Is Exercise Bad for You?

ForkSnorter on 05/02/2023 - 10:26
Last edited 06/02/2023 - 15:28

Edit: due to all the sarcastic comments, I decided to add this opening comment as clarification:

Regular (or constant) activity is definitely good for you but maybe we don't really need to do dedicated, specialised exercises that increase the risk of injury, like jogging, long-distance cycling, and gym. Maybe just walking is sufficient to stay healthy.

Here is the original post:

Consider the following:

  1. My grandpa didn't exercise once in his life. The closest he got to exercising was walking to the letterbox to check the mail. He did this once every 2 days, and it was a major expedition for him. His favourite book was called "Exercise is bad for you", it was always lying around on the coffee table. He was enormously overweight for most of his life, yet lived to the age of 88.

  2. His wife, my grandmother, didn't even walk to the letterbox, and rarely left the house. She basically either potted around in the kitchen or sat on the sofa watching TV (not actually watching, just staring at it). In the last few years of her life, she had a glass of wine every night with dinner. She lived to the age of 93.

  3. I have numerous unhealed injuries which are the result of exercise or strenuous activity. These include bad knees, one bad hip, bad lower back, 2 bad shoulders, and 1 weak foot. As a result of these injuries, I have much less flexibility, mobility and strength than my friends and relatives of similar age, who have been much less active than me throughout their lives. They are now much more active than me, due to injuring themselves far fewer times than I have.

  4. My mother never engaged in regular exercise (no swimming, running or cycling or any sport) in her younger years, yet she is now extremely healthy and active for her age; she is far more flexible and mobile than me, and has never injured any of her joints.

  5. I'm seeing more and more studies finding that intensive exercises is correlated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease or heart attack/stroke.

Keep in mind, I've always loved to exercise, and it has always been important to me and made me feel amazing. But over the years, my ability to exercise has become more and more limited due to injuries caused by exercising.

Poll Options

  • 26
    Intensive exercise is good for you.
  • 607
    Frequent moderate exercise is good for you.
  • 44
    Occasional light exercise is good for you.
  • 12
    Exercise is not necessary for health.
  • 21
    Couch potato is the healthiest lifestyle.
Health & Beauty

Comments

  • murp0274 on 05/02/2023 - 10:32
    +142

    This has to be a shit post right?

      • murp0274 on 05/02/2023 - 10:38
        +85

        I'm sorry to hear about your struggles. Sounds like you've accumulated alot of injuries. Likely, but not certainly, through improper movements and behaviours, not 'exercise' itself.

        • Serapis on 06/02/2023 - 11:30

          Lack of stretching and/or warmups, and rushing through exercises are the main factors of my injuries.

      • Some Human on 05/02/2023 - 11:45
        +11

        Probably overdid it. I know if I do vigorous exercise without rest days between, I get sore.

      • garetz on 05/02/2023 - 13:37
        +3

        Your body is like a tire, there is only so much tread you can use before the tire becomes useless.
        Also some tyres have thicker tread than others. So everyone's mileage varies.

        I believe the best maintenance for your body is the 10k steps a day method.

        • Sinnerator on 06/02/2023 - 08:56
          +5

          so what you are saying is a spare tyre is good :-)

      • drfuzzy on 05/02/2023 - 14:36
        +4

        You snorted the fork.
        Exercise is the least of your problems.

      • Sex on 05/02/2023 - 17:34
        +5

        You can't blame exercise when it's your bad form causing the injuries.

      • CalmLemons on 05/02/2023 - 17:45
        +9

        It's not about living till a certain age.

        It's also about:

        Quality of life
        Being a useful functional member of society as part of your moral obligation to the world in which you live
        Not being obese and being a burden on the health system.

        • ThadtheChad on 05/02/2023 - 18:06
          +3

          (profanity) yes!

          I'd rather live a quality life than live to 90 being plagued by all manner of maladies eking our a miserable existence.

      • Raulioli8810 on 06/02/2023 - 08:08
        +2

        Sounds like you didn't stretch properly, warm up your body, over exuded yourself beyond your bodies potential, and just didn't educate yourself on how to safely exercise.

      • idonotknowwhy on 06/02/2023 - 10:18
        +1

        From what you've said; according to your family history, you don't need to worry about cardio / heart health. Everyone has different genes, which is why your local anecdotes are more important than studies, nytimes articles, etc.

