Healthy Person - Diet and Exercise - How Much Of Each? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Bryant]

How would you define a high level of fitness at age 60?

I tend to think of it more on a "grading curve".

And probably more in terms of functional ability.

For specifics, I think it's probably mostly what would put one in the top 25% of different activities.

I wonder too how things like the Army Fitness scores compare https://www.goarmy.com/how-to-join/requirements/fitness

 

[MAC_32]

How would you define a high level of fitness at age 60?

I tend to think of it more on a "grading curve".

And probably more in terms of functional ability.

For specifics, I think it's probably mostly what would put one in the top 25% of different activities.

I wonder too how things like the Army Fitness scores compare https://www.goarmy.com/how-to-join/requirements/fitness

This is where my mind went - base performance on a series of varying athletic events. Someone with a high level of fitness performs in the upper quadrant in X% of them rather than being in the top 5% in a couple / few and bottom 25% in most others.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

 

[Grahamburn]

60 minutes on the peloton this morning and a light salad for lunch. 50/50 baby. Probably lift a bit this afternoon and have some fish for dinner. Keep it fit, FBGs!

 

[Gally]

(my weakness along with Coke).

What kind of Coke? 7-up, Diet, Dr Pepper, Root Beer?

 

[Todem]

(my weakness along with Coke).

What kind of Coke? 7-up, Diet, Dr Pepper, Root Beer?

Coke Classic and Cherry Coke......like crack to me. Gave em up for a long while.....instant weight loss. And it's not like I drank Coke or Cherry Coke everyday.....but even just 2-3 times a week was a ton of sugar I simply can't handle anymore.

Once in a very blue blue moon...I will have a Coke or Cherry Coke.....and it will be one can.

Us Gen X dudes grew up drinking lot's of Soda......huge no no now to keep my weight healthy.

Sugar is the killer.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

In the Ozempic thread, there has been some discussion about whether Diet or Exercise is more important.

Like most things, the answer is probably both. But wondering what people thought.

And for sure, there are more things involved than Diet and Exercise. But for these two, how do you think they balance?

Which one of these is closest to what you think for getting to and maintaining a healthy body?

(Note: Our software only allows 10 options. If you think it's 0% Diet and 100% Exercise, vote for the 10% Diet / 90% Exercise option)

I would have guessed there might be a spin off thread from Ozempic
I applaud your work in this topic and bringing it to light so we can share information

-Diet/Exercise...What a human being consumes IMHO is more important than the amount of exercise they participate in.
I can play tennis 3x a week, walk 60 minutes in between days, take Sundays off and I won't lose much weight if I don't watch what I put in my mouth including beer n alcohol
We have guys that are somewhat out of shape that play tennis fairly regularly and they eat n drink like there is no tomorrow when they are at home or out and about

What you eat is far more important than how much you work out or exercise.
But many of us know that exercise burns off a lot of "OOPS!" food throughout the day/week/month.
I bet some guys and gals in here can shut the valve off w/food and alcohol for a week or two, maybe some light exercise and drop 10 lbs like it's nothing.
Other folks would have a real challenge trying to make that happen.

Food is tricky and the more you cook for yourself in the kitchen, the easier your life will be IMHO.
Stay out of restaurants and mystery food you know is impossible to track what's in it.

80% Diet/20% Exercise
-That was my vote and it seems to be running slightly ahead of a few others. 50/50 popular, no surprise there.

Cheers!

 

[Gally]

Coke Classic and Cherry Coke.

I was trying to be funny based on the thread talking how some areas use the term "coke" in place of soda or pop.

I am right there with you though about Coke (but I can't stand cherry coke).

 

[Grahamburn]

(my weakness along with Coke).

What kind of Coke? 7-up, Diet, Dr Pepper, Root Beer?

Coke Classic and Cherry Coke......like crack to me. Gave em up for a long while.....instant weight loss. And it's not like I drank Coke or Cherry Coke everyday.....but even just 2-3 times a week was a ton of sugar I simply can't handle anymore.

Once in a very blue blue moon...I will have a Coke or Cherry Coke.....and it will be one can.

