Smoking is bad for you. Write that down.
We all know by now that there are only two things in life that are absolutely certain: death and taxes. Wait, three things: Ryan Gosling is sexually attractive.
But, for the sake of mixing things up, we’d like to add a 4th thing to the “things we can be certain about list”: the fact that smoking is bad for you.
We’re beaten over the head by that simple message by everyone from parental units to school teachers to commercials on television showing people that can no longer make it up the stairs because of the amount of nicotine they have ingested over the years.
And we know that in Australia alone, about 15 000 deaths per year are caused by regular, long-term tobacco smoking. In fact, smoking kills more people in Australia than all those killed by alcohol, drugs, murder, suicide, poisoning, fires, car crashes… the list goes on.
But what we don’t know is that your lack of a gym habit might also be killing you. According to a new study from Harvard, no exercise can be just as bad for your health as lighting up a ciggie.
This from Body and Soul:
Researchers say sedentary, non-active lifestyles are responsible for a whopping 5.3 million deaths worldwide, and the issue should be treated as a pandemic.
The study, which was published in medical journal The Lancet, claims that people in higher income countries are the least active of all.
Lead researcher Dr I-Min Lee from Harvard Medical School says she is not surprised by the study results, given that only one quarter of the world’s population smoke but about two thirds are inactive.
Adults should aim to do 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day, according to current guidelines from the Department of Health and Ageing.
Dr Lee says a good way for people to get more active is to commute to work by walking or cycling.
How often do you exercise? How do you make the time for it?
Comments
86 Comments so far
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I read a book (pH Miracle I think) that said pretty much everything (food wise) is gonna kill me – meat, dairy, yeast…even fruit and mushrooms! It pretty much advocates just eating organic veggies. Of course it claims to stop cancer in its tracks and have you live a long and healthy life, but after reading it, hearing that missing 30 minutes a day of exercise is never gonna scare me! I eat a piece of bread now and think – ah well, gonna die one day anyway…
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I hope that between chasing my toddler, walking the dog, doing the household chores and living in a house of steps that I get some portion of my daily exercise in. And then there’s the weekly Pilates class at work.
I don’t own scales, but I don’t think my body has changed much in the last ten or so years, so my concern is what could be happening on the inside that I can’t see!!
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Reading everyone’s comments below makes me more determined to give hubby’s cross trainer a bashing tonight. I hate exercise, dont like team sports, and have no-one to mind my kids so I can get out to do either, but with the cross trainer set up in the lounge room I can fit it in after the boys are in bed. The washing folding can wait…
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A great tip for those stuck at home with no one to help mind the kids is get online and find an exercise video (there are plenty on youtube) or stick in a workout DVD and do it while the kids are napping or when they’re in bed.
You really don’t need to go to the gym at all, seriously! I get a better workout and sweat heaps more from working out at home then I do running on a treadmill at the gym.
Just jump on youtube for 30 minutes a day and in a few weeks you will definitely notice a difference.
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I got to a point this year when I finally realised that self-motivation is just not working for me… I’m very all or nothing, so 3 weeks of running and then crash. Three weeks of gym and then crash…. Over and over for 30 years.
This year I joined two sports teams (indoor soccer and 6-a-side soccer), and that’s the key! The team guilt works for me, and I love exercising in a group with a goal (to win) not just for fitness sake. I think I’ve found my “thing” and am now looking for a third team….
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In my experience, guilt is the best motivator. By myself, I can easily drive past the gym, pool, beach whatever. But if I’m letting down my swim buddy? I’m there, every time. No because I’m loyal or committed, just because I’ll feel terrible if I stand up my friend.
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Tracey Anderson Method http://tracyandersonmethod.com
Hamelin D’abell Method https://www.facebook.com/hamelin.dabell
And my favourite: Yoga with Duncan Peak. (All on DVD, and some are free on YouTube.) Also, I utilise a treadmill for walking, running, and skipping. And LOUD music! (Except during the yoga, of course.) I love my exercise so much, if I’m too busy, I get resentful of the activities–or people–getting in the way; so sometimes, I’ll do it early so it can’t get taken away from me.
Also, I find a routine hard to stick to. I need variety but I like to plan what I’m going to do, usually the day before.
