Can you be so fit...that you die early?

[@MedlifeCrisis]

Go to nordvpn.com/medlifecrisis to get a 2-year plan plus an additional month with a whopping great discount. There's a risk-free 30 day money back guarantee. Sponsors help me keep this channel going in my free time, and I want you to get something useful while you're being generous enough to support me. It means a lot. Thank you and happy exercising!

[@UofO08]

Dr., yes agreed on the “sweet spot” notion. But what the study doesn’t take into account is the human bodies ability to increase “fitness” “work capacity” or ability to do more exercise or more intense exercise. This is especially true if an individual has a intelligently structure training program, combined with proper nutrition and adequate sleep. Then the “sweet spot” can increase to doing more exercise. I think individuals should strive to increase their “sweet spot”.

[@Chamelionroses]

Hope you all have a great day.

[@shamanahaboolist]

From what I've seen extended periods of cardio does wear you out faster. The average life span of a marathon runner is 57 I heard somewhere... I haven't verified that's true yet. But I also heard that 3 sets of 3 minutes of super intense exercise (pushing yourself to 100% of cardio capacity) has an immensely effective improvement on all your key health indicators. Is this true doc?

[@shamanahaboolist]

@The Real Miss Mia Yeah you have to be careful. Also rest is super important. Stressing the body is doing damage. So the way to become strong is to engage the stresses then give the body time to repair and adapt before stressing again.

[@alst4817]

Hi There is a classic case of exercising to death: the “caballo blanco”, an ultra marathoner. Would be great if you had a clinical look at that story!

[@whoareyoulookingfor]

My high school headmaster did ultra marathons as his hobby and one time he told me he ran so much that he stopped sweating liquid. Salt crystals pushed through and accumulated on his skin. Sometimes after marathons his muscles would "disintegrate" (his words) then his urine would be brown or red. He said these things proudly. I always thought he was insane.

[@bobibufi1389]

salt crystals and darker urine are signs of serious dehydration. He may have been tough, but in stupid, unnecessary way :)

[@declan9460]

Who’s gonna carry the boats???

[@1998roberts1]

still better than being lazy 🙏

[@specialknees6798]

Damn. Dude is risking rhabdo pushing it like that. Mad respect though. Ultra runners are an impressive breed that I hope to be a part of some day

[@johncalabria1607]

@@declan9460 LMAO, the junior enlisted of course

[@blackkitty_42]

that very last bit is 100% true. I was a very sedentary, inclusive, introvert person, who hates moving. One day, i tried running, and i felt that it was too hard for my body. I bought a bike and started biking around the city at dawn. It turns out to be one of the best moments in my life. Just me and nature, forgetting everything, only focusing on putting out effort, simply nothing quite like it. Now that I have work and school, I'm struggling to find the time to do it regularly.

[@MedlifeCrisis]

Hope you can manage to find the time again. That sounds beautiful!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

I feel kind of the same. I love being in walkable neighborhoods because I sort of get exercise automatically from just enjoying a walk.

[@janA-yw8kk]

very similar story here

[@marksteffen5425]

3:54 "Now, please don't take up smoking just so you can quit it - it doesn't work like that." Great understanding of consumers on the internet :D

[@TheBelrick]

Consumers: Takes exp erimental injections of questionable science which just happens to damage heart tissue. "does stressing damaged heart tissue kill?" WELL DUH

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

@@TheBelrick no it doesn't but people like you will blame everything on it

[@TheBelrick]

@@ShubhamMishrabro we know that the injections destroy heart tissue. negatively impact immune system. Causes blood clots and has numerous other side effects Why would you think otherwise?

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

@@TheBelrick it doesn't. It doesn't happens to everybody or else majority of population would have died

[@TheBelrick]

@@ShubhamMishrabro everyone i know knows someone injured by the injections. The numbers of people i personally know who were injured is appalling. You are just here to lie and protect the instigators.

[@DctrBread]

"exercise should be fun" is indeed probably the best advice from the video. Exercise is often too boring for me to wanna go for it lol, need games to play. Also "anything is better than nothing" is huge. Just fidgeting around and pacing in your house is a massive upgrade over being completely still, massive.