        IMHO: All that steady state endurance crap probably did you more harm than good (and it sucks, because you thought you were taking responsibility for your health).

        Friends who were much less active than me when younger, are now far stronger, more flexible, and more active than me

        Checkout this timestamp about the identical twins. The one who did endurance exercise for 30 years was weaker, and had less fast-twitch muscle fibre than the one who sat at home watching TV. https://youtu.be/ED8pq0uBct8?t=4077

        IMO, just do strength training 3 times per week. Compound exercises like (Bench Press + Shoulder Press), (Pull-UP + Row), (Squat or Leg Press + Hamstring Curl)

        I was in a similar state in my 20's doing all that running, cycling, swimming - it just leads to injuries and makes you weaker. The important thing to stay strong while aging is to preserve fast-twitch muscle fiber.

        Of course before anything else, sleep (quantity and quality) is the foundation of physical and mental health.

      • Hearthstone on 06/02/2023 - 15:08

        If you got this sort of injuries then you are doing something wrong
        I am never a fan of intensive exercise routines; I think it unnatural

        I hike, walk, run, bike, I don't have any issue, not a single injury, I don't do anything crazy or intensive just regular
        hike in the bush for half a day, or running for 40 minutes or ride my bike for an hour or two.

        I don't stick to set routine or pushed myself, I listen to what my body tell me and I just do it.
        If I feel tire, I won't push myself to exercise, if I got a sore knee I skipped running for a week
        when I am feeling good and healthy, I go and exercise each day or every second day

        I been doing it for decades now, no health issues, no cholesterols or high blood pressure or crazy sugar level, all within the healthy boundary

      • supersabroso on 06/02/2023 - 15:29

        Then stop over exerting yourself. If you go beyond your limits then you will do more harm than good, you are better off being a couch potato than ripping your ligaments apart and breaking your back to the point where you can't even run any more. Only normal exercise is good for you, no good can come from causing permanent injury to your body, what kind of weird supreme Olympic athlete training are you doing???

        • ForkSnorter on 06/02/2023 - 15:36

          I guess I have always had a very high muscle-to-weight ratio. Super thin, small bones, skinny limbs, no fat whatsoever, yet a fair bit of muscle. This means it was very easy, for example, to sprint up hills without getting tired, overtaking cyclists, etc. I really had to work hard to get my heart pumping. So, possibly I was too thin for my own good, and this has put a lot of pressure on my tendons and joints during exercise.

          • Hearthstone on 06/02/2023 - 17:54
            +1

            @ForkSnorter: but why do you need to spring hard to get your heart pumping? just the movement of riding and running is more important than going flat out
            and cause injuries to yourself, some days I run for an hour and I don't feel anything but I ain't going crazy and push myself until I can't huff and buff

      • helpme on 06/02/2023 - 17:23

        Yeah my knees are (profanity) through basketball and gym. I never even went 'hard'. Just played a lot.

      • Brianqpr on 06/02/2023 - 20:26

        I don't doubt that those who do a lot of intense physical exercise while young often pay for it in later life.

        I loved football but was never that good at it so didn't play competitively until I joined an over 35s team when I was about 40. What struck me was that almost everyone else in the team and opposition teams had some sort of ongoing injury or complaint. Meanwhile I didn't have any concerns and this probably helped me be one of the better players despite not having a lot of ability/skill.

        Obviously playing at a younger age is also more intense and physical and there's a price to pay for that. I watched in awe as Andy Murray won two five setters at the Aus open despite basically having one hip, but I do wonder how he will be in a couple of decades.

      • meong on 07/02/2023 - 07:49

        Cycling should be one of the least impacting physical activities. If cycling is hurting your knees, might as well get a professional bike fitting done at your local bike shops.

        I had all sorts of back and shoulder issues with incorrect bike sizing (due to buying 2nd hand bikes without proper research) and had to sell them till i finally found the right size (and riding style) that i prefer.

      • Drakesy on 07/02/2023 - 14:33

        Cycling is literally the opposite of hard on your knees though?
        We used to get broken AFL players who's knees were shot buying bikes and riding 200k's a week just to stay fit.

      • johnfuller on 08/02/2023 - 12:44

        sounds like you over did it.

