winterwx21

53 minutes ago, Allsnow said:

Turn out to be a nice snowy day here 

Picked up a half inch of snow here, and a beautiful postcard scene with the wet snow coating the trees. A nice surprise today. I knew we'd see snow showers today, but wasn't expecting this much accumulation.

4 minutes ago, MacChump said:

Just catching up...so, 36...not bad!

now I just need you to answer whether that is elite athlete level...

It is, but there are plenty of elite athletes that have resting heart rates in the 40s and 50s. It doesn't have to be that low to be an elite athlete.

Some people seem shocked and have a hard time believing a resting heart rate in the 30s. All you have to do is a quick google search and you see plenty of medical sources that talk about it. Take a look at healthline.com and right away it says some athletes have resting heart rates in the 30 to 40 range. I guess some people have a hard time believing it because average people are in the 70s. But it's not unusual at all for athletes to be in the 40s or 30s.

Anyway I want to give a specific example of how exercise can help with Covid. Exercise produces an antioxidant called EcSOD, which has been shown to protect against acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS happens in the majority of Covid ICU patients, and is the cause of death in many of them. Zhen Yan, professor of cardiovascular medicine who runs a molecular exercise physiology lab at University of Virginia School of Medicine, did a major study on this. He says even a single exercise session can produce EcSOD, which fights this syndrome that kills so many Covid patients. So he believes that exercise should be added to things like mask wearing and social distancing as recommended things that can help with the pandemic.

And just overall, exercise helps strengthen the immune system and improves lung health. Here is a quote from emergency medicine physician Dr. Jebidiah Ballard, when asked if exercise can help with Covid outcomes...

"Would it improve their chances if they got Covid-19? Not in a day or week, but if they can improve their overall health over weeks, then very likely," she said.

There are people on this board that obviously don't want to believe this stuff and even get irritated or take offense, but this is medical science that medical experts back up. Exercise and getting into better shape DOES reduce the risk of bad outcomes with Covid and can be done in a matter of just weeks as experts have pointed out, and I believe it's important to get this information out there. I'm sorry to the people that got offended by it, although I don't see reason why anyone should be offended. It's just about trying to help people during a horrific pandemic, and worth it if only a small amount of people beat Covid because they got into better shape. But if some people prefer to just isolate to avoid getting the virus until there is a vaccine, that certainly is a good approach too. I'm not going to go on and on about this any longer, as I've provided enough info. I wish everyone safety and good health as we try to get through the last several months of the pandemic. Take care.

19 minutes ago, Frog Town said:

I was a collegiate Marathon Runner back in the day and my sports Doc did a double take after he measured mine in the mid to upper 40's per minute.  I remember him saying that was pretty rare.  Never heard of it in the 30's, unless maybe you're being frozen in Carbonite by the Mandalorian??

That's complete opposite of what my cardiologist told me when I went in with the concern that my resting heart rate of 50 (before I started running) was too low. He told me some elite runners have resting heart rates in the 30s and I could possibly do that too. It's far from unheard of. Just do a little research on low resting heart rates for elite athletes. There have been a few that have actually had resting heart rates in the high 20s.

20 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

In the past 8 months, I have learned and been reminded about winterwx21's health and fitness more than I ever thought was possible.

On the heart rate thing... you don't have to be an elite level athlete to have a resting rate in the low/mid 40s.  I know, because I do, and I'm nowhere near an elite level athlete.  I lift quite often and do modest amounts of plain cardio, but almost never run.  I am very cognizant of magnesium intake (which is something that many are deficient in) and that may be a factor in the low resting heart rate.

I haven't talked about health on here in several months. I know we talked about it some in another Coronavirus thread back in the Spring. Obviously health is extra important during a pandemic.

I completely agree about magnesium! That's the one supplement I take. In general I am not a believer in supplements, believing it's much more important to get nutrients from food. But magnesium is so critical to heart and artery health, so I do take that.

2 minutes ago, Malacka11 said:

I mean if you're actually a well trained distance runner then by all means, I retract my statement. I thought you exercised either just a little. My bad

No problem. Before I started running, my resting heart rate was 50. Lower than average, but not super low. Funny thing I was actually very worried about that. You go online and read about bradycardia being a resting heart rate under 60. I was having terrible panic attacks over it, so I went to the cardiologist. After examination he told me it was low because I have an extra strong heart, and told me I was probably one of those people that can get it into the 30s with an exercise program. He told me I should, so I did. The running ended the panic attack problem, thankfully. I like running 7 miles, so I'm running about quarter marathon distance.

