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Why do you exercise?

RegisDB9

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75% Vanity. Like LL Cool J said, you gotta love getting out of the shower, looking in the mirror, and loving what you see. I am 22 right now and my dad at my age had a six pack, now he has a "keg". I have promised myself this will never happen to me....he says he said the same thing, then discovered Heineken I still never want to look like I am pregers though

25% Health.

Also I wont sound like a dick when my chick gains a couple pounds and I don't like it.
 

uNiCoRnPriNcEsSx

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it's quite a gratifying feeling when you look at a girl and know you can bench press 2.5x her weight 15x if need be.

i'm also a believer that stronger people are more useful to society as well.
 

mm84321

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Originally Posted by Gibonius
I can't really take this argument seriously when you're trying to say that eating well is causative for activity. What possible evidence do you have to support this? A person who is fundamentally physically lazy, dislikes activity, has no appreciation or experience with sport, etc, is not suddenly going to start playing sports, running, and hitting the weight room simply because they have a spot on diet. If you're already inclined towards those activities, and have time, then sure you're going to be more apt to do them if your diet is good. Even then I'd say going from "good" to "excellent" wouldn't have much effect. But it's crazy to say that it's causative.
It's not as crazy as you may think. Research done by Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist, out of UCSF, showed that when he put obese children on an isocaloric, low-carb, fructose restricted diet, along with weight loss, something rather interesting would occur. What he found was that these children, who had previously no idea what exercise even was, were starting to become active. The parents were coming to him explaining how, after years of watching their children sit on the couch and playing video games all day, they were actually going outside and desired to be active. So, if before the restriction of fructose and refined carbohydrates these children had no desire to exercise or expend any energy whatsoever, and afterwards suddenly had the desire, what could be causing this? Did the children suddenly decide they wanted to be fit because they were now motivated to do so, or that they finally abandoned their lack of will-power? The causative factor in what is giving them the desire is the freeing up of energy, namely by a reduction of insulin, from a diet low in carbohydrate. By reducing insulin, they were no longer hoarding calories into fat tissue, but instead had access to it and were expending that energy in the form of exercise. This is just one example that diet does, in fact, affect the total energy expenditure of the individual. Just another point I'd like to make: It is essentially useless to exercise on a poor diet; you are simply creating a vicious cycle. Especially those trying to lose weight, exercise is not a very wise decision. By expending energy, you are simply making yourself hungry, and will be likely to overeat to compensate for this expenditure. The diet is what is causing people to be inactive in the first place by hoarding calories into fat tissue, thus making you overeat and conserve total energy. So, by keeping the diet the same, and trying to exercise, your body will have even less available energy, and so you are more likely to overeat. I am speaking mostly of aerobic and cardiovascular activity.
Again let's be clear about what we mean by diet. You can have a diet that provides 100% of your requirements, and not be especially lean, if you're consuming too many calories. It is not "deficient" in anything, and the person's health is not going to suffer from the lack of leanness unless they push it too far and become seriously overweight or obese. There's no solid evidence that extremely lean people have better long term health (somewhat the opposite in fact), but there's substantial evidence that active people have much better health outcomes. Activity increases muscle mass, increases bone mass and strength in aging people, improves mood, improves heart and lung function, etc. You need a good diet to be able to work out effectively, but you can't get those things just by diet, even with a perfect diet. Obviously a perfect diet AND activity would be ideal.
Again, why are they active? I agree with, and acknowledge, all of the inherent health benefits of exercise, however by thinking that you can improve your health and reap the rewards of exercise alone, while ignoring your diet, is simply silly. By fixing the diet you will, in effect, be creating a much more active individual, who will then be able to prosper from all of the aforementioned benefits of exercise.
 

Pennglock

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Originally Posted by mm84321
Just another point I'd like to make: It is essentially useless to exercise on a poor diet; you are simply creating a vicious cycle.

I generally agree with what you're driving at in this thread, but this sentence is flat-out wrong. There has been a lot of research recently studying the impact of fitness and leanness on health outcomes and longevity. The consensus Ive seen is that it is healthier to be overweight and fit than lean and unfit.
 

mm84321

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Originally Posted by Pennglock
I generally agree with what you're driving at in this thread, but this sentence is flat-out wrong. There has been a lot of research recently studying the impact of fitness and leanness on health outcomes and longevity. The consensus Ive seen is that it is healthier to be overweight and fit than lean and unfit.
My statement was an aside on the efficacy of exercise on weight loss. It certainly may be true that a physically active individual will be healthier than a sedentary one, but I still do not believe that exercise alone is enough to produce a substantial improvement on health and biomarkers.
 

Nicola

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Originally Posted by mm84321
Diet, by affecting and impacting activity levels, will make you fit.