    • Hugh G Rection on 05/02/2023 - 21:28
      +3

      i didn't know you could type shit
      usually covered up with profanity label

    • smartazz104 on 06/02/2023 - 14:07

      Or a long-winded justification to be lazy.

  • Thatbargainhunter on 05/02/2023 - 10:33
    +63

    So your anecdotes hold more weight than a enormous body of scientific literature.

    Exercise and injury are two different things.

    Injury usually comes through improper behaviours (not warming up, poor technique, over extending), but not from exercise itself - or by pushing one's body to the extreme (as per athletes).

    Couple of cherry picked studies (and not even linking to the studies themselves but a news report). Cite a meta analysis.

      • orangetrain on 05/02/2023 - 11:02
        +36

        Survivor's bias. The couch potatoes are unlikely to post on social media or have died. You're only seeing people who are actively out there (ie exercisers or indirect-exercisers).

        Comparison is the thief of joy. Enjoy your life how you would like to.

        • SF3 on 05/02/2023 - 13:41
          +6

          Survivor's bias

          Agree with survivorship bias, only the ones that make it, live to tell the story.

      • Xuaxace on 05/02/2023 - 17:39
        +7

        hmm of course those who exercise and impose a physical strain on their bodies will likely experience an increase in injuries in the pursuit of athletic performance. That is the nature of physically loading the body.

        Now, I work as a physiotherapist in a public hospital and let me tell you, the people that have no exercise during their lives definitely have it pretty bad as old age comes around, from an increase in osteoporosis, low baseline muscle mass (reserve capacity) etc (besides the higher comorbidities), so when they go to hospital the downhill aspect is pretty significant etc.

        On the contrary, it is those that have had a more physical upbringing and active lifestyle tend to do better and rehabilitate better. I am not even going to bother to PubMed for citations as it is pretty much a universal fact at this point.

        • f23lda on 05/02/2023 - 19:43
          +4

          Physiotherapist? Pubmed? Pfft. You're talking nonsense. It's all about Grandpa and Grandma science.

      • Menzoberranzan on 05/02/2023 - 22:14
        +2

        If you only look at your own life and the people you know, it is easy to skew information.

        For example here is a similar yet obviously outrageous example. Nobody I know has had to go to a hospital for anything except for giving birth. Therefore from my own life and everyone I've known, hospitals are not needed and we do not need them or nurses/doctors/etc

        • Hangryuman on 06/02/2023 - 20:03

          'If you only look at your own life and the people you know, it is easy to skew information'

          what's wrong with a sample of one - obese grandpa lived a long time, skinny guy has injuries - case closed !

  • DemocracyManifest on 05/02/2023 - 10:35
    -2

    What is it with the people going on bush walks and long runs/bike rides etc on 30 degree plus and hugely humid days. Stuff like that is stupid, surely it’s just putting a huge strain on their heart and body and they are just losing water weight. Exercise is good, I’ve done way less since the lockdowns lmao

    • Assburg on 05/02/2023 - 15:42
      +3

      If you don't use aircon at home it's pretty easy to acclimatise. Cycling in places like Darwin is nice, you actually generate the feeling of a cool breeze.

    • smartazz104 on 06/02/2023 - 14:08

      What is it with people wearing seat belts when they drive, I never wear mine and I'm still alive.

  • SnowDragon on 05/02/2023 - 10:36
    +11

    My nan is 93 and goes for regular walks still. She's still independent and likely will be for another few years.

    I don't expect to be doing marathons when I'm elderly but regular light exercise keeps the body strong.

    • poboy on 05/02/2023 - 10:58
      +43

      I'm sorry, but based on the evidence posted in this thread, your nan passed away 20 years ago.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 05/02/2023 - 10:37
    +12

    Finally, the scientific study to justify my thousands of dollars a year large kfc zinger box habit

  • orangetrain on 05/02/2023 - 10:40
    +18

    OP, if I'm 200kg male 170cm, I should do at most, check the mail box every 2 days for exercise to live to the age of 88?

    If I'm 190kg female 160cm, I shouldn't do anything and live to 93?

    Awesome we will continue to drive to Maccas drive thrus. Thanks OP!

    • ForkSnorter on 05/02/2023 - 10:42

      200kg is not a healthy weight for anyone, that would put an enormous strain on your joints and your organs, and likely shorten your life.