Us Gen X dudes grew up drinking lot's of Soda......huge no no now to keep my weight healthy.

Sugar is the killer.

Can't just switch over to the zero sugar?

 

[Gally]

(my weakness along with Coke).

What kind of Coke? 7-up, Diet, Dr Pepper, Root Beer?

Coke Classic and Cherry Coke......like crack to me. Gave em up for a long while.....instant weight loss. And it's not like I drank Coke or Cherry Coke everyday.....but even just 2-3 times a week was a ton of sugar I simply can't handle anymore.

Once in a very blue blue moon...I will have a Coke or Cherry Coke.....and it will be one can.

Us Gen X dudes grew up drinking lot's of Soda......huge no no now to keep my weight healthy.

Sugar is the killer.

Can't just switch over to the zero sugar?

Coke 0 is much better than Diet Coke but it's still not quite the same.

I do prefer the Coke 0 with Kracken (rum) over regular coke as it makes it not quite as sweet.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

(my weakness along with Coke).

What kind of Coke? 7-up, Diet, Dr Pepper, Root Beer?

Coke Classic and Cherry Coke......like crack to me. Gave em up for a long while.....instant weight loss. And it's not like I drank Coke or Cherry Coke everyday.....but even just 2-3 times a week was a ton of sugar I simply can't handle anymore.

Once in a very blue blue moon...I will have a Coke or Cherry Coke.....and it will be one can.

Us Gen X dudes grew up drinking lot's of Soda......huge no no now to keep my weight healthy.

Sugar is the killer.

Had a glass bottle of coke yesterday that was sitting around my kitchen for about a month just waiting for me to crack it open
I like to take a room temperature coke bottle and pour it over a large ice cube like some use in a whiskey glass.

 

[Todem]

(my weakness along with Coke).

What kind of Coke? 7-up, Diet, Dr Pepper, Root Beer?

Coke Classic and Cherry Coke......like crack to me. Gave em up for a long while.....instant weight loss. And it's not like I drank Coke or Cherry Coke everyday.....but even just 2-3 times a week was a ton of sugar I simply can't handle anymore.

Once in a very blue blue moon...I will have a Coke or Cherry Coke.....and it will be one can.

Us Gen X dudes grew up drinking lot's of Soda......huge no no now to keep my weight healthy.

Sugar is the killer.

Can't just switch over to the zero sugar?

I will never...ever ever drink diet soda's.

Diet anything for that matter. It's even worse for you in other ways.

Blech.

Water, unsweet iced tea....we are good.

 

[Grahamburn]

(my weakness along with Coke).

What kind of Coke? 7-up, Diet, Dr Pepper, Root Beer?

Coke Classic and Cherry Coke......like crack to me. Gave em up for a long while.....instant weight loss. And it's not like I drank Coke or Cherry Coke everyday.....but even just 2-3 times a week was a ton of sugar I simply can't handle anymore.

Once in a very blue blue moon...I will have a Coke or Cherry Coke.....and it will be one can.

Us Gen X dudes grew up drinking lot's of Soda......huge no no now to keep my weight healthy.

Sugar is the killer.

Can't just switch over to the zero sugar?

Coke 0 is much better than Diet Coke but it's still not quite the same.

I do prefer the Coke 0 with Kracken (rum) over regular coke as it makes it not quite as sweet.

Still not great for you, but zero cals and zero sugar. Get your fix without the guilt. I prefer it over regular Coke, but also didn't grow up drinking it the way @Todem probably did.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

(my weakness along with Coke).

What kind of Coke? 7-up, Diet, Dr Pepper, Root Beer?

Coke Classic and Cherry Coke......like crack to me. Gave em up for a long while.....instant weight loss. And it's not like I drank Coke or Cherry Coke everyday.....but even just 2-3 times a week was a ton of sugar I simply can't handle anymore.

Once in a very blue blue moon...I will have a Coke or Cherry Coke.....and it will be one can.

Us Gen X dudes grew up drinking lot's of Soda......huge no no now to keep my weight healthy.

Sugar is the killer.

Can't just switch over to the zero sugar?

Coke 0 is much better than Diet Coke but it's still not quite the same.

