Hello! I have a question based on something I read here somewhere...can't remember exactly where now, tho. Anyway, it was the Federal Gov't's new guidelines for exercise. They are saying you need 30 minutes of cardio a day minimum for good health, 45-60 minutes for weight loss, and 60-90 minutes for weight maintenance. I can't for the life of me figure out or understand WHY you would need more activity to maintain your weight than to lose it??!? It just doesn't make sense...AND...fwiw...I happen to think that 60-90 minutes A DAY of cardio is absolutely insane! Who has that much time?!?
Is this really necessary? Do you all do this???
Sorry for the mini rant...and thanks for you input.
Hello! I have a question based on something I read here somewhere...can't remember exactly where now, tho. Anyway, it was the Federal Gov't's new guidelines for exercise. They are saying you need 30 minutes of cardio a day minimum for good health, 45-60 minutes for weight loss, and 60-90 minutes for weight maintenance. I can't for the life of me figure out or understand WHY you would need more activity to maintain your weight than to lose it??!? It just doesn't make sense...AND...fwiw...I happen to think that 60-90 minutes A DAY of cardio is absolutely insane! Who has that much time?!?
Is this really necessary? Do you all do this???
Sorry for the mini rant...and thanks for you input.
Yup - I work out pretty much EVERY DAY, for an hour a day (except when I'm sick). First thing in the AM.
Actually it doesn't say "cardio" they say "physical activity". Here's the exact verbiage off the press release:
Quote:
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Engage in regular physical activity and reduce sedentary activities to promote health, psychological well-being, and a healthy body weight.
To reduce the risk of chronic disease in adulthood: Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, above usual activity, at work or home on most days of the week.
For most people, greater health benefits can be obtained by engaging in physical activity of more vigorous intensity or longer duration.
To help manage body weight and prevent gradual, unhealthy body weight gain in adulthood: Engage in approximately 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity on most days of the week while not exceeding caloric intake requirements.
To sustain weight loss in adulthood: Participate in at least 60 to 90 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity while not exceeding caloric intake requirements. Some people may need to consult with a healthcare provider before participating in this level of activity.
Achieve physical fitness by including cardiovascular conditioning, stretching exercises for flexibility, and resistance exercises or calisthenics for muscle strength and endurance.
So you wanna know HOW you can do this? Simple - you PLAN it into your day. You make it a regular daily occurrence just like taking a shower or brushing your teeth! Find places to fit it in...for me that means working out first thing in the morning before work. Working out in the morning gets my blood pumping, gives me energy for the coming day, and makes me feel good about myself, and I actually enjoy it.
I have many coworkers who keep their walking shoes in their offices and at lunch they'll put 'em on and walk briskly around the neighborhood for 30 minutes (usually in a group). My employer has invested in a very nice onsite fitness center as well, and many of my coworkers have taken advantage of the facility.
Ever since I can remember my parents have always taken an evening stroll after dinner - sometimes lasting for an hour or more. They have their dinner, clean up, put the dog on a leash and start walking! I also remember that we (my parents and us four girls) would often ride our bikes together around our little town on the weekends, and on long summer evenings (we'd also join our parents for their 'constitutionals' quite often).
In other words - you just fit it into your schedule
Thanks for your reply! I appreciate your posting the actual recommendations.
I have been aiming for about 70-80 minutes of exercise daily (this includes both cardio and strength training). Most days I can do it without problem...some days I have to work harder to fit it in, but I always do.
I guess it *is* a commitment to health for the long-term...and most days I'm willing to put in the time. Sometimes when the realities of scheduling get in the way, it can get frustrating, tho.
While I certainly agree with what you've said about planning exercise into your life, and I do, I think that many sedentary folks were really scared off by this new guideline. We here all know that you cannot go from no physical activity to 60-90 minutes a day in one step, it has to be done gradually. But many people reading this just throw up their hands and say "I can never do that" and go back to their sedentary lifestyle. If only the gov't had put in a few words about "working up to" a goal of 60-90 minutes. Sigh. Just a pet peeve of mine.
I also find that if I exercise FIRST thing in the morning every single day, that I will not and can not make an excuse such as, I am too tired now, or I have to fix dinner for the family. I power walk/jog for 1 hour every morning, unless I am sick, which is very rare. In fact, I think the combination of eating properly and exercising daily has helped keep me healthy for a long time now.