[@jaymercer4692]

Yeah I agree. I’ve always played sports and all sorts of different ones. However after the first covid lockdown all my sports teams and various things closed down and I just stopped. I was going to the gym maybe about 4 years prior to that on and off and between 2020-2022 all I did was go to the gym. It was so boring and I began to hate it. Before I could stomach it because I was training my body to be better at the sports I enjoy but afterwards I just kept going. Wasn’t until earlier this year I picked up badminton, a game I hadn’t played since childhood. It’s so much fun just to play a fast paced game for an hour a day with friends 3-5 times a week. Another thing I enjoy doing when I feel particularly sedentary is a vr game called beat saber. If you can get good enough it to do the fast paced games. it’s the best/most fun workout you can do within your own house.

[@ooooneeee]

Yeah, p.e. is too much about torturing students and forcing them to do only certain kinds of exercise that are often not fun instead of being about helping them find the kinds of exercise they enjoy and encouraging them to power through the frustrating parts. Like if we had done bicycling, hiking or climbing instead of the more typical athletics I would've have loved it much more.

[@mycatisromeo]

Other than exercise which I really enjoy biking, I converted my main hobby from video games (sitting) to my PC workstation where I stand. Granted, people can set up their video games, movies, or any form of entertainment in a way that they stand to enjoy it. Even standing is infinitely more beneficial than just sitting! You can grow accustomed to standing that you won't even want to sit anymore and your back and legs will thank you for it.

[@caseyw.6550]

I encourage yall to try group fitness classes. Discovering group fitness COMPLETELY changed my life. I used to hate exercise with a passion and had never had a gym membership in my entire life (as a 35 year old). Now my job is teaching fitness classes. Just a thought! ❤

[@insatsuki_no_koshou]

The most felt benefit is arguably psychological. Got depressed during lockdown, and I believe the reopening of the gym was a contributing factor to my recovery.

[@pierrex3226]

The positive effect of exercise on mental health has been proven, so yes, absolutely.

[@illusion5739]

Just exercise at home

[@jasonmcmillan4373]

We will never know just how many suicides were a direct cause of COVID lockdowns. Less than the lives saved by lockdowns? We will never know, but you can find no shortage of people who want to believe the latter and ignore the former. Mental health is so consistently ignored and downplayed by society.

[@jacobjb]

I agree 100%. Had big depression started going out daily, doing physical activity and it definitely contributed to me becoming better.

[@sol_in.victus]

I feel like this might also be the highest risk of "extreme exercise" or getting addicted to working out. I know quite a few gymbros who are obsessed with their body fat and how they look and that doesn't seem very healthy to me

[@neuroculdesac1]

An added benefit to exercise is how much better it feels to move. I started a regimen of 4/week of strength training (40 mins), and 30-60 mins of resistance walking everyday, and my body feels like I've traded in a jalopy for a Tesla. I notice it all the time, whether I'm going out to buy groceries or even reaching across the table for something. Every movement feels fluid and responsive and fun. If you're hemming and hawing, I highly, highly recommend starting a regimen today. I don't just feel comfortable in my skin now, I feel great!

[@Oberon4278]

Same here. I just started rucking in preparation for a marathon and I feel SO GOOD. I can run up a flight of stairs (I'm at 4,500 feet so that's not a small feat) without getting even a little out of breath. And I'm just more capable in general.

[@neuroculdesac1]

@HoboGardenerBen Me too. I had back and shoulder pain, and was worried exercise would exacerbate it. They all just evaporated once I started strengthening the muscles around them. Incredible.

[@0xsergy]

@HoboGardenerBen get some fish oil in your diet to grease up those joints, get some mileage out of em :P

[@neuroculdesac1]

@Lukas U. Hey Lukas. I use the treadmill on a 6-8 degree incline at a "brisk" pace, which the NHS says is a 20 minute mile -- there's no term for this combo so I just called it "resistance walking" because of the incline, which works my calves a bit, and the speed, which is considered "moderate cardio". My heart rate hovers around 130. I walk for a minimum of 30 mins and then if the podcast or show I'm watching is interesting, I'll end up doing up to an hour. I've noticed that around the 45 min mark, I get a dose of the runners high, so usually I end up doing at least 45mins, but I don't sweat it if I don't. I go pretty hard on my strength training. I do all my sets to complete hypertrophic failure, 4 to 5 sets depending on how well rested I feel. I try to keep strict form and use weights that keep me at around 7-9 reps to minimize the chances of joint injury (I'm 44, so that's important). I'm borderline hypertensive, but have never felt this regimen stressed my cardiovascular system out too much. But, we're all built differently. If you're feeling any chest discomfort with your regimen, I'd lower the intensity, and definitely check with your doc. Hope that helps.

