness to push the lactic acid buildup out of the muscles. It works.

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I_shat_in_yer_cunt t1_iu68526 wrote

Kind of, but not quite. I’m wouldn’t repeat the exercise at the same intensity, instead light activity I.e. active recovery is best, for example an easy stationary bike.

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MiseALepreuve t1_iu6g82q wrote

I wouldn’t agree with that, but only because to run a marathon you have to be in good shape all the time and specifically train for a marathon.

No one runs a marathon without getting good daily exercise

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I_shat_in_yer_cunt t1_iudjk3s wrote

Well, obviously.

It was a hypothetical example.

You must be really fun at parties.

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Wagamaga OP t1_iu3n24u wrote

“The results indicate that accumulating vigorous activity in short bouts across the week can help us live longer,” said study author Dr. Matthew N. Ahmadi of the University of Sydney, Australia. “Given that lack of time is the most commonly reported barrier to regular physical activity, accruing small amounts sporadically during the day may be a particularly attractive option for busy people.”

A second study, also published today in EHJ, found that for a given amount of physical activity, increasing the intensity was associated with a reduced likelihood of cardiovascular disease.2 “Our study shows that it’s not just the amount of activity, but also the intensity, that is important for cardiovascular health,” said study author Dr. Paddy C. Dempsey of the University of Leicester and University of Cambridge, UK, and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia.

Both studies included adults aged 40 to 69 years from the UK Biobank. Participants wore an activity tracker on their wrist for seven consecutive days. This is an objective way to measure motion, and particularly sporadic activity of different intensities during the day.

The first study enrolled 71,893 adults without cardiovascular disease or cancer. The median age was 62.5 years and 56% were women. The investigators measured the total amount of weekly vigorous activity and the frequency of bouts lasting two minutes or less. Participants were followed for an average of 6.9 years. The investigators analysed the associations of volume and frequency of vigorous activity with death (all-cause, cardiovascular disease and cancer) and incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer after excluding events occurring in the first year

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/969038#:~:text=Sophia%20Antipolis%2C%2028%20October%202022,Society%20of%20Cardiology%20(ESC).

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SovArya t1_iu3u50g wrote

This kind of information should be front page news.

Want to get healthy. Exercise. No really. Here's the study. And it's just a few minutes of intense exercise a week. Yes? This is free. So please do it.

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Zoesan t1_iu3xrzv wrote

Run for 3x 15 minutes per week and cut your calories by 20%

Congrats, you just got gifted 15 years of life

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SovArya t1_iu3xxmc wrote

1 minute intense knee ups a day. And you'll improve your health for the rest of your life.

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EastvsWest t1_iu4jsqj wrote

But like walking, people shouldn't be aiming for the literal bare minimum of effort. Build muscle while getting lean as you age is your goal.

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triffid_boy t1_iu5oer1 wrote

While I agree with you in principle and practice, you've now added your own stuff on top. In doing so you are perfectly demonstrating why information like this doesnt get communicated or gets lost. People add their own stuff to the proven facts all the time.

Keep it simple. A little bit of intense exercise adds up to good health gains. If People take this up they might see improvements and look to make more gains through other means like weights.

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EastvsWest t1_iu8yo5z wrote

Intense exercise that doesn't promote muscle growth isn't ideal. Having muscles into your 40s,50s,60s etc is how you stay mobile and fit far into your late life. It's also how you prevent the majority of naturally occurring pain from joints, back pain, knee pain.

There's enough science for people who want more than the minimum. Listen to Andrew Huberman, David Sinclair or Peter Attia if you want the latest in general health. Cardio is very important but you want both and I would recommend starting with muscle promoting exercises first then everything else. That is the fountain of youth along with sleep, diet (mediterranean) and close bonds with family/friends, sense of purpose and belonging.

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triffid_boy t1_iu922eo wrote

Like I said, I agree with you, and do exactly this.

But that's not the point. bombarding People who aren't already active with a big to do list as a way to get fit is a bad idea. Start with little and often with consistency and build from there.

Your attitude will turn people away from a really important realisation.

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SFXBTPD t1_iu51btx wrote

I need to buy a pull up bar. Best budget gym you can get

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SovArya t1_iu55y68 wrote

Yes. Pull ups, push ups, duck walk, knee ups for the intensive and fast 1 min.