Hope this helps someone…
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Just to be clear again, at no point did I suggest calorie counting. But people should educate themselves about how much energy is in food. The best foods are often the ones that are relatively low in calories but last a long time In Your body, mostly very low gi carbs and protein rich foods. Know the value of your food- I guarantee you will be surprised.
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I saw a pretty scary Catalyst episode a couple of weeks ago about how bad sitting at your desk all day is for your health. The researchers even went as far as to say that if you sit at your desk constantly for 11 hours a day, there’s a good chance you’ll die in the next few years. Thankfully you can easily combat this by getting up from your desk and doing a small amount of exercise every 20 to 30 minutes: walk to the kitchen, toilet, photocopier, colleague’s desk, etc. Apparently it’s the frequency of exercise during your work day that matters, rather than the length of time or how strenuous it is. Since then I have been trying to get up from my desk more frequently when at work, in the hope it will increase my life span!
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Yeah, there’s a whole big article about it in the new issue of Australian Women’s Health too.
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Sorry, I find this as offensive as saying a gay lifestyle is as bad as smoking.
You can match your food intake to your level of activity.
You can also be a very active person and not lose weight through lots of medical conditions.
If you are gaining weight, don’t pout over articles like this – see your doctor. It could be your thyroid, pre-diabetes or lots of other diseases.
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Flutterby you obviously didn’t read the article properly. It doesn’t say anything about weight, going up, or down, or in between. It only talks about your level of activity, and that those who don’t exercise are most at risk of death.
If you are “a very active person” and you are or are not losing weight, you are not the person targeted by this article. In fact if you have any activity at all you are not the person targeted by this article.
The person they are talking about is the one that does no exercise at all (yes, that would be me).
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But its not neccesarily about being active to lose/maintain weight, its about being active to strengthen our hearts and bodies…
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Please justify your headline, that lack of exercise is “just as” bad for you as smoking. You quote a statistic that a sendentary lifestyle is responsible for 5.3 million deaths – what period is this over? Per day, per year, or what? And how does this compare to smoking deaths, if possible including passive smoking?
This isn’t at all helpful for those of us who struggle to get motivated to exercise. I’d much rather read a book and articles like this make me thing, “WTF, I’m half dead anyway, so where’s my Kindle?”
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I wouldn’t say that I LOVE to exercise, especially since I always try to find any excuse in my mind not to do it even with a husband who absolutely LOVES exercise, not much of his motivation has rubbed off on me. BUT I know I have to do it and thinking of what may happen in the future is one thing that gets me off my ass and into the gym. I’m known in my family and with my friends to be very irregular when it comes to going to the gym or doing any sort of exercise, I’ll go steady for a while and then things will just drop. Recently though (and it’s been 3 weeks now) I have been working out with a plan, so each day going into the gym I know exactly what I’ll be doing which really helps!
Right now I go between 4-5 days a week and on the other days I might either just rest or go walking with husband. I also no longer feel like I need to go every morning, which is what used to deter me, thinking that I HAD to exercise in the morning. Last night I was at the gym at 7pm (helps when you have access to a 24hr gym) and did my routine for the day and was happier for it.
I understand that not everyone has access to a gym but things like walking/running are excellent but I also think weight training is equally as important as the cardio stuff. But again you don’t need actual weights to weight train.
I like feeling strong, I like the fact that I can lift heavier and heavier as time goes on. I like seeing what my body can do.
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my mantra is “when you least feel like exercising is when you most need it”. I started training again when my second baby was just nine weeks old because I didn’t start with my first until over a year and it was so hard. While it was a little crazy the only way I could fit it in was to do the morning sessions of the crazy but super fun Heavy Haulers program a couple mornings a week which meant 4:30am starts. Crazy as it sounds I actually have more energy and can stay up way later on the days I train! Even with a newborn! And the beauty of training in the morning as a full time mum is that you’re all done by 7am and you don’t have to worry about training after an exhausting day. Procrastination is death. You’ve just got to love yourself and go out and do it!
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I do martial arts three mornings a week before work, then I have a standing PT appointment at the gym one night a week and get to the gym on any other night after work when I don’t have anything else on.
