mom31257 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 so would trying to get up and dance/move fast for 5 minutes every hour be enough to help me be healthier/more active? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 It's not really going to do too much for weight loss or cardiovascular health, but it'll probably give you more energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 From what I understand, you have to sustain the raised heart rate for about 30 minutes at a time to reap the health benefits. YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 If it is more activity than you are doing now, yes it would help. It will not have the impact that sustained exercise that raises your heart rate would have, but there are studies showing that short (as in 3-5 minutes) bursts of exercise have a cumulative benefit. Also, if you get used to 5 minutes at a time, you can maybe increase it to 6, then 7, then 8.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=202 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Any movement is good. I hate exercising but try to do it 5-6 days a week in addition to the farm/horse chores I do 3 times a day. I have found that exercising with a friend makes a HUGE difference. I can then get through a BORING 30 minute exercise DVD if we are chatting between laughing at ourselves. I also try to walk with friends several days a week. Can't say I have really lost much weight but my blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugars, cholesterol, etc. are all perfect so it likely is doing something for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I never exercised either except for dance class 1X a week. Now, I do Zumba at home. I just go to youtube and look up my favorite songs and do a search for Zumba. So I am doing what I love to do anyways. You don't have to be a dancer to do Zumba. But it does help if you do have some dance background especially when you get into the harder routines. I try to do 30 minutes. But usually I will last about 20. Mondays at dance I go straight through the 45 minute class. But that class is not as hard as Zumba. If you are moving around it helps, but getting that heart rate up for a consistent 30 minutes will benefit you healthwise. I have high blood pressure, and since exercising, it has been so low that I may have to come off the BP med.(98/68).Pick something you love and go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I agree. It's mind-numbingly boring to exercise. I don't mind the physical work, I mind the horrifying boredom. I haven't found a great solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 "I agree. It's mind-numbingly boring to exercise. I don't mind the physical work, I mind the horrifying boredom. I haven't found a great solution." Exercise is only boring if you haven't found the right one for you. I do martial arts. Spending 45 minutes trying not to get punched in the face is definitely not boring, but it also isn' everyone's cup of tea. My BIL runs marathons. I would find that insanely boring, not to mention horrendously exhausting, but he loves it and says it is relaxing. My SIL climbs up big rocks and cliffs. Frankly I just find that insane, but she loves the thrill and challenge of it. It's all about finding something you enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Exercise is only boring if you haven't found the right one for you. No, no, some people truly find exercising absolutely horrible. I had fun with taekwondo but still hated the exercise it involved. All I do now is walk, but whether it's outside on the beautiful greenway or on my treadmill, it's just plain dull, boring, and stupid. Can you tell I hate exercising? :) OP: My doctor told me that even exercising 3 times a day for 10 mins. each is helpful. Today I actually made it 30 mins. on the treadmill. I was proud as a peacock and quite relieved and thankful it was over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I hate exercising, but I do it every single day. Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 so would trying to get up and dance/move fast for 5 minutes every hour be enough to help me be healthier/more active? Maybe. Something is better than nothing no matter what, but there's growing evidence that short bursts of intense exercise is beneficial to at least some people in terms of both weight loss and cardiovascular health. Google "short burst" or HIIT for more info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 Thanks for the thoughts. I could stand to lose a little weight (20 or 25 lbs.), but my blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, and all are very good as of last October. I gained some weight when I started homeschooling and after turning 40, but I leveled off and haven't kept gaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Something is better than nothing and, in my case, exercise begets exercise so I would do it if it's the only thing you feel like you can handle right now. Audiobooks help me a lot. I listen while I run and I almost look forward to getting out, now. Also having a challenge ahead. I try to sign up for a race every few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I love to run, but never again can do so. The 8" steel rod in my leg holds together a garbagey job by whichever orthopedist was on call at the ER that day, twelve years ago. I also have osteoporosis, so have to use caution. We just inherited my parents never-used treadmill, so I'm happy as can be and optimistic that things will go better now for my awful body. We finally got it moved upstairs last night. Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butterflymommy Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Try leslie sansone-- she is the hate to exercise solution! She says walking in place even for five minutes has benefits but you really need to do 15 minutes (=1 mile) minimum. She uses variations of basic walking in place moves. It is fun and not exhausting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Go for it! It's more than you were doing before, and you might find that you enjoy it enough to start exercising longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 If you get started, you will perhaps start to find that you are doing it for more than 5 minutes because it is fun. I used to count down each second of a cardio session. It was torture. But once I got used to it, it got way easier. It also got more fun as I realized I could go longer at higher resistance. I used to shun most cardio. Running and me are not friends. But I found that kicking a ball and me are friends. So when I run, I run across grass with a soccer ball. I also rollerskate which is way more fun and comes with cheesy retro music (and who doesn't like that!?) My solution for cardio machines at the gym is to listen to podcasts. The 35-70 minutes passes quickly that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrdinaryTime Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I hated exercising, too. Running and walking for no purpose is boring to me. I like sports, but am pretty horrible when it comes to eye/hand coordination. High-energy dance classes make me panicky inside. Last year I took a ballet class for the first time in my life. Love it. The music is beautiful and calming. It takes real mental concentration, especially for a beginning, that keeps it from being "boring." I can appreciate the art form in a new way now. It has been the perfect combination of the physical, the mental, and the emotional for me. For the first time, in my life I look forward to exercising. Keep looking around and trying different things. You still might find something you enjoy. And start out with 5 minutes. It's better than nothing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Something is definitely better then nothing. I also hate to exercise. But I recently woke up and realized that I am the heaviest I have ever been and I am no longer overweight. I am bordering on obese and if I don't do something now I will be slowly killing myself. So I started exercising. Someone on here mentioned the myfitnesspal app and I am hooked. My dd is exercising and tracking calories with me. I am now down 4lbs and dropping just that little bit of weight has already given me more energy. I love doing this with my daughter. She is encouraging me to be my best and working out with her takes some of the tedium out of exercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Dance baby! Anything must beat nothing and you might feel better and start doing it longer. Everyone starts somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 For me, trying to do "every hour" would be a little bit psychologically counterproductive, because it would be too easy for me to say 'oh dang, missed that hour, I'll start again tomorrow and eat this box of cookies in the meantime.' Instead, I would recommend a goal such as 'I will accumulate 30 minutes of dancing per day' which would require six five-minute blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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