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elchalupe t1_iu59u7k wrote

Don't even have to run. Just doing 3 x 15 minutes of elevated or fast pace walking can bring enormous benefits.

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eldenrim t1_iu7wj9i wrote

The calorie one isn't as generic though, right? I'm borderline underweight and sometimes move towards a comfortable middle between underweight and overweight so that'd just lead to issues I feel like.

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Zoesan t1_iu8zqd1 wrote

You're a small minority. Two thirds of the US are overweight or obese. Underweight people make up around ~1.5% of the US population.

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eldenrim t1_iu9r8gc wrote

Just to clarify, I was confirming my current understanding which is that doing exercise is essentially always better than a sedentary lifestyle, whereas losing 20% of calories is only relevant to people who are consuming more than they need or who are an unhealthy weight. Which like you said, is the majority of the US (and other countries too).

Although your response does imply that is the case, it's still important to differentiate near-universal advice from majority-applicable advice if someone is unsure.

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redditaccount71987 t1_iu5j5ug wrote

This is something that is emphasized in sports training. A lot of people build up with HIIT or high intensity interval training. You do brief bouts of exercise getting your heart rate up with that training regimen. Also any exercise even walking is super good for you. A lot of people can't do much at the beginning so they tell to try to build up a little at a time. If you can't handle land exercises pool is also a great way to try multiple types including HIIT, low intensity cardio, and higher intensity. It easier on your joints.

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ian2121 t1_iu623t1 wrote

I dunno if I am convinced. A very trustworthy president said that your heart only has so many beats and exercise uses them up.

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DEN0MINAT0R t1_iu7adi8 wrote

Ironically, I think this is partly true. Someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the human heart generally has a roughly constant number of beats between people of a variety of levels of fitness. One difference is that people with higher cardiovascular fitness tend to have lower pulse rates when they’re not exercising (which is most of the time), so it works out that it takes longer to reach the average number of total heartbeats than for someone who doesn’t exercise.

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homelessjimbo t1_iu7lvha wrote

The lower resting heart rate is a by product of being fit. The heart is strengthened and thus can pump a greater volume of blood per beat. meaning fewer beats are needed while resting.

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KilgoreLeszcz t1_iu82vqq wrote

True. If your heart is adjusted to the highest efforts it has much lower idle rate. I have around 40 idle rate all my life and I always liked very energetic cycling.

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SerialStateLineXer t1_iugtmg5 wrote

I think the benefits of exercise are fairly well established, so I don't want to call that into question. But given the extremely small amounts of exercise described here, I do wonder if these particular results are driven by reverse causation, with people who are healthier being more able to engage in moderate to intense exercise for a minute or two on occasion.

For example, I'm in my early 40s, and I always run up stairs. I don't climb long flights of stairs often enough for this to be a significant contributor to my overall level of fitness, but it is a marker of fitness. If I had a BMI of 35, I probably wouldn't be able to do this.

Obviously doing this much exercise on its own is still better than nothing, but I think we should be skeptical of claims that such large benefits can be realized from such small amounts of exercise, at least when based on evidence of this quality.

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its_an_f5 t1_iu4eaz2 wrote

"Two minutes isn't enough"

Been hearing this an awful lot.

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K1rkl4nd t1_iu4frcr wrote

15 minutes per week? I don't think the Mrs. could handle me twice a day..

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takoyaki-md t1_iu4rpkf wrote

woah get a load of mr endurance over here lasting 5 minutes more than everyone else

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K1rkl4nd t1_iu4tg98 wrote

Minute to Win It. The Mrs might be a priority, but we both know who comes first.

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Narf234 t1_iu4jo99 wrote

15 minutes?!

I’m not trying to put anyone down but what does a person’s average day look like when they haven’t put in 15 minutes of exercise PER WEEK?

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PoisoNFacecamO t1_iu4t7vs wrote

My worst week in the last 5 years I still did 60min of moderate cardio (usually 45-75min workout cardio, yoga, weights 4 to 6x a week),

the 10 years I spent morbidly obese (350-400ish) previous to that I could honestly say I rarely got 15 minutes a week of anything that would be considered exercise.

It's really difficult to break the habit and start putting in the work, especially if you're overweight.

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Narf234 t1_iu4zlnk wrote

Is it a mobility problem or a motivation issue?