I do prefer the Coke 0 with Kracken (rum) over regular coke as it makes it not quite as sweet.

Still not great for you, but zero cals and zero sugar. Get your fix without the guilt. I prefer it over regular Coke, but also didn't grow up drinking it the way @Todem probably did.

We can all have a good laugh and learn together, I thought this post was perfect to share something that was posted by @Willie Neslon in the Ozempic Thread
I will say that the guy is a little funny/goofy and the material is somewhat dry HOWeVER it's super relevant and science doesn't change overnight.
The video might be 4-5 years old but I promise most folks in here could benefit from following several of the things listed.

Top 10 Foods You Should NEVER Eat Again!

Get the Highest Quality Electrolyte https://euvexia.com . AVOID THESE FOODS if you want to live a long healthy life. There are so many bad foods that a lis...

www.youtube.com

-No 1 should get everyone's attention, artificial sweeteners are just about the worst thing you can ingest into your body.
And I see no path moving forward to stop folks from taking them, people are addicted to diet sodas and lots of other bad stuff in those energy drinks which has been linked now to young folks developing all kinds of stomach and internal cancers.

I'm no saint and I do eat some of those things listed but try and limit as much as. I can.
That guy really hates cake

 

[MAC_32]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

 

[Joe Bryant]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

Good points

-So we're not just talking weight, we're talking "Healthy" and I think that is up for some interpretation or slightly different definitions
I would push for more exercise in the split if it's about overall health and not just maintaining a good weight.

Some people can carry a little more weight than others and still be able to run several miles, cycle for an hour or two continuously, things that others cannot that actually weigh less.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

And to be clear, I think we SHOULD have a program like the Presidential Fitness thing back in place.

I think a healthy population is a super good thing for a country.

We're past the days of Sparta, when everyone needed to be a warrior. But it's in the country's interest that its citizens be healthy. Back to the Japan talk, I'd be interested to learn more there in how they do it.

On the "shaming" part, I can't imagine ads running like they did here https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/physical-fitness

But aside from that, the reasoning behind President Kennedy stressing physical fitness (carrying on what President Eisenhower started) seemed like a good idea.

It's one of many things I wonder how it would be different had he not been killed.

 

[Joe Bryant]

We should do a Footballguys 50 mile walk in honor of this.

 

[AAABatteries]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

And I can count all the 60+ year-olds I know who maintain a high level of fitness on one hand.

How are you defining high level of fitness?

Good question. I don’t have objective criteria in mind, though I suppose something like a high vO2 max (like every 10K poster) would be a good place to start.

But I'm more interested in athletic performance. Maybe old dudes who can hang with guys a couple decades younger, and still be identified as good at what they do, without the “for your age” disclaimer.

I believe I meet those criteria now with my three main pastimes: hiking, skiing and rock climbing. I’ll be ecstatic if I can say the same at age 60. Of the three, climbing seems to be the toughest to maintain.

I do think it's interesting to define.

I'd define a 60 year old runner who can hang with a 40 year old runner as way beyond a high level of fitness though. That's exceptional.

I think most everything is relatively age related.

Some of it's a future thing too.

I've considered trying another Ironman. But there's some part of me that says an Ironman at 60 likely isn't the best thing for my 65 year old self.

So it becomes interesting.

At snowbird last season I had a former pro snowboarder say that he hopes he’s still sending like I was when he reached my age. . It was really fun skiing with him. He was amazing. He got me in trouble though, because I was following him off every hit and jib. Good times!

 

[Joe Bryant]

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

That's interesting. Kind of difficult though not to factor age though.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

That's interesting. Kind of difficult though not to factor age though.

Yea. I’m not even attempting some of them. Especially the heavy weights. Could I? Probably, just not going to risk the injury.

 

[Spartans Rule]

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

A quote from this that sums up my experience with it as a kid:

However, the program did not provide Physical Education teachers with the structure to improve the performance of the children in their classes.

We didn't actually learn how to get better at any of the tests. We'd take them once a year, then go back to playing dodgeball or volleyball or whatever. The best athletes sometimes did well enough to earn a certificate, but nobody was getting more fit because of the program.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

We should do a Footballguys 50 mile walk in honor of this.

