How Exercise Reduces Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
October 29, 2024 4:21 AM Subscribe
Also good for my mom who does yoga 4 times per week. My family in general is pretty dedicated to staying in shape, especially as they get older. For now I've got my run club, and I'm looking to add gym workouts to keep muscle mass and bone density.
posted by grumpybear69 at 4:41 AM on October 29 [2 favorites]
posted by grumpybear69 at 4:41 AM on October 29 [2 favorites]
Does sitting in a comfy chair eating chocolate and browsing MeFi count as exercise?
What about contemplating going for a night swim a bit later on?
posted by flabdablet at 4:42 AM on October 29 [21 favorites]
What about contemplating going for a night swim a bit later on?
posted by flabdablet at 4:42 AM on October 29 [21 favorites]
Does sitting in a comfy chair eating chocolate and browsing MeFi count as exercise?
I wish!
posted by cupcakeninja at 4:55 AM on October 29 [1 favorite]
I wish!
posted by cupcakeninja at 4:55 AM on October 29 [1 favorite]
What about contemplating going for a night swim a bit later on?
i tried this and think i pulled a neuron
posted by lalochezia at 4:58 AM on October 29 [34 favorites]
i tried this and think i pulled a neuron
posted by lalochezia at 4:58 AM on October 29 [34 favorites]
Towards the end of the article, they mention resistance exercises like weight lifting specifically, so if your parents only walk for exercise, you might want to get them to try something new. (Yoga can be a resistance activity; it kind of depends.)
I use the University gym, and because some faculty choose to stay in their jobs well after retirement age, there are some very elderly folks working out alongside me. It's incredibly inspiring to see people who appear to be in their 80s or even beyond doing what they can every day.
posted by tofu_crouton at 5:11 AM on October 29 [10 favorites]
I use the University gym, and because some faculty choose to stay in their jobs well after retirement age, there are some very elderly folks working out alongside me. It's incredibly inspiring to see people who appear to be in their 80s or even beyond doing what they can every day.
posted by tofu_crouton at 5:11 AM on October 29 [10 favorites]
Unfortunately it doesn’t work for everyone. My mother walked miles every day (she wore out the dogs) and still ended up spending nearly 10:years in an Alzheimer’s care home. When she first got there she walked around their enclosed garden so much she was wearing out a pair of walking shoes every month.
posted by jvbthegolfer at 5:15 AM on October 29 [23 favorites]
posted by jvbthegolfer at 5:15 AM on October 29 [23 favorites]
That's true, and I'm sorry for it. I also wonder what comfort or happiness it may have brought her, even with Alzheimer's to walk so much. When communicating with folks in that or similar situations, so much is often unable to be said.
More broadly, the U.S. is woefully full of people lacking basic physical fitness, or even knowledge about it. It took a long time before I eventually bumbled my way into knowing some basic information about fitness and its long term impacts. And that I, a mortal, was subject to things that I perceived as only happened to the elderly (AKA the over-40 set), and that I could or should do things to improve my health that would be hard or impossible to do later. Researchers make new findings about these things, of course, but I simply don't remember much of this kind of stuff in physical education or otherwise when I was younger.
posted by cupcakeninja at 5:36 AM on October 29 [4 favorites]
More broadly, the U.S. is woefully full of people lacking basic physical fitness, or even knowledge about it. It took a long time before I eventually bumbled my way into knowing some basic information about fitness and its long term impacts. And that I, a mortal, was subject to things that I perceived as only happened to the elderly (AKA the over-40 set), and that I could or should do things to improve my health that would be hard or impossible to do later. Researchers make new findings about these things, of course, but I simply don't remember much of this kind of stuff in physical education or otherwise when I was younger.
posted by cupcakeninja at 5:36 AM on October 29 [4 favorites]
Summary of the article for those who want practical advice:
* Do both aerobic and resistance (weight-lifting) exercises.
* High intensity mixed in with moderate intensity. (Walking is better than nothing but not great by itself.)
* Keep doing it regularly: people measured two months after stopping exercise had regressed to baseline.
posted by AlSweigart at 5:53 AM on October 29 [21 favorites]
* Do both aerobic and resistance (weight-lifting) exercises.
* High intensity mixed in with moderate intensity. (Walking is better than nothing but not great by itself.)
* Keep doing it regularly: people measured two months after stopping exercise had regressed to baseline.
posted by AlSweigart at 5:53 AM on October 29 [21 favorites]
both aerobic and resistance (weight-lifting) exercises
(heaves enormous bulk out of chair, goes looking for towel)
Walking is better than nothing but not great by itself
(walks to kitchen to find car keys)
posted by flabdablet at 6:32 AM on October 29 [6 favorites]
(heaves enormous bulk out of chair, goes looking for towel)
Walking is better than nothing but not great by itself
(walks to kitchen to find car keys)
posted by flabdablet at 6:32 AM on October 29 [6 favorites]
It might help with Alzheimer’s, but does it also improve symptoms of other neurodegenerative diseases like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and various ataxias? OK. But does it prevent and manage cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes? Oh, wow. But surely it can't improve depression and anxiety? Gee, there might be something to this exercise fad.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:43 AM on October 29 [23 favorites]
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:43 AM on October 29 [23 favorites]
Yeah, for those of us who watched physically active relatives dwindle into nothing it's always sort of grimly funny to hear exercise is the ticket to avoiding Alzheimer's. Like, neat, I guess the genetic time bomb waiting for me is just THAT potent.
I've just started really getting earnest about getting into shape and man it SUCKS but I'll grudgingly admit it's got its points.
I am curious if we'll see the gender gap in Alzheimer's close as boomers age into that phase of their lives. Lot of boomer women have prioritized fitness for decades in ways their moms just never did, but I wonder if we'll see it in the numbers.
posted by potrzebie at 7:08 AM on October 29 [4 favorites]
I've just started really getting earnest about getting into shape and man it SUCKS but I'll grudgingly admit it's got its points.
I am curious if we'll see the gender gap in Alzheimer's close as boomers age into that phase of their lives. Lot of boomer women have prioritized fitness for decades in ways their moms just never did, but I wonder if we'll see it in the numbers.
posted by potrzebie at 7:08 AM on October 29 [4 favorites]
Yeesh, I keep finding new reasons to get off my ass and exercise. Maybe one day it'll pass the limit and I'll actually start doing it instead of just feeling guilty for not doing it.
posted by sotonohito at 7:13 AM on October 29 [10 favorites]
posted by sotonohito at 7:13 AM on October 29 [10 favorites]
Yeah, for those of us who watched physically active relatives dwindle into nothing it's always sort of grimly funny to hear exercise is the ticket to avoiding Alzheimer's. Like, neat, I guess the genetic time bomb waiting for me is just THAT potent.
