This is an installment of excellent fita column about exercise.
It can be difficult to unravel how certain substances or actions occur accurately Affects health. For example, researchers in Finland have been tracking thousands of twin pairs for decades, mailing them questionnaires and collecting biological samples such as DNA and fat biopsies from some of the groups. . The idea is that by observing genetically identical people raised in the same environment, they can be isolated How different lifestyle choices, such as smoking and diet, affect your body in the long term. Through this initiative, role of genes Risks of dieting due to drinking habits future weight gain More recently, Effects of exercise About lifespan.
That last study concluded that working out doesn't really matter when it comes to longevity, if you can control for other factors. In fact, too much exercise can have a negative effect on “biological aging.” Overall, the researchers concluded that being active in and of itself is not a panacea for health, but may be indicative of good health for other reasons. This apparent change stems from years of wisdom; other Of course, the research was done in order to write a passionate article. new york post and daily mail.
personally? I was excited to see this study. Not because it portends anything good for me health-wise. (As a marathon runner and recently dubbed an “ultra runner,” I am in the category of over-exercisers.) Exercise also heralds a paradigm shift in our understanding of exercise. Not because I believed it to be a thing. (There are nuances The conclusion is that exercise still has some benefit. bones to pick up Along with methodology. No, the reason I was excited was more mundane. I knew I had a column to write, and lo and behold, here was an interesting news hook that would help me get my point across.
Welcome, readers. last Good Fit, Slate's exercise series. It lasted all of 2023. And now, as we had planned from the beginning, we are discontinuing it. why? It's becoming popular. Other national publications, if anything, are stepping up in terms of publishing timely, fresh articles on how to work out. That makes sense! It's fun to talk about fitness, which is why we wanted to do it.
But our approach was generally something like this: do not have Follow the exercise “news” for exactly the reason shown in the Finnish twin study. It provides a way to continue to editorially repackage workout advice in fresh ways, but it usually confuses more than just confuses you. For example, readers of the latest exercise research in recent years may have found themselves caught up in a short-term exercise fad. That advantage was exactly what that paper helped to do. spread the trend Recently attracted attention, There may have been “Oversold.” Such is the nature of science, it doesn't advance in a straight line toward some kind of complete truth. And scientists have always disagreed, especially when it comes to the specifics of how research results should be applied to our lives. “We screwed this up from the beginning,” Panteleimon Eckekakis, a professor of exercise psychology at Iowa State University, said last year about Americans' tendency to view exercise as a medical task to be completed rather than an aspect of health. '' he told Slate. Indeed, above all, it is simply a joyful life.
In response to the Finnish twin study, I would ultimately say: so what? Even if the results are correct, in my opinion, they do not shake up the core thing that we as ordinary people should know about the movement: what we already know. what is that? It means that exercise is basically good for your health. But this twin's paper made me doubly convinced of what I've learned from editing Good Fit this past year. The best thing you can do is not read more and more about what exercises you “should” do. Every source of information out there is calling for your attention or claiming relevance. It's about accepting the well-supported premise that exercising regularly is good and understanding what works. you From there. And while I felt like I had something to add to the fitness conversation, that's it for me when it comes to covering fitness on a regular basis. So here's what we learned this year at Good Fit and what we'll be implementing over time.
1. Please go slowly.
Everything from your fitness watch to your competitive instincts can encourage you to speed up and pass the person running/cycling/kayaking in front of you. But pushing yourself to the limit with every workout not only drains your body, but your overall enthusiasm for whatever activity you're doing. Instead, spend the day walking very slowly, perhaps embarrassingly slowly, so you can not only admire the scenery, but also recuperate.
Also, you don't need to be good at something from the beginning. Maybe it's better not to do so. Failing at a new type of practice and enduring that feeling of failure is extremely valuable. Sometimes it's not about doing things “right.” “What you're describing is called yogalexia,” Paul Grilley, one of the founders of yin yoga, told Heather Schwedel on his quest to do Happy Baby right. “You think posing is important. What's important is how it affects your body.”
2. You don't need to buy anything.
I agree. Whether you're running or lifting weights, you'll need the right shoes, the right bra, and basic workout clothes. But, writes Hamilton Nolan, “L.A. Fitness franchises in our nation's basements, rec rooms, and strip malls are cluttered with thousands of types of heavy, expensive, and completely unnecessary exercise equipment.” . All that helps is “the idea that 'working out' is some special, esoteric skill” that you have to pay thousands of dollars to do properly and that you can't just go out and move your body. do not have. If you think Nolan is a little extreme, he's right. But also take note of the walking he pad that allows you to walk, which is one of the latest trends in exercise equipment.
3. Experts often bring personal responsibility into their stories.
Eleanor Cummins' entry on how yoga classes have become expensive Last spring, I decided to treat myself to a (very expensive) five-pack of private sessions with my favorite teacher. It helped convince me to take the course. Instructors, at least the good ones, are professionals and are usually grossly underpaid for the time and effort they put into teaching. I also learned generally as a health and science editor that rather than trying to piece together issues such as your form via the internet, you should ask an expert what's going on in your particular body. There's nothing better than having someone take a look.
However, it is important to remember that the person at the front of the class is also a human being.Sarah Kerchak, a former personal trainer who is also the author of this book. work it out, explained that her perspective on the mistakes her colleagues made at the gym was influenced by her relationship with her own mistakes. My body and how it worked. “I passed on too many criticisms to my clients,” she wrote in an entry titled “Things I regret about her time as a fitness instructor.” “For example, I wish I could have been quieter and kinder about the elbow hyperextension that I sometimes see in class. The emphasis on proper exercise sometimes led me too close to perfectionism.”
Four. Your schedule and body will change. Be open to rethinking things.
There are times in your life (say, early childhood?) when you can regularly attend training classes five times a week. And “total annihilation” can occur, writes Hilary Frey. He had been exercising for a long time, choosing yoga. “I'll be off the mat for three to six months, even a year, and all that time I'm ashamed of my laziness and fail to practice one of yoga's core tenets: being kind to myself.” She looked for something sustainable and came up with this. every day. Whether it's a little or a lot. ”
That was her first entry into Good Fit. She then received some advice from her doctor. As a woman approaching 50, she needs to add strength training to this. In her second entry into Good Fit, she chronicled her journey trying out weights and dramatically increasing her protein intake. “I have a group chat with three women my age, and I now call it the 'Menopause Lunch Chat,'” she wrote. Currently, her fitness includes talking about the chickpeas she eats with her friends. Things will change!
Five. Please stop once in a while.
OK, I understand. I think the Finnish exercise study makes several important points. Exercise is only one part of health (many other parts are outside of our control). And more exercise isn't necessarily “healthier” in the long run. And in the short term, as Jen Miller explores in her Good Fit essay “Too Much of a Good Thing.” Despite marketing slogans that encourage us to push our limits, Miller writes: Exercising outdoors when a “Code Red” air pollution warning is in effect. ”
Last April, she couldn't stop crying and withdrew from a 24-hour endurance race. Mr. Miller, who is also the author, Running: Love Story“I went into the race for the feeling of relief after the race, the feeling of admiration, and the reward of being able to eat whatever I wanted and sleep.”Instead of running miles and miles, I wanted to go slow and long with my dog. Hiking–it's as if you can't do it without the “permission” that completing an ultramarathon should give you. ” In seeking her acceptance and permission, she pushed herself too far. So she took a break.
No matter what you do, literature and the world will say all sorts of things. However, the best reason to exercise is quite simple. “I do it because I want to do it.” To.