      • orangetrain on 05/02/2023 - 10:43
        +9

        But we tried exercising and it's strenuous and painful to even do a walk. Based on your post, we're overdoing it and going to die! So we're following grandpa/grandma's exercise regime as you suggested. We'll let you know in 40 years if we're still alive

  • ram4ram on 05/02/2023 - 10:49
    +2

    If you're like our friend David Goggins, according to his book, his body eventually became so warn down and he couldn't move or something. What was he doing 'wrong'? He wasn't stretching. And after stretching sessions (that went on for an hour if I remember correctly), he was back at it again, no issues… and kept that stretching routine.

    Moral of the story: Exercise is bad, don't do it.

    • Xuaxace on 05/02/2023 - 17:43
      +2

      I like Goggins but his takes on stretching are a bit left-field (i.e. funky anecdotal takes without a strong understanding of the topic) and then correlating his improvements in function to stretching alone. He has gone through a lot and to correlate everything to one thing is a bit laughable but sometimes that is what people need mentally to keep going and feel like they are working towards something tangiable.

      • Papa Huggies on 06/02/2023 - 09:40

        Stretching is possibly overemphasised. Warming up is at least doubly as important as stretching. Still good to stretch but it's not a cure-all.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 05/02/2023 - 10:57
    +12

    Yeah let's throw out all the many decades of medical studies on exercise simply because you had fat grandparents who lived to 80-90.

    • ForkSnorter on 05/02/2023 - 10:58
      -2

      My grandmother wasn't fat.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 05/02/2023 - 10:59
        +8

        Oh well that changes everything doesn't it.

        My Gpa smoked and lived to 90. Is NOT smoking bad for you?

        • ForkSnorter on 05/02/2023 - 11:33

          Smoking is really bad for you.

          • Nugs on 05/02/2023 - 13:53
            +4

            @ForkSnorter: Are you sure?

            Fredie Blom (8 May 1904?[note 1] – 22 August 2020) which would have made him 116 years old when he died of natural causes on 22 August 2020.

            He was known for regularly smoking, and was reportedly the oldest man after Violet Brown, a Jamaican, died at 117 years old on 15 September 2017.[6][7][8]
            .

            • OZKap on 05/02/2023 - 15:26

              @Nugs: Any tobacco deals?

          • Papa Huggies on 06/02/2023 - 09:41
            +2

            @ForkSnorter: But you see how it doesn't really make sense to question whether exercise is good for you if you won't question whether smoking is good for you, since both arguments hinge on some 90-year-old who has beaten the odds?

            • ForkSnorter on 06/02/2023 - 15:23

              @Papa Huggies: I guess what I'm trying to insinuate is: regular (or constant) activity is good for you but maybe we don't really need to do dedicated, specialised exercise. Walking is probably sufficient.

              • Papa Huggies on 06/02/2023 - 16:50

                @ForkSnorter: All studies you linked are talking about intensive exercise. Without clear cut and complete metrics to measure what "intensive" is, that is effectively meaningless. I have a mate who runs ultra-marathons. I regularly run 5kms. My "intensive" run (8km-10km run) would be his recovery - something he does 2-3 days after running an ultra-marathon.

                What I can gather is that you are suggesting perhaps walking classifies as moderate exercise that is not intensive. However, the examples in your post above regarding your grandparents are examples of completely sedentary exercise.

                Fortunately the studies you linked do actually provide metrics for what is intensive and what is moderate, often using metrics such as heart rate, rates of exertion and activity duration to define what's intensive.

                Walking to the shops does not count as moderate intensity exercise under the studies' definition. Incidental walking is not sufficient.

                If you mean to say 6,000 - 8,000 steps a day of intentional, non-stop walking at > 6.0kmh is probably sufficient, I would agree.

              • knk on 08/02/2023 - 09:24

                @ForkSnorter: No that's not even remotely correct.

                I'm a gym rat and no going in and deadlifting or benching a shit load of weight isn't "healthy".

                However walking isn't enough as you age either.

                You need full body axial loading for the sake of bone density and general soft tissue strength. Good, low impact resistance programs are what everyone should be doing alongside whatever the heart foundations recommendation on cardiovascular exercise is these days for the sake of "health". (150 minutes moderate intensity per week from memory)

  • AustriaBargain on 05/02/2023 - 10:58
    +3

    I watch a lot of dash cam videos and you never see people die sitting at home watching TV, it's always while out jogging.

