Why are the general population resistant to getting fit?

[Jon in Sweden]

Lots of interesting discussion. Hadn't considered the different genetic predispositions being linked to specific evolutionary traits. I am most certainly in the first group. Always lean, always wanted to exercise. I can gain and lose weight very quickly with specific training.

Nearholmer - that graph is pretty frightening, but then any trip to a swimming pool on a Saturday morning will bear that out.

Apparently a bmi of a little over 25 is actually healthier in older years.

I have heard this too, and I think it's the case through most of life. Traditionally the BMI (which is a crude measurement, and quite inaccurate for outliers like me) healthy range has been 19-25, but it was later revised up to 20-26.5, if memory serves.

My father in law (who turned 76 today) is active and in quite good health, but he is far too thin, and you can see that he has been sarcopenic (losing muscle mass) for some years now. I've given both him and my mother in law an introductory resistance band training program and a suggestion to eat a little more protein and a little less cake!

On the topic of BMI and muscle mass, BMI gives no indication of body composition. You can be within the healthy weight range and deeply (metabolically) unhealthy.

The key is to build and sustain a healthy amount of muscle. It's highly effective at preventing type 2 diabetes and other metabolic issues. Given that falls resulting from frailty in later life are often fatal, having strong muscles is vital.

I remember seeing this photo set years ago and considering how remarkable it was. There is little to no difference in the leg composition of a 70 year old triathlete and a 40 year old triathlete. And then compare it to that of a 74 year old sedentary man

[Psamathe]

Question (I don't know the answer so not a question actually making a point)

Do those not exercising have the impression you need eg gym membership (expensive) or flashy jogging gear or stuff that costs money.

Do the "inactive" appreciate they can do a lot of exercises indoors with no gear, no need for showers after, etc. Do they appreciate they can go for a walk for free? and that a walk is good.

Basically are there misconceptions driven by eg Peleton (and others) TV ads and seeing joggers in lycra with tight pink tops, headphones and phone strapped to arm?

Ian

[Debs]

It just comes down to aptitude within the individual mindset.

I first saw this in my school days; kids who welcomed the 'sports' period, and those that didn't.
To me the sports period was like extra play time and something to enjoy, but to others it was hell, obviously.

[PT1029]

RE the expensive gym/fancy clothing etc. Obviously you don't need such things, even if that is what the perception is.
I cycle about 100ml a week - full day on Sunday, around town (with a heavy cargo bike) the rest of the week.The arms get regular exercise lift bikes on/off a work stand (it adds up to quite a bit). So I consider myself quite fit.
During lock down we did some of those Joe Wickes online exercises at home (think stepping/turning bending etc on the living room carpet). I was quite surprised how much puff such exercises generated!
So Jon in Sweden's colleague may be better temped by Joe Wickes type videos at home than a scenic if chilly lake! A chilly lake around here would be nice, but there isn't one.
Also chilly swims are good for mental health. The wife gets depression from time to time (under medical supervison), sometimes I (in jest) threaten to chuck her in the river!

Re aptitude/enthusiasm ofr sport at school. I definately didn't like sport much at school. I didn't mind exercise, just wasn't into team sports - this lead to the odd thing on sports day at primary. I usually ran the 800m as it didn;t require a series of heats. The shorter races that woud have suited my un-enthuisiasm for sport didn't interest me because of the qualifying heats.

[Nearholmer]

Re aptitude/enthusiasm ofr sport at school. I definately didn't like sport much at school. I didn't mind exercise, just wasn't into team sports - this lead to the odd thing on sports day at primary. I usually ran the 800m as it didn;t require a series of heats. The shorter races that woud have suited my un-enthuisiasm for sport didn't interest me because of the qualifying heats.

You aren’t me are you?!?

I was just going to post a warning of reading too much into whether or not kids like school sports, containing almost exactly the same words, even down to the 800m, which was the only “proper event” I would ever take part in! I quite liked winter cross country too, because that was “me against the elements”, rain, mud and cold, no real competition with others, no team, no ball skills, just sheer bloody-mindedness.

It’s remained much the same, in that I didn’t enjoy group road riding when I tried it, usually cycle alone, usually at least 50% of the ride cross country, although I do enjoy group cross country rides too, and am not much put off by the mud in the winter.

Different things motivate different people when it comes to exercise, and if you look at a lot of formal and informal walking groups, the big draw for participants is often the sociability, the exercise being almost an incidental. So, maybe “encouragement programmes” need to lay off the Lycra and sweat, and focus on the saleable bits like company, fresh air, seeing interesting things along the way, etc.

[Jon in Sweden]

To your points, I firmly believe that making exercise part of your daily life is vital. Only about 10% of my exercise time each week is in the actual gym (and it's in my basement, so I don't actually have to go anywhere). Even with much of my resistance exercise, I do it at work. I take an exercise band with me, and use it whilst supervising my machine. Or take the hand strength grippers. That sort of thing.