Yeah, these sorts of studies sting when you know people who very much wanted to stay active but cannot, due to injuries and illnesses. Like, haha, you thought you just had bad physical luck! Turns out that back injury is also going to melt your brain! Life is hell and biology is a terrible joke! Yay.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:18 AM on October 29 [14 favorites]
Yeah, these sorts of studies sting when you know people who very much wanted to stay active but cannot, due to injuries and illnesses. Like, haha, you thought you just had bad physical luck! Turns out that back injury is also going to melt your brain! Life is hell and biology is a terrible joke! Yay.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:18 AM on October 29 [14 favorites]
Here's hoping. I'm 57 and have gotten into a good exercise routine: lifting weights 3x/week, biking 3x/week, walking circa 1 mile most days, either with family or podcasts on the headphones.
This is more than I've ever done.
posted by doctornemo at 7:32 AM on October 29 [16 favorites]
This is more than I've ever done.
posted by doctornemo at 7:32 AM on October 29 [16 favorites]
Use it and maybe lose it due to accident or disease, don't use it and definitely lose it.
57 also, and climb eight flights of stairs to my condo rather than use the elevator unless bulky parcel. Also do 20+ minutes of weights, mobility and aerobics every day. Walk on every errand. I'm going to die some time but it would be nice to be as mobile as possible until the inevitable.
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:37 AM on October 29 [5 favorites]
57 also, and climb eight flights of stairs to my condo rather than use the elevator unless bulky parcel. Also do 20+ minutes of weights, mobility and aerobics every day. Walk on every errand. I'm going to die some time but it would be nice to be as mobile as possible until the inevitable.
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:37 AM on October 29 [5 favorites]
The lockdown really destroyed my father's ability to be active. He's 86 now, and he was still playing tennis till just before the lockdown. The forced inactivity and isolation means that he can now hardly walk. It's a vicious cycle of being afraid of falling leading to being less active leading to losing sense of balance and proprioception leading to being more prone to falling.
I tried to get him to use an exercise bicycle, and he seemed willing, but then someone told him that it's not his style and that was that.
Do yourself an incredibly large favour and start thinking about wheelchairs, canes, walking sticks, crutches, walkers, and all the rest of those things that help you move as positive, helpful things, and not shameful markers of mortality. One day you'll very probably need to use them, and its so hard to do that if your pride wont let you.
posted by Zumbador at 7:46 AM on October 29 [34 favorites]
I tried to get him to use an exercise bicycle, and he seemed willing, but then someone told him that it's not his style and that was that.
Do yourself an incredibly large favour and start thinking about wheelchairs, canes, walking sticks, crutches, walkers, and all the rest of those things that help you move as positive, helpful things, and not shameful markers of mortality. One day you'll very probably need to use them, and its so hard to do that if your pride wont let you.
posted by Zumbador at 7:46 AM on October 29 [34 favorites]
Zumbador, that's exactly it. They're mobility tools. Just like glasses are a tool for better vision.
posted by Too-Ticky at 7:48 AM on October 29 [7 favorites]
posted by Too-Ticky at 7:48 AM on October 29 [7 favorites]
Reducing risk isn't the same as eliminating it, unfortunately. And yes, injury and illness totally impact on people.
The lockdown really destroyed my father's ability to be active. He's 86 now, and he was still playing tennis till just before the lockdown. The forced inactivity and isolation means that he can now hardly walk. It's a vicious cycle of being afraid of falling leading to being less active leading to losing sense of balance and proprioception leading to being more prone to falling.
1000%, I saw very similar with my parents. I support lock downs but we really failed to make on ramps for people.
I would really like to see physical therapy (and good, qualified personal training) be understood as a necessity like seeing the dentist - and not just for basic functioning. I think everyone over 50 should have access to a PT evaluation once a year and get sessions/exercises to address any concerns.
There's also so much ageism that is subtle. At a certain point it seems like the medical system and allies kind of shrug and are like 'you're lucky to be alive.' I saw this with my dad after his TBI. He had just semi-retired, and there were some people that treated him like he should be happy to walk and talk. Other of his caregivers saw someone who had been actively teaching and researching at the point of injury and they gave him much better treatment aiming for a higher quality of life.
I have a great sports PT at a place where it's half physio, half personal training/gym. The kind of base expectation for therapy there is that you're going to want to work to improve an injury or work around it in order to regain the ability to work out/play your sport/stay or get fit, not just can you go up and down stairs safely. The usual path is therapy -> trainer -> group classes - > back to usual. (Strength 'n U if anyone in Scarborough is wondering) It makes a big difference.
I do thank the boomers here for pickleball and other masters/seniors sports.
For me, I find the biggest enemy is time/priorities. I am back at martial arts wholesale, but biking to work season is mostly over for me (I don't like biking in cold/wet/snow) and I know I need to do more strength training than I am.
posted by warriorqueen at 7:55 AM on October 29 [7 favorites]
The lockdown really destroyed my father's ability to be active. He's 86 now, and he was still playing tennis till just before the lockdown. The forced inactivity and isolation means that he can now hardly walk. It's a vicious cycle of being afraid of falling leading to being less active leading to losing sense of balance and proprioception leading to being more prone to falling.
1000%, I saw very similar with my parents. I support lock downs but we really failed to make on ramps for people.
I would really like to see physical therapy (and good, qualified personal training) be understood as a necessity like seeing the dentist - and not just for basic functioning. I think everyone over 50 should have access to a PT evaluation once a year and get sessions/exercises to address any concerns.
There's also so much ageism that is subtle. At a certain point it seems like the medical system and allies kind of shrug and are like 'you're lucky to be alive.' I saw this with my dad after his TBI. He had just semi-retired, and there were some people that treated him like he should be happy to walk and talk. Other of his caregivers saw someone who had been actively teaching and researching at the point of injury and they gave him much better treatment aiming for a higher quality of life.
I have a great sports PT at a place where it's half physio, half personal training/gym. The kind of base expectation for therapy there is that you're going to want to work to improve an injury or work around it in order to regain the ability to work out/play your sport/stay or get fit, not just can you go up and down stairs safely. The usual path is therapy -> trainer -> group classes - > back to usual. (Strength 'n U if anyone in Scarborough is wondering) It makes a big difference.
I do thank the boomers here for pickleball and other masters/seniors sports.
For me, I find the biggest enemy is time/priorities. I am back at martial arts wholesale, but biking to work season is mostly over for me (I don't like biking in cold/wet/snow) and I know I need to do more strength training than I am.
posted by warriorqueen at 7:55 AM on October 29 [7 favorites]
FWIW the thing that keeps me going with the exercise, which I generally hate, is that we watch TV every day as accompaniment. Episodes longer than 25 minutes are chopped in two or more segments 20 minutes long each. Nothing too plot-heavy, or emotionally involving. Like we watched all of ST:DS9 and ST:VOY with each episode spread over two days. We've watched She-Ra, and ATLA and lots of other anime. It's distracting enough to keep my mind off the tedium of exercise, but not so distracting that I have to stop moving to pay attention.
Just stand up for those 20 minutes and move your body, maybe dance or sway, or walk in place, and graduate into things that make you sweat and/or make your muscles ache a little the next day.