50 FBGs all take 1 mile legs
Sounds great!

 

[Terminalxylem]

(my weakness along with Coke).

What kind of Coke? 7-up, Diet, Dr Pepper, Root Beer?

Coke Classic and Cherry Coke......like crack to me. Gave em up for a long while.....instant weight loss. And it's not like I drank Coke or Cherry Coke everyday.....but even just 2-3 times a week was a ton of sugar I simply can't handle anymore.

Once in a very blue blue moon...I will have a Coke or Cherry Coke.....and it will be one can.

Us Gen X dudes grew up drinking lot's of Soda......huge no no now to keep my weight healthy.

Sugar is the killer.

Can't just switch over to the zero sugar?

I will never...ever ever drink diet soda's.

Diet anything for that matter. It's even worse for you in other ways.

Blech.

Water, unsweet iced tea....we are good.

I know some of the concerns with artificial sweeteners, but how did you determine diet soft drinks are worse than the "real" thing?

 

[Terminalxylem]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

Yikes. That list would be tough for fit twenty-somethings, let alone FBG.

I think I can do 4 or 5

 

[Terminalxylem]

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

That's interesting. Kind of difficult though not to factor age though.

Yea. I’m not even attempting some of them. Especially the heavy weights. Could I? Probably, just not going to risk the injury.

Sprinting, rim-touching, hard throwing, and multiples of body weight lifting are all recipes for injury, if you aren't doing that stuff regularly. While I suck at swimming, I'm guessing 700 yards would be brutal, too.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

That's interesting. Kind of difficult though not to factor age though.

Yea. I’m not even attempting some of them. Especially the heavy weights. Could I? Probably, just not going to risk the injury.

Sprinting, rim-touching, hard throwing, and multiples of body weight lifting are all recipes for injury, if you aren't doing that stuff regularly. While I suck at swimming, I'm guessing 700 yards would be brutal, too.

And all are pretty irrelevant to being a "healthy person." I understand that article was not in response to this thread, but I still think it's pretty dangerous to confuse fitness with health. Someone who can do all those things is almost certainly healthy in addition to being fit. But plenty of perfectly healthy people would struggle on most of those tests.

 

[-OZ-]

(my weakness along with Coke).

What kind of Coke? 7-up, Diet, Dr Pepper, Root Beer?

Coke Classic and Cherry Coke......like crack to me. Gave em up for a long while.....instant weight loss. And it's not like I drank Coke or Cherry Coke everyday.....but even just 2-3 times a week was a ton of sugar I simply can't handle anymore.

Once in a very blue blue moon...I will have a Coke or Cherry Coke.....and it will be one can.

Us Gen X dudes grew up drinking lot's of Soda......huge no no now to keep my weight healthy.

Sugar is the killer.

orange Vanilla Coke from one of those machines at Zaxbys or other fast food joints is glorious.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

A quote from this that sums up my experience with it as a kid:

However, the program did not provide Physical Education teachers with the structure to improve the performance of the children in their classes.

We didn't actually learn how to get better at any of the tests. We'd take them once a year, then go back to playing dodgeball or volleyball or whatever. The best athletes sometimes did well enough to earn a certificate, but nobody was getting more fit because of the program.

The bolded is an interesting discussion I think. The tests themselves weren't doing anything, but I think there is some value to measuring against a goal or standard.

 

[-OZ-]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

This is harder than I expected.
Swim and pushups would be easy. Pretty sure I’m under the waist to hip ratio.
Might get the 1.5 miles under 10 minutes after I let my hamstring heal.
For the bench, does machine count? My goal has been 12x body weight on the actual bench, finally got back to it last week after hitting it last summer but falling off a bit.
The rest, nope.

 

[MAC_32]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

I count 3 yes (both runs and leg press), 1 sometimes (touch your toes), 2 if healthy (push ups and the basketball - dealing with a shoulder injury), and 1 usually but not right now (measure up - leg injuries stymying running and not adjusting diet led to winter weight gain I haven't shed).

