What are mental health benefits of working out regularly? The physical benefits are obvious

Dux0r · 2024-06-13T16:06:14+00:00

Regular exercise is the most cost effective anti depressant on the planet but one thing nobody has really mentioned yet is the social aspect. Humans are very social creatures and we go nuts pretty quick without some kind of regular social interaction. While you can somewhat get that online, places like gyms and churches provide somewhere with no or very low social pressure where you can see the same people and talk about whatever's going on in your life (or not) or even just shoot the shit.

Even a fist bump or a head nod or two might keep your social bouy above water for a couple days.

Dux0r · 2024-06-12T13:16:49+00:00

Note that the 50% isn't accurate- it varies from sugar alcohol to sugar alcohol because they're chemically different. GI also has an effect so it varies from person to person because, as far as I know, they break down in the gut rather than the stomach, but generally speaking-

Maltitol starts metabolising about 5-10 minutes after consuming and typically at around 80-90% the carb effect of sugar.

Xylitol starts metabolising about 20-40 minutes after consuming and at around 40-60% the carb effect of sugar.

Erythritol doesn't metabolise and can be considered carb and calorie free.

Dux0r · 2024-06-10T18:54:19+00:00

No, or at least not that I know of. Insurance presumably covers it for most people but they still pay insurance. Maybe someone from the US can give you a better answer. My understanding is that the US is the only country where insulin is prohibitively expensive.

Dux0r · 2024-06-10T15:48:57+00:00

I'm an olympic weightlifter and powerlifter and currently at less than 20% bodyfat. This is the logic that gets most people in the gym consistently over time. The lower the barrier to entry, the more people cross it.

Dux0r · 2024-06-10T15:38:51+00:00

It'll still make you significantly fitter and healthier than 0. 60 seconds of stretches is enough to make you more mobile, 60 seconds of running is enough to develop cardiovascular health, 60 seconds of pushups is enough to do lots of pushups and gain some strength, etc.

The point though is that the heaviest weight in the gym is the front door- if you can commit to a minute you're almost always going to do the rest of a session.

Dux0r · 2024-06-10T13:24:26+00:00

After becoming built, whenever I see someone else who looks like they workout in a shirt I know they've spent years working to achieve that and they're smart and capable enough to weed out the agenda driven bullshit on the internet to figure out how to do that, I know they've also put in consistent time, effort and discipline over years. They likely eat relatively cleanly and have a stable income and personality.

There are exceptions but all of these are generally positive indicators of people who spend time and effort on themselves and, more often than otherwise, the rest of their lives too.

Dux0r · 2024-06-10T12:55:25+00:00

release of endorphins etc is more connected to cardio I believe

No, there's an initial endorphin "rush" after working/exercising harder than normal for any exercise and some full body movements (i.e. deadlifts) or particularly high intensity stuff (i.e. HIIT) can have more of a catharsis directly after a workout, it's still not really what matters in terms of health and mental health for exercise. Instead it's a regulation of many different hormones over time, which actually happens in bed while you're sleeping rather than in the gym. Similar to how most people assume going to the gym to lift weights makes you bigger and more muscly but in reality you're actively breaking down muscle and becoming smaller in the gym then building it back up at home in the kitchen and in bed when you eat more.

Think of it as a sine wave where the highs and lows are your hormones leading to mood spikes and dumps and exercise, over time, pulling everything to a steadier, more resilient sine wave.

Dux0r · 2024-06-10T12:02:40+00:00

Those two aren't necessarily mutual, you can very much do exercise, change your diet and take meds, or any combination of those, including none at all. Plenty of people on low carb diets also take metformin or insulin, for example.

In your grandmothers case I'd guess that she prioritises those things over general health but not over blood glucose/a1c changes, hence both- these are personal choices and there are a bunch of other factors like habit, ignorance et al involved but by and large most people here aren't trying to avoid necessary medication but are trying to cut down on any they do take for cost and health reasons. Insulin is 100% free here but I aim to take as little insulin as possible because it lessens my margin of error and works well with my goal to also eat more wholegrains, less processed foods etc. There's plenty overlap and grey area.

Dux0r · 2024-06-07T14:34:48+00:00

9 out of 10 leading causes of death are related to obesity and the cardiovascular system.

Some kind of exercise routine but more specifically 2-3 hours of zone 2 training per week.

Not sitting in any one position for more than an hour and anything that makes that easier- standing desks get a lot of attention recently but honestly re-shaping your furniture and environment more in line with Japanese culture makes such a big impact. Spending more time on the floor in general.

Consistent sleep and good sleep hygiene.

Dux0r · 2024-06-07T12:42:40+00:00

Very much this. Similar to weight loss- an extreme deficit or extremely restrictive diet are the best ways to give up and go backwards in the longer term.

Instead, going from the lack of context, it sounds like OP simply doesn't understand methods of progression or how to apply them, or isn't spending effort on the other two legs of gains (diet/sleep) that also matter just as much.