[@PinataOblongata]

@@neuroculdesac1 "hypertrophic failure" is not a term. It's just muscular failure (that you hope will induce hypertrophy ;) ). It's good to be acquainted with failure, but you get diminishing returns the closer to failure you go, so it's always better for recovery to leave a little in the tank unless max testing. Nothing wrong with your regime, but just wanted to let you know as a masters competitive powerlifter (competing with ladies and gents even into their 70s) you will not explode your joints by doing a set of 3 or even heavy doubles or singles now and then (and you have to do a max test every now and then to be able to program your percentages properly). If you want to get stronger and not just bigger, you will probably need to do some proper strength work once your body is used to the higher-rep stuff. Usually we bounce between hypertrophy and strength work with the idea the strength work allows you to lift more in your hypertrophy work, which grows the muscle ready to be potentiated for strength again, and around she goes. Studies show you will get joint issues as you age regardless of whether you lift or not, but lifters seem to suffer less from their effects (i.e. fell less pain from the same level of physical deterioration) and can also keep muscles around said joints healthier. Personally I had to have a knee arthroscopy, but rehabbed it and went on to take out my age and weight class in nationals and Oceanias and got myself a national record total. Yeah, that's just anecdotal, but there are a lot of those anecdotes out there, including people who have had full joint reconstructions.

[@krumplin8992]

Just to add to that first chapter uninterrupted sleep is also one of the most holistically beneficial things you can do for your health and one thing that most of us are not good at. Of course, one of the best ways to get better sleep is by exercising so it's a positive feedback loop

[@beamerboy420]

*cries in insomnia*

[@0xsergy]

@@beamerboy420 if you're not already get some exercise but at least 3-4 hours before bed. it wakes the body up which is not what you want before bed.

[@bananapear7049]

oh no I'm very good at sleeping it's just that the boss doesn't like me sleeping

[@wocket42]

Yeah, the statement, that exercise is #1 after quitting smoking comes from people who don't know much about sleep. And from people who are addicted to carbs, so they say low carb is less important against T2DM than exercise, which is clearly not the case. Exercise is probably #4 or #5.

[@Milesco]

@@wocket42 I say this with the utmost respect, but may I suggest that you refrain from using unusual abbreviations and just spell out the the phrase you're trying to express? Using uncommon abbreviations impairs communication and frustrates readers. And of course it undermines your efforts to get your point across. Surely you don't want that. 🙂 Thanks! And for the benefit of anyone else reading this, according to our lord and master Google, "T2DM" apparently means Type 2 Diabetes. (I assume the "M" stands for "mellitus".)

[@aner_bda]

I'm an avid cyclist. One day, a few years back, I went on a really tough and long ride. Tougher than I usually do. That night I had severe stomach pains, so bad that I went to the hospital. Turns out that the stomach pains were likely due to a recent stomach bug I had, BUT the doctors took blood tests from me and found that my troponin levels were high. They kept me in overnight and sent me for a stress test and heart ultrasound the next morning. Everything came back normal and my troponin levels did come down so they released me. They said it was likely due to the hard ride I did. I know it's anecdotal, but definitely believe that hard exercise can lead to higher troponin levels in the blood.

[@MRCAGR1]

A former paramedic colleague of mine had a cardiac arrest 24 hours after completing a 200 mile cycle ride. Fortunately we were able resuscitate him, we were adjacent to A&E and had access to a cardio respiratory centre, he was found to have long QT and had an ICD fitted. However, this prevented him from ever driving blue light ambulances again.

[@userPrehistoricman]

What colour did they change the lights to?

[@jbugc]

what do you mean by "from ever driving blue light ambulances again" ? do ambulances have blue lights inside or is it the siren light things? how does blue light effect him after cardiac arrest? sorry i just never heard of this and want to learn

[@HweolRidda]

@@userPrehistoricman Well, he can't drive in a country which uses blue lights. However, in the USA ambulances have red lights, and almost no requirements on motorist ability.

[@tbip2001]

@@jbugc I'm pretty sure they mean the person is no longer allowed to drive under emergency conditions incase he collapses again

[@MRCAGR1]

@@jbugc because of the ICD he was stopped from driving 999 response ambulances.

