It's the journey

[AstralTraveller]

I just saw an interesting article on the effect of different methods of getting to work on people's health. Basically the worst alternative is the company car (that's why I don't have one :P) and the best is walking or cycling, though public transport is also very good, mainly due to the incidental walking involved. I want (and need) to do as much exercise as possible but I won't go to the gym, so this is good news for me. I walk 2.2km each way to the bus stop but will soon switch to riding 5.2km each way to work, which I can do so almost entirely on quiet back streets - about 200m on somewhat busy roads and also cross another two.

The physical benefits are obvious: heart, lungs, cholesterol levels, muscle tone etc. However there are also mental health benefits. I suffer from anxiety and depression and have found that if I don't exercise I wind up in bed crying. A one point I had to walk for an hour after work each day. Sometimes it got boring but not as boring as the alternative. However, generally I find that as long as I walk/ride most days I'm OK.

So, who else gets incidental exercise or has built exercise into their daily routine and what benefits do you see?

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/commuting-to-better-health-in-2015/6000444

[xelasnave]

I exercise a great deal.
My legs went early last year and I have had to rebuild after the operation.
So much of my strength left me that exercise is mandatory.
However prior to the problem I exercised every day.
Mainly to stay flexible but with weights for strength.
I feel I am ahead of many my age and I think it has to do with exercise.
I think it is good for the mind as well as the body.

[cometcatcher]

Does carrying the telescope up and down the stairs count? ;) I walk or cycle to the shop on days when I don't have a headache. It's not far but saves fuel and the parking agro.

But something has changed with me lately. I used to feel good after a bit of exercise. Now I feel rotten after.

[inline_online]

I usually skate to work.
The direct route is only 6.2km but I usually increase this to just over 17km as I love skating so much. A lap around the Swan River in Perth is pretty nice at 0600hrs. Doing this 4 days each week plus another 100km or so on weekends means I get a lot of exercise each week.

I think I know how drug users feel. The rush I get when i am about to strap on the inlines is indescribable. I'm not sure what chemical is being released in my brain but it is a pretty good one.

I know a guy who (until he retired last year) unicycled to and from work each day. He NEVER took a day off and did many thousands of km each year.

Sure beats the bus!!

[AstralTraveller]

Kevin,

Carrying the scope only counts if you do it for at least 30 minutes every day. :P Feeling bad after exercise can happen if you haven't done any for a while but in your case, since you have headaches too, it may be something else.

Alex,

Yep, you gotta be fit for that round the world yacht trip. Surely you would have enough to do up there to get plenty of exercise anyway :shrug:.

Dan,

I only tried skating once or twice, mostly hoping to meet girls (it didn't work). I think I'd find speed skating too scary. You just don't seem to have enough control or braking to deal with other road or path users. :help: The pleasure you get from skating reminds me of my 83 year old aunty who still swims every morning. She says that is her drug and she can't go without it. The pleasure is, at least in part, from the release of endorphins (?? or something like that) but that shouldn't start until you start to exercise. I'd say the pleasure you feel before starting is expectation of having fun - sort of a positive Pavlovian conditioning. Whatever it is, it certainly sounds good.

[chiaroscuro]

I'm lucky enough to be able to walk or cycle to work, and I avoid using the car as much as possible again for mental health reasons - driving in Sydney is an assault on anyones mental health, mainly because of the attitude of drivers rather than the long delays.

Integrating exercise into your daily routine is the best way for me too. The only exercise I enjoy doing for the sake of it is cycling, but walking and cycling around town to work and the shops etc kills two or more birds with one stone. I feel sorry for people who don't have that option because of a long commute and the absence of decent public transport in their area.

[multiweb]

I love cycling. When I knock off work, later in the evening, I often go for a ride. It relaxes me and clears my head. It's the only form of exercise I truly enjoy. I go to the gym as well on week-ends for weight training but riding my bike is my me time.

The obvious immediate benefit is weight control. But staying fit has a lot of other advantages. You've mentioned depression. I'm convinced that exercising definitely helps with that.

I took up astronomy a while ago because it also helps me chill out and make a clear cut from work. The socialising aspect of it is also a big factor.

I talked to my mum last week over the holiday break. She's 71 and has clocked up 4000km mountain trekking in the Pyrenees. My dad is 75 and rides his bike every day, about 60km outings. They're healthy and happy. Still going.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Yes the Swan River cycle tracks are world class , up thru Kings park and back down thru the city centre , we regularly take the early Saturday morning train from Rockingham with our bikes to spend the day cycling around the city , a great way to see the beautiful city .

On that Rockingham is a cycling paradise , very well designed so you can cycle everywhere and anywhere easily and safely with the ride up the cycle tracks from Safety bay to Port Kennedy a favourite , great ride ! its such a shame that lots of places missed the bus on the designing of cycle tracks .

I do 50+ km a weekend , great way to unwind and see the sights .

Brian.

[inline_online]

Brian, if you're really really keen you can cycle up the Kwinana PSP all the way to Perth. It is a great path and is in very good condition.
My longest ever skate was on that path from Perth to Mandurah and back - total distance of 120.3km. It took me 6 hours and I couldn't walk afterwards :screwy:.

[OzStarGazer]

I find walking helps me with negative thoughts too.

[The_bluester]

With a bit of a liver scare last year, I try to walk every day before work, about 40 minutes worth. I find I generally feel better afterwards, particularly last year when I moved on to jogging lightly to cover more ground in the time I had available. I have a near hour drive each wat to work so anything else is really hard to manage and I have to get up at 5am to do the walks.

The wheels fell off a fair bit after the bushfire went through our place last year, but I am finally getting back in to the habit. On clear mornings later in the year it is 40 minutes I get to gaze at the stars!