    • BOGOF on 05/02/2023 - 11:06

      Unless you park your car in your living room, you wouldn't.

      • Settero on 05/02/2023 - 12:17
        +9

        Or someone parks their car in your living room

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 06/02/2023 - 09:03
        +2

        Tim Smith is that you?

    • OzzyOzbourne on 06/02/2023 - 09:41
      +2

      Have you seen the number of dumbass drivers which drive into houses in Australia and nearly kill the occupants?

  • mapax on 05/02/2023 - 11:07
    +9

    *adjusts tinfoil hat

    Exerci$e is a $cam pu$hed by BIG Food to make people burn more energy over their life$pan $o that they con$ume more food which = more profit for BIG Food!

  • [Deactivated] on 05/02/2023 - 11:12
    +1

    But what about the relos you don't mention?

    • Daabido on 05/02/2023 - 11:16
      +4

      They stopped returning his calls for some unknown reason.

    • ForkSnorter on 05/02/2023 - 11:31

      Honestly, can't think of a single relative who was into exercise (swimming, jogging, cycling, gym) like me.

      • [Deactivated] on 05/02/2023 - 11:33
        +4

        Maybe you were adopted & got dodgy genes from your real kin?

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 06/02/2023 - 09:05

        My grandmother was into exercise and socializing. Certainly wasn't a zombie like OP's. - "sat on the sofa watching TV (not actually watching, just staring at it)"

        But anecdotal as well thus why I don't make a post the opposite of OP's.

  • coffeeinmyveins on 05/02/2023 - 11:45
    +6

    My grandpa didn't exercise once in his life.

    Sample size of one.

    You also realise that some smokers live to be 90 and some heavy drinkers live to be 90?

    The science doesn't lie, moderate exercise on the whole is good for you.

    How do people with such easily disproven ideals function in society lol

  • Danstar on 05/02/2023 - 11:49
    +4

    Exercise is almost pointless if your diet is not right

    • knk on 08/02/2023 - 09:25

      For the sake of weight loss yeah, still good for the ticker though.

  • Some Human on 05/02/2023 - 11:51

    Everything was built better back in the day. Humans included.
    Remember they grew up in a time when almost every meal was home cooked and reasonably healthy and McDonald’s either didn’t exist or wasn’t on every street corner.

    • greatlamp on 05/02/2023 - 15:28
      -1

      Also the quality of fresh ingredients is really bad in Australia. You shouldn't have to go to a boutique market and pay 3x the price for 'organic' vegetables for them to be ripe before they are harvested.

      • yadq on 05/02/2023 - 16:36
        +3

        Could you elaborate please?
        What do you mean by “bad quality”?
        What do you compare it to?
        Is it feelings based or is there more to it?
        Genuinely interested, thanks!

        • greatlamp on 05/02/2023 - 22:58

          If you have spent time living abroad (my experience was in the EU) the supply chains are much shorter. The difference between store bought tomatoes and home grown tomatoes for example, or apples, or spinach - instead of being bland they taste the same as the ones you would grow yourself. The supply chains of our major supermarkets involve vegetables that are picked unripe and refrigerated, then gassed with ethylene to give them a ripe 'colour' on the outside.

          It's not free, they pay more for groceries both in relative terms compared to wages, and also in absolute terms - similar to what we pay for organic vegetables at a market.

          Put simply - the standards are higher because if they sold fruit and vegetable over there of the quality we get here - customers would not return.

          If you expect me to link some peer reviewed study, I can't help.

          • yadq on 06/02/2023 - 05:42
            +1

            @greatlamp: Wasn’t expecting studies, thanks for a detailed answer. I can 100% agree with you regarding tomatoes. We’ve had way better quality (and variety!) of them over in EU.

            What about bananas, kiwis, mango, oranges, avocados, pineapples, etc? These in EU were rather disappointing compared to the quality of such in here.