[@wholeNwon]

When I started college my life changed significantly. I went from a regimented prep school to a level of independence I had never known. The results were depression, rather poor grades, deficient socialization, excessive sleep wt. loss, etc. So, off I went to see the college internist. After an exam and lab tests, the physician said I was healthy but suffering from "situational depression." "What do you do for exercise?" "Nothing". "Do you like to swim?" "I used to." I was told to swim at least 3x/wk. never miss a session and report back in a month. I was a changed person: Reverted to the normal kid people used to like, grades soared (Dean's list to straight A's), etc. Guess what I wound up doing with my life. Well, Dr. Francis and I have a great deal in common.

[@BlastinRope]

Now youre a pool that lets all the fat, depressed students swim in you?

[@DukeDuke276]

You're both short?

[@wholeNwon]

@@DukeDuke276 6'1" here.

[@willtattersall1940]

You both like to swim?

[@wholeNwon]

@@willtattersall1940 yup

[@jakerockznoodles]

I'd definitely describe myself as an active person, moreso than I used to realise. While I'm not going to judge anyone for not wanting to exercise, I'd encourage anyone to find an activity they might find interesting and give it a go. I think a big issue is that people hear "exercise" and think of it being a chore, which comes from people prescribing specific activities that frankly most people likely don't care about. Me, for example, I've not set foot in a gym for years. Couldn't think of anything more dull, and it just _feels_ like an effort. But I do enjoy hill running (enough that I'll get up before 5am to do it) and my absolute favourite activity is dancing. It's normal for me to be at 3-4 classes a week, all different styles, and I always look forward to it. My advice would just be that if you look an activity that sounds fun or cool, just give it a go. Most importantly, *don't worry about being bad at it* ! You'll get judgemental people in every hobby space, but most people really are just there to have a fun time 🙂

[@amiaswolfgang]

Absolutely this. The public school system (at least in the US) has shamed and traumatized so many people out of exercising, especially those of us who are minorities, and most especially the kinds of minorities who are constantly told that we "just need to exercise" to fix ourselves (ie disabled and fat people). There are ways to exercise that are holistic and healing that have nothing to do with "curing" or "treating" things that society may see as faults in you. I go on daily walks (about 45 minutes each day, very hilly area) and I haven't lost any weight, I've only gained weight in the form of developing my leg muscles. Some people would see that as a failure, but as someone who LOVES their fat hairy body and only wants to build muscle on top of what I already have, it's perfect for me! In exercise, we need to prioritize lifting genuine measures of health (better blood test results, promoting well-developed muscle, expand lung capacity, promote heart health, etc) because that is so much more helpful to people than "workout so you stop being fat and/or disabled." Note: don't tell me to lose weight or that I am unhealthy as a fat person. You're not my doctor, you do not know what is or is not safe for me to do, you do not know my history of attempted weight loss and its none of your business either! Keep any comments about my weight to yourself!

[@sopyleecrypt6899]

Dance is my joy too. I danced as a kid, and took classes regularly through adulthood until my mid thirties, when I had my own kids. I felt I didn’t have the time, energy, or money for dance classes so stopped for about 10 years. My god I missed it. The physical and mental benefits it brings, and just the joy. I restarted last year and it was such a good decision. The gold for me was finding good online classes. The pandemic made dance studios up their online game, and where there had been few (or no) good online classes to be found pre-2020, suddenly almost all the really good studios and companies were offering them. I use Rambert Home Studio. I can’t afford an in-person class more than once a week, but I can afford a monthly online subscription. It’s made dance accessible for me again. I set a bar for myself to do at least 10 minutes per day of dance, yoga, or Pilates, and I’m exceeding that most days. Plus a 40 minutes of dog-walking per day, and I’m fitter in my 40s than I have been for a long, long time.

[@leb.658]

@@amiaswolfgang I feel like it's the same in Canada. I know a lot of people (myself included) that hate or hated sport because of highschool. I remember crying the night before our physical tests (2 km to 4km run, depending on the school year, plus push-up and sit-up) because i knew i wasn't gonna pass them. I internalized that i wasn't good enough to do any sort of sport and it took years to learn that exercising is not about performance but about feeling good.

[@dfgdfg_]

People don't exercise because both parents are out working, angrily get home worn out and eat trash from Tesco when we get in, sleep badly, stim ourselves awake with caffeine - rinse, repeat. UK modern life is set up for its citizens to die early.