The swim is a hard no. Might have been ordinary on touch the rim before an accident a few years ago, but even when at my best now I can't imagine I'm close. My hips are an insurmountable problem (that's the touch your toes variable) with my vertical now and is very evident whenever I play basketball. Don't know where I am with the bench - not going to test a max right now due to that shoulder injury and I haven't maxed out in years anyway. I bet last year I could still do > my body weight (but not by much), but even if healthy couldn't right now (because it's up).

 

[DA RAIDERS]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

I count 3 yes (both runs and leg press), 1 sometimes (touch your toes), 2 if healthy (push ups and the basketball - dealing with a shoulder injury), and 1 usually but not right now (measure up - leg injuries stymying running and not adjusting diet led to winter weight gain I haven't shed).

The swim is a hard no. Might have been ordinary on touch the rim before an accident a few years ago, but even when at my best now I can't imagine I'm close. My hips are an insurmountable problem (that's the touch your toes variable) with my vertical now and is very evident whenever I play basketball. Don't know where I am with the bench - not going to test a max right now due to that shoulder injury and I haven't maxed out in years anyway. I bet last year I could still do > my body weight (but not by much), but even if healthy couldn't right now (because it's up).

Without age/injuries(knee)/risk of injury I’m in a similar boat. At one point I could most likely do them all. Push ups and touch your toes are easy. My hip to weight ratio is good. Pre injury, all of the running ones would have been easy. And I used to be able to dunk a tennis ball. Couldn’t palm a basketball. :( I’ve never tried to swim that far under time constraints, but I did spend a lot of time in the ocean as a kid and throwing a basketball? No clue.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

This is harder than I expected.
Swim and pushups would be easy. Pretty sure I’m under the waist to hip ratio.
Might get the 1.5 miles under 10 minutes after I let my hamstring heal.
For the bench, does machine count? My goal has been 12x body weight on the actual bench, finally got back to it last week after hitting it last summer but falling off a bit.
The rest, nope.

Benching 12X your body weight is a ton (literally)!

Seriously though, 12 reps at body weight would put you just below 1.5 X weight for 1 rep max. It’s funny how much easier the push-up goal is, using basically the same muscles.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

I count 3 yes (both runs and leg press), 1 sometimes (touch your toes), 2 if healthy (push ups and the basketball - dealing with a shoulder injury), and 1 usually but not right now (measure up - leg injuries stymying running and not adjusting diet led to winter weight gain I haven't shed).

The swim is a hard no. Might have been ordinary on touch the rim before an accident a few years ago, but even when at my best now I can't imagine I'm close. My hips are an insurmountable problem (that's the touch your toes variable) with my vertical now and is very evident whenever I play basketball. Don't know where I am with the bench - not going to test a max right now due to that shoulder injury and I haven't maxed out in years anyway. I bet last year I could still do > my body weight (but not by much), but even if healthy couldn't right now (because it's up).

Without age/injuries(knee)/risk of injury I’m in a similar boat. At one point I could most likely do them all. Push ups and touch your toes are easy. My hip to weight ratio is good. Pre injury, all of the running ones would have been easy. And I used to be able to dunk a tennis ball. Couldn’t palm a basketball. :( I’ve never tried to swim that far under time constraints, but I did spend a lot of time in the ocean as a kid and throwing a basketball? No clue.

The basketball throw seems like the hardest, though I really have no idea.

Scratch that, the swim would be hardest for me, but I can barely make it across the pool without drowning. I assume an average swimmer wouldn’t have too much trouble.

 

[MAC_32]

Without age/injuries(knee)/risk of injury I’m in a similar boat.

That's the key. I've become quite injury prone over the last few years and particularly the last 18 months. It's certainly possible some / most of these aren't attainable anymore and I just don't know it yet. Haven't been able to string > 4-6 weeks of good strength training / running without a lower body issue since 2022, so while I appear on the mend I'm not going to know if I really am until at least early fall. Then just as I was getting that fixed I re-aggravated a previously on-again / off-again mild shoulder problem...while sleeping I could barely turn to my left and not at all to my right without drugs for several days. I'm now beyond week 3 and it's still not right. Going on vacation and decided I'm either golfing or seeing a doc upon return.