            Oranges were quite often juiceless inside, still half-frozen when picked off the shelf. Bananas - taken off the tree as green as one could be and ripened “artificially” on cargo ships. Avocados and kiwis were always hard inside. The list goes on…

            To sum up my point: yea, SOME products are worse off than in other parts of the globe. It’s not fair to say it applies to everything though. Especially when you know where not to buy certain things (I personally either grow my own tomatoes- bull’s heart tomatoes are just too good, or buy from a local farmer on weekly fresh food markets). Let’s not cherry pick and stick the label across the board :)

            • greatlamp on 06/02/2023 - 09:58

              @yadq: This is true, it isn't that good quality is not available in Australia, but that the quality in our major supermarkets is poor.

              I don't feel like I am cherry picking, the baseline of what is passable is lower. I don't have experience with tropical fruits in the EU, except for banana's - which were rather small, I would call them low quality also.

              Kiwi and oranges are also grown in southern europe, and the quality was good there.

              In the context of poor health of our citizens (one of the fattest), I think it is a large contributor, and considering we are an agricultural producer, the quality of fruits and vegetables that are grown locally is what I am disappointed with. Our local industry is more efficient and more advanced, we get worse products as a result

              • yadq on 06/02/2023 - 10:57

                @greatlamp: Good conversation fellow ozbargainer!
                I don't disagree with you, I shouldn't have used "cherry pick" - tried too hard to make it a tad fun by using a fruit name :)

                The main reason why I replied to you initially was that you said: "Also the quality of fresh ingredients is really bad in Australia" - which generalises it as if ALL of them were really bad. Sure, there are some bad apples in the basket (see what I did there?), I agree. There is heaps of good stuff - not always in Colesworth/Aldi unfortunately.

                Would low quality of fruits and vegetables be to blame for the obesity in the society? Maybe, but that certainly is more complicated. I doubt many would pick a nicely ripened fresh tomato over their crunchy KFC unfortunately.

          • knk on 08/02/2023 - 09:28

            @greatlamp: See that's all well and good, I'm sure that food tastes worlds better if it's nice and fresh. Just had someone give me some homegrown cucumbers and it's soo much nicer.

            However this is where the issue with all the modern "eat clean" nonsense misinformation comes from. People for some reason assume better quality ingredients are going to make a significant difference to their health and it's not really the case at all.

      • knk on 08/02/2023 - 09:26

        Show me a study that shows "fresh ingredients" of poor quality are going to lead to a more desirable health outcome, presumably in regards to CVD?. I'll wait.

        • greatlamp on 08/02/2023 - 09:58
          -1

          How about if the food tastes good people will eat more of it.

          What do you think happens when food becomes old, it's antioxidants are wasting away, and it's vitamins are degrading. I don't think you need a study to prove that food with more nutrients is better for you

          • knk on 08/02/2023 - 10:08

            @greatlamp: People will eat deep fried crap because it tastes good. Yes you need studies to backup claims, that's how science works.

            You're just saying words you don't fully understand and parroting nonsense you've heard otherwise.

            So if degrading vitamins are an issue, what exactly is one going to be deficient in that leads to a worse health outcome? What specific deficiency and condition are we going to see where the difference between "fresher" and "OK for human consumption but not as fresh" foods are going to be the make or break?

            • greatlamp on 08/02/2023 - 13:50
              -1

              @knk: You're not interested in a discussion

              • knk on 08/02/2023 - 13:52

                @greatlamp: I'm interested in facts that are backed by evidence.

                • greatlamp on 08/02/2023 - 13:53

                  @knk: Who is going to sponsor such a study? Do you know how healthcare works? This isn't physics, not everything has a neat equation behind it, sometimes you have to think

                  • knk on 08/02/2023 - 14:15

                    @greatlamp: There is a metric shitload of information out there on the effects of a lack of / excessive vitamins, micronutrients etc.

                    Yes I know how healthcare works, this isn't healthcare this is conjecture.

                    Not everything has a neat equation true, that's why control groups and well designed studies are an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to not talking out your own ass.

                    https://scholar.google.com is a good starting point.

                    • greatlamp on 08/02/2023 - 15:54
                      -1

                      @knk: Why do I need to provide a study, you haven't even explained what you find so offensive with the suggestion that fresh food has more nutrients.

                      You don't dare share an opinion because you aren't interested in a discussion, you just want to have an argument with someone. Go play with someone else.

                      • knk on 08/02/2023 - 16:47

                        @greatlamp:

                        Why do I need to provide a study, you haven't even explained what you find so offensive with the suggestion that fresh food has more nutrients.