I think the hardest part of a routine is starting it + a few weeks of getting used to it. After that, it’s just routine and you move everything else in life around to fit it.
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Not guilty! The gym is my happy place:) If anyone wants inspiration, tips on healthy food and such please feel free to check out my blog: http://thefitandhappylife.blogspot.com.au/
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Wow BeaG! I wish my buns looked as good in my Lorna Jane’s as yours do.
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Haha:) Tnx! Squats!
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oh you look fantastic, i’m so motivated ti check out your blog and see how you do it – how many kids do you have?
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This whole exercise thing is getting me down at the moment. I have been trying to go to the gym at night (really the only time I can get there is when Ava and Fin are in bed) but some nights I am just so so so tired.
And I was walking Ava to kindy but now I have to stop because of magpies.
Am beginning to think I should just buy a treadmill …
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I bought a treadmill for the same reason – to fit in some exercise during the day. Financially, I am unable to join a gym just yet, and my kids take a while to get used to creches etc. I try to exercise when my daughter is at preschool and/or son is asleep during the day. Unfortunately, that is when i am most tired but it makes me feel better. Sometimes I will take them both down to the garage and my 5yo will play and I put my 1.5 yo into the playpen. I would love to bring the treadmill up into our living room (in front of the tv) but it takes up too much room!
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When I can, I have been going at 4.30 in the morning – K wakes up for a little feed, I often give her a feed and can’t go back to sleep, so I go to the gym instead!
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Try an umbrella for the magpies
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Hi Bec,
Just my opinion, but I have found that a very simple exercise bike can be easier to stick to than a treadmill, and is far cheaper. Fitness First has a warehouse sale every now and again on their old equipment which they replace every 6-12 months and you can often pick up a bike for a few hundred dollars, or a treadmill for a few hundred more. Often these are almost new and are great value – you can be sure that FF has the latest top of the line equipment when it is bought and they only buy high traffic models, so it will be sturdy. I picked up a spin bike for $300 a few years ago and I use it every day. Spin bikes retail for about $3,000.
In terms of motivation, after my daughter was born I found it really easy to convince myself to sit on the bike for 30 minutes each night before dinner while I watched TV. After all, if I can sit down and watch TV, I may as well be doing it on an exercise bike! Same for walking/running on a treadmill. Once you are in routine it gets much easier.
Hope it helps, good luck!!
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Bec, can you go in the morning? I started doing Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation ( which I first read about on Mamamia!), and the biggest tip that she has that has helped me with my exercise, is to set your alarm – 5.20am for me – and then just get up and do it. Then your exercise is done for the day and you’re not spending all day making excuses why you can’t do it.
My kids are a bit bigger than yours so it may well be easy for me to say, but mornings definitely work for me!
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Hey Anne,
Are you doing this round? I’m doing it and loving it! 5.20 is too early for me, but I’m up at six and out the door. Love having my exercise done before the day starts. It was hard the first week but now it’s becoming a habit and I’m even waking up before the alarm goes off!
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Lisa66, I am doing this round, isn’t it great! This is my third round and I’ve gone from nearly dying from running for 30 seconds to now doing the half marathon program. I love getting up in the mornings (well once I’m up anyway, it’s still hard when the alarm goes off), it’s my hour of me time before the craziness of the day starts.
Did you have the Penang chicken tonight? Yum, my favorite!
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Wow!!! I can’t believe you are doing the half marathon training – that’s awesome!
I’m saving Penang Chicken for later in the week as my eldest is allergic to peanuts, so want to have it on a night when it’s easy to cook two different meals. I actually bought Free Nut Butter not peanut butter so he won’t be affected, but he won’t eat anything that tastes nutty.
I’m still wobbling along in the beginner exercise program. I’m just getting back into running after a long term injury. Happy to say Mish has got me back out there again.
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My old bones can’t believe I’m doing the half marathon program either! Congratulations on getting back into exercise after a long term injury, so much of the battle is just starting isn’t it! That must be difficult for your son having the nut allergy, and I know what you mean about not having anything nutty. Our son grew out of a mild nut allergy but still won’t go near anything with nuts as he says he hates the smell. It’s amazing what they retain.
Good luck with your fitness test this week!