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:05 AM on October 29 [1 favorite]
Just stand up for those 20 minutes and move your body, maybe dance or sway, or walk in place, and graduate into things that make you sweat and/or make your muscles ache a little the next day.
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:05 AM on October 29 [1 favorite]
I tested for increased risk for Late Stage Alzheimer's.
What I found in my reading was along with physical exercise including some resistance training; it was also suggested that I do something that includes some kind of hand-eye coordination. Learning to play a musical instrument, gardening, woodworking, crocheting etc. where you are using dexterity; along with doing things to keep yourself mentally fit like learning new things that require more than just reading (like doing math, physics etc.); crosswords, chess and the like.
Doing that, it seems develops new neural pathways that counter the effects of Alzheimer's degrading existing neural pathways.
posted by indianbadger1 at 8:16 AM on October 29 [8 favorites]
What I found in my reading was along with physical exercise including some resistance training; it was also suggested that I do something that includes some kind of hand-eye coordination. Learning to play a musical instrument, gardening, woodworking, crocheting etc. where you are using dexterity; along with doing things to keep yourself mentally fit like learning new things that require more than just reading (like doing math, physics etc.); crosswords, chess and the like.
Doing that, it seems develops new neural pathways that counter the effects of Alzheimer's degrading existing neural pathways.
posted by indianbadger1 at 8:16 AM on October 29 [8 favorites]
One of the things I love about the PT I've occasionally gone to (Boston Sports Medicine chain, if anyone's looking in the region) is they serve both apparently all the collegiate sports injuries from the local school but also a wide range of normal folks up to and including seniors. Every time I've gone in they've discussed my specific goals with me and I see people of all ages working hard on a variety of skills - it gives me a lot of hope for being able to work on mobility and strength for the next n decades!
posted by heyforfour at 8:21 AM on October 29 [2 favorites]
posted by heyforfour at 8:21 AM on October 29 [2 favorites]
Walking is better than nothing but not great by itself
This is unnecessarily discouraging.
The analysis of more than 226,000 people around the world showed 4,000 [steps a day] was enough to start reducing the risk of dying prematurely of any cause.
Just over 2,300 is enough to benefit the heart and blood vessels.
The more you do, the more health benefits are seen, researchers said.
Every extra 1,000 steps beyond the 4,000 reduced the risk of dying early by 15% up to 20,000 steps.
posted by praemunire at 8:23 AM on October 29 [21 favorites]
This is unnecessarily discouraging.
The analysis of more than 226,000 people around the world showed 4,000 [steps a day] was enough to start reducing the risk of dying prematurely of any cause.
Just over 2,300 is enough to benefit the heart and blood vessels.
The more you do, the more health benefits are seen, researchers said.
Every extra 1,000 steps beyond the 4,000 reduced the risk of dying early by 15% up to 20,000 steps.
posted by praemunire at 8:23 AM on October 29 [21 favorites]
I’ve repeatedly seen research showing that social dancing is better than everything they tested it against for aging well. Often it was being mentioned at social dances, where I was swing dancing with WWII vets through 2019.
I’m juuuust middle aged enough that I don’t think the benefits of dancing —viz., present joy far more than possible health benefits — outweigh COVID risks . But I know why people much older than I am went back as soon as they could.
(Probably the real-time mental activity of all the floor coordination, plus regular acquaintance, on top of as much physical exertion as you’d like. )
posted by clew at 8:58 AM on October 29 [3 favorites]
I’m juuuust middle aged enough that I don’t think the benefits of dancing —viz., present joy far more than possible health benefits — outweigh COVID risks . But I know why people much older than I am went back as soon as they could.
(Probably the real-time mental activity of all the floor coordination, plus regular acquaintance, on top of as much physical exertion as you’d like. )
posted by clew at 8:58 AM on October 29 [3 favorites]
Tai chi also has some research behind its benefits and for me, I found martial arts (or yoga, or dance) really, really increased my proprioception and coordination.
Like astonishingly so. I keep group classes on my schedule because on my own I tend not to assume I can do more complex movements, if that makes sense.
posted by warriorqueen at 9:08 AM on October 29 [5 favorites]
Like astonishingly so. I keep group classes on my schedule because on my own I tend not to assume I can do more complex movements, if that makes sense.
posted by warriorqueen at 9:08 AM on October 29 [5 favorites]
What I notice about pmuch everything that’s good for you both right now and as a preventative going forward is that it’s almost all inaccessible to the “permanent labor class.” Fresh, whole food, exercise, developing networks of friendship, exploring hobbies, etc. It all goes along with diminished access to secure employment/wages and housing.
Which is a shame bc everyone deserves access to good physical and mental health. When my father was in his 80s and well into the symptoms of Parkinson’s, he was still riding his bicycle about 10 miles at a time a few days a week. He could ride a bike even when he could barely walk without falling. He was lucky to live at assisted living near a major rail trail, and someone would help him get his bike out of his room and down to the trailhead.
posted by toodleydoodley at 9:10 AM on October 29 [14 favorites]
Which is a shame bc everyone deserves access to good physical and mental health. When my father was in his 80s and well into the symptoms of Parkinson’s, he was still riding his bicycle about 10 miles at a time a few days a week. He could ride a bike even when he could barely walk without falling. He was lucky to live at assisted living near a major rail trail, and someone would help him get his bike out of his room and down to the trailhead.
posted by toodleydoodley at 9:10 AM on October 29 [14 favorites]
Unfortunately it doesn’t work for everyone. My mother walked miles every day (she wore out the dogs) and still ended up spending nearly 10:years in an Alzheimer’s care home.
I'm sorry about your mom. I don't get the sense the research presented here is saying that exercise will necessarily flat-out prevent Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. But it may mitigate its severity. So your mom may have been a lot worse off, a lot sooner, had she not done all that walking.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 9:32 AM on October 29 [4 favorites]
I'm sorry about your mom. I don't get the sense the research presented here is saying that exercise will necessarily flat-out prevent Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. But it may mitigate its severity. So your mom may have been a lot worse off, a lot sooner, had she not done all that walking.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 9:32 AM on October 29 [4 favorites]
warriorqueen, I found that the ageism isn't at all subtle at a certain point. My mother was in the hospital for an unidentified infection and they were treating her like it was an end-of-life situation and not being really aggressive in her treatment. I kept making a fuss and borrowed a tool from people who have catastrophic injuries and put up photos of her smiling, being active, taking trips. It really changed how the medical staff treated her. She was doing chair yoga a day before she was hospitalized. She regained all her strength after that illness and continued traveling and being a huge presence in her community groups for several years.
Oh, and I'll add that convincing her to move to a wheelchair when her balance with the walker really degraded was life changing for her to be able to continue being active.
posted by drossdragon at 9:46 AM on October 29 [11 favorites]
Oh, and I'll add that convincing her to move to a wheelchair when her balance with the walker really degraded was life changing for her to be able to continue being active.
posted by drossdragon at 9:46 AM on October 29 [11 favorites]
I am curious if we'll see the gender gap in Alzheimer's close as boomers age into that phase of their lives.