I wholeheartedly disagree with you here, Gib. I would say that diet plays the most pivotal role in the improvement and treatment of health problems. The beneficial effects of activity and exercise on health are surely important, but, as I've stated, the diet is what's directly impacting how much activity you chose to do in the first place. A deficient diet cannot be replaced by running on the treadmill. Nutrition is the most essential factor.



Define what you mean by diet.

Diet just means what you eat.

I'm on a diet when I'm on a calorie shortfall.

I'm on a diet when I'm eating at maintance.

I'm on a diet when I'm eating to gain weight.

Diet won't help you build/maintain muscle mass. The older you get the more you'll understand this. It won't help with cardio health.

Oh and you might want to check the studies on Sumo wrestlers. Hardly skinny. All in better heart health then the general population.

To the OP I work out so my back and knees don't hurt. I work out so I can do all the daily things that I want. The older you get the more you understand this.
 

mm84321

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Originally Posted by Nicola
Define what you mean by diet.

Diet just means what you eat.

I'm on a diet when I'm on a calorie shortfall.

I'm on a diet when I'm eating at maintance.

I'm on a diet when I'm eating to gain weight.

Diet won't help you build/maintain muscle mass. The older you get the more you'll understand this. It won't help with cardio health.

Oh and you might want to check the studies on Sumo wrestlers. Hardly skinny. All in better heart health then the general population.

To the OP I work out so my back and knees don't hurt. I work out so I can do all the daily things that I want. The older you get the more you understand this.


By diet I mean one that restricts farinaceous foods and processed saccharine foodstuff.

You'll find that the symptoms you are trying to alleviate through exercise are the things that proper nutrition would help to cure.
 

LawrenceMD

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Originally Posted by mm84321
My statement was an aside on the efficacy of exercise on weight loss. It certainly may be true that a physically active individual will be healthier than a sedentary one, but I still do not believe that exercise alone is enough to produce a substantial improvement on health and biomarkers.

I get what you're saying, but maybe try to simplify it so you don't come off as a professional arguer.

Even as a doctor I see there is logic in your stance, but the way you go about it just makes people want to pick apart and rebut.

Get to the point and provide easy analogies.

NFL offensive linemen/Sumo Wrestlers that have a lot of the "benchmarks" of good health (great flexibility and agility, great strength, and surprisingly great cardiovascular health). But since their diets are high caloric to maintain their weight they will suffer from the same ill effects of it.

I still do not believe that exercise alone is enough to produce a substantial improvement on health and biomarkers
yup we get it. so you've made your point. now maybe answer the OP's question and move on.
 

Gradstudent78

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Originally Posted by mm84321
It's not as crazy as you may think. Research done by Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist, out of UCSF, showed that when he put obese children on an isocaloric, low-carb, fructose restricted diet, along with weight loss, something rather interesting would occur. What he found was that these children, who had previously no idea what exercise even was, were starting to become active. The parents were coming to him explaining how, after years of watching their children sit on the couch and playing video games all day, they were actually going outside and desired to be active. So, if before the restriction of fructose and refined carbohydrates these children had no desire to exercise or expend any energy whatsoever, and afterwards suddenly had the desire, what could be causing this? Did the children suddenly decide they wanted to be fit because they were now motivated to do so, or that they finally abandoned their lack of will-power? The causative factor in what is giving them the desire is the freeing up of energy, namely by a reduction of insulin, from a diet low in carbohydrate. By reducing insulin, they were no longer hoarding calories into fat tissue, but instead had access to it and were expending that energy in the form of exercise. This is just one example that diet does, in fact, affect the total energy expenditure of the individual.

Where was this study published?
 

DerekS

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To look better naked.
 

LawrenceMD

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I exercise, particularly I run and bike a lot.

Particularly for running is one of things that clears my head while i'm doing it. I can get a runners high within 10min of a run.

its a weird feeling, being totally empty minded and just listening to your breathing and feeling your whole body and the rhythm of the footfalls.
 

Gibonius

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Originally Posted by mm84321
It's not as crazy as you may think. Research done by Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist, out of UCSF, showed that when he put obese children on an isocaloric, low-carb, fructose restricted diet, along with weight loss, something rather interesting would occur. What he found was that these children, who had previously no idea what exercise even was, were starting to become active. The parents were coming to him explaining how, after years of watching their children sit on the couch and playing video games all day, they were actually going outside and desired to be active. So, if before the restriction of fructose and refined carbohydrates these children had no desire to exercise or expend any energy whatsoever, and afterwards suddenly had the desire, what could be causing this? Did the children suddenly decide they wanted to be fit because they were now motivated to do so, or that they finally abandoned their lack of will-power? The causative factor in what is giving them the desire is the freeing up of energy, namely by a reduction of insulin, from a diet low in carbohydrate. By reducing insulin, they were no longer hoarding calories into fat tissue, but instead had access to it and were expending that energy in the form of exercise. This is just one example that diet does, in fact, affect the total energy expenditure of the individual.
That would be a correlation...not a causation. They chose to exercise to use that extra energy. The improvement in dieting is causing the excess energy availability, it cannot be said to be causing the exercise. Children are much more impulse oriented. Adults tend to be set in their habits and simply having excess physiological energy is not going to make them get up off the couch and exercise. They have to overcome a wide variety of bad habits, find a structure to express their activity under (how many adults are going to "go run around" like kids?), make time in their schedules, etc.