I actually look forward to my morning exercise. I feel soooo good after working out. I am ready to face another day with enthusiasm!
CAROL
I also exercise pretty much every day, with one complete rest day a week. In the beginning I made a deal with myself that if I exercised every evening, I wouldn't force myself to get up early to do it. That worked very well. Then something changed and I became a morning person--still don't know why. I now exercise either morning or evening, whenever it fits best into my schedule. If there are pool hours that limit me, or some group workout to do, I just schedule it in ahead of time. Just plan for it.
I'm with Pat though on the amount of time. Start with something, and then build on it. Also realize that the intensity of exercise is an important factor in how long you 'have' to do it. I can run twice as fast as I can walk, which means I can burn the same amount of calories in half the time if I run. Still, running isn't the right thing for me to do every day, and it certainly isn't an exercise routine most sedentary people should jump right into.
Yes, it is something of a time commitment, but it is a great stress reliever, essential for me to maintain my weight, and I still spend less time per day exercising than most people spend watching crappy TV. A good investment overall. After a while, it becomes like showering or brushing your teeth--it wouldn't kill you not to do it, but it would be most unpleasant so as to be unthinkable. Who has to 'make' time for a shower?? It just happens!
Don't forget also that exercise doesn't have to be a CHORE - it can - and SHOULD - be FUN! I've said this many, many times...but it bears repeating...find something that *you* enjoy doing and 'just do it'!
And that can always evolve...don't be afraid to try something new. Early on for me it was Jazzercise - heck, if it wasn't for my schedule, I'd probably STILL be going to Jazzercise along with all my other activities, because I enjoyed it so much...
I became an AM exerciser years ago for two main reasons - first off because I'm usually wiped out after work and want to kick back (unless I have a riding lesson or a Yoga/Pilates class that is) and also because the gym is just PACKED after 5 pm.
I HIGHLY recommend investing in an iPod or MP3 player - I can't work out without my little Rio flash player - I'm always adding new tunes and switching things around (I'm a Napster addict - LOVE the new Napster!). Right now it's Motown, 70's R&B and progressive jazz that's getting me movin'.
Anyway...turn the negative into a POSITIVE...don't say "I can't do this" but DO say "YES I CAN DO THIS"...trust me - you'll find that an hour FLIES by if you put your heart into it and as Anne said - there's nothing on TV that can't wait until later (except for Deadwood but I have that planned ahead anyway... )
Just my 2 cents:
Yes, I excercise about everyday, about 1 - 1.5 hours. It took me 10 months to build up to that, and I have 1 - 2 days a week where I can't make it and rest.
And like the people posting before me, I also have to do it the first thing in the morning because else I put it off and it does not get done. I excercise at home, and I only have to roll out of bed to start because I keep the equipment in my bedroom. So before I am even awake, I put on my workout clothes, switch on the radio and start.
The main reason I have kept it up for so long is that actually I feel much better now that I excercise. I started it because of a work related burnout, and found out that I NEED to get the endorphins that excercise gives me. Also, the excercise makes me feel much more energetic as well.
And I build it up; when I started 5 mins was a lot, then 10 minutes became a lot, and now I am between 1 hour and 1.5 hours. That is a long time, but I listen to music when I work out, and I read on the stationary bike. I have heard from others that they watch TV as they jog, or listen to books on tape.
I agree with all that was said above ... I exercise every day or second day about 1-2 hours... After 20 years it's just a given to do SOMETHING physical daily... If I happen to go 2 or more days without exercising I start getting sore from NOT exercising...
Anne said : After a while, it becomes like showering or brushing your teeth--it wouldn't kill you not to do it, but it would be most unpleasant so as to be unthinkable. Who has to 'make' time for a shower?? It just happens! Ain't that the TRUTH sista
You betcha! As I struggle with all-day all-night morning sickness and I'm exercising less and less as a result, I MISS it so much. It has been just such a great experience in my life!