Just now, Malacka11 said:

That is frighteningly low. As a semi-elite athlete (I actually am pretty fast) I have yet to meet one runner with a heart rate below 40. Mine is actually around 60, it just doesn't increase as much as other people's heart rates under stress.

It probably explains why I can run very fast for long periods of time. My cardiologist says it's a true elite athlete heart. I'm very lucky. I do know a couple other runners that have heart rates in the 30s.

1 minute ago, Stebo said:

36? That literally is not believable.

My cardiologist tells me I have a true elite athlete heart. A small percentage of athletes are able to get their resting heart rates into the 30s. It just means the heart is so strong that it can circulate blood to the body well by beating an unusually low amount of times. You can look it up ... some athletes do get resting heart rates into the 30s.

8 minutes ago, wxtrix said:

a number for what your resting heart rate is.

I mentioned in an earlier post that my resting heart rate is 36. I'm sure he saw that, which is why he brought it up. I'm guessing he's mocking me for that, which is weird.

26 minutes ago, WaryWarren said:

Running is awful on your joints in the long run. Walking a few miles per day is the best, if you're privileged enough to squeeze that into your day.

Running actually cured my knee pain. I used to have a lot of pain, but it stopped after I started running. Probably because exercise is a strong anti inflammatory. Walking is great for many people, but it doesn't do a lot (as far as cardio workout) for people that have very strong hearts. I have to run to get my heart rate up.

1 hour ago, MacChump said:

 

just write a number...any number...i'll accept any number at all, it could be a 1, or a 2, or a 3, or how about a 4?  It's that simple...

then we can move on to the elite athlete question

A number for what?? And yeah, I'm very fortunate to have an elite athlete heart. You're acting very strangely. I see someone reacted to your post with a confused emoji, and I am confused too. Don't know what you're trying to get at here.

15 hours ago, BuffaloWeather said:

I've been into bodybuilding and fitness for 6 years. Let myself go after getting married for a few years and decided to change that.

You actually don't need to work out at all to lose weight. Its a very simple equation. Calculate your maintenance calories to maintain your current weight and subtract however amount of calories you need to from that to start losing weight. It's calories in vs calories out.

This calculator will tell you how many calories you need to eat to maintain your current weight, lose weight, or gain weight.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/calorie-calculator/itt-20402304

Obviously exercise helps, but you honestly don't need it. Diet is by far the most important aspect of losing weight.

Everyone is different. I lost 30 pounds through exercise alone. My diet was pretty good, but I was gaining weight as the years went by as my metabolism slowed down. Then I started running, and after 4 or 5 months the 30 pounds was gone. If I go out for a 7 mile run, that burns about 800 calories. If I do it 5 days a week, that's about 4000 calories burned in a week. That explains how you can lose 30 pounds in several months with exercise and not changing the diet. Of course you can do it with mainly diet and no exercise too, as you said. But some people don't like the idea of eating much less and being hungry all the time. I'd rather eat a little more and go out there and burn 800 calories with a run. Also, studies show that most people don't keep lost weight off if they did it through diet alone, but they do keep it off if they do it through a combo of diet and exercise. Obviously because you can burn off extra calories with extra exercise if you slip up and eat a little more than you're supposed to. So I'd say diet and exercise are equally important.

34 minutes ago, MacChump said:

not taking your advice until you tell me what your resting heart rate is...and, is it elite athlete level?

Obviously heart/lung health is especially critical during this pandemic, because we know that this virus attacks the heart and lungs of many people. Most people that die from this virus die because the lungs or heart give out. So this isn't just about the weight issue ... exercise strengthens the heart and lungs which reduces the chance of dying from Covid. So it's just another reason why exercise can help during the pandemic. There's no question there would be much less deaths if more people exercised. And again I just do not understand why anyone would take offense over medical advice that can help reduce hospitalizations and deaths during a pandemic. Most people don't take offense, but a small percentage of people do. They misunderstand it for fat shaming or trolling, but it isn't those things at all. Talk to any doctor and they will tell you that exercise reduces risk of having severe problems with Covid. Obviously it doesn't eliminate it, but it reduces it which is a good thing.