It's an interest point you raise about team sports. I wonder how common it is for cyclists to dislike team sport activities? Quite common I suspect! I certainly fall into that category.

Whilst I do enjoy social riding a lot, 90% of my riding (or more) is solo and I love that. Just me, my bike and my legs.

And the lakes (I should add) get very warm in summer - up to 25-26c. This time of year you're breaking ice though!

[arnsider]

I am eternally grateful to my Scoutmasters for introducing me to Hill Walking. I never had Ball Skills and at school, was not a team player.
However, I was a strong swimmer and could walk miles, even though I was on the heavy side.
If you are fortunate to have mentors and good parents, you will develope physical strength.
Nowadays Scouting is frowned on, kids cannot go out alone and eat mostly junk food that piles on weight. They also constantly bully each other, ably assisted by wretched smart phones.
Urban living, especially in the crowded South East bodes badly for outdoor activity and kids spend hours lying on their backs glued to screens.
The Fatties would sooner spend Sundays dragging their backsides around B&Q so they can fill skips with the rubbish they bought last year!!
Or crash in front of the telly shouting and screaming at their football idols!
That's the example they give to their kids!

[TrevA]

In my experience, people are wedded to their cars and won’t consider alternative forms of transport, even if it were to make them fitter and healthier. I cycled to work for most of my working life, but was always considered something of a weirdo or outsider for doing so. In my last job, I worked for an environmental organisation. We moved to a city centre office and the management decided we would not take up any of the limited on site parking at the new office. We did have an about 20% of staff who did cycle to work, but the others still continued to drive, even though they now had to pay £5 a day to park. On the odd occasion that I did take the car to work, it took longer than cycling - around 55 minutes door to door for a 9 mile journey because of the volume of traffic and having to park 10 minutes walk away from the office. I could consistently cycle the 9 miles in around 35-37 minutes and if I really went for it, I could go under 30 minutes.

Council policies play a part here. Shoppers have to pay around £2 per hour to park in city centre car parks, yet an office worker arriving by car before 9.30am can park all day for £5. Or can use the park and ride for £3 a day. Where’s the incentive to cycle?

London shows how things can be done differently. There’s a £15 daily congestion charge to drive in London. It costs around £25 per day to park your car in a car park and journeys by car take so long that it’s hardly worth using your car. Hence the vast numbers of people cycling to work in London - it’s much cheaper and quicker than other forms of transport.

[mjr]

It just comes down to aptitude within the individual mindset.

I first saw this in my school days; kids who welcomed the 'sports' period, and those that didn't.
To me the sports period was like extra play time and something to enjoy, but to others it was hell, obviously.

School sports in the 1980s/90s were hell due to widespread bullying and verbals, including from the teachers. I remember one kid being bullied into playing on with a broken arm. Others were threatened with being made to run to the nearest town in only their underwear in winter.

I was far from unfit, cycling through open country to school once I was old enough to be allowed, but was still struggling to adjust to changing eyesight so couldn't catch or intercept a ball, so didn't escape the teachers' mocking. I was almost glad when my first foot problems meant I was excused on doctor's orders (but not because damn they hurt and the corrective treatment was scary).

I doubt this is the whole reason why lots of people avoid exercise, but it probably contributes. To this day, I hate seeing leaders (whether club or political) "punch down" and claim it's a joke or similar.

[Psamathe]

It just comes down to aptitude within the individual mindset.

I first saw this in my school days; kids who welcomed the 'sports' period, and those that didn't.
To me the sports period was like extra play time and something to enjoy, but to others it was hell, obviously.

For me is was maybe not hell but definitely something I didn't enjoy. And in later life I gradually changed to the point where I now really enjoy exercise. I feel disappointed that my school turned me off exercise as badly as they did as I spent far too many years not doing exercise that I could have been enjoying as well as the health benefits.

Ian

[ossie]

It just comes down to aptitude within the individual mindset.

I first saw this in my school days; kids who welcomed the 'sports' period, and those that didn't.
To me the sports period was like extra play time and something to enjoy, but to others it was hell, obviously.

School sports in the 1980s/90s were hell due to widespread bullying and verbals, including from the teachers. I remember one kid being bullied into playing on with a broken arm. Others were threatened with being made to run to the nearest town in only their underwear in winter.

I was far from unfit, cycling through open country to school once I was old enough to be allowed, but was still struggling to adjust to changing eyesight so couldn't catch or intercept a ball, so didn't escape the teachers' mocking. I was almost glad when my first foot problems meant I was excused on doctor's orders (but not because damn they hurt and the corrective treatment was scary).

I doubt this is the whole reason why lots of people avoid exercise, but it probably contributes. To this day, I hate seeing leaders (whether club or political) "punch down" and claim it's a joke or similar.