[@KateDietsDebunked]

I completely agree! I was so discouraged from exercise because all the traditional exercises I thought only counted (running, cycling etc) really did not appeal to me so I became sedentary. Since I’ve found exercise I enjoy (Pilates, swimming, paddleboarding and dancing), and increasing my NEAT by walking everywhere, I’ve gone from sedentary and very unfit to more active and with vastly improved cardiovascular health

[@harish1105]

Hope you're enjoying your vacation in India, Dr. Rohin. Since I heard you're in Bangalore, I thought I'd recommend CTR for the best dosa in town. Your heart won't thank you, but your taste buds certainly will.

[@anustubhmishra]

well dosa is a pretty healthy food compared to other foods atleast that's what i tell myself before chowing down on 3 masala dosa's lol

[@MedlifeCrisis]

@@anustubhmishra it only FEELS healthy next to other Indian food lol

[@anustubhmishra]

@@MedlifeCrisis so I guess its not healthy after all. well its too delicious to give up so yeah..........

[@Wonderkid44]

@@anustubhmishra everything in moderation.

[@HweolRidda]

@@MedlifeCrisis Dosa sure beats traditional Indian sweets on the healthiness scale. :-) Speaking of my experience with the north. In South India, fresh fruits completely remove my desire for sweets.

[@tonkatsu72]

A couple of questsions; Does that U graph take into account the fact that extreme athletes are self selecting out people with comorbidities that the sedentary group would include just due to the fact that some sick people can't exercise at that level. The second question is about health issues with people that involved in hypertrophic extreme exercise (body builders etc.). Do they display the same level of cardiac disease as endurance athletes (without PEDs)? I guess I should have read the study first. It does include pre-existing heart disease, cancer and smoking.

[@dewiz9596]

A friend of mine , who does NOT exercise, didn’t even know he had afib until he tried on my Apple Watch. . . .

[@5daboz]

Huh, nice, so there might be some survival bias present.

[@MedlifeCrisis]

The studies tried to match groups as much as possible, but these are observational so undoubtedly there will be confounders. However, no obvious differences in comorbidities. Resistance exercise does not cause the same long term cardiac risks, but without cardio they also don't offer the same cardiovascular protection. Not considering PEDs here. Higher rates of musculoskeletal issues, but no obvious cardiac complications - with exception of slight suggestion towards higher rates of vascular problems like arterial dissections, stroke, due to spikes in blood pressure.

[@humanwithaplaylist]

@@MedlifeCrisis what about excersize after covid and the onset of post covid syndromes/complications?

[@bobbobson4030]

@@MedlifeCrisis Peter Attia covers this topic nicely, where people are stratified by VO2 percentile groups and there doesn't appear to be a U- shape in risk. Every decrement in group is associated with an all cause mortality increase of 40% (equivalent of taking up smoking) with groups being 97.5-100, 75-97.5, 50-75, 25-50 and 0-25. A similiar trend is found with strength. Of note is the fact that you cant start smoking 4 times in a row and thus achieve a 5x risk of dying when comparing top and bottom groups. Impressive. In other words when you ask "how fit are you?" rather than "how many hours do you exercise?" you get different answers due to fewer confounders.

[@asklepios_]

Rohin finally remembered his channel password

[@byrongsmith]

As someone who too often tends towards the sedentary end of the spectrum, of all the health/exercise messages I've heard in my life, I think I found this one the most informative and the most inspiring/achievable. Thank you.

[@mudmug1]

Lifetime of hard physical exercise. 49 years old. 6'2". Wide aortic arch. Haven't been able to exercise over the last year and, today, have an appointment with my GP to get recent high BP under control. Great timing medlife crisis

[@mrcbeee]

I have quite severe depression and had real issues getting outside. I got a dog, and now I walk every day for 1 hour plus and now I feel much better and reduced my weight by 10KG and my diabetes has just gone. My depression has not gone, but I can deal with every day stresses much better. But now I just have issues with people.

[@Antaios632]

I had a professor in graduate school who was an avid long-distance runner who died of a stroke while on his morning run. I believe he was only in his mid/late 30s. As I understand it, although it's not like any of us had access to the autopsy report, he must have had some kind of congenital defect in the arteries in his brain. It sounds silly to say it now, but it really put me off exercise for years!