 

[MAC_32]

The basketball throw seems like the hardest, though I really have no idea.

This is probably more individualized than the others. Before this shoulder thing I have no doubts I could do that, but I've also been doing a lot of football / baseball throwing over the last ~15 months. Although all that throwing was probably the cause of the injury in the first place.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Without age/injuries(knee)/risk of injury I’m in a similar boat.

That's the key. I've become quite injury prone over the last few years and particularly the last 18 months. It's certainly possible some / most of these aren't attainable anymore and I just don't know it yet. Haven't been able to string > 4-6 weeks of good strength training / running without a lower body issue since 2022, so while I appear on the mend I'm not going to know if I really am until at least early fall. Then just as I was getting that fixed I re-aggravated a previously on-again / off-again mild shoulder problem...while sleeping I could barely turn to my left and not at all to my right without drugs for several days. I'm now beyond week 3 and it's still not right. Going on vacation and decided I'm either golfing or seeing a doc upon return.

I had to get a physical trainer so I would stop hurting myself. He was legit. had a masters in sports science/kinesiology or some such thing. I worked with him for over a year. This was late 40s for me. Quite expensive but totally worth it.

 

[JAA]

In the Ozempic thread, there has been some discussion about whether Diet or Exercise is more important.

Like most things, the answer is probably both. But wondering what people thought.

And for sure, there are more things involved than Diet and Exercise. But for these two, how do you think they balance?

Which one of these is closest to what you think for getting to and maintaining a healthy body?

(Note: Our software only allows 10 options. If you think it's 0% Diet and 100% Exercise, vote for the 10% Diet / 90% Exercise option)

How are we defining "getting to and maintaining a healthy body"?

 

[JAA]

Losing weight is all about calories in vs calories out. It's really that simple. Many ways to accomplish this.

But weight is almost meaningless unless you are at the far extremes of the bell curve.

 

[Gally]

Losing weight is all about calories in vs calories out. It's really that simple. Many ways to accomplish this.

But weight is almost meaningless unless you are at the far extremes of the bell curve.

OK. It doesn't change the fact that losing weight is about calories in vs calories out. It's a simple math equation. What's not so simple is getting it done.

 

[JAA]

I'm going to answer this from the following perspective:

I am a normal person of normal age and I have 1 hour each day to dedicate to either diet and/or exercise. How should I spend my time?

For day 0, id prolly go 50 minutes of exercise and 10 minutes of diet. Specifically:

• 2 25-minute walks a day. One before breakfast and one after dinner.
• 10 minutes documenting everything eaten/drank the entire day

Come day 90, I think the diet portion will start coming naturally as the individual will now be more hungry with higher energy levels. In addition, the walks will become more brisk.

For the average Joe, I think this approach is the best for a starting point. This plan is prolly for a minimum of 6 months.

 

[Todem]

(my weakness along with Coke).

What kind of Coke? 7-up, Diet, Dr Pepper, Root Beer?

Coke Classic and Cherry Coke......like crack to me. Gave em up for a long while.....instant weight loss. And it's not like I drank Coke or Cherry Coke everyday.....but even just 2-3 times a week was a ton of sugar I simply can't handle anymore.

Once in a very blue blue moon...I will have a Coke or Cherry Coke.....and it will be one can.

Us Gen X dudes grew up drinking lot's of Soda......huge no no now to keep my weight healthy.

Sugar is the killer.

Can't just switch over to the zero sugar?

I will never...ever ever drink diet soda's.

Diet anything for that matter. It's even worse for you in other ways.

Blech.

Water, unsweet iced tea....we are good.

I know some of the concerns with artificial sweeteners, but how did you determine diet soft drinks are worse than the "real" thing?

So here is my thoughts on real soda vs diet soda.

If you approach drinking a Coke as a treat….it’s fine. It needs to be treated as a treat…not the norm.

But people who drink diet drinks regularly are being duped into thinking they are ok. When in fact it is far worse.

So it’s all a matter of perspective.