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Thanks everyone for that advice. I’ll investigate all those options this week. I’m even thinking of just getting out the skipping rope, some dumb-bells and a medicine ball and doing 30 minutes of exercise at home while Fin is asleep and Ava is at nursery school.
I wish I loved exercise as much as I love eating. Sigh.
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Grab some dvds and do them. I really like doing them in the garage when KDot is asleep!
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Google the tumblr 100 workout. I do it at night in front of the tv after I have put the kids to bed – I also substitute the ten minutes running for 20 push ups. It’s not perfect but it is pretty quick to do (about 15 -20 mins) and is perfect for when you can’t get out of the house!
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I was a trainer for 10 years, for anyone who is interested I have three tips;
1. Start moving. Just do it. Walk your dog, go up and down stairs a second time, walk to the station, put one foot in front of the other. Walking/running are free and can be done any time of day or night! 20 minutes at a time is a great start, and you will notice the difference quite quickly. If a gym works for you, even better, but just move however you can.
2. Fit it into your life. Do whatever exercise you will be able to sustain long term. Don’t other joining a gym and doing a 90 minute session if you know you’ll never be able to fit it in day to day. It may mean going to a class that you know fits easily into your schedule, it may mean walking 20 minutes to the station or getting up a few minutes earlier. But be confident you can KEEP doing it.
3. Know how many calories are in your favourite guilty treats. Most people should stick to 1800-2500 cals a day to sustain their weight depending on gender, age, weight etc. To lose 1 kg you need to have a caloric deficit of 7700 cals. If you aren’t interested in weight loss, but just want to stay moderate to maintain general health it can be really helpful to know how many calories you are ingesting. If you are trying to stick to 1800 cals per day, that 250 cal glass of coke is a large chunk of that. Don’t necessarily count each calorie, but know the value of your food. It will help you to make informed choices.
Sermon over!
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I exercise a minimum of four times a week for an hour. Ensure my calories are on average 1300 and I haven’t lost any weight. Granted I’m not overweight but I’d still would have thought I would have lost something over the last year. I’m 167cm and vary between 51-53kg. How many calories should I have?
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1300 calories is not enough for the majority of people. I’d highly suggest focussing on a nutritious diet as opposed to calories. Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full and find a balance between nutrition and intuition.
The most likely reason that you haven’t lost weight is because your body doesn’t need to, nor does it want to. Our bodies will be quite stubborn about staying at their most ‘happy’ weight.
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At 167cm you would be pretty thin at 51-53kgs. Do you really want to lose weight????
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Loads more! You must be seriously underweight! That’s exactly my weight range, I’m a size 8-10 and 14cm shorter (okay, 17cm…) than you! Maybe you are a bit too focused on your weight and need to step back a bit…?
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im the same…. 159cm and approx 48kgs and i exericse approx 4 to 5 times a week (running and walking) and eat about 1200 to 1400 cals a day and i cannot lose anything! i only want to lose about 2kgs and it just wont come off
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Hi April, my reply to you would be exactly the same as my reply to Really?? above. If you’re exercising that much, then you very likely would need to consume more calories than what you are at the moment to allow your body to operate at it’s best. If you’re body then needs to lose weight, it will; however most likely you don’t need to lose weight and so your body will fight to stay at it’s healthiest weight (particularly when you are restricting calories – it won’t want to lose anymore in case you keep restricting). Often our body’s healthiest weight isn’t always the one that makes us look like supermodels (because the majority of us aren’t meant to!). Keep going with a good amount of exercise, eat nutritious food mindfully in accordance with your hunger and fullness signals. Be kind to yourself and let your body do it’s thing.
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@ Really??
If you eat too little calories, your body goes into starvation mode and will cling to any energy source it can.
And I am 156cm and fluctuate between 56-58kg and while I could lose a little bit of tummy and thigh, if I weighed 51kg I would look like a stick figure. I really don’t think you need to lose any more weight!
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Ive never counted calories!!!!
I have a steady weight by eating healthy generally
I indulge occasionally
And regularly exercise and/or be active.
If there are weight issues I just think its best to focus on health instead of counting calories
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Hi Turtle,
I’m glad you don’t need to count calories, and I don’t necessarily advocate calorie counting for everyone. That’s why I specifically said “Don’t necessarily count each calorie, but know the value of your food. It will help you to make informed choices.”
