Get up and exercise!

aoeu

Well-Known Member
#1
This seems to mostly be a healthy eating forum, but exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. You might lose weight, you might not. That's entirely secondary to why you should exercise.

It will make you feel better. Studies have shown that depression symptoms are alleviated by regular aerobic exercise. http://dukenews.duke.edu/2000/09/exercise922.html

It will make you look better. Firm bodies, regardless of weight, look better than soft bodies. It seems a lot of people here are not happy with their appearance, and having a fit body will help.

I don't suppose that the risk of late-onset diabetes is on anyone's mind here, but if you spend a day in a prosthetics facility and see someone who lost their leg because they didn't exercise, you'd be hard pressed to live a sedentary lifestyle.

Of course there is the problem of how to exercise when your primary concern is ending your life. It's hard, I won't deny that. It takes a lot of energy to get up and work out - but it ultimately feels good when you do. When you do feel good, you should do exercise. When you don't, skip it. It's not the end of the world to miss a week or two of exercise.

I've been doing the exercises offered by the following website: http://www.tradoc.army.mil/pao/Web_specials/H_and_PWB/cofer14.htm
It's not necessarily the most fun, but it offers a few major advantages over a lot of other options.
It's calisthenics, so the only equipment you need is your body and a small area of clear space on your floor [and a pillow or firm bed for under your butt for the situps if you're a wuss like me].
It offers quantifiable progress independent of everything else in your life - as your number of repetitions increases, you know you're on your way to fitness, regardless of what your scale says, regardless of how you look in the mirror.
It's complete, working every skeletal muscle in your body, and your heart, as well as improving flexibility.
It's also completely solo, not like a gym or an aerobics class.

They say to start at 6 repetitions, but I think 4 might be more appropriate for most. Also, don't be afraid to take breathers - they say not to rest, but just keep your heart rate up. Drink lots of milk, white, chocolate, skim, whatever, during and after the exercises - protein aids in muscle formation, calcium aids in stronger bones, and it's delicious. Also, I've found a fan directly on me keeps me cooler and lets me go longer.

Don't kill yourself doing it [um... Is that expression inappropriate here?] just take it easy.
 

bluegrey

Antiquities Friend
#2
I've been exercising on an el-cheapo elliptical machine I got at Wal-mart. I've been killing myself on the thing and my depression usually does ease for a few hours-but that is all. It's the same with bicycling in the spring and summer. I pedal my pile-o-crap mountain bicycle all over several towns for a couple of hours and the relief from depression only lasts a short time.

I'm also taking fish oil supplements.
 

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