It's complicated
posted by BWA at 10:07 AM on October 29 [2 favorites]
It's complicated
posted by BWA at 10:07 AM on October 29 [2 favorites]
She was doing chair yoga a day before she was hospitalized. She regained all her strength after that illness and continued traveling and being a huge presence in her community groups for several years.
I'm so glad she had you to advocate for her.
posted by warriorqueen at 10:09 AM on October 29 [6 favorites]
I'm so glad she had you to advocate for her.
posted by warriorqueen at 10:09 AM on October 29 [6 favorites]
I am skeptical of the claims in the linked article. Which is not to deny them—they may for all I know be true, and exercise has lots of benefits even if preventing Alzheimer's is not one of them—but the linked article does not make it clear what research the claims are based on. The article says, "after analyzing 16 studies on exercise and dementia, the Alzheimer’s Society found that regular exercise reduces the risk of developing dementia by 28 percent and, specifically, AD by 45 percent" and links to this page at alzheimers.org.uk but the reference does not back up the claim—there is no mention of the "16 studies" or the claimed percentage reductions, or any primary or secondary references at all. There is a mention of the EXERT trial, but that did not study Alzheimer's disease: the condition was amnestic mild cognitive impairment. There are a couple of reasons to be cautious—first, it's impossible to carry out double-blind randomized trials (the choice of exercise vs. placebo can't be hidden from the participant), second, there are significant confounding factors (dementia makes it more difficult to exercise).
posted by cyanistes at 10:45 AM on October 29 [9 favorites]
posted by cyanistes at 10:45 AM on October 29 [9 favorites]
River was cold and very very good. No moon, just the Milky Way in a clear sky.
There are not many ways to spend the wee small hours that beat floating flat on your back in dark water to watch the stars blaze.
posted by flabdablet at 11:21 AM on October 29 [7 favorites]
There are not many ways to spend the wee small hours that beat floating flat on your back in dark water to watch the stars blaze.
posted by flabdablet at 11:21 AM on October 29 [7 favorites]
it’s almost all inaccessible to the “permanent labor class.”
While walking in pleasant and inviting circumstances certainly isn't (and I don't really want to downplay the helpfulness of an encouraging environment for we reluctant exercisers), walking by itself is as close to free as you can get. You presumably already own some form of sneakers.
posted by praemunire at 11:23 AM on October 29 [3 favorites]
While walking in pleasant and inviting circumstances certainly isn't (and I don't really want to downplay the helpfulness of an encouraging environment for we reluctant exercisers), walking by itself is as close to free as you can get. You presumably already own some form of sneakers.
posted by praemunire at 11:23 AM on October 29 [3 favorites]
cyanistes, is this maybe the meta study they're referring to?
Physical exercise in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's
Physical activity and risk of neurodegenerative disease: a systematic review of prospective evidence (Psychological Medicine, 2008)
Physical exercise in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's
Dementia is by no means an inevitable consequence of reaching retirement age. There are lifestyle factors that may decrease, or increase, an individual's risk of developing dementia.22 Around 35% of dementia is attributable to a combination of 9 risk factors: low education level, midlife hypertension, midlife obesity, hearing loss, later-life depression, diabetes, smoking, social isolation, and, of course, low physical activity.41The footnote for the meta-analysis leads to:
A meta-analysis that included 16 studies with more than 160,000 participants found a 45% reduction in the risk of developing AD due to the regular practice of physical activity (hazard ratio = 0.55, 95% confidence interval: 0.36−0.84, p = 0.006).42 In a sample of 716 older subjects followed for 3.5 years, similar results were found when assessing the risk of suffering AD. Those individuals with low daily physical activity levels were 53% more likely to suffer AD than those who reported more active lives (hazard ratio = 0.477, 95% confidence interval: 0.273−0.832)
Physical activity and risk of neurodegenerative disease: a systematic review of prospective evidence (Psychological Medicine, 2008)
Methodposted by gwint at 11:50 AM on October 29 [1 favorite]
We searched Medline, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Web of Science databases from 1990 to 2007 for prospective epidemiological studies of physical activity and incident dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. We excluded studies of physical activity and cognitive decline without diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease. Information on study design, participant characteristics, measurement of exposure and outcome variables, adjustment for potential confounding, and estimates of associations was abstracted independently by the two investigators.
Results
We included 16 prospective studies in the overall analysis, which incorporated 163797 non-demented participants at baseline with 3219 cases at follow-up. We calculated pooled relative risk (RR) using a random effects model. The RR of dementia in the highest physical activity category compared with the lowest was 0.72 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60–0.86, p<0>
I am always skeptical and concerned about any supposed health intervention that is behavior-based. It increases people's anxiety (perhaps especially people like, disabled people who cannot comply with such recommendations) and gives people yet another reason to feel guilt and shame about their behavior, or judgment about others', including people now having standing to believe that someone who gets Alzheimer's who was not active, or not active enough, or did the "wrong" kind of exercise, is somehow to blame for it. Never mind that behavior changes of this kind are very hard to sustain for those among us for whom they don't come naturally. I used to adore walking long distances and going a nautilus circuit at the gym a few times a week, but asking someone who doesn't find enjoyment in it to commit that kind of time and energy to it is a lot. I also enjoy math, and sometimes find something I'm working on with my tutoring students so enjoyable that I do more problems for pleasure when I get home—factoring complex polynomials! completing the square! reminding myself that I can derive the quadratic formula! And while I can easily imaging that such an activity would be good for people's cognitive health, telling the average person to spend a few hours a week doing more of the algebra they hated in high school for the sake of staving off future debility would be a tough sell, even though many people are perfectly capable of doing it if they chose to. (This suggestion would have the same problems this exercise prescription does, besides asking people to take on something they might not be interested in and sustain that behavior long-term, in that there is a fair-sized minority of people who simply can't.)