For some people who have food addictions, or are desperately trying to improve their weight or health calorie counting can be a valuable tool. But with nutritional information available on just about every item of food these days, for most people a quick glance at the packet can tell you a lot. I touched on caloric value above, but there are other things to look for if you understand what they mean. For the average person trying to stay healthy knowing whether an ice cream has 1000 calories or 70, (Ben and Jerry’s vs Billabong), can make a decision for you.
I have worked with many nutritionists and they tend to stridently believe that people should be more vigilant in understanding what is in their food and learning to read the labels.
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Hi Turtle,
I’m glad you don’t need to count calories, and I don’t necessarily advocate calorie counting for everyone. That’s why I specifically said
“Don’t necessarily count each calorie, but know the value of your food. It will help you to make informed choices.”
For some people who have food addictions, or are desperately trying to improve their weight or health calorie counting can be a valuable tool. But with nutritional information available on just about every item of food these days, for most people a quick glance at the packet can tell you a lot. I touched on caloric value above, but there are other things to look for if you understand what they mean. For the average person trying to stay healthy, knowing whether an ice cream has 1000 calories or 70, (Ben and Jerry’s vs Billabong), can make a decision for you, or at least help you make better decisions.
I have worked with many nutritionists and they tend to stridently believe that people should be more vigilant in understanding what is in their food and learning to read the labels. Learning to read labels is in fact focusing on health, as you put it. Weight issues can be very complex, and while it appears you don’t have any, I assure you for the people that do there is nothing healthier than understanding what they put into their bodies.
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Totally agree Turtle!
All these calorie counting apps that are out at the moment are really worrying me. They often lead to unhealthy eating (choosing diet foods that are low in calories but also low in nutrients) and can promote eating disorders in those that are already susceptible.
Focussing on healthy food consumption regardless of calories is much more beneficial
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Crap. In order to read and heed this article, I need to sit at my PC.
I feel so conflicted.
Maybe a lie down’ll help.
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My big tip is to find an affordable, Mum-friendly gym with sessions that you’ll enjoy. My gym has an aerobics class called body-jam, which is closer to a dance class. I like it much more than Zumba, much more variety in the moves and allows you more expression. Traditional aerobics just doesn’t work for me, and step aerobics makes me worried that I’ll trip on the step! I go to a gym run by the local council, so it’s affordable and the staff are happy and friendly. Lastly, it’s Mum-friendly in that there’s a creche on site at the gym for occasional care. My 5 y.o. has been going for an hour, once a week since he was two. It’s very convenient, and has the added bonus of forcing me to turn up, otherwise I still pay for my creche spot if I skip a session without prior notice (and I’d be too embarrassed!) Find something you enjoy that works in with your other commitments. A few walks with the pram and a second gym session and that’s my week.
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I’m overseas at the moment and have been gorging on ice-cream and wine all day every day – it’s been amazing. And yet I’ve lost 3kgs. Holy cow, it’s like all my dreams have come true. How? From walking around 6-8 hours per day as I see each city, go to exhibitions and explore, and then dancing the night away every night for hours at a time. So even though I thought I’d stack on the kgs and be super unhealthy from eating and drinking all the time, the opposite has happened. God bless travel!!
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That’s how I lost 7kg in Paris! Ok it was over a 6 month period when I lived there, but yeah I walked EVERYWHERE, even when taking the metro I was walking up a lot of stairs etc etc. I try to do my “paris diet” here but it doesn’t really work- a car is always needed in sydney
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Hey, I’m the same. I’m coming home in two days after train around Europe for six weeks. I’ve eaten so much delicious food and drank so much booze… But definitely feel skinnier!! Win!
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Trying to fit exercise into my life is like a trip to struggle town. It just isn’t happening, and I feel the worse for it. After doing absolutely nothing for the last …mumble mumble… I then did a mad three hours of strenuous gardening yesterday. I can’t move today – so sore.
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I walk half an hour to and from work every day. Parking is outrageously expensive, so it’s a good way to work it in. I HATE IT, i can’t pretend, i really hate exercise. But you know what, when i dont do it, everything feels a bit bigger, i feel more sluggish. I can’t recommend highly enough finding a form of exercise that you just have to do. No way around it!