Applying this study as a general rule is a very big stretch.

Also I note that part of the diet was weight loss. You could just as easily say that the weight loss was the correlation factor, not any of the details of the diet itself.


Again, why are they active? I agree with, and acknowledge, all of the inherent health benefits of exercise, however by thinking that you can improve your health and reap the rewards of exercise alone, while ignoring your diet, is simply silly. By fixing the diet you will, in effect, be creating a much more active individual, who will then be able to prosper from all of the aforementioned benefits of exercise.
No one has suggested that you can completely ignore your diet. Even if we agree with your "diet causes activity" thesis (which I don't, not by a long shot), unstructured activity may decrease BF% but will not give the sort of benefits many will see from targeted exercise. "Being more active" will not increase bone mass in middle aged patients, they will need to lift weights, for example.

For many people, they're active simply because they choose to be active. It is not at all hard to find examples of extremely active people with poor diets. I ate like hell in undergrad and was far more active than any other time in my life (and in great shape to boot). I had the structure of varsity athletics, that motivating factor was far more powerful than a bit of excess free energy from a better diet.

If you like and enjoy being active, you'll make it happen even with a less than perfect diet. Many highly active people don't even bother with perfect diets, because they know they're active and can get away with it. Runners seem to think this way a lot of the time.
 

sho'nuff

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Originally Posted by lee_44106
Apparently this question has not been asked.

So why do you spent time/money/wake up early in the morning to do all that?


why? easy to answer. tons of answers.

vanity. i love to look good. i can take off all my clothes and be happy /satisfied with my look. i am confident enough to be naked in public. im not being pompous, but just stating matter of factly, i think i would receive a lot of agreeable looks (from both sexes). compliments and the way people react to me / relate with me differently at work or outside anywhere is a endorphin-flowing thing for me. it makes me happy. we all do things to make us happy or happier.

i love to look good in my casual clothing and tailored clothing.

health. i have more stamina. i can do a lot of things so much more easily now than i used to. i mean, i can go shovel a 3 driveways full of snow and then go out a full on sprint for a couple of miles, and then return and help someone lift a few bookcases to a 5th floor apt if i had to. im imagining it, i think i can do it. not that i ever need to do these things all at once, but i know i have the potential. my blood tests came back from the nurse/nurse aid stating i have blood/body like a twenty year old. im 40 now. this makes me happy. we all do things to make us happy or happier.
tomorrow God forbid, i may get into an accident and die, but im not going to make the lazy ass's excusing argument from trying to be healthier for the length of life im allotted to live.

sense of accomplishing something. yes, i feel i have achieved a goal. a few goals and this is one of them that is big. it says something about myself. when i hear 'hey youre a bit fat' or 'hey youre out of shape' i didnt go typing away on a blog rationalizing why i want to 'stay' fat. or that skinny or healthy guys dont know anything. i said 'yes' to them, and did something about it. i didnt make excuses. i hated how i looked in a shirt. so i did something about it. this spills into other areas of ones life as well.



lastly..i dont think sedentary people or people who are not used to being active know anything about this.
but i feel cooped up inside sometimes. i cant just sit at a desk and at a couch all day long. i need to go out and lift something. go do something. hike or go run or do something active. i have to do those things it relieves stress and all my troubles get suspended for the time being. there are no troubles when im in the gym or when im outside in the 'fresh' air running or hiking somewhere.


Originally Posted by Rikkar501
bigstar[1].gif
I exercise and keep my diet in check mainly because I feel that if you don't it's wasted potential. Why not try to push your physical limits, especially since we as humans have the genetics and resources to build our bodies into anything we want? Seems like cutting yourself short not to...


and this.
we're still relatively young, make the most of your hand. you have a full house, but you only display a two pair, why do you want to do that intentionally?
 

randallr

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Originally Posted by Pennglock
I generally agree with what you're driving at in this thread, but this sentence is flat-out wrong. There has been a lot of research recently studying the impact of fitness and leanness on health outcomes and longevity. The consensus Ive seen is that it is healthier to be overweight and fit than lean and unfit.

What about the one guy who ate twinkes all day? I workout almost everyday and drink a lot of beer. I'm stil pretty fit and know that I'd more fit if I worked out more. It would make my net calories less. Is this not true?
 

randallr

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Originally Posted by mm84321
By diet I mean one that restricts farinaceous foods and processed saccharine foodstuff.

You'll find that the symptoms you are trying to alleviate through exercise are the things that proper nutrition would help to cure.


I don't really believe this. To have endurance you must train. Wanna race?
 

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