# What struggles do physically weak people have? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 12, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-struggles-do-physically-weak-people-have/793460 "2017-08-12T19:32:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-struggles-do-physically-weak-people-have/793460/41 "2017-08-18T03:10:57Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Stowing carry-on luggage in the overhead bin. And sometimes you can’t find room in the overhead bin regardless of how strong you are. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-struggles-do-physically-weak-people-have/793460/42 "2017-08-18T03:18:40Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > The OP is insightful, in that there is a meaningful difference between “weak” and “nonathletic.” A weak person simply lacks strength, whereas a nonathletic person is unfamiliar/uncomfortable with the kinematics of his/her own body. In the same way I’ve known people who aren’t particularly strong or fast, and don’t look in any way like a stereotypical Fit Person ™, but who take naturally to sports like skiing, tennis, and surfing, and do them well. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-struggles-do-physically-weak-people-have/793460/43 "2017-08-18T09:33:43Z")
Physically weak people despise Festivus during the feats of strength. They tend to do well at the airing of grievances. ---
**Author:** ![race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2017, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-struggles-do-physically-weak-people-have/793460/44 "2017-08-21T02:51:27Z")
If you ever have to move an object laterally from a higher to a lower place, always remember that you have free gravitational potential energy to help you. Never waste it. Find a creative way to use it to move the object. Not always easy or possible, but the first thing you should consider. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2017, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-struggles-do-physically-weak-people-have/793460/45 "2017-08-21T11:28:20Z")
The physically weak are horribly underrepresented in weight lifting competitions. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2017, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-struggles-do-physically-weak-people-have/793460/46 "2017-08-21T14:11:41Z")
In the news this morning: [Woman stranded in backyard pool finds help on Facebook](http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/08/18/woman-stuck-in-pool-facebook-help/) A woman was swimming alone in her backyard pool. When she tried to get out, the ladder broke. Because of her weight and her lack of upper body strength, she could not get out of the pool unassisted. Her iPad was out of reach on a deck chair, but she was able to retrieve it with a pole and post a request for help on Facebook. Her weight no doubt increased the difficulty of hoisting herself out of the pool, but I would have thought a good push-off from the bottom of the pool would have launched her high enough for her arms to finish raising her upper body so she could flop over onto the poolside deck. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-struggles-do-physically-weak-people-have/793460/47 "2017-08-21T14:56:31Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > This reminds me of another task I attempted (just once, about 20 years ago) and I couldn’t do it: > > Hoisting a Western-style saddle onto a horse. This requires lifting the saddle to about shoulder-height (for me) and plopping it on top of the horse. I was barely able to lift it that high, let alone fling it onto the horse. I think Western-style saddles are much heavier than English-style saddles. **Far heavier.** I worked at a ranch for a summer and would saddle 30+ horses per day (western saddle). The first time I went to saddle with an English saddle, I nearly threw the thing over the animal! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-struggles-do-physically-weak-people-have/793460.md?page=2)