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Sport- i love my sport which is pretty much my exercise. I’m at the end-of-season break at the moment but in a couple of weeks I will be doing indoor hockey twice a week and ballet once a week. Last semester at uni I was doing outdoor hockey twice a week, gymnastics twice a week and ballet once a week. I don’t really like the gym, I’m a very competitive and social person, and find team sport fun
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Yes I know we should all be exercising and eating healthy but its not a guarantee that you will avoid cancer.
My mother was super fit, always ate well, never smoked and rarely drank and still we lost her to breast cancer.
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My mother in law was the same. We lost her last year to Lung cancer that had spread to her liver and she was one of the healthiest people I knew. I want to have a healthy lifestyle and encourage my children to do the same but sometimes when I’m having a bad day I think about her and I feel like ‘what’s the point’
I walk for about an hour most nights, will use the exercise bike 1 or 2 nights a week and we go on family walks on the weekends or kick the footy in the backyard. I started jogging on my walks and then injured my knee, a month of resting it and going to the physio and it seems to be better so I’m currently building my distance up again. Sometimes the only motivation is losing the last few kilos and getting to where I will be happy with my weight rather than my health but I do love the feeling I get when I’ve gotten a bit further than the night before
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and ALCOHOL which is never mentioned (heaven forbid if we said this was harmful). Check out Cancer Council Australia’s position statement on alcohol and cancer (recent findings) http://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-control-policy/position-statements/alcohol-and-cancer/
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It doesn’t say ZERO alcohol when you have cancer…which is typical of all cancer societies. They don’t take any notice of any research re anti cancer diets etc. Which I think is completely misleading. The first thing you should do is eliminate all sugar processed food alcohol ( sugar) etc to get the body as well and as alkaline as possible to help the immune system fight the cancer naturally. I have a male relative (from the generation who believes the doctor is a God) with kidney cancer- possibly caused by alcohol in the first place- had one removed and now has bone cancer….on years of chemo and no life quality and on 18 medications. Still drinking everyday and made zero changes…sad. Wonder if the dr had told him to stop drinking the day he was diagnosed it would have made a difference.
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What would cancer councils know about cancer anyway?
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I exercise 5 days a week, for about 45-60 mins at a time. I don’t feel compelled to try to force myself to exercise the other 2 days. I will be gardening a fair bit when I’m on annual leave , so that will replace the exercise on those days.
I’m happy with the level I do. It’s dropped my resting blood pressure and heart rate and firmed up the old muscles. Any more and my knees and one elbow start hurting..
I won’t be doing laps of the shopping centre loaded down with shopping any time soon (sorry little jojo).
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haha, that’s ok Faybian, I think what you do is plenty! We all have to do what works right for us xxx
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I guess the difference between smoking and not exercising is smoking harms other people, whereas not exercising only harms the person not exercising.
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I think it’s important to do something you enjoy as part of your exercise habits. I run 3 times a week but I also play tennis twice a week which I love & it’s also really social. I’m surprised that a lot of women my age (40) don’t participate in any sporting activities.
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Exercise is definitely one of the biggest factors when it comes to ensuring good health and it’s beneficial regardless of your body weight. Many studies are now showing that going to the gym for 30-60 minutes is not enough to counteract an otherwise sedentary lifestyle (chained to a desk all day), therefore we need to find ways to include movement into our life everyday, every hour. Even small things like getting up to make a cup of tea, walking over to speak to your colleague rather than calling them, cleaning the house, going on a shopping spree and carrying all the bags while you do three laps of the shopping centre etc all contribute to good health.
I personally absolutely love going to the gym, in fact I work part time as a group fitness instructor, so I’m literally paid to exercise. However, I agree with the comment below by Catgirl, that you don’t have to go to the gym to include physical activity in your day-to-day life. The best thing is to find a form of exercise you really enjoy. I see so many people who come to the gym, go hard for a few weeks and then I never see them again. Slow and steady is key, particularly if you’re new to exercising
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how do you become a group fitness instructor at a gym? i already work fulltime but need some extra income so have been thinking about becoming one since if im not at work im at the gym so i might as well be paid to be there exercising if i can!
