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I usually workout for about an hour-hour and a half three times a week*, and I try to walk to the local stores when running local errands. I've always loved working out, though.

I will say that most of the people I game with are not very fit to VERY unhealthy. I think there's only two other people I game with that actively exercise and make an effort to live a healthy lifestyle. However, I could say that most of friends/co-workers don't try very hard to live a healthy lifestyle and aren't very physically active.

I walk everywhere and watch what I eat. It's really not difficult. 2 miles of walking can be done in 35 minutes at a reasonably fast pace.. this gives you 4000 paces, and you need 5000 per day to be considered "active". You can usually get the other 1000 from general walking around at home/work.

Despite a broken toe which has taken me the last 5 months to recover from (can just about do a slow jog for a little while now, running is a while off) I'm still in reasonably good shape. 28" waist still, although with a little more belly fat than I had before. Will be getting rid of that later this year once I'm 100% back on my feet.

I've been out walking every day, even with the break (spiral fracture, splintered, displaced over the top of the toe next to it) being really painful and forcing me down to 2 mph pace for a very long time.

If I could get off my arse and walk with an injury that hurts with each step, anyone who still has their mobility has no excuse. I don't have some inner reserve of self-motivation, I suck at dealing with pain and found it really difficult.

Getting fit does not have to mean gym and "get ripped", it just means stop driving absolutely everywhere, walk to more places (if it's under 3 miles, you should be walking, not driving) and don't pig out on junk food, processed gak, make sure you burn more calories than you eat. Its actually quite straightforward and doesn't require much effort at all.

If you're injured/ have health problems, it is bloody difficult and I definitely sympathize.

 scarletsquig wrote:
I walk everywhere and watch what I eat. It's really not difficult. 2 miles of walking can be done in 35 minutes at a reasonably fast pace.. this gives you 4000 paces, and you need 5000 per day to be considered "active". You can usually get the other 1000 from general walking around at home/work.

Despite a broken toe which has taken me the last 5 months to recover from (can just about do a slow jog for a little while now, running is a while off) I'm still in reasonably good shape. 28" waist still, although with a little more belly fat than I had before. Will be getting rid of that later this year once I'm 100% back on my feet.

I've been out walking every day, even with the break (spiral fracture, splintered, displaced) being really painful and forcing me down to 2 mph pace for a very long time.

If I can get off my arse and walk with an injury that hurts with each step, anyone who still has their mobility has no excuse. I don't have some inner reserve of self-motivation, I suck at dealing with pain and found it really difficult.

Getting fit does not have to mean gym and "get ripped", it just means stop driving absolutely everywhere, walk to more places (if it's under 3 miles, you should be walking, not driving) and don't pig out on junk food, processed gak, make sure you burn more calories than you eat. Its actually quite straightforward and doesn't require much effort at all.

Great post, and congrats on the will power to work through the pain.

Having said that, the 'you should be walking if it is under 3 miles' assumes you have time to do so. Even at a 10 minute mile that is an hour to do both ways. Some folks just can't cut an extra hour in one shot.

And then there are folks like me in rural areas. My post office is the closest thing to me and it is over 3 miles away. The closest grocery store over 5 (and it is a crap hole). My daughters bus stop is 13 miles from the house, then she rides another 25-30 miles to school on the bus. Walmart over 10 miles away. I don't walk places. I do walk around the property, and have a jogging track marked out (1/3rd a mile per lap going around the pond and horse pastures).

 Frazzled wrote:



Lifting weights only is not going to cut it. now answer my question youngling. How do you lose stay fit when you can barely walk? When you have arthritis in all your joints? When you're taking warfarin and standing up takes all your energy and it will never ever ever get better?

I submit clue not you have.

Ever thought of trying bee sting therapy Frazz?

I'm yet to meet a bee keeper with bad arthritis . I'm thinking it has to do with the protein from unheated honey (unlikely) or being stung by bees regularly and over a long period of time ( much more likely). Chinese accupuncturists (how the feth am I supposed to spell that word, it's the first time I have ever written it) use it .

I got stung by 10 bees on one hand on the weekend and I can tell you after the swelling went down , my hand felt rather good.

Not wanting to get stung by bees? That's excuses, un-manly excuses.