If you are addicted to Real Coke or Diet Coke you are screwed either way.

If you drink a real Coke as a treat….at least it’s real sugar vs those chemicals that if you drink them regularly will kill you.

If you drink Coke regularly you will also contribute to killing yourself from weight related diseases.

Pick your poison.

 

[AAABatteries]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

I count 3 yes (both runs and leg press), 1 sometimes (touch your toes), 2 if healthy (push ups and the basketball - dealing with a shoulder injury), and 1 usually but not right now (measure up - leg injuries stymying running and not adjusting diet led to winter weight gain I haven't shed).

The swim is a hard no. Might have been ordinary on touch the rim before an accident a few years ago, but even when at my best now I can't imagine I'm close. My hips are an insurmountable problem (that's the touch your toes variable) with my vertical now and is very evident whenever I play basketball. Don't know where I am with the bench - not going to test a max right now due to that shoulder injury and I haven't maxed out in years anyway. I bet last year I could still do > my body weight (but not by much), but even if healthy couldn't right now (because it's up).

Without age/injuries(knee)/risk of injury I’m in a similar boat. At one point I could most likely do them all. Push ups and touch your toes are easy. My hip to weight ratio is good. Pre injury, all of the running ones would have been easy. And I used to be able to dunk a tennis ball. Couldn’t palm a basketball. :( I’ve never tried to swim that far under time constraints, but I did spend a lot of time in the ocean as a kid and throwing a basketball? No clue.

The basketball throw seems like the hardest, though I really have no idea.

Scratch that, the swim would be hardest for me, but I can barely make it across the pool without drowning. I assume an average swimmer wouldn’t have too much trouble.

We actually did these 12 things including the basketball throw - this was like 15? years ago. We collectively agreed that the basketball throw was the hardest.

After thinking about it, the swim may be the only one I could maybe do but even that would be a fairly big stretch for me.

 

[Joe Bryant]

How are we defining "getting to and maintaining a healthy body"?

You can define however you like. I would say "getting to" likely means losing the weight that is causing you to be overweight. And for sure, 10 pounds overweight is different than 100.

And maintaining means what is needed to stay at your desired weight.

At least that's how I'd define it.

 

[JAA]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

Yea - no

 

[Terminalxylem]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

I count 3 yes (both runs and leg press), 1 sometimes (touch your toes), 2 if healthy (push ups and the basketball - dealing with a shoulder injury), and 1 usually but not right now (measure up - leg injuries stymying running and not adjusting diet led to winter weight gain I haven't shed).

The swim is a hard no. Might have been ordinary on touch the rim before an accident a few years ago, but even when at my best now I can't imagine I'm close. My hips are an insurmountable problem (that's the touch your toes variable) with my vertical now and is very evident whenever I play basketball. Don't know where I am with the bench - not going to test a max right now due to that shoulder injury and I haven't maxed out in years anyway. I bet last year I could still do > my body weight (but not by much), but even if healthy couldn't right now (because it's up).

Without age/injuries(knee)/risk of injury I’m in a similar boat. At one point I could most likely do them all. Push ups and touch your toes are easy. My hip to weight ratio is good. Pre injury, all of the running ones would have been easy. And I used to be able to dunk a tennis ball. Couldn’t palm a basketball. :( I’ve never tried to swim that far under time constraints, but I did spend a lot of time in the ocean as a kid and throwing a basketball? No clue.

The basketball throw seems like the hardest, though I really have no idea.

Scratch that, the swim would be hardest for me, but I can barely make it across the pool without drowning. I assume an average swimmer wouldn’t have too much trouble.

We actually did these 12 things including the basketball throw - this was like 15? years ago. We collectively agreed that the basketball throw was the hardest.

After thinking about it, the swim may be the only one I could maybe do but even that would be a fairly big stretch for me.

Was anyone able to do all of them? How old were they at the time?

Even in my twenties, no way I could touch the rim or swim, but that's because I lack basic skills. I'm sure the same would be true for the ball toss.

 

[AAABatteries]

I wonder too if some of our problem isn't how it seems like we've abandoned the physical fitness test type stuff.