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April – do you want to email me? jodie88@live.com.au
There’s a fair bit involved so send me an email and I can give you more info
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couldnt agree more about needing to find something that you enjoy so you stick with it and actually do it!!
Im also a group ex instructor and the people who see the best results find something they love and stick with it!
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If anyone is interested, I have a facebook page which includes information about health, fitness, diet and body image. I have a strong Health at Every Size (HAES) focus and no judgements are made about body size. https://www.facebook.com/AHealthyParadigm
MM Moderators – I posted this yesterday, however it hasn’t appeared. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was promoting my page, however there is a comment above by someone else promoting their blog. I hope you’ll allow this to be posted, however I understand if not. Thanks
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But what we don’t know is that your lack of a gym habit might also be killing you.
I don’t agree with that you need to go to a gym in order to exercise. It seems to me that the very act of being a female and a mother means that you get a lot of exercise in your daily life.
Getting weight bearing exercise by constantly lugging around children on your hip or groceries in from the car, bending and straightening picking up toys and stuff off the floor, hanging up never ending streams of washing and filling and emptying the dishwasher. Washing floors, vacuming floors. The daily physical exercise is never ending.
Of course if you are a person who works from dawn to dusk chained to an office desk and a computer it is a different story. But in that case who would have time to exercise, and I would consider that lack of exercise time would probably be the least of their worries.
The people who fall between those two extremes should do things like go for a long walk each day.
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Exactly. I’ve never understood the need to go to a gym. If that’s the only time you move your body, you’re doing it wrong. Why aren’t you playing in the park, walking along the beach, taking the stairs, working in the garden, walking to the shops instead of driving, keeping your house clean, or volunteering to help someone else – mowing an elderly person’s lawn or doing errands for a charity, for instance?. A normal day is chock-full of opportunities to move – when did we become so self-obsessed that we need to go to the gym to do normal human movement stuff?
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A normal day is chock full of opportunities to move for some people, Peta. If you’re lucky enough to be able to do all that stuff, that’s great.
I’m pretty active – I mostly catch public transport as I don’t have a car, so I walk a lot, pushing a pram, walk around uni, etc. I also go to swimming training when I can, and I go to the gym too. I go to the gym because I like being able to measure what I am doing, and be pushed by a trainer writing a program for me to achieve goals. I’m not great doing this for myself. Many people aren’t. For example, my trainer has had me running on the treadmill. Now you would say “Just do it yourself” but as someone who has never been a “runner” (sporty, certainly, but never just going for a walk or run for the sake of doing it), it just doesn’t happen. But if I know on Day 1 of my program that I go to the gym, and do 500m warm up, 1km running, 500m/1km, 500m/1km, 500m cool down, and try to beat my time every time, I do it. I am competitive, I like recording what I do and seeing the weights go up and times go down for the same distance.
Good for you being able to do it all yourself, but if the only time I can work out is at my gym at 4.30 in the morning on some days, I’m going to get down there (with the others that are there at the same time – you’d be surprised) and do my thing, thanks all the same.
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Agree, catgirl. When I was at uni, I led a very active life, simply by walking around campus, walking to and from the bus stop to the uni campus and at one stage, I had a job in retail so I was constantly on the go.
I eat FAR healthier with way more fruit and vegetables now than I did at uni yet I’m probably 5-8kg heavier than I was then. Why? Well, now I sit in an office chair form 7.45 to 5:30 most days and only move to get my printing, get a coffee, to go talk to my secretary or go to the bathroom!
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I’m very active due to my job, but incidental exercise isn’t enough for me.
Five years ago I thought I was quite fit, after all I spent all day on my feet, always moving. Then I decided I wanted to start running, and discovered two minutes of slow jogging made me feel like I was dying. I went to the gym, did a few exercises with the lightest weights I could find, and every muscle in my body was on fire for days. I wasn’t fit at all.
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I work a full time office job. Study a uni degree part time via distance ed and run a bootcamp 5 sessions per week. I STILL however make the time to exercise myself.
If you want it bad enough, you will make the time!