Bullockist wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:



Lifting weights only is not going to cut it. now answer my question youngling. How do you lose stay fit when you can barely walk? When you have arthritis in all your joints? When you're taking warfarin and standing up takes all your energy and it will never ever ever get better?

I submit clue not you have.

Ever thought of trying bee sting therapy Frazz?

I'm yet to meet a bee keeper with bad arthritis . I'm thinking it has to do with the protein from unheated honey (unlikely) or being stung by bees regularly and over a long period of time ( much more likely). Chinese accupuncturists (how the feth am I supposed to spell that word, it's the first time I have ever written it) use it .

I got stung by 10 bees on one hand on the weekend and I can tell you after the swelling went down , my hand felt rather good.

Not wanting to get stung by bees? That's excuses, un-manly excuses.

Sir- regardless of the shape you are in, your tale has won the thread for me. I hope I remember this in 20 years when I start feeling arthritis's grasp and become an apiarist.

Bullockist wrote:


I got stung by 10 bees on one hand on the weekend and I can tell you after the swelling went down , my hand felt rather good.

I got kicked by a horse a few weeks ago. Once the swelling and bruising went away I felt better too.

I suspect once the swelling goes down from being stung you should feel better.

I was stung by nest of hornets last year. Can't say it did much good. Bit by a black widow spider too, but the secret is bite them right back!

I am skinnier than is good for me. I do sport regularily, I especially enjoy mountainbiking. I cycle at least 40km almost every week (unless the weather is really bad), but my condition is still far from good. It used to be better in the past when I still played ice hockey.

MATV flipped from a IED. I was feeling way good from medication

 trexmeyer wrote:

 OIIIIIIO wrote:
God gave me feet not to walk ... but to operate the pedals of my Jeeps and Harleys.

Being fit or somewhat close to it is understanding that your body only needs so much fuel. Cut back on certain foods and get a little bit of stretching and walking in your life. I am often perplexed by people who overeat ( and there are some in my own family ) that complain that if they do not eat that they get hunger pains. I have never had these. I can go for 3 days without eating as long s I have Mt. Dew and Camel Wides I am good.

Not to say that I am superbly fit but I can do almost any job that my work entails and I very rarely get winded. Try staying bent over all day tying rebar on a bridge for 8 hours and you will know the meaning of sore. It really does bother me that the majority of Americans are overweight and just kinda ... let themselves go.

Carbonated beverages help to combat hunger pains. Nicotine is a natural appetite suppressant. It's not surprising that you aren't going hungry. If I eat under 3000 calories in a day, I will experience hunger pains even if I'm eating "healthy", filling foods.

Have you tried low carb high fat lifestyles/diets? Look up: banting, or marks daily apple. Not that hard to stick to. You basically replace bread with fat. And sugar with stevia and such.

 Jihadin wrote:
MATV flipped from a IED. I was feeling way good from medication

So you're telling us you flipped out to get a high high???

 trexmeyer wrote:

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:
I work out every single day for several hours, no matter what. Either it's 5am when the gym opens, or 2pm after work, or late at night when a busy day ends.

Nothing's better than a great cardio program, and then an hour or two of strength training. It pays off in every aspect of daily life. The stares women give you, females who are complete strangers coming up to you at bars/clubs and rubbing your abs/arms, constant energy, strength to do anything you face - there's no end to how much the effort works for you. You get to wear the latest and greatest fashion, since you fit the clothing like the models do, you feel great about yourself and have confidence untold. Once you make the gains and get a taste of the POWER, you'll never stop.

It might sound kind of homosexual, but when men stare it's the best feeling of all. The jealousy is almost palpable, they want to be fit and strong like you so badly, but . . . just aren't disciplined enough. You have absolute dominion over everybody except those bigger than you in the gym - and they keep you motivated to keep training, because when you aren't, they ARE.

The comments in bold + that picture = confirmed egomaniac. Guido haircut, wife beater, chain, looks like you do arms only all day every day, god, please just go.

Please don't insult people who work hard at something. I can say that yeah, he may look a little like a "stereotypical douche" but that doesn't mean he acts anything like it. And, so what if you even have a big ego? I think he should be able to be proud for working out, which takes motivation and willpower. Plus wife beaters are just for working out most of the time, pit stains in t shirts are pretty annoying. If this kind of comment I just made is going to get this thread locked, please tell me as I don't want to escalate an argument.