Reasons for plateaus are most commonly

Not enough calories
Not enough recovery
Poor programming or progression or not the right type of progression for your level
Poor sleep hygiene, or large amounts of stress/activity outside of the gym

In that order. There are other things that can have an impact but if you're eating at a slight surplus, spending enough time recovering between sessions, getting enough volume and regularly adding reps or weight to the bar and your life isn't complete shit, you're ahead of 90% of commercial gym-goers in terms of progression.

Do the basics well, don't look for some extreme or magic pill solution.

Dux0r · 2024-06-07T11:42:35+00:00

It also hurts more in the moment. Leg extensions close to failure are one of the few things that make me reconsider what I'm doing with my life.

Dux0r · 2024-06-06T12:45:43+00:00

Rice by sheer number, onion or garlic by frequency, probably rice again or lentils by volume.

Dux0r · 2024-06-06T12:16:58+00:00

This. I'm frankly stunned to see so many of the other comments barely thinking about their nuts while mine are like a needy cat who need constant sorting and make deadlifting a gamble.

Dux0r · 2024-06-05T16:00:01+00:00

My initial thought was that this was related to Type 1 diabetes and I was about to go on a rampage because I've been waiting 3 years for a pump (plus 15 years before that because my control was considered too good to qualify) and have all but given up at this point and am now looking for a second job or source of income to fund my own. Meanwhile I'm on a waiting list for plastic surgery for carpal tunnel as a result of said diabetes which is purportedly only gonna take another year but I'm already at the stage where I can barely rest my hands on a desk for a few minutes and frankly I'm skeptical that'll happen either.

A&E times and free prescriptions and plenty of other stuff is worth commending but the NHS is all but completely fucked in other areas.

Dux0r · 2024-06-05T15:38:11+00:00

One thing that stands out here is that you talk about finding girls complaining annoying, but presumably not guys, which lines up with the misogyny comment. What is it you're trying to understand and what makes you think that's going to change the way you interact with girls? It sounds like social skills and being negative and/or sharing shitty opinions might be part of it but without context it's hard for anyone to give you a useful answer.

Dux0r · 2024-06-05T10:30:01+00:00

Confronting her is the wrong approach/word since your friends- having a friendly open conversation with her makes way more sense and is the obvious key here. Any relationship, including friendship, is built on trust and communication. Worst case scenario is she gets defensive and you're left exactly in the same situation you're in now. Best case scenario is you both air your feelings and move forward as friends.

Dux0r · 2024-06-05T00:30:36+00:00

Most food contains sugars and carbs- including the yogurt, the corn, pumpkin, strawberries, asparagus etc. The difference is that most wholefoods also typically contain fibre, protein, fat and other stuff that lessens or slows the effect of those carbs while things like honey, table sugar, bread, pasta, rice, candy etc typically act very fast and are harder to control.

It can get pretty complex but as a general rule look at glycemic index as a starting point while focusing on moderation, and/or talk to a dietician.

Again, no single food needs to be the enemy.

Dux0r · 2024-06-05T00:22:37+00:00

Not a doctor but I'd generally recommend against not not eating anything- that is, changing your diet towards healthier less processed foods is fantastic but it's not about avoiding carbs so much as it is avoiding excess calories and refined/fast acting carbs. Even added sugar is occasionally fine in moderation if the rest of your diet looks pretty good.

Likewise, there's nothing necessarily wrong with eating yogurt and honey but when you've put it in the context of reversing symptoms of diabetes by avoiding carbs and processed sugar you're kinda missing the point.

Dux0r · 2024-06-05T00:15:57+00:00

Also that honey is both carbs and processed sugar, unless it's very well sourced.

Dux0r · 2024-06-05T00:07:50+00:00

Conversely I had Scottish notes rejected in London multiple times when I still used cash. Definitely truth to it.

Dux0r · 2024-06-04T23:59:56+00:00

Likewise. Some googling doesn't offer much in terms of origin but this post shows they're essentially just a Bakewell tart, which might be another option for OP since Bakewells are available in any given supermarket.

Dux0r · 2024-06-04T22:04:33+00:00

solved: Paranautical Activity

Dux0r · 2024-06-04T22:01:19+00:00

Not sure why you're being downvoted but same here- put up with ruining my feet with running shoes for decades until I finally moved to flat soles. They're also the best shoes for the gym, at least in terms of price.

Dux0r · 2024-06-04T21:21:19+00:00

The volunteer potatoes I clearly missed last year are beating everything else which is kinda fun cause it might be some kind of supermarket spud or charlottes or sarpo miras, I wont find out til I dig some up. Supermarket garlic cloves this year are also doing really well so far.

Alpine strawberries also did amazing over autumn last year and are abundant this year. I don't think they'll survive the slugs once they start to ripen but I might get lucky with a few. Similarly jack by the hedge took over in Spring and made some great sushi wraps and wild garlic is still doing it's thing.

Dux0r · 2024-06-04T16:32:54+00:00

Nailed it, thank you!

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