Often, I feel like this kind of study shows an effect that may be true—people with a certain characteristic have different outcomes—but that doesn't necessarily mean that other people can or should be more like them. I often see studies suggesting that people who sleep more than the average don't live as long as people who sleep less, but I've had a lifelong need for more sleep than my peers—nine hours a night even in my prime—and this is not something I can change, even though it seems like mere habit. I suspect this exercise advice is likely to be the same. Most people who find it enjoyable, and possible, to maintain an exercise practice probably already are doing so.
posted by Well I never at 11:52 AM on October 29 [13 favorites]
Often, I feel like this kind of study shows an effect that may be true—people with a certain characteristic have different outcomes—but that doesn't necessarily mean that other people can or should be more like them. I often see studies suggesting that people who sleep more than the average don't live as long as people who sleep less, but I've had a lifelong need for more sleep than my peers—nine hours a night even in my prime—and this is not something I can change, even though it seems like mere habit. I suspect this exercise advice is likely to be the same. Most people who find it enjoyable, and possible, to maintain an exercise practice probably already are doing so.
posted by Well I never at 11:52 AM on October 29 [13 favorites]
I find these sorts of articles helpful in terms of their general indication. It is a for-the-lay-reader sort of thing, but there are any number of review articles out there on this general subject. It seems like many do come to some flavor of the "studies are getting better, but we need more studies and better understanding of physical activity interventions to come to a definitive conclusion" conclusion. All of which I agree with, but it might be some years or decades before that point is reached, and meanwhile my body seems to be aging. Given the probabilities, I opt for low-to-moderate cardio, resistance training, and not eating the quantity of cupcakes that Young cupcakeninja was formerly wont to eat at one sitting. You, my fellow MeFites, should make the best choices you can to support your own health and well being.
posted by cupcakeninja at 12:15 PM on October 29 [1 favorite]
posted by cupcakeninja at 12:15 PM on October 29 [1 favorite]
While walking in pleasant and inviting circumstances certainly isn't (and I don't really want to downplay the helpfulness of an encouraging environment for we reluctant exercisers), walking by itself is as close to free as you can get. You presumably already own some form of sneakers.
Do they already presumably own some form of babysitter to watch their kids while they walk (or have kids old enough to walk long distances or small enough to be stroller-contained for long distances -- and a stroller to do that)? And a meal service so they don't need to spend that hour of time cooking dinner? And a cleaning service so they don't need to spend that hour of time cleaning the house? And a job that pays them enough to pay the bills in a number of hours that leaves an extra hour anywhere at all in a given day?
I'm not saying walking is some extraordinary privilege of the wealthy and nobody else could ever manage it. Just that there are more costs to regular, substantial exercise than money, even when the exercise itself is free.
(Anecdotally my mother, as a broke single mom, used to exercise between 1 and 3 hours per day most days when we were kids. This is how I know that you need a built-in babysitter, cleaning service, and meal service to make it happen. Because all three of those were...me.)
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 12:16 PM on October 29 [13 favorites]
Do they already presumably own some form of babysitter to watch their kids while they walk (or have kids old enough to walk long distances or small enough to be stroller-contained for long distances -- and a stroller to do that)? And a meal service so they don't need to spend that hour of time cooking dinner? And a cleaning service so they don't need to spend that hour of time cleaning the house? And a job that pays them enough to pay the bills in a number of hours that leaves an extra hour anywhere at all in a given day?
I'm not saying walking is some extraordinary privilege of the wealthy and nobody else could ever manage it. Just that there are more costs to regular, substantial exercise than money, even when the exercise itself is free.
(Anecdotally my mother, as a broke single mom, used to exercise between 1 and 3 hours per day most days when we were kids. This is how I know that you need a built-in babysitter, cleaning service, and meal service to make it happen. Because all three of those were...me.)
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 12:16 PM on October 29 [13 favorites]
And a meal service so they don't need to spend that hour of time cooking dinner? And a cleaning service so they don't need to spend that hour of time cleaning the house? And a job that pays them enough to pay the bills in a number of hours that leaves an extra hour anywhere at all in a given day?
By this standard, literally no form of exercise is ever accessible. There's being aware of the barriers to fulfilling any given goal and then there's blowing them up into impossibility, in a way that can verge on infantilizing even if the intentions are good. (Like, yes, among other things, people do in fact take walks with their kids in strollers!)
posted by praemunire at 12:29 PM on October 29 [10 favorites]
By this standard, literally no form of exercise is ever accessible. There's being aware of the barriers to fulfilling any given goal and then there's blowing them up into impossibility, in a way that can verge on infantilizing even if the intentions are good. (Like, yes, among other things, people do in fact take walks with their kids in strollers!)
posted by praemunire at 12:29 PM on October 29 [10 favorites]
praemunire, I was thinking something similar (about equipment). For those out there who can't/don't want to pay for exercise equipment, there is a truly robust number of people who do pretty much only bodyweight fitness. You can hurt yourself doing any kind of exercise, of course, but there are books, blogs, forums, etc., all about how to do this kind of stuff without access to a gym, home equipment, etc.
As to the "there are are structural barriers that make it hard to exercise" argument, I hear you. Truly. I, myself, face multiple structural barriers to regular exercise and don't always make it. We should all be thoughtful about this, and the privileges that sometimes are invisible until we look for them. And also, you will never, ever do anything in life, let alone anything challenging, if you sit around thinking for too long about the barriers.
(As an aside: I hesitated to make this post because of the reception that similar posts have sometimes gotten in the past. Then I shrugged and said "fuck it, I'm doing five blades," and here we are. I am happy to see the truly diverse range of takes here, and the personal experiences folks have shared.)
posted by cupcakeninja at 12:35 PM on October 29 [7 favorites]
As to the "there are are structural barriers that make it hard to exercise" argument, I hear you. Truly. I, myself, face multiple structural barriers to regular exercise and don't always make it. We should all be thoughtful about this, and the privileges that sometimes are invisible until we look for them. And also, you will never, ever do anything in life, let alone anything challenging, if you sit around thinking for too long about the barriers.
(As an aside: I hesitated to make this post because of the reception that similar posts have sometimes gotten in the past. Then I shrugged and said "fuck it, I'm doing five blades," and here we are. I am happy to see the truly diverse range of takes here, and the personal experiences folks have shared.)
posted by cupcakeninja at 12:35 PM on October 29 [7 favorites]
what it comes down to is that affordable childcare, jobs that pay a living wage without requiring regular overtime, etc. are in fact public health issues (in addition to every other kind of issue.) trying to parse whether or not it's "fair" to suggest to an abstract person isn't useful.
posted by Why Is The World In Love Again? at 12:37 PM on October 29 [7 favorites]
posted by Why Is The World In Love Again? at 12:37 PM on October 29 [7 favorites]
“By this standard, literally no form of exercise is ever accessible”
Under capitalism, that’s absolutely true. My point exactly.
posted by toodleydoodley at 12:43 PM on October 29 [3 favorites]
Under capitalism, that’s absolutely true. My point exactly.
posted by toodleydoodley at 12:43 PM on October 29 [3 favorites]
The only exercise I do regularly is biking to work, but it's a lot of exercise (45-70 minutes each way). My commute time would be the same if I took the bus so biking is able to turn that "dead" commuting time into useful exercise. I'm not going to say anything about me saving money because if you keep things simple then yeah you can save a lot of money on your commute as well but I pump all those savings and more into getting nicer things for my bike.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:47 PM on October 29 [2 favorites]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:47 PM on October 29 [2 favorites]
Gee, there might be something to this exercise fad.
Yup. I hate that it works, I absolutely HATE exercising. But it stinkin' works.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:30 PM on October 29 [4 favorites]
Yup. I hate that it works, I absolutely HATE exercising. But it stinkin' works.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:30 PM on October 29 [4 favorites]
It works if you don’t have ME/CFS, rheumatoid arthritis, or some of the rising tide of other autoimmune diseases in the US and globally.