1 minute ago, Hoosier said:

2 hours per week comes out to 15-20 minutes per day.  It's hard for me to buy that people can't find that amount of time sometime during the day.  Get up a little earlier or do it after the kids go to bed.  Heck, if not 2 hours per week, then do the most you can.  It's not about getting into marathon shape or preparing for a bodybuilding contest... just improving on your health and fitness. 

If you're only modestly overweight, that is something you can work on right now and perhaps make it statistically less likely that you'll develop severe covid  (important to point out that severe covid is not necessarily the same thing as long-hauler covid).  If you're obese, then make it a long term goal and do whatever you can to minimize your risk of catching covid in the next few months.  

And the studies show that risk of severe covid increases with each level of overweight and obesity, so even just losing a little weight can help. Too bad some people take offense so easily. This is not about fat shaming at all. It's about trying to save lives, because there are plenty of people that don't know about the weight issue with Covid.

9 minutes ago, wxtrix said:

i'm not fooled by your concern trolling.

 

That's when you know that a person knows that they're wrong, when they can't even respond to a good point. You're going against proven medical science, and that's something that no intelligent person can deny. And weird that you take offense so easily. No wonder you've had so much trouble getting along with people on these boards for years.

7 minutes ago, wxtrix said:

they are putting out studies so overweight people take more precautions and stay home as much as possible. good grief! their guidance isn't fat shaming!

It's not just that. Here is a quote...

"Given the significant threat Covid-19 represents to individuals with obesity, healthy food policies can play a supportive - and especially important role in Covid-19 mortality and morbidity," Barry Popkin, Ph.D., professor of of nutrition at the UNC Gillings School Of Public Health said at the time of the CDC study.

Your attitude on this is just puzzling, wxtrix. Medical experts trying to help people to reduce risk is not fat shaming.

1 minute ago, Stebo said:

For someone to lose weight in weeks to go from obese or overweight to a 'healthy' weight would be incredibly dangerous in of itself. You really don't know what you are talking about here.

I never said from obese to normal weight in weeks. I know that takes much more time. But you can go from overweight to normal weight in a matter of weeks, especially if only slightly overweight.

Just now, wxtrix said:

 

my attitude is fine. you are the one fat-shaming because the fact is that people who are not overweight are having issues with covid too. you are singling out one area where you feel free to shame others and are ignoring all of the factual context surrounding the victims of this disease.

people of color make up the majority of obese adults in this country. the issues that bedevil communities of color were already brought up by Purduewx80. it's telling that you are completely ignoring those facts.

 

 

Of course there are people who are not overweight that are having issues with Covid. But they are a much smaller percentage. For people that are overweight it's a much higher percentage. Just read the studies from the CDC and UT Southwestern. The statistics are overwhelming. You are going against medical science with your attitude.

Just now, Stebo said:

It is still risk either way.

Most people would agree that that's a bad way of looking at it. It's better having a slight risk of something bad happening than a high risk. There are medical experts talking about how people can reduce risk of a bad outcome from Covid by losing weight. It's something worth talking about because it can save lives.

Just now, Stebo said:

Yeah its so simple, just a bit of exercise and you are safe from covid.

Of course it does not make you safe from Covid, but it does reduce risk somewhat. Would you rather have a high risk, or a lower risk? You're not using common sense.

5 minutes ago, Stebo said:

Guess what buddy, covid is impacting everyone, so dietary issues are irrelevant. It was already debunked in this thread when another poster wanted to roll in and fat shame people. Like I said if you want to talk dietary issues, there is an Off Topic subforum here, go there and post to your heart's content.

I guess that's why the CDC and UT Southwestern are putting out studies showing that being overweight greatly increases the risk of bad outcomes with Covid. This is about saving lives, not fat shaming. You have top medical experts talking about this. There is absolutely nothing wrong with talking about what people can do to reduce Covid risks. Puzzling that some people take offense to this. Trying to save lives is a good thing.

11 minutes ago, Stebo said:

All of this dietary nonsense is fine to say in hindsight but that is all hindsight and irrelevant to now. Honestly it could be dumped out of the thread because outside of a passing thought doesn't really matter to the current state of affairs.

It's not irrelevant because all it takes is a matter of weeks to reduce things like weight and blood pressure, which reduces the chance of severe outcomes with Covid. This is a long term pandemic, so there's always time for people to do things to reduce risk.