I remember the Presidential Physical Fitness stuff being a big deal when I was a kid in school.

I'm guessing that kind of thing would never fly now.

What would the argument be against making it a priority again?

I think some people would claim it's shaming.

And of course, some people minimize exercise as a significant factor in losing weight or maintaining weight.

Here's a history of how it went https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Fitness_Test

We did this Men's Health 10 things a fit man can do many years ago - I'm pretty sure it's the right one because it had one unique test that always jumped out at me. Throwing a basketball 75 feet while kneeling.

10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level

Before you stamp yourself "in shape," make sure you can pass these fitness tests

www.menshealth.com

I couldn't do half the list 15 years ago. I need to reread it but I'm not sure I can do a single thing on this list any more.

I count 3 yes (both runs and leg press), 1 sometimes (touch your toes), 2 if healthy (push ups and the basketball - dealing with a shoulder injury), and 1 usually but not right now (measure up - leg injuries stymying running and not adjusting diet led to winter weight gain I haven't shed).

The swim is a hard no. Might have been ordinary on touch the rim before an accident a few years ago, but even when at my best now I can't imagine I'm close. My hips are an insurmountable problem (that's the touch your toes variable) with my vertical now and is very evident whenever I play basketball. Don't know where I am with the bench - not going to test a max right now due to that shoulder injury and I haven't maxed out in years anyway. I bet last year I could still do > my body weight (but not by much), but even if healthy couldn't right now (because it's up).

Without age/injuries(knee)/risk of injury I’m in a similar boat. At one point I could most likely do them all. Push ups and touch your toes are easy. My hip to weight ratio is good. Pre injury, all of the running ones would have been easy. And I used to be able to dunk a tennis ball. Couldn’t palm a basketball. :( I’ve never tried to swim that far under time constraints, but I did spend a lot of time in the ocean as a kid and throwing a basketball? No clue.

The basketball throw seems like the hardest, though I really have no idea.

Scratch that, the swim would be hardest for me, but I can barely make it across the pool without drowning. I assume an average swimmer wouldn’t have too much trouble.

We actually did these 12 things including the basketball throw - this was like 15? years ago. We collectively agreed that the basketball throw was the hardest.

After thinking about it, the swim may be the only one I could maybe do but even that would be a fairly big stretch for me.

Was anyone able to do all of them? How old were they at the time?

Even in my twenties, no way I could touch the rim or swim, but that's because I lack basic skills. I'm sure the same would be true for the ball toss.

No - most of us were late 20’s/30’s and none of us could do them all. One of the guys ran track at Duke so the running ones were a piece of cake for him. All of us were skinny and little muscle so the weights were a no go. I was doing tri’s at the time so could do the swim. Nobody could do the basketball throw. I think we skipped the basketball rim as we didn’t have access to a gym with hoops. We just threw the basketball in a parking lot.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Without age/injuries(knee)/risk of injury I’m in a similar boat.

That's the key. I've become quite injury prone over the last few years and particularly the last 18 months. It's certainly possible some / most of these aren't attainable anymore and I just don't know it yet. Haven't been able to string > 4-6 weeks of good strength training / running without a lower body issue since 2022, so while I appear on the mend I'm not going to know if I really am until at least early fall. Then just as I was getting that fixed I re-aggravated a previously on-again / off-again mild shoulder problem...while sleeping I could barely turn to my left and not at all to my right without drugs for several days. I'm now beyond week 3 and it's still not right. Going on vacation and decided I'm either golfing or seeing a doc upon return.

I wonder what % of active people go long periods in middle age, without being bitten by injury/illness?

I’ve been fortunate with joints, except a couple lumbar disks which flare up for a day or two every few years. But I’ve really scaled back stuff that taxes joints, like running, lifting heavy(ish), jumping, and explosive movements. Still, my heart sidelined me for 2-3 months on two separate occasions in the last 2 years.

I often ask myself what’s the balance: how much pushing is too much?

ETA Never liked basketball, but it always struck me as particularly high risk.

From 2012 to 2021, more than 4.4 million injuries were treated at emergency departments, with basketball accounting for over a quarter (26%) of all sports-related injuries.