Then it makes things worse, and the Pollyannaish faith in exercise allows people to blame you for your illness
But people have an unlimited appetite for that, and there’s never a shortage of nebulous studies to satisfy that craving.
posted by jamjam at 1:49 PM on October 29 [10 favorites]
Then it makes things worse, and the Pollyannaish faith in exercise allows people to blame you for your illness
But people have an unlimited appetite for that, and there’s never a shortage of nebulous studies to satisfy that craving.
posted by jamjam at 1:49 PM on October 29 [10 favorites]
There's being aware of the barriers to fulfilling any given goal and then there's blowing them up into impossibility.
Which is why I literally said in that exact comment:
I'm not saying walking is some extraordinary privilege of the wealthy and nobody else could ever manage it. Just that there are more costs to regular, substantial exercise than money, even when the exercise itself is free.
I shared the anecdote about my childhood specifically to illustrate a situation in which a technically "free" exercise regimen -- in her case, workout tapes from the library, done at home -- actually had a number of downstream costs that nobody who simply looked at her situation would have thought about. But it clearly wasn't "blown up into impossibility" for her! Maybe this conversation isn't about the costs, and that's fine. Maybe it's just about an interesting thing and we should all just be saying Wow, such interest, many cardio and strength.
But if exercise is truly so exceedingly important that we really do need as many people as humanly possible to be engaging in it at a substantial level, then we have to have the conversation about the cost. ALL the cost.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 2:10 PM on October 29 [3 favorites]
Which is why I literally said in that exact comment:
I'm not saying walking is some extraordinary privilege of the wealthy and nobody else could ever manage it. Just that there are more costs to regular, substantial exercise than money, even when the exercise itself is free.
I shared the anecdote about my childhood specifically to illustrate a situation in which a technically "free" exercise regimen -- in her case, workout tapes from the library, done at home -- actually had a number of downstream costs that nobody who simply looked at her situation would have thought about. But it clearly wasn't "blown up into impossibility" for her! Maybe this conversation isn't about the costs, and that's fine. Maybe it's just about an interesting thing and we should all just be saying Wow, such interest, many cardio and strength.
But if exercise is truly so exceedingly important that we really do need as many people as humanly possible to be engaging in it at a substantial level, then we have to have the conversation about the cost. ALL the cost.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 2:10 PM on October 29 [3 favorites]
I really love exercise, so am pleasantly surprised to read about this.
posted by Captaintripps at 2:11 PM on October 29 [1 favorite]
posted by Captaintripps at 2:11 PM on October 29 [1 favorite]
They say socializing is also good for your brain. Good thing I like long walks.
posted by credulous at 3:02 PM on October 29 [1 favorite]
posted by credulous at 3:02 PM on October 29 [1 favorite]
>>What about contemplating going for a night swim a bit later on?
>i tried this and think i pulled a neuron
Yes. Thank you, that was very nice of you.
posted by neuron at 3:31 PM on October 29 [7 favorites]
>i tried this and think i pulled a neuron
Yes. Thank you, that was very nice of you.
posted by neuron at 3:31 PM on October 29 [7 favorites]
I've said it before.
For people who understand what meditation is, I found a way to do that with intense aerobic exercise in intervals. I meditate on the state of my body, meaning I hold it in my head/consciousness and every time my mind wanders to something else I pull it right back in the way you do in meditation.
Benefits:
1. The better you are at meditation the better you can disable (pull mind back) all the messages you are also trying to tell yourself; "This hurts", "this is boring", this..."
That's a big plus in itself.
2. I *use* the constant attention on my body/breathing/arms-legs-moving to push them. Then watch "how they're doing" and and constantly come up with slowing this, speeding that, making that smoother/less-stress,... all without thinking thoughts in the best meditation practice. As anybody who's done intense body work knows, you don't need thought for a lot of it. (Not all)
I've only got this working that well in the last few years, really wish I'd figured it out when I was younger but I've been rebuilding my body after the long COVID/Crohn's hospital stay and the progress has been surprising.
Like I've said, it improves my meditation *and* my body.
posted by aleph at 3:48 PM on October 29 [1 favorite]
For people who understand what meditation is, I found a way to do that with intense aerobic exercise in intervals. I meditate on the state of my body, meaning I hold it in my head/consciousness and every time my mind wanders to something else I pull it right back in the way you do in meditation.
Benefits:
1. The better you are at meditation the better you can disable (pull mind back) all the messages you are also trying to tell yourself; "This hurts", "this is boring", this..."
That's a big plus in itself.
2. I *use* the constant attention on my body/breathing/arms-legs-moving to push them. Then watch "how they're doing" and and constantly come up with slowing this, speeding that, making that smoother/less-stress,... all without thinking thoughts in the best meditation practice. As anybody who's done intense body work knows, you don't need thought for a lot of it. (Not all)
I've only got this working that well in the last few years, really wish I'd figured it out when I was younger but I've been rebuilding my body after the long COVID/Crohn's hospital stay and the progress has been surprising.
Like I've said, it improves my meditation *and* my body.
posted by aleph at 3:48 PM on October 29 [1 favorite]
For those out there who can't/don't want to pay for exercise equipment, there is a truly robust number of people who do pretty much only bodyweight fitness.
I tried this avenue and found that most bodyweight fitness routines regularly required 'equipment' that was hard to arrange in a small two bedroom apartment. Things like walls with no furniture or art on them, chairs that support the irregular pressure of being used as impromptu pullup supports or incline pushups, space on floors for doing yoga like things. You can do some of these workouts in parks but here in Chicago that is seasonal unless you are truly Rocky IV hardcore.
But...
The truth is if you want to workout you will find a way and more often if you don't want to workout you'll find an excuse not to.
I incorporate exercise into my life by taking away options not to exercise. I deliberately don't have a car. So walking is daily. I carry my groceries (but not that far because I live in a walkable city). So there is some minor weight lifting and grip strength training. I deliberately rented my apartment where I had access to a huge trail for cycling and running. I pay $30/month for a gym membership via my health insurance plan that gives me access to lots of different gyms (I like Planet Fitness's no judgement zone but wish they would turn their music down).
So I removed a lot of excuses.
I'm 57. I've been heavy. I've been pretty fit. I'm currently somewhere in between the two. I've lost an older brother to a heart attack when he was younger than I am now, a father to Parkinson's + Dementia, and a mother to breast cancer in the last three years. What's coming down the pipe for me is pretty salient so I take steps to mitigate it.
The big one is running. It's free with caveats - you will spend money on running shoes. It strengthens you cardiovascular system, it can both prevent heart attacks and make them more survivable if you do have one. It can also help counter arteriosclerosis by making your arteries large enough that blockages don't matter as much! Crazy stuff! (I take blood pressure meds and statins as well because keeping hypertension under control is big for avoiding strokes, micro-strokes, ischemic attacks and whatnot. You can't fully outrun the effects of a bad diet or genes so pay attention to your blood pressure).