In the late 70' /early 80's our PE teachers idea of exercise was to take us running over the mud flats in our local harbour. Likewise jump the local stream resulting in a fellow pupil breaking his arm and various injuries which were deemed acceptable by the school back then. So yes PE was considered as a good excuse to bully the kids. There was also no fun in climbing a rope and being ridiculed if you fell off it three foot up or being forced into an unheated swimming pool.

Incidentally according to my now grown up children this followed into the 90's and 2000's. They all still shudder when looking at the local heathland adjacent to their Middle school as that's when they endured their torture which in turn put them off running until they were able to work out and see the health benefits in a manner that wasn't over bearing - in their 20's.

So aptitudes can change, they all keep fit now. Incidentally and If I recall we were all skinny kids back then. There was usually one overweight pupil in the class who was endlessly mocked but our lifestyle was completely different, to a tee we nearly all played out doors and expended calories.

I've just come back from holiday and would estimate 60-70% of fellow guests were obese, morbidly obese in some cases.

That said I can cycle for 30 minutes on a turbo trainer and use the same amount of calories as in a bar of chocolate, so the mindset needs to be diet then exercise or diet and exercise. I recall during the first lockdown seen masses of overweight people hitting our local trailway in their jogging gear, I can't imagine the injuries they suffered, well I can, achilles problems, knee issues, shin splints which would explain why they rapidly disappeared.

Sadly I think many people nowadays simply don't care, accept it as the norm and hope the NHS will sort them out when they get that wake up call.

[mjr]

It just comes down to aptitude within the individual mindset.

I first saw this in my school days; kids who welcomed the 'sports' period, and those that didn't.
To me the sports period was like extra play time and something to enjoy, but to others it was hell, obviously.

For me is was maybe not hell but definitely something I didn't enjoy. And in later life I gradually changed to the point where I now really enjoy exercise. [...]

Interesting. I still don't like exercise as such. I've no idea if I can cycle for 30 minutes on a turbo trainer, nor interest in the answer. I just like doing stuff, and sitting in a car isn't doing stuff. I like going places, including stopping where you can't really stop a big motor vehicle.

Do others here like exercise? For example, would you ride a static bike purely for the exercise, with no measurement or competition or social elements?

[Psamathe]

It just comes down to aptitude within the individual mindset.

I first saw this in my school days; kids who welcomed the 'sports' period, and those that didn't.
To me the sports period was like extra play time and something to enjoy, but to others it was hell, obviously.

For me is was maybe not hell but definitely something I didn't enjoy. And in later life I gradually changed to the point where I now really enjoy exercise. [...]

Interesting. I still don't like exercise as such. I've no idea if I can cycle for 30 minutes on a turbo trainer, nor interest in the answer. I just like doing stuff, and sitting in a car isn't doing stuff. I like going places, including stopping where you can't really stop a big motor vehicle.

Do others here like exercise? For example, would you ride a static bike purely for the exercise, with no measurement or competition or social elements?

I suppose thinking about it that is true for me.

Several years ago I started using local Council gym because I had a spring dinghy race series approaching so thought it a good idea (pay per visit). I did a few sessions but it was just boring. This Jan I decided I'd start swimming using local council pool (cheap, not too far). Went a couple of times but up and down etc. just very boring.

I enjoy a cycle ride and enjoy getting home feeling like I've done something physical. But the getting out seeing countryside, wildlife, etc. is a major aspect to my "exercise".

Could never do an indoor exercise bike as just boring.

So what you say also applies to me. Enjoy the physical activity but getting out seeing stuff, doing stuff is a very major aspect.

Ian

[Nearholmer]

^^^

I for one enjoy exercise, as in going for it a bit and getting puffed-out, but only “fresh air and exercise” (and TBH, really only “fresh air and exercise on a bike”). Indoor exercise quickly drives me round the bend, especially static bike riding - it’s possibly the most unenjoyable voluntary activity yet devised. Stretches are OK, yoga-like stuff, but that’s a bit different.

But, some people get a great buzz from indoor cycling, and my OH is keen on indoor “workouts”, and wouldn’t dream of going on a steep and muddy bike ride through the woods, so I guess we need to find what works for each of us.

[ossie]

Do others here like exercise? For example, would you ride a static bike purely for the exercise, with no measurement or competition or social elements?

I like exercise. I'm on Zwift 3/ 4 times a week, on a smart turbo trainer which is interactive riding with thousands of others. You can race, dawdle, chat, climb the Alp D'Huez, set personal bests, go on group rides with your local cycling club using discord to chat and talk. The smart turbo replicates the gradient you see on the screen, you benefit from perceived drafting, different bikes have different qualities over different terrain.

To me it's a game changer, especially in the winter. I've cycled over 6500 miles in two years indoors, done centuries, listen to music. It will never properly replace the joys of outdoor cycling but for those who want to keep fit it can keep you interested rather than the old dumb turbo trainer which was soul destroying.