Flip a APV in Australia you go to court, in Iraq you get meds, who'd ever join the Australian army? (pls note I have no idea what a MATV is nor whether the truck the guy flipped in aus was actually an APV - I suffer from acronym dishlexya.

Cpt. Jake I don't think a horse hoof has any of these chemicals in it.

"Most the 40 ingredients in bee venom have been identified," says Cohen. "Mellitin, an anti-inflammatory agent found in the venom, is one hundred times stronger than cortisone."

Bee venom also contains a substance known as adolapin, which is both anti-inflammatory and pain-blocking. Practitioners believe all the ingredients in bee venom work together to cause the body to release more natural healing compounds in its own defense. Bee venom is also said to increase blood circulation and reduce swelling."

So .

 Frazzled wrote:
I was stung by nest of hornets last year. Can't say it did much good. Bit by a black widow spider too, but the secret is bite them right back!

Really a black widow? Thats crazy. (Or am I just being a gullible kiddo ) Injuries do definitely take away from sports time and make it much harder to be fit. I remember I broke my knee skiing about a year ago, and I was only in a cast for two months, yet I lost around 40% of the muscle on my left leg (I had built up a lot after longboarding almost everywhere for almost two years) Im only starting to build it back up now, but for a long period after I broke my knee I wasn't motivated to workout at all.

I sometimes choose not to mount up on WoW and decide to jog to places.

So you're telling us you flipped out to get a high high???

Frazz

You would have a rolling good time

Edit

MRAP ATV or MATV

Brits call it a "Fox Hound" I believe Matty can confirm I think.




Edit II

Forgot to post the video

MaxZ wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:
I was stung by nest of hornets last year. Can't say it did much good. Bit by a black widow spider too, but the secret is bite them right back!

Really a black widow? Thats crazy. (Or am I just being a gullible kiddo ) Injuries do definitely take away from sports time and make it much harder to be fit. I remember I broke my knee skiing about a year ago, and I was only in a cast for two months, yet I lost around 40% of the muscle on my left leg (I had built up a lot after longboarding almost everywhere for almost two years) Im only starting to build it back up now, but for a long period after I broke my knee I wasn't motivated to workout at all.

Same thing occurs with astronauts who are in space for a while.

Yep black widow when I was a kid. Strangely after that I was deathly afraid of spiders...

Arachniaphobia movie did that for me.....

 Jihadin wrote:

So you're telling us you flipped out to get a high high???

Frazz

You would have a rolling good time

Edit

MRAP ATV or MATV

Brits call it a "Fox Hound" I believe Matty can confirm I think.




Edit II

Forgot to post the video

Yar glad you made it boyo.

LOL all good. Four stitches and back into the mix five days later.

Doctors thought I had Mono for two years, turned out I really was lazy and did not care ...

Working out has its place for those that want to do it. I do not sit here typing about how much of a badass that I am because I work, on average, at 80 feet in the air. I have worked at 805 feet in the air with nothing to tie off to. Does that make me super badass? Nope ... just a paid slow willing to do things that most people will not.

You workout ... I work. You go to the gym when it rains, I go home when it rains. You go jog when it is sunny, I go ride my Harley when it is sunny. No need to flaunt and think that people are checking out your arms ... you might be stronger than some guys, but crazy beats strong any day of the week. Ask anyone who has been incarcerated.

Constantly wear body armor and deal with 120+ heat

I'm thinking wearing body armour in summer around the streets may have graver social stigma than being unfit. Maybe if I match my outfit with accessories like a WW2 helmet and an ancient rifle it will help allay peoples fears.

 Avatar 720 wrote:
I sometimes choose not to mount up on WoW and decide to jog to places.

Nice one sir.


I find building houses eight hours a day is a great way to stay in shape and it pays the bills, too! Just remember your warm ups exercises, kiddies!

MaxZ wrote:

Please don't insult people who work hard at something. I can say that yeah, he may look a little like a "stereotypical douche" but that doesn't mean he acts anything like it. And, so what if you even have a big ego? I think he should be able to be proud for working out, which takes motivation and willpower. Plus wife beaters are just for working out most of the time, pit stains in t shirts are pretty annoying. If this kind of comment I just made is going to get this thread locked, please tell me as I don't want to escalate an argument.