I also run because it is the single best thing you can do to ensure mobility later in life and mobility matters a lot for both quality adjusted years of life and for over all health. Once you've lost mobility the easiest and most available forms of exercise are gone and also your world usually shrinks down to a TV screen.
I cycle because it increases my traveling range and is a good off day no-impact form of cardio that lets me recover from the physical beating of running. Also cycling is exhilarating and fun. Wind in the hair. It's also free once you buy a bike. I also find it strengthens my hips and lower back in a way running does not. Zoom zoom!
I weight lift because I feel the effects of sarcopenia (age related muscle decline). I can feel my strength slipping away year by year now and I really don't want to lose that functionality. Strength matters for when you inevitably fall and try to catch yourself. It matters for getting up off the couch. It matters for all kinds of things you don't realize until it starts to go. I don't really enjoy weightlifting that much but I do enjoy how I feel when I do it consistently. I'm not a gym bro at all. I just do the circuit machines because I don't have the time or inclination to go full gym science and worry about max gains. I just want to retain or improve my function bit by bit while still living my life.
It's a time commitment of 5-10 hours a week plus the cost of the willpower to do it but it does become a habit so eventually little to no willpower is required. Some people will tell you it gives them energy but for me it is at best a wash and more often than not it is kind of exhausting but mostly in a sleep well way (which is another benefit of exercise). I've had problems with chronic fatigue since having mono in my early thirties so I am pretty used to managing and budgeting my energy so 'normies' might find fitness more energizing than I do. I do it because it's a long term investment rather than a short term benefit. Kind of like a long term physical security tax.
posted by srboisvert at 4:08 PM on October 29 [4 favorites]
I tried this avenue and found that most bodyweight fitness routines regularly required 'equipment' that was hard to arrange in a small two bedroom apartment. Things like walls with no furniture or art on them, chairs that support the irregular pressure of being used as impromptu pullup supports or incline pushups, space on floors for doing yoga like things. You can do some of these workouts in parks but here in Chicago that is seasonal unless you are truly Rocky IV hardcore.
But...
The truth is if you want to workout you will find a way and more often if you don't want to workout you'll find an excuse not to.
I incorporate exercise into my life by taking away options not to exercise. I deliberately don't have a car. So walking is daily. I carry my groceries (but not that far because I live in a walkable city). So there is some minor weight lifting and grip strength training. I deliberately rented my apartment where I had access to a huge trail for cycling and running. I pay $30/month for a gym membership via my health insurance plan that gives me access to lots of different gyms (I like Planet Fitness's no judgement zone but wish they would turn their music down).
So I removed a lot of excuses.
I'm 57. I've been heavy. I've been pretty fit. I'm currently somewhere in between the two. I've lost an older brother to a heart attack when he was younger than I am now, a father to Parkinson's + Dementia, and a mother to breast cancer in the last three years. What's coming down the pipe for me is pretty salient so I take steps to mitigate it.
The big one is running. It's free with caveats - you will spend money on running shoes. It strengthens you cardiovascular system, it can both prevent heart attacks and make them more survivable if you do have one. It can also help counter arteriosclerosis by making your arteries large enough that blockages don't matter as much! Crazy stuff! (I take blood pressure meds and statins as well because keeping hypertension under control is big for avoiding strokes, micro-strokes, ischemic attacks and whatnot. You can't fully outrun the effects of a bad diet or genes so pay attention to your blood pressure).
I also run because it is the single best thing you can do to ensure mobility later in life and mobility matters a lot for both quality adjusted years of life and for over all health. Once you've lost mobility the easiest and most available forms of exercise are gone and also your world usually shrinks down to a TV screen.
I cycle because it increases my traveling range and is a good off day no-impact form of cardio that lets me recover from the physical beating of running. Also cycling is exhilarating and fun. Wind in the hair. It's also free once you buy a bike. I also find it strengthens my hips and lower back in a way running does not. Zoom zoom!
I weight lift because I feel the effects of sarcopenia (age related muscle decline). I can feel my strength slipping away year by year now and I really don't want to lose that functionality. Strength matters for when you inevitably fall and try to catch yourself. It matters for getting up off the couch. It matters for all kinds of things you don't realize until it starts to go. I don't really enjoy weightlifting that much but I do enjoy how I feel when I do it consistently. I'm not a gym bro at all. I just do the circuit machines because I don't have the time or inclination to go full gym science and worry about max gains. I just want to retain or improve my function bit by bit while still living my life.
It's a time commitment of 5-10 hours a week plus the cost of the willpower to do it but it does become a habit so eventually little to no willpower is required. Some people will tell you it gives them energy but for me it is at best a wash and more often than not it is kind of exhausting but mostly in a sleep well way (which is another benefit of exercise). I've had problems with chronic fatigue since having mono in my early thirties so I am pretty used to managing and budgeting my energy so 'normies' might find fitness more energizing than I do. I do it because it's a long term investment rather than a short term benefit. Kind of like a long term physical security tax.
posted by srboisvert at 4:08 PM on October 29 [4 favorites]
Under capitalism, that’s absolutely true. My point exactly.
As you have time, could you please expand on this? I'm trying to understand it in light of the fact that many people do exercise under capitalism, at all levels of society. Is your comment reflective of a larger mission to destroy capitalism? A broader definition of "accessible" than I or others may be thinking of?
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:03 PM on October 29 [2 favorites]
As you have time, could you please expand on this? I'm trying to understand it in light of the fact that many people do exercise under capitalism, at all levels of society. Is your comment reflective of a larger mission to destroy capitalism? A broader definition of "accessible" than I or others may be thinking of?
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:03 PM on October 29 [2 favorites]
I go to a dance group every week. It's cardio, social, we learn new dances pretty often, there's music, which I think is great mental stimulation. I have never experienced an endorphin by running or most exercising. Zoom dancing during Covid, blergh. But a room full of people dancing is my happy place. Walking with the dog is pretty nice, too. I'll have to add some strength training.
Building exercise in to daily life helps. Park a little farther away. Take the stairs if it's just 1 or 2 flights. Play with the dog. Do some of your own yard work, etc. Cleaning the house, vacuuming, olding laundry making dinner; that's all exercise. Sometimes it's drudgery, sometimes it's just a thing you do.
The anti-exercise is tv, videogames, surfing the web *cough*. Readingand writing are good mental stimulation.
I like to blame capitalism for a lot. Selling people stuff like a gym, weights, etc., is the capitalist goal. Making it possible for people to have a life with activity, connection to others, creativity, isn't necessarily a profit center. I'm tired of being monetized.
posted by theora55 at 6:39 PM on October 29 [2 favorites]
Building exercise in to daily life helps. Park a little farther away. Take the stairs if it's just 1 or 2 flights. Play with the dog. Do some of your own yard work, etc. Cleaning the house, vacuuming, olding laundry making dinner; that's all exercise. Sometimes it's drudgery, sometimes it's just a thing you do.
The anti-exercise is tv, videogames, surfing the web *cough*. Readingand writing are good mental stimulation.