1 minute ago, wxtrix said:

suddenly starting to exercise now won’t keep someone from getting covid. no one deserves a serious outcome because of their weight, and overweight people deserve the same lack of blame as people who are not obese, despite your inexpert fat-shaming.

I am not fat shaming at all. I would NEVER make fun of anyone for being overweight. This is about saving lives. Any medical expert will tell you that reducing weight reduces the chance of having a bad outcome with Covid. The CDC put out a major study on that a few weeks ago. I'm sure you heard about Prime Minister Boris Johnson almost dying from Covid earlier this year. Afterwards he said his weight was the main reason that happened. Since then he lost a lot of weight and started a major government anti obesity program over there. Is he fat shaming by starting that program? Your attitude on this is really bad. Don't know what your problem is. Of course no one deserves a bad outcome due to their weight. But people deserve to know what to do to reduce their chance of having a bad outcome. Just WOW at your attitude.

39 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

Even setting aside 2 hours per week can result in a lot of benefits, especially if you also have a job that requires you to be on your feet a lot.  That is a lot of time spent moving around.

Anyway, isn't this the covid thread?

 

Definitely. 2 hours is enough to have major benefits. And yeah it's a Covid thread. Exercise is a way to reduce Covid risks, so I think it's worth talking about. Not only because people in great shape through exercise are at much lower risk of being a severe case if they catch Covid, but exercise also reduces the risk of catching a virus. When you exercise, immune cells are sent all over the body which can choke off invading viruses. So I think it's important for people to know how important exercise is at a time like this.

58 minutes ago, Malacka11 said:

I feel like the exact people who could benefit the most from exercise (both mentally and physically) are exactly those who have much more important day-to-day tasks to worry about. I can't imagine pretty much anyone working in a Walmart, McDonald's, Amazon warehouse, etc. to have any desire to exercise after working 40+ hours a week when they have a family to care for and a house to keep running. Sure, they could certainly get a couple minutes of walking or jogging in there if they absolutely prioritized it, but who in their right mind would want to prioritize exercise after standing around all day and having a billion things to take care of at home too?

 That's probably another reason why it would be a total shit show if someone were to get up and tell everyone that they need to exercise to improve their chances with Covid; it's definitely gonna rub people the wrong way (especially those for whom it would be very difficult to remain physically active) for the government to get up their and go "haha go for a run lol fatass" when they can't even provide us with masks to keep us from projectile-drooling on each other. 

 

I think most people can squeeze in 4 or 5 hours a week for exercise, especially since it's SO important for health. George W. Bush told them he HAD to have an hour for exercise every day. I think if the President of The United States can find enough time for exercise, most people should be able to. And I would think many people would want to prioritize it since it is proven to extend life. We know that people that exercise regularly live longer than people that don't. I would think most people would rather live to 85 than drop dead of a heart attack at 60. Squeezing in those exercise hours is worth it.

48 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

Agree and disagree.  I'd say eating healthy is a privilege, but exercising not as much.  You don't need to set aside hours a day to benefit from exercise, and you don't even need equipment.  There is the saying that "you can't outtrain a bad diet," and calories add up quickly if you're living on junk/fast food, which can certainly make staying in shape more difficult, but not impossible.  

Considering that a lot of people could stand to lose 50-100 pounds, it's more of a longer term/general health goal and not something that going to help much in this current round of covid.

Exactly. I run around the block for about an hour, at a brisk 8 to 9 minute per mile pace, 5 days a week. 5 hours of exercise out of an entire week doesn't seem like that much, and it's enough that it has enormous health benefits. It caused me to lose 30 pounds and keep it off, and my resting heart rate is down to 36 which is elite athlete level. Blood pressure is nice and low. You really don't need much to get into great shape. Just a decent pair of running shoes and several hours a week.

Very true that you can't outrun a bad diet, but running does allow you to cheat a little more. You can eat some junkfood, as long as you keep up the exercise and eat healthy most of the time. I usually eat completely healthy (lean fish/chicken and lots of vegetables) 5 days a week, and the other 2 days I allow myself to have some junkfood (maybe a donut with brunch, pizza or cheeseburger for dinner or cake for dessert). My weight stays at 135 pounds because I'm burning so many calories with the running. The running that I do burns about 4000 calories a week, so it allows me to enjoy some unhealthy foods a couple days a week. I know it's unrealistic to expect people to eat healthy ALL the time, so exercise is very important to strike a balance.