Why do I look like a douche though, because I have a necklace? That's odd. My hair is all puffy and messed up after running for an hour, I'd hardly call it styled any particular way!

As far as my tank top goes, I wear them because sweat kills t-shirts. Pit stains completely annihilate white shirts, and even black shirts will start to turn white in the underarm area as time goes on and your freshly applied deodorant destroys it. Tank tops cost $8.00 for 3 at Wal-Mart (thanks for the effort, Easterners . . .), so I just wear them. I literally don't wear them outside of the gym. :(

 PrehistoricUFO wrote:

Well, I see older men regularly in my gym, some are pretty ripped and are very well developed. They're easily in their 50s, salt and pepper hair - this is the 5am early morning business men crowd. We all bust weights together, they shower, and get in their suits and off to work. Age isn't really an excuse, not until you're in your 60s and you can't do beyond the basic gak anymore.

As far as injuries go, unless your entire body has been decimated, it's also no excuse. You may not be able to work one or two muscle groups, but the unaffected ones don't deserve to atrophy because one area of your body can't handle focused stress.

You're missing my point.

Age naturally has a negative impact on your ability to develop and maintain muscle mass. It can be done, but the older you get the more effort (and money) it takes, with significant variation from person to person. Additionally, as you get older it becomes harder and harder to get fit if weren't fit in the first place and, again, it can be done, but you'll be spending large amount of money on supplements.

Injury is entirely different and varies from injury to injury, and according to severity. As an example: I tore my ACL when I was 14 and lost ~10 degrees of extension following the reconstruction (a bone spur behind my patella). This means I can't properly develop any muscle which is attached to the knee joint. Further I have repetitive stress injuries in my shoulder and lower back caused by an inability to run properly, thanks to the lack of extension and having played sports which involve lots of running for many years. These injuries mean that any exercise which places load on those areas is extremely uncomfortable. In fact I often get debilitating, stabbing pains down the front of my left arm due to chronic biceps tendinitis.

I still work out all the time, ~20 hours per week, but I fully understand why someone that's not insane wouldn't, given similar circumstances.

Are we really talking about gamers being fit, or simply not being huge fatasses?

I've seen some pretty skinny gamers who don't work out at all. What separates them from the Pvt. Piles of the wargaming community is that they know when to close their traps...or at least don't feel the need to eat horrible food incessantly.

You don't need to train 5x/wk to be reasonably fit. Watching what you eat goes a long way. The issue with most gamers I've seen is that they don't watch what they eat, orn do they do any kind of exercise .

See, when I was young and in college, I was fit and trim. I walked everywhere, played sports and even worked out. Now, with a toddler and a puppy, and a marriage that I care to put time into, I literally do not get to go to the bathroom without planning ahead. You can guess what kind of shape I'm in. It happened to me. It will happen to you.

Someday, you too will become one of us.

 OIIIIIIO wrote:

You workout ... I work. You go to the gym when it rains, I go home when it rains. You go jog when it is sunny, I go ride my Harley when it is sunny. No need to flaunt and think that people are checking out your arms ... you might be stronger than some guys, but crazy beats strong any day of the week. Ask anyone who has been incarcerated.

What I find even more interesting is that many workout fanatics have never actually done anything significant with their muscles. Never played a sport (Crossfit is not a sport.), never got in a fist fight, never even worked a job where their muscles were a significant asset.

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Are we really talking about gamers being fit, or simply not being huge fatasses?

The problem is that "fit" is basically a meaningless word (Fit for what?), as are "fitness" and "healthy" whenever "healthy" is not used to refer to the absence of illness. People have tried to define them, but all the proposed definitions suck.

I am a fitness instructor on my days off of work, I teach intense classes like 1500 repetition classes, mostly cardio and high intensity classes, spin, I also fight MMA just for fun, guess it's the ex-Infantryman in me. Although I crushed my heal at work, so crutches for me. already depressed because I can't teach or run... :(

Oh, I'm 44 too. 3 kids, 3 dogs, 1 cat, and a 30 year old wife.