# 23.5 hours: single best thing we can do for our health **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 23, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127 "2012-07-23T13:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127/41 "2012-08-01T22:00:25Z")
**Olives** , _you_ inspire _me_. You always pop into these threads that are often so laden with accusations, defensiveness, and judgment (although this particular thread isn’t so bad), and respond with such a refreshing earnestness. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127/42 "2012-08-01T22:28:28Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > **Olives** , _you_ inspire _me_. You always pop into these threads that are often so laden with accusations, defensiveness, and judgment (although this particular thread isn’t so bad), and respond with such a refreshing earnestness. Wow, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127/43 "2012-08-01T22:42:58Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > What if you don’t have a will? How do you get it if you don’t have it?\ That’s really where the rubber hits the road - what does it take to get your butt off the couch and out the door? For me, as I said earlier in the thread, it’s just become a habit that I do like flossing my teeth. I’m overweight and I love food, so that’s also a motivator for me - to not become 500 pounds! Maybe you could look at what you’re telling yourself that keeps you from exercising regularly, and figure out ways to negate that thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127/44 "2012-08-02T00:11:23Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > What if you don’t have a will? How do you get it if you don’t have it? > > I have no motivation whatsoever to exercise (I might even have a _negative_ motivation; I’m tired of getting teased by random strangers - and no, it’s not a common occurrence, but it’s the ones you remember), no one to inspire any motivation from outside, and no urgent “oh my God I have to or I’ll die” reason. All I have is this conception that I _should_ (it would be great for my state of mind sometimes, if previous posts are any indication - not that it’s at all serious, but who couldn’t use a mental pick-me-up?), but the minute I come home after eleven and a half hours away at work or on a commute, a mere conception won’t be enough. I can relate, I don’t spend 11.5 hours a day at work, but with commute and work I am out of the house 9.5 hours a day and I don’t consider exercise to be decompressing after working all day. I am trying to work it into my lunch hour, going for a 45 minute walk and taking a quick shower at the office (my office has a shower luckily). I was walking on my lunch hour in spring, but once the weather got hot I didn’t want to have to deal with being sweaty the rest of the day. Willpower is like a muscle, if you get yourself to do things that are good for yourself that you aren’t motivated to do, it is easier to do other things that are good for you. So that is a motivator for me too, getting myself to do healthy things I’m not too motivated to do will give me more willpower for other areas of my life. > **[How willpower works - The Boston Globe](https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2011/11/07/how-willpower-works/XlOvEG4FipvZ8vM8VUNBpK/story.html)** > > Willpower is one of the most important predictors of success in life. While small studies through the years have linked high levels of self-control to better health, relationships, and finances, a landmark study published this past January provided... ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127/45 "2012-08-02T00:18:23Z")
On the subject of exercise, the best exercise for health is high intensity interval exercise. You work out at near full capacity for 30 seconds (HR at 90% of max), then work out at a more aerobic pace (HR 70% of max) for 60 seconds. Do about 8 cycles of those and it takes 15 minutes. You need a warm up and cool down period, and you need to be somewhat fit before you start doing that. But I am pretty sure 3 sessions a week of high intensity exercise is as good or better than 200 minutes a week of regular aerobics. Motivation is hard to maintain for that kind of exercise though unless you have really strong motivators (ie are on the brink of heart disease or diabetes unless you turn things around). ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127/46 "2012-08-02T01:09:20Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Thanks for the rest of your thoughts, though. I’m not sure I’m in a state yet where I’ll honestly want to do a damn thing (I’m also not overweight, which is a key motivator, despite all the posts here that say that exercise is not a part of weight loss), but who knows. Do you know anyone that is not overweight that could benefit from exercise? Like, that would be better off now and not so “far gone” if they would have exercised more? All of the underweight people in my family have bad cholesterol and blood pressure numbers, and heart problems. I exercise because I don’t want that to be my fate. My brother and my SIL aren’t overweight but both are about to have joint surgeries that may have been staved off by stronger muscles and bones, or regular movement. I have a friend who’s quite underweight, and dealing with depression and anxiety and cigarette addiction (I’m an ex-smoker, myself). She’s in to running and biking, and knows she would do better with all of those things if she would just get moving. I know I could be exactly where she is if I didn’t keep going. My mom’s only 61 and is sort of a weakling. I don’t want to end up weak. I want to be one of those badass strong old ladies when I’m 61. Looking at real life examples of what life without exercise is like - and without a question of weight - is pretty motivating for me to exercise. Of course I’m the fattest person I know and the only one regularly exercising but…still, it’s not just because I want to lose weight. In fact I was doing it regular-like for a year and a half and didn’t lose anything. But I kept going, because of all the stuff mentioned above. You need to know more sad people 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127/47 "2012-08-02T02:48:15Z")
Hell, Stick in ear buds and dance like a drunken teenager around your lounge room. After losing a lot of weight via increasing activity and lowering food a tad my mantra has become “resist stillness”. Why sit down to do something if you can stand up and move about a bit? On the phone at work? Stand up. Watching TV? Stand up. On the train/bus? Stand up (great for your balance). It makes a difference. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127/48 "2012-08-02T12:29:54Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Run for 15 minutes, twice a day. Budget: $0. Well, maybe a little bit of extra wear and tear on the sneakers. > > If you’re a grad student, you have a lot to do, but for the most part it’s on a pretty flexible schedule, so you should be able to fit it in _somewhere_. If you want to, that is. Or get a jump rope. They’re like 10 bucks at Dick’s Sporting Goods and jumping rope is crazy good exercise. The toddler can do it with you. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127/49 "2012-08-02T21:05:42Z")
Been back on my patented “Yeti Slash and Burn” Program: Slash my calorie intake by 500 calories per day = 3500 calories slashed Burn 600 calories in 35 minutes on my elliptical, 6x a week = 3600 calories burned which on average (in a perfect world), should decrease my weight 2 pounds every week. In other words, the video told me something I already knew and it had worked in the past as well. Now, if my arthritic knees hold up…I’m golden. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127/50 "2012-08-02T22:29:43Z")
> [@Yeticus\_Rex](#): > > Been back on my patented “Yeti Slash and Burn” Program: > > Slash my calorie intake by 500 calories per day = 3500 calories slashed > Burn 600 calories in 35 minutes on my elliptical, 6x a week = 3600 calories burned > > which on average (in a perfect world), should decrease my weight 2 pounds every week. In other words, the video told me something I already knew and it had worked in the past as well. > > Now, if my arthritic knees hold up…I’m golden. I thought ellipticals were one of the better exercises for people with bad knees. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127/51 "2012-08-02T23:58:40Z")
Oh, ellipticals are great for bad knees…it’s just that my knees (esp. my left) are that bad. I actually prefer working out on an elliptical over walking because my knee clicks every time I take a step…had knee surgery when I was 13, and arthritis became an issue for me by the time I was 25…about half a lifetime ago. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/23-5-hours-single-best-thing-we-can-do-for-our-health/629127.md?page=2)