Kinda going along with everyone saying that they feel better when they exercise... I've noticed that it really improves my mood. Maybe that's why (unlike many of you) I prefer to exercise after work - when I'm most likely to need an attitude adjustment
I formally exercise about every other day (at least that's the plan) but I try to get some type of movement in each day -- shovelling, yardwork, long walk, etc. I'm a mom with 2 younger kids and there are times when they have to be more of a priority and days when they have to let the parents get their workouts in. We try to balance it. The most important thing is to do something each day and you'll feel better. When I first started working out, dh & I had a discussion about how we couldn't imagine keeping up this intensity for a long time. Guess what? We're about to celebrate 2 years of consistent exercise and we feel (and look!) so much better. Don't overwhelm yourself right away, just start making it a part of your life and see where it takes you. Last night my exercise was rollerskating night for my son's school. (see? you never know WHERE you'll end up! LOL) I hadn't been on traditional skates for probably 25yrs and hadn't been blading for at least 8. It felt sooo good and no shin splints this time around!
I take a 20 minute brisk walk (1 mile) every day at work during lunch. If it's raining, then I walk up and down the stairway for 20 minutes. That reenergizes me for the afternoon.
Then 5-6 days a week at night I'll throw in a DVD and do in-home walking. I've just recently graduated from the 2 mile walk to the 3 mile walk, which includes strength training. I get in an hour of cardio/strength training and so log in a total of 1.5 hours Mon-Fri and another hour on either Sat. or Sun. I also take one day off a week to just rest.
And I agree, after awhile you don't have to "make time" to do it - it just becomes part of your routine. I like to do it after work because I sit all day (except for the walk at lunch) and by the time I get home I'm all stiff from sitting. After exercising, the soreness goes away and I feel much better. Plus I have a two hour commute and have to be at work by 7:00 a.m. so I'd have to get up at midnight to do it before going to work. My regular routine is get home, eat dinner w/DH, clean up, do 1 hr of cardio/strength training on the DVD, and then eat a snack in front of the t.v., bed by 10:00 pm.
DH and I have joined a gym which is being built. When it's done, we plan to get a personal trainer and so my routine will probably change. As I understand, though, the strength training should probably be 20 minutes per session and so the time that I spend now will probably decrease overall. I'm thinking, though, that with a personal trainer I'll be concentrating on those areas that actually need work and so the decreased time won't have an impact.
I really think it helps to make a contract with yourself (or you and your SO). Last night I could have so easily turned the car towards home instead of the gym, but then I'd be letting us both down. As it was DH didn't get to the gym until I was leaving (he's been working further away, and will be for the next 6 weeks), but we both knew we'd kept our commitment, and so what if we weren't eating dinner til 8:30 That's the one part I don't like about evening exercise. I've been trying to eat more during the day and keep dinner lighter when it's that late. But where was I going with this, hmmm. Oh well. I know without a doubt that when I was losing the original 70+ lbs, and maintaining it, exercise was probably the key element in the equation. While dropping exercise wasn't the sole reason for a regain, again it was a major factor. I think I could have overcome the other reasons if I'd stuck with the exercise. Sad to think you can get to be 60 years old and still be learning these life lessons.
It has become just a part of my routine for me as well. And I actually exercise more now than I did when I was losing, but not because I have to, it's because I want to. I break my exercising up so I'm not trying to cram 1 1/2 hours in all at one time because I certainly don't have the time for that. I'll do 30-40 min. on the Gazelle in the morning, then my strengh training and ab work or Pilates in the mid-morning or afternoon (depends on when I can make the time) and another 20-30 Gazelle workout with the resistance set in the evening. At this point my day would feel seriously out whack if I didn't get at least some of my normal exercise routine in. It has just become a part of my life now, and I'm greatful that it's not something that I struggle with anymore. Like showering or brushing my teeth, it's just something I do, every day.
A question for maintainers Re: exercise
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My regular routine is get home, eat dinner w/DH, clean up, do 1 hr of cardio/strength training on the DVD, and then eat a snack in front of the t.v., bed by 10:00 pm. 
That's the one part I don't like about evening exercise. I've been trying to eat more during the day and keep dinner lighter when it's that late. But where was I going with this, hmmm. Oh well. I know without a doubt that when I was losing the original 70+ lbs, and maintaining it, exercise was probably the key element in the equation. While dropping exercise wasn't the sole reason for a regain, again it was a major factor. I think I could have overcome the other reasons if I'd stuck with the exercise. Sad to think you can get to be 60 years old and still be learning these life lessons. 
