That's what I have to say to metalmom, who writes this comment to "Do We Really Need to Take 10,000 Steps a Day for Our Health?
The advice that we take 10,000 steps a day is more a marketing accident than based on science. Taking far fewer may have notable benefits" (NYT):
What really burns me up about the endless reports of how we need to do at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise five days a week: who has time for that? Let me get this straight. You have young children. You get them off to school and then commute an hour to your job. Do your job all day and then rush home to your kids. Help them with their homework, make dinner, attend school-related or community-related events. And all the housework including laundry and grocery shopping, and yardwork. Fit in a few minutes of conversation with your partner. Handle phone calls about the family or friends. Then fall into bed too stressed out to sleep. Repeat every day. Don’t forget to get your vigorous exercise in! And feel guilty if you don’t!
Such unnecessary burning up!
ADDED: It occurs to me that if one were really burning with anger, it would consume calories. I'm thinking I could get rich writing a new diet book. Has anyone ever used this idea before? You lose weight by getting angry, so angry you feel the burn. That heat could not exist if not for calories. So don't worry about going running or off on your long runs. Stay on the internet and keep reading those websites that fire you up.
FROM THE EMAIL: Washington Blogger writes:
I lost 7 pounds reading the Althouse comments section. Now all that weight is back under the new format. However, blood pressure is down. I think my doctor prefers it that way, so you get a thumbs up from her. :)
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3 comments:
Birches writes:
"I know this is a thing I'm not supposed to say in the current year, but metalmom would probably be happier if she quit her job. The added value to life will be worth more than the money her family is missing out on.
"I just finished homeschooling this year so I'm giving the schedule I anticipate having next year, but it goes something like this: wake up, get kids up and ready, make breakfast and lunch, take kids to school, come home and run or walk for an hour, get ready, grocery shop or other errands, come home and prep or make dinner, the chore of the day. By the time we get here it's pretty much time for kids to get home. But I've completed most of my list so I can talk to them and help with homework if we need it. The beautiful thing about this schedule is that after dinner, we're all free for the evening. My kids have piano lessons and once a week church activities, but we don't like to over schedule. And I'm always ready for bed. It really is a nice life."
For the record, what I'm alluding to in the post is only that the woman who does all these things is getting a lot of exercise and doesn't need to go for walks to get the health benefit. She's not sedentary.
But I agree with Birches that we ought to look at our entire way of life and figure out how to make it best, and a single-earner family is one of the options, if you can do it. Another option, but you have to see it and take it early, is not to have children at all. Then you're not reliant on the loyalty of your spouse.
Temujin writes:
""So don't worry about going running or off on your long runs. Stay on the internet and keep reading those websites that fire you up."
"Or for some of us, that works just putting us in traffic. I have a problem staying 'zenlike' in traffic. Any traffic. I don't rage, but I do get angry. And it happens pretty easily, pretty much every time I leave the house. My wife 'loves' driving with me. I know it's a problem and I should probably go to a group somewhere for 'Drivers with Incomprehensible Traffic Anger' (Me: "Hello, my name is Temujin. I yell while driving." Everyone else: "Hi Temujin.") But maybe that's my secret for staying slim. Keep driving, raging, and losing those pounds!"
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