I like to blame capitalism for a lot. Selling people stuff like a gym, weights, etc., is the capitalist goal. Making it possible for people to have a life with activity, connection to others, creativity, isn't necessarily a profit center. I'm tired of being monetized.
posted by theora55 at 6:39 PM on October 29 [2 favorites]
Slowly building back to some sort of exercise regime post covid, post mountain hermit phase. Getting back into Tai Chi has been awesome, but still need to add to that. It's almost entirely willpower at this point.
posted by inpHilltr8r at 6:45 PM on October 29
posted by inpHilltr8r at 6:45 PM on October 29
The anti-exercise is tv
I completely agree, and yet all my workouts for the last 25 years or so have been video workouts, because I hate the gym. So even if I banish "watching tv" (which I think about a lot), I still won't get rid of the little one in the back room that streams my workouts. Funny world.
posted by JanetLand at 9:10 AM on October 30 [1 favorite]
I completely agree, and yet all my workouts for the last 25 years or so have been video workouts, because I hate the gym. So even if I banish "watching tv" (which I think about a lot), I still won't get rid of the little one in the back room that streams my workouts. Funny world.
posted by JanetLand at 9:10 AM on October 30 [1 favorite]
most bodyweight fitness routines regularly required 'equipment' that was hard to arrange in a small two bedroom apartment.
Bodyweight isn't the only source of resistance available, though. If you tense up while moving, you can get as much resistance to that movement as your existing strength will allow. One set of muscles drives the movement, another set resists it, and both sets get a workout.
Try doing ten reps of lifting a completely imaginary barbell with your arms, chest and shoulders as tensed as you can get them. It will feel like you're working hard because you are, and the stronger you get, the harder you can work yourself. You can turn pretty much any kind of calisthenics move into resistance training this way.
The Charles Atlas organization has been making good money off selling detailed explanations of how to use this principle for a hundred years at this point, but once you understand that this is really all there is to "dynamic tension", you'll realize it ain't rocket science and you can figure it out on your own.
posted by flabdablet at 9:56 AM on October 30 [1 favorite]
Bodyweight isn't the only source of resistance available, though. If you tense up while moving, you can get as much resistance to that movement as your existing strength will allow. One set of muscles drives the movement, another set resists it, and both sets get a workout.
Try doing ten reps of lifting a completely imaginary barbell with your arms, chest and shoulders as tensed as you can get them. It will feel like you're working hard because you are, and the stronger you get, the harder you can work yourself. You can turn pretty much any kind of calisthenics move into resistance training this way.
The Charles Atlas organization has been making good money off selling detailed explanations of how to use this principle for a hundred years at this point, but once you understand that this is really all there is to "dynamic tension", you'll realize it ain't rocket science and you can figure it out on your own.
posted by flabdablet at 9:56 AM on October 30 [1 favorite]
Cuppcakeninja, theora55 hit a lot of what I would say with their comment.
My complaint (one of my complaints) about capitalism is that, if you take the oversimplification that time is money, then you can understand that money buys time, at least up to a point. It’s possible to buy a better quality of life if you have money to offload your most time-intensive chores, like shopping, cooking, cleaning, commuting and chauffeuring, child care, even managing your household finances.
If you are poor, though, you can’t trade money for time. All you have to work with is time. For the most part, you can’t even borrow time from your network, bc they’re in the same boat. A rare exception is childcare, sometimes, bc one person can care for three children as easily as one, depending on the ages and tempers of the children etc.
So, if you’re poor, live in a dangerous neighborhood, have young children, share a house with a lot of people, work too much, and have various other demands on your time, being able to exercise is going to demand exceptional effort, especially since it only works if you do it regularly.
There was a doonesbury cartoon back in the 80s showing a conversation between fitness-era Jane Fonda and her cleaning lady, where Jane says ” Anybody can get fit! You just have to (blah blah blah)” and her cleaning lady says, “That’s fine for you. You’re r as busy as you want to be. The rest of us have work to do.” and I never saw anyone explain it better.
posted by toodleydoodley at 10:00 AM on October 30 [3 favorites]
My complaint (one of my complaints) about capitalism is that, if you take the oversimplification that time is money, then you can understand that money buys time, at least up to a point. It’s possible to buy a better quality of life if you have money to offload your most time-intensive chores, like shopping, cooking, cleaning, commuting and chauffeuring, child care, even managing your household finances.
If you are poor, though, you can’t trade money for time. All you have to work with is time. For the most part, you can’t even borrow time from your network, bc they’re in the same boat. A rare exception is childcare, sometimes, bc one person can care for three children as easily as one, depending on the ages and tempers of the children etc.
So, if you’re poor, live in a dangerous neighborhood, have young children, share a house with a lot of people, work too much, and have various other demands on your time, being able to exercise is going to demand exceptional effort, especially since it only works if you do it regularly.
There was a doonesbury cartoon back in the 80s showing a conversation between fitness-era Jane Fonda and her cleaning lady, where Jane says ” Anybody can get fit! You just have to (blah blah blah)” and her cleaning lady says, “That’s fine for you. You’re r as busy as you want to be. The rest of us have work to do.” and I never saw anyone explain it better.
posted by toodleydoodley at 10:00 AM on October 30 [3 favorites]
Getting back into Tai Chi has been awesome, but still need to add to that.
Chai Tea, perhaps?
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:06 AM on October 30 [1 favorite]
Chai Tea, perhaps?
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:06 AM on October 30 [1 favorite]
once you understand that this is really all there is to "dynamic tension", you'll realize it ain't rocket science
That's too bad, if it was you could exercise your brain at the same time.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:07 AM on October 30
That's too bad, if it was you could exercise your brain at the same time.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:07 AM on October 30
Here’s that doonesbury cartoon, linked from an insightful column at Washington monthly from 2012
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2012/07/13/your-experience-is-not-everyone-elses/
posted by toodleydoodley at 10:58 AM on October 30 [4 favorites]
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2012/07/13/your-experience-is-not-everyone-elses/
posted by toodleydoodley at 10:58 AM on October 30 [4 favorites]
> gives people yet another reason to feel guilt and shame about their behavior
I appreciate these kinds of articles (maybe not this particular one) because I would like more specific guidance. "Exercise" on its own isn't very helpful. "Get your heart rate up to X rate for Y minutes Z times a week" is something I can actually incorporate into my life.
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:18 PM on October 31 [2 favorites]
I appreciate these kinds of articles (maybe not this particular one) because I would like more specific guidance. "Exercise" on its own isn't very helpful. "Get your heart rate up to X rate for Y minutes Z times a week" is something I can actually incorporate into my life.
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:18 PM on October 31 [2 favorites]
Paging Edward Tufte. Edward Tufte to the white courtesy phone, please.
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:34 PM on October 31 [2 favorites]
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:34 PM on October 31 [2 favorites]
« Older Nobody on the internet could move on | "And in fact, Ali’s proposal was itself quite... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by subdee at 4:30 AM on October 29 [1 favorite]