[@dallysinghson5569]

More risk from non exercise than exercise but what I hear is that at 35 or older you want to ease in and consult a doctor

[@frequentlycynical642]

Jim Fixx, author of "The Joy of Running," collapsed on the side of the rode. I think he was in his forties. My father never did a day of exercise in his adult life. He was still doing yard work, house repairs, and work on his boat in his late 80's. Never watched what he ate, although it was never a lot due to an ulcer operation that removed a lot of his stomach. Cancer got him at 91. Other than a few years walking and jogging in her sixties, same deal with my mother. Died of old age at 93. One grandmother, 100, the other, 103. A great grandfather....we are talking WAY before today's medical interventions, over 100. I'm saying only that there is huge variation in the possible outcome.

[@johnmcgill3603]

@@frequentlycynical642 "He was still doing yard work, house repairs, and work on his boat in his late 80's" -- Those are exercises. In fact, why run like a hamster on a treadmill going nowhere if you can mop the floor and have a clean floor afterwards.

[@frequentlycynical642]

@@johnmcgill3603 But they aren't high energy, increased pulse rate exercises beyond walking. I think a lot of people do more walking than they realize. I can walk 3 or more miles on my four hour shift, part time job.

[@thomascrabtree]

@@frequentlycynical642 Walking is the best form of exercise, cleaning and yard work for several hours is one of the heaviest workouts you can give your CV system.

[@SaBoTeUr2001]

I definitely fall into the sedentary group, but when I get a fitness fit, I'll walk the perimeter of my yard for an hour each day and manage to bring my resting heart rate down from 90 to 70 bpm in a couple months. I call that a win.

[@phillyphakename1255]

It's absolutely a win! So much in life is about doing the bare minimum. Being a hard worker, for instance. Show up when you say you will, take a 35 minute long 30 minute lunch break, don't sleep or be on your phone while on the clock, etc. The bare minimum is enough to get you above 95% of the undesirable people. You don't need to be an incredible athlete, just doing anything is enough to get a good benefit.

[@nicokelly6453]

I'm glad you specified that so many activities can be exercise. It's so much more accessible for people to know that.

[@illegalstrong]

I've been hoping to see this video for a while. I'm currently 30 years old. At 27 I started to notice some funny heart stuff. I grew up playing multiple sports and then increased my level of activity as an adult. From age 21-27 I averaged around 1000 training hours each year: >80 miles/week running, competitive powerlifting, and rock climbing most days of the week. After months of diagnosis which confirmed afib, I received an ablation (PVI) and have had no issues since. It's been tough though because physical activity is my favorite thing in the world. I love getting stronger and faster, but fuck Dave.

[@Northwindbreeze]

Hope you are doing well but isn’t it supposed to be good for the heart even after a ablation?

[@elijahknox4421]

you ARE Dave by the sounds of it

[@e.z.marton328]

My dad has been a career athlete in fencing (retired at 36) and then as a coach for 38 years.. He came down with heart failure during peak COVID in 2020. His second hip is gone (his first hip got replaced at the age of 56) both his knees are gone. He's got apparently some congenital issues as well as lifestyle changes including stress from extreme sports strain to his heart. His over-exertion (as well as his 3 decades of smoking, which, believe it or not, used to be popular among sportsmen) definitely contributed to his decline. At the same time, I'm sure his athletic abilities contributed to his amazing "recovery" of heart function, which doctors also can't get over for a man of his age. Thank you, Dr. Francis, for keeping me sane during the Pandemic. As any middle-aged middle-class kid would do, I checked KZbin for info, and you popped up!

[@peterwicksteed5478]

At 74 I feel a bit of a voyeur watching your videos. I love cycling and was diagnosed with AF three years ago and had an ablation. I would love a video on how to exercise after AF has been diagnosed. In my case a hard ride typically produced an AF episode which were horrible. Since the ablation I have taken things much easier to avoid another episode, despite my cardiologist telling me “to go for it”. Many thanks for your informative and amusing videos.

[@tolrem]

I'm 67 and decided that cycling should be a pleasure rather than an ordeal [struggling up a steep hill].I bought an electric bike.Not only can I cycle a very long way now but if I set the power to the lowest level,I can still get plenty of exercise without risking a heart attack when tackling hills.

[@peterwicksteed5478]

@@tolrem I’m thinking about that! Delighted you are enjoying your new bike

[@AM-yb1ez]

get an E Bike

[@maximus5687]

Peter, have you purchased your e-bike yet

[@peterwicksteed5478]

Not yet Maximus! I like the challenge of hard rides and going out with my group of friends. An e bike would spoil this.

[@oskarbremer5406]

This video has been my "secret" of living for so long. I do moderate exercise and do not own a car, i rely heavily on public transport (which is for many people inaccessible, sadly) then heavy training 3-4 times a week.