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PoisoNFacecamO t1_iu55hze wrote

For me personally it was both, bad ankles from just being so heavy, bad cardio from lack of activity, often times thinking distortions combined with food addiction.

motivation is hard when you can barely breath. Starting really small and focused is key, build confidence in your movements and know your limits. A lighter workout is better than getting hurt.

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Narf234 t1_iu55mv3 wrote

Interesting, thanks for the perspective

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MRSN4P t1_iuc6eex wrote

I have seen a number of friends struggling with weight, and one found great success in getting into water such as a pool to start exercising- the buoyancy of water can significantly reduce the stress on ankles and knees.

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cinnerz t1_iu68muz wrote

I've been exercising more than that now but I didn't for years. I detest exercising. I dread my workouts. I'm fatigued and sore afterwards. It is really hard to make myself do something I hate all the time.

Unless it gets better at some point I don't know if I'll manage to stick to it. I know it is good for me but I'm not sure it is worth the torture.

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DEN0MINAT0R t1_iu7bx7j wrote

Exercise is great for you, but when you’re first starting out, I’d prioritize consistency and sustainability over intensity.

If you’re just starting to exercise, I’d start by “shopping around” a bit with different activities to find one that you (ideally) enjoy, or at very least feel you can tolerate for the long term. Some forms of exercise might be more “effective” than others, but by far the most effective thing is to find something you can do for 20 years, rather than something you quit after 2 months. Then, once you’ve figured out what works best for you, start easy. You don’t have to be massively sore and exhausted to benefit from exercise. As you become more fit, you’ll be able to tolerate more intense exertion. Most importantly, find a plan and stick to it.

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cinnerz t1_iu7ebu6 wrote

Thanks for the advice, but I feel worse after pretty much any level of exertion. I've mostly been walking 30-45 minutes most days for the past few months which doesn't seem that intense. But I'm exhausted and useless for the rest of the day once I've done that.

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DEN0MINAT0R t1_iu8xjop wrote

Hmm, yeah in that case you’re probably best off talking to a fitness or health professional, who can give more personalized guidance. Sorry my unsolicited internet advice wasn’t helpful.

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calgil t1_iu9a47l wrote

Have you tried indoor rock climbing? It's a great work out and really fun

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cinnerz t1_iu9gbgo wrote

That doesn't seem like a good match for me - I don't have much upper body strength and I hate heights. I know people who like to rock climb but I never saw the appeal tbh.

I'm struggling to walk on a regular basis, harder workouts seem like they would be worse.

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geeves_007 t1_iu62wzh wrote

Yes it is shocking they are able to find people that exercise less than that. Like.... Are you still alive at that point?

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Hot_Blackberry_6895 t1_iu3wu4p wrote

It really is the most basic thing for health that anyone could do but it takes a little effort. We do seem to be hard wired to minimize energy expenditure so our brains will come up with any reason for not doing it. Not enough time being the classic. (Amazing how much time people can find for browsing their phones however..) Well it appears time is not such a factor after all, so get to it.

I am glad I actually enjoy exercise and have nothing but pity for those that don’t. I would have thought that such a small amount incorporated into daily activity should be achievable by anyone with a pulse though. I get in an hour a day most days of the week of mild strength and cardio exercise, but I am fortunately an early bird and am done by 7am. Most of the cardio is done on a stationary bike watching a show on Netflix. I don’t even count the hour or so of dog walking a day but I guess that helps too.

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psychothumbs t1_iu4mt6l wrote

Is there a level at which the effects top out? Like 30 minutes is better than 10, but is two hours better than 30 minutes? Is 10 hours better than two hours? 40 hours better than 10? I assume somewhere along that path you hit diminishing returns health-wise but don't have a strong prediction of where that level would be.

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DEN0MINAT0R t1_iu7aw3t wrote

I don’t have a good source for this, but if memory serves I’ve heard 30-60 minutes per week of intense exercise is sufficient for pretty much all of the health benefits.

I think it ultimately depends though. Someone with a more sedentary job might benefit from more exercise than someone who is more active throughout the day (even if they aren’t ‘exercising’, strictly speaking).

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AllanfromWales1 t1_iu3wt9r wrote

How come the linked extract says nothing about two minutes, fifteen minutes, twelve minutes or any other time if that is the key take-out from the study?