                        Because the burden of truth is on the one who makes the claim.

                        I like having a meaningful discussion , but you're not having one. This is just your opinion.

                        haven't even explained what you find so offensive with the suggestion that fresh food has more nutrients.

                        I don't find it offensive, but it does grind my gears. There is an absolute insane amount of misinformation around people's health and people who spout claims that don't have evidence to back it up (ie you in this case, considering that there is no basis for your claim). I said that what exactly is going to make a difference and to what health outcome.

                        You don't even have a purported mechanism of action here, you just lump everything together.

                        If you notice I didn't directly disagree with you, I just asked what your logic was and what supporting evidence was available. If you had come out the gates and said hey I think X is higher in Y and this could result in the following health outcome, what do you guys think? Then sure, I'd be all up for a discussion.

                        It's an interesting take, and it'd be nice if all our issues could be resolved by a diet with "fresher" foods but I don't believe that to be the case nor have I seen any evidence of it.

                        If someone is truly deficient in an area, you're just going to supplement it anyway for good measure.

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 06/02/2023 - 09:07
      +1

      Before the 1940's? Sure - if you were a Caucasian from a comfortable\wealthy middle\upper class family.

      Otherwise I'm sure many, many would agree not "everything" was better back 'yonder.

  • jjjaar on 05/02/2023 - 11:56
    +1

    Curious to know about your grandparents’ lifestyles before you knew them. What did they do for work? How much incidental exercise happened in their lives?

    Just because people aren’t purposefully exercising as specific task, it doesn’t mean they still aren’t moving their bodies in useful ways.

    • jjjaar on 05/02/2023 - 12:07
      +2

      Also your poll options are awful.

      Frequent light movement is completely different and more valuable than occasional light movement. It doesn’t have to be moderate to be beneficial.

    • brendanm on 05/02/2023 - 12:27
      -1

      Also way less processed garbage food.

    • Hearthstone on 06/02/2023 - 15:24
      +1

      My relos in third world countries, they don't exercise, they walk and bike for shopping or go to work
      they still mobile at 100, amazing
      Also know someone here, all he does is walking and gardening for exercise, still mobile at 94 years of age

      • jjjaar on 06/02/2023 - 15:42

        Yeah see it’s that incidental exercise that is key, that a lot of people lost during covid when wfh.

        People don’t see incidental exercise as a specific task of “I am going to exercise now”, so they don’t think it counts (or as OP has likely described with their grandparents, don’t think they exercise at all) but it’s still excellent for you.

  • ozhunter on 05/02/2023 - 12:08
    +5

    Well, you can't get injured from exercising if you don't exercise. https://www.memesmonkey.com/images/memesmonkey/9b/9bc662b38e…

  • mbck on 05/02/2023 - 12:46
    +3

    I think if you can read and have good comprehension, your own references have suggested that exercise is still good.

    So why the stupid title?

  • Banj0 on 05/02/2023 - 12:56
    +2

    My grandparents were all farmers, and worked hard most/all of their lives. One died after retirement in a motor vehicle accident, the others all went to and beyond their 90's (paternal grandmother exceeded 100 by a few years).

    None of them 'exercised' formally, but lots of physical activity in their working lives.

    All anecdotal of course, just like the OP's story.

  • c64 on 05/02/2023 - 13:02
    +2

    My grandpa didn't exercise once in his life. … He was enormously overweight for most of his life, yet lived to the age of 88

    His wife, my grandmother … She lived to the age of 93.

    they died younger than they should have. their mistake was they didn't smoke. some smokers live to the ripe old age of 100

    • knk on 08/02/2023 - 12:38

      some smokers live to the ripe old age of 100

      If they double down and smoke 2 ciggies at once then they'll live to 150. It's a life hack

  • Barca123 on 05/02/2023 - 13:08
    +1

    Genetics could be playing a part too, everyone is different and reacts to exercise differently. Metabolism also influences things.

  • Clear on 05/02/2023 - 13:10
    +9

    I was expecting a SlavOz post and how it correlates to COVID and the vaccines. This was unexpected.

    Diet plays a major role in a healthy lifestyle. Like when it comes to weight loss it's a bigger factor than exercise. You also need to win the genetic lottery.

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