[@Alejandro_BoniIIa]

How old are you?

[@Internal.Inferno]

"I'm not sure some of you are gonna make half an hour" I laughed so hard I made myself cry and cough at the same time. That killed me. 💀☠

[@Hapetiitti]

I'm sorry to hear about your passing. I hope your family will be okay.

[@AngloFrancoDane]

You described me pretty well. I am six foot one inch and at 63 I had run 7 marathons and had a minor heart attack. At 67 I fainted at the gym and had a pace maker implanted.

[@ballboys835]

Exercise is good for you? That's all I needed to hear, thanks doc, back to running ultras in the desert

[@DMVdiktril]

Thank you so very extremely much! I was recently employed by a fulltime work from home company. I haven't been this inactive ever in my life before. @37 years (and 1.8m height) I was extremely anxious about the effect this has on my health and could not get an definitive answer apart from the usual 'yes you need to move around a bit'. Also my dad enjoyed his first heart attack and subsequent quadruple bypass at the fun age of 30. Your perfectly timed video gave me the answer and reassurance that I need to, at least, go for a walk 1 hour per day else I'm cutting years of the time my 7 year old will have with her dadda. Thank you Dr Rohin, I am sure that through your content there are already millions who's lives you positively changed- you can add two lives to this list (im excluding my wife as she probably wont be too excited about me being around for longer). Thank you Sir!

[@diwakarkoirala4879]

We were waiting for you to upload.

[@NightmareCrab]

this is my favourite channel. I won't die from practicing my favourite sport in moderation - mountain biking, and a small win for short people compared to tall ones

[@bananawitchcraft]

As a sedentary person who is also short, this video was an emotional rollercoaster

[@MTerrance]

Bangalore! Wonderful! I spent a couple of years working in Bangalore on an ill-fated rail transit project - the current system is its successor. This was in the early 1990's so I doubt if you were in any meetings with me and the local ministers... killing the project. Anyway, love your channel and happy for you to be able to get back to Bangalore. I remember it fondly. Give my best to the people on Nrupathunga Road, my favorite street name in Bangalore because it is so unique.

[@kerendn]

I love this video because once you start doing some form of exercise, all these smartasses around you start saying (sometimes in an implicit and subtle manner) that what you're doing isn't enough. It's come to the point that my own brain says it to me. I clean the house. I help my dad with diy projects once a week for several hours. Sometimes I take walks. Sometimes I do strength exercises. That's plenty of moderate exercise, I figure. Thank you for the video.

[@OriLOK2]

Not everyone has to be an athlete. Most people just need the right amount of exercise to keep doing the other things they like for longer. Walking is such a great accessible way to exercise, a lot of people take it for granted.

[@qaphqa]

Bumping immediately as I look forward to the 500k sub q&a

[@MedlifeCrisis]

It's coming

[@jaymercer4692]

I’ve always felt it’s important to not track your exercise unless you really need to. It’s better just to play it by ear and see how your body feels on a day by day or weekly basis. Rather than match arbitrary goals and push yourself too far. I feel like statistics is always the quickest route to obsessions.

[@thegreat9481]

Very true

[@ElectricAlien577]

My goals, and measuring my progress are the only things giving me the motivation to exercise right now, though i get what you're saying. Obsessing over breaking a new personal record, or overworking to achieve some crazy goal can sometimes do more harm than good. Im not obsessive with tracking my progress, i just try to see if i can push a little harder each week, compared to the previous week.

[@ricklotter]

Hello Rohin! You are inching up to 500k subscribers... would it be possible for another Q&A video? I always enjoy learning about people, and in your case it would be a truly educational display of sarcasm.

[@MedlifeCrisis]

It’s coming!

[@diyallthings]

I just love the name of your channel.

[@Stereochemistry]

Ahhhh this is just what i needed! First of all, a whole fresh 19 minutes prenatal exposure to Medlife Crisis nerdiness for my about to be born kiddo (benefits unclear but i presume no harm done). Second of all, makes me feel really good about all that walking and swimming and dancing (and vacuuming, obsessively cleaning and nesting) at 9 months pregnant. Third, removes any guilt for not exerting myself even more. Also justifies all my daily naps. Thanks Rohin!!

[@Tebeg]

You're now my favorite channel thanks to that T-shirt alone.

[@adam346]

I heard someone call things like biking, running, jogging