# How much do you exercise? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 3, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906 "2013-01-03T01:08:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/41 "2013-01-03T19:19:43Z")
I average about 30-45 minutes a day of walking/running a day (about an hour on Sunday night because that’s when the trash is put out and that’s when I carry stuff (electronics) home that I find, using a trolley for big/far stuff, but I’ve carried small CRT TVs and desktop computers half a mile or more (then put them back after I gut them), sometimes taking 2 hours total), plus about an hour of resistance/weightlifting 2-3 days a week (not so fixed; basically, if I still feel any muscle soreness, I skip a day figuring they haven’t fully recovered yet, which comes out to about every 3 days, sometimes only one day is skipped). So that’s like 6-8 hours a week. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/42 "2013-01-03T19:20:46Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I must say I am impressed with the fitness levels here! The joy of self selection 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/43 "2013-01-03T19:24:18Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I must say I am impressed with the fitness levels here! The poll options were chosen because that 150 minutes of moderate intensity/wk (1/2 hr/d 5d/wk) or 75 minutes a week of vigorous intensity is the AHA guideline for a minimum level (although some better than none). On the other hand, the [current BMI thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=677550) shows that quite a few posters are morbidly obese, among the largest of any of the ranges given and out of place considering the number who picked lower BMIs (tailing off up to 38-39). ---
**Author:** ![Bi-PolarBear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bi-PolarBear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bi-PolarBear)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/44 "2013-01-03T19:28:41Z")
Well, this may sound a little “Man Show” but I jump on a mini trampoline. No bikinis though… ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/45 "2013-01-03T22:10:27Z")
> [@Michael63129](#): > > On the other hand, the [current BMI thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=677550) shows that quite a few posters are morbidly obese, among the largest of any of the ranges given and out of place considering the number who picked lower BMIs (tailing off up to 38-39). As pointed out in that thread though not so far off from national numbers (other than an apparent over-representation of the underweight) and fitness is more important than fatness. But sure both threads are subject to lots of self-selection bias and hardly scientific. ---
**Author:** ![aag3981](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@aag3981](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aag3981)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/46 "2013-01-03T22:20:28Z")
I have been changing it up for a while. I run when the weather is cool. For like 2 years I did P90X and Insanity or some mix there of. Then I joined a gym and did that for about 6 or so months. I just finished a half marathon and because I’m broke and have a new puppy I’m back at the house with my P90X and Insanity until he is house trained. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/47 "2013-01-04T01:56:26Z")
I’m not particularly systematic with my exercise. Mostly, it’s walking to and from the Metro and walking the dog 2-4 times/day. I have a weekly karate class and I take the occasional yoga class. I should do more cardio, but I really don’t like to. ---
**Author:** ![OneOfOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8797f3/32.png) [@OneOfOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneOfOne)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/48 "2013-01-04T02:50:29Z")
Basic exercises for about 20 minutes each morning and walk 10 kilometers a day. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/49 "2013-01-04T02:56:13Z")
Five days a week of about 45 to 1 hour. I had five months off with some pretty serious back issues, but I have found things I can do now, so it’s ellipticals all the way down, plus core work. Pretty vigourus, although if I were in the shape I was in before I was forced to take time out, it wouldn’t be. I’ll work back up to that but I have to be so careful, it’s frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/50 "2013-01-04T03:23:57Z")
I’ve structured my life so I move a lot all day most days- I’ve no idea what counts as ‘vigorous’ but I’ll add it all up. Right now my full time job is waiting tables at a busy restaurant with very heavy plates. On very busy days when I work doubles I have literally not sat down or stopped moving once between 1130am and 11pm! Usually, though, there are a few lulls where I can sit and eat, and the pace isn’t so frantic that I end the day exhausted. I also have a very-part-time job working in the cheese department of a grocery store, while less taxing it is still near-constant movement. I bike to and from work 5-6 days a week so that’s a minimum of 6 miles/45-55 minutes daily. Additionally my bike is my vehicle, and I ride it ‘around’ for fun, so depending on where I want to go/what I want to do, I might ride it up to 30 miles in a day. I do all my shopping on my bike with a backpack, so I’m frequently carrying a load of 15 or so lbs on bike excursions. I bike so much it does not feel like ‘exercise’ though. And I am too cautious on these city streets to go hard enough to get my heart rate up. I run sometimes, usually a 5k every two or three weeks. I’m looking to rachet that up a bit and see if I can get my mile time down and give myself some more intense cardio. I do hatha yoga, less regularly than I should - maybe an hour or two a week. I used to do it 1.5 hours 5 days a week, but that was when I had a desk job. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/51 "2013-01-04T03:30:47Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > I’ve no idea what counts as ‘vigorous’ Really?? _No_ idea? That is fucking weird. It’s called “common sense”; apply it. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/52 "2013-01-04T07:36:01Z")
No need to be rude, honey. I think the ‘vigor’ it takes to certain perform physical tasks depends more on your baseline fitness than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Pacific420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Pacific420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pacific420)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/53 "2013-01-04T08:15:52Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Yes but such happiness need not come from the Devil’s toy. 🆒 Oh Ambivalid 🙂 The Good Lord created Marijuana and wants us to be happy. Alcohol…not THAT’s the devils toy! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/54 "2013-01-04T09:58:37Z")
I ride a couple of hundred kms a week. Sometimes more sometimes less. Sometimes in one ride sometimes in three or four. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/55 "2013-01-04T11:22:48Z")
Whoops, screwed up the click. I exercise a bit more than that, but not a huge amount. I do a real workout about 2–4 days a week, depending on externalities. What the workout is varies a lot. Sometimes it’s a 10–15 minute warm up with a very intense 5–20 minute glycolytically demanding session; sometimes it’s a strength day which might take 40 minutes or more to get through, depending on sets and rest periods. I very, very rarely do longer cardio sessions. Usually it’s around 20–30 minutes. For instance, I did a 5 k that took almost exactly 25 minutes the other day. I haven’t been exercising enough lately, so I deliberately took it very easy. I walk about 6 km round trip for work, along with the train ride. I walk more than that if I have to go shopping for anything, probably another couple kilometers. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/56 "2013-01-04T13:18:53Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > …I’ve no idea what counts as ‘vigorous’ … [Here’s a chart](http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/pdf/PA_Intensity_table_2_1.pdf)with examples of moderate and vigorous intensity exercise that might help. The talk test is a good rule of thumb too - if you can talk but not sing then it is moderate, if you can’t talk for more than a few words then it is vigorous. Or get fancier and use the [target heart rate](http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/measuring/heartrate.html) measure approach. 50 to 70% of max is moderate and 70 to 85% is vigorous. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/57 "2013-01-04T14:15:44Z")
Somewhere or another I got the idea that 20 minutes/three days a week was some kind of minimal goal. Right;wrong;otherwise??? ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/58 "2013-01-04T14:23:41Z")
I run/jog on a treadmill 3x/week for 30 minutes. I could do more than this, but I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/59 "2013-01-04T14:34:58Z")
I’m 65 and spend an hour at the gym five days a week. Mostly cardio (gotta keep that heart healthy), but it’s pretty vigorous (at least it seems so to me) cardio. ETA: It also counts as “vigorous” exercise according to DSeid’s Target Heart Rate link. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906/60 "2013-01-04T14:56:02Z")
My goal is about 10 hrs per week usually sread over 6 or 7 days broken down by half weight training/half cardio. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-exercise/645906.md?page=4)