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This is perfect – I am quitting smoking right now, and about to embark on a new lifestyle where fitness is incorporated. As I don’t live near a gym, I thought doing something like C25K or similar would be a good idea. My hubby has some free weights I have access to as well.
Can anyone tell me about training plans like C25K? Have you done it/similar? Did you enjoy it? What about (android) apps that help? I am definitely not one to ‘wing it’ and need some kind of structure and goals.
Would love ANY advice from fitness type people, who may have started where I am now please!
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I would not attempt C25K if you are not already in the habit of exercising. I think the name is misleading. I was very inactive and unfit when I attempted it and the first day just about killed me.
I have had more success with the MyFitnessPal app (available for Android). It tracks your calories and your exercise – doing more exercise gives you more calories you can eat. I find it really motivating to finish a day and get the little message that says “if every day was like today, you would weigh X in 5 weeks”. It really lets me know if I’m on the right track.
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Fightofyourlife, I did respond to this yesterday but it’s disappeared! So thankyou for suggesting My Fitness Pal – have put it on the phone and am having fun zapping barcodes left right and centre! It looks terrific!
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Good luck with it! I’ve lost 10kg on it in 8 months, after trying to shift this weight for literally YEARS. For whatever reason, this is what finally clicked for me and keeps me motivated.
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Hey Shaezy,
I tried the C25K and it was hard (I’ve never been a runner, so that was part of it! Also, I was pushing KDot in a pram), but I think you could give it a shot and see how you go – I don’t know how active you’ve been before – I was a smoker as well but I was also pretty sporty at the same time.
If you have some weights, I’d suggest getting hold of the Michelle Bridges DVDs – they’re designed to be done at home, and I really enjoy them. The ones I have are in 5 minute workouts, and you can mix and match so you do whichever ones you like, and for however long you can do them. I paid $30 for a 3 pack at Rebel, I often do them if I can’t get to the gym or just feel like a change. I set up an old tv and cheapo dvd player in the garage!
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My husband loved C25K, although it was really hard to get started so he repeated the easy weeks until he got to a higher level of fitness. There’s also some good YouTube at home workouts for beginners.
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I did the c 2 5K program 2 years ago. Loved it, had to repeat a few weeks, but got there eventually. I have kept it up and love the feeling after a run. I had never run before in my life and I am now 54 and fitter than I have ever been.
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HI Shaezy
I’m currently on Week 8 of the C25K and it’s worked really well for me. It was agony when I started and I really had to force myself go out in that first week when my legs were killing me, but now I’m up to running 28 minutes (over 4ks) without stopping. It feels like a miracle!
I started with zero fitness, never having been a runner, never having been to the gym and not having played sport for 15+ years. I tried to run 5 times a week for the first few weeks and I think that helped. Plus, I was very relaxed with each week – some weeks had 8, 9 or 10 days in them!
Go for it!
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Thanks Kris, Laws for Clouds, Tracey and cher. I’m glad to hear both sides of the story here. I think I’ll give it a go but take it at my own pace too – I’m more interested in just moving, but having goals (even if they stretch out a little!) will definitely help. I’m not much of a runner so I could channel a little Phoebe here and there. Could be fun though!
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Hi – I’ve got Run Double on gte android for C25K, I really like it, it measures your distance, gives you updates after each run interval, which motivates me more. Goodluck!
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I had never seen the “fun in run” but wanted to challenge myself so did the C25K program 18 mths ago – I loved it, great music and someone egging you on when you started to droop. And best of all I did the City 2 Surf this year and RAN THE WHOLE WAY!! Miracles do happen!
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I’ve done C25K and I loved it! I’m 46, and didn’t start running until I was in my early 40s. At the time I started C25K I had been walking for a few months and wanted to ramp up my exercise a little. I was (and still am!) overweight at the time. I didn’t find it too hard (and I am not the athletic type at all.) My advice is if you are not exercising at all start with a few weeks of walking so that you don’t shock your body too much. Once you start to feel a little fitter then start C25K. When you are doing the program there is no problem with repeating a week if you feel you are not ready to progress to the next week. Just take it slowly and you’ll be fine! I entered and ran in my first fun run at the conclusion of the program and I have to say that I felt an enormous sense of pride and satisfaction when crossed the finish line.
Good luck with it!
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