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Chedda-King t1_iu4lv6l wrote

Lifting weights makes your bones denser and will help/give you a way better mobility when you’re older

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QuasiIceQueen t1_iu4piz2 wrote

Yes if you move the blood around in your body, it works more better. I have issues with being tardy to nearly everything, so at the last minute I like to sprint to class. I feel like it helps, and it’s fun. I have also improved my handstand technique by just trying to do handstands.

The thing is, exercise as a task sucks. But if you continue to PLAY as an adult, you’ll keep doing it.

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UsaWoman t1_iu5h1ae wrote

The reminder to play is so important.

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therealz1ggy t1_iu5moqc wrote

I started walking 2 months ago and my goal was to just go for a walk everyday no matter how far I went so long as I took the steps to go outside and allbedang 2 months later and I’ve been walking everyday since! My cold feet are now warm when I sit down for hours on end. It feels good

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Austinswill t1_iu56tpv wrote

I played an hour of Ice hockey last night, I do it twice a week, Will I live forever?

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tannhaus5 t1_iu66j4h wrote

No no, Dr. Oz told me about this magic weight loss miracle pill. That seems much more believable

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Curious_Autistic t1_iu6jsax wrote

Exercise is healthy for sure for many. But not for patients with ME because of Post-Exertional Malaise. For some reason exercising aggrevates the sickness and worsens condition. Millions of people with this condition worldwide. It means we need to be careful with seeing exercise as a solution for all health problems.

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[deleted] t1_iu81apv wrote

I walk an hour 7 days a week up some fairly steep inclines.

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KilgoreLeszcz t1_iu81x6j wrote

I always had a tendency through all my life to choose the toughest and short exercises. They take me usually not more than 30 minutes total every week - excluding cycling. I feel they benefited me a lot. In my youth I started from regular pull-ups, I got to 36 repetitions but later I found them too easy so I introduced enhanced higher pull-ups or I tried to make pull-ups on one hand with a little help of the other or pull-ups with touching the bar with my breast. I also always walked on my hands or one hand lifted 20 kg dumbbell. The only longer exercise I choose was cycling and I prefer shorter but more intensive rides. The result? In my fifties I can't see any deterioration of my strength when compared to my youth. I only lost some flexibility which I never felt like exercising.

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DavidNipondeCarlos t1_iuc8eso wrote

My only goal is a regular schedules. I don’t care about the rest. I get in better shape and I plateau. The regular schedule is the difficult part. Anticipation is good for some things but not for working out again and again. I do it. On creative days I can get a workout by doing stuff at home. Changing sheets on a bed more often?

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Radpharm904 t1_iu4ch9s wrote

I mean wasn't this obvious before? We already knew exercise and maintaining a healthy weight is probably one of the top contributiors to longevity

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still-bejeweled t1_iu4swq3 wrote

What we didn't know was that small amounts of exercise throughout the week can still have an impact on your health, vs larger chunks of exercise.

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ArcaneTrickster11 t1_iu6pjsm wrote

No, we have known that for a long time. Sports science papers just don't get much respect for some reason so we have to keep repeating the same points

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SAYUSAYME007 t1_iu5rw2w wrote

From what I can see, humans are kept alive for far too long already. We have nursing homes full of people who don't know who they are or where they are, falling down and injuring themselves or unable to move around at all...being kept alive for what...so family members don't have to grieve? It's cruel.

Ive seen the body outlast the mind and the mind outlast the body..both are tragic.

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neuro__atypical t1_iu6b5j7 wrote

exercise improves cognitive function and is likewise protective against cognitive deficits and dementia... nobody's doing it so they can live to 80 and be a borderline vegetable, they're doing it so they can feel better at 60 than they would otherwise.

bodily decline and actual lifespan are two very different issues. increased lifespan with decreased bodily decline is good.

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sjack827 t1_iu48gth wrote

Still going to die though. Just saying ...

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Exeng t1_iu4b6xw wrote

With that mentality humanity would just crumble. Might as well just pack our bags and say good bye if we begin to think like that... The idea behind working out is to make it easier for your body as you get older.

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tocamix90 t1_iu4ejj1 wrote

I want to be around for my son as long as possible.

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sjack827 t1_iu4jlge wrote

Sorry. My response was based on the wording of these types of posts. Posts using the statement "less likely to die" annoy me a little because it's not actually true and it's not informative. Less likely to die in what time period? It would be so much more helpful if that kind of information was put in the title. I didn't mean to be snarky and I really appreciate these types of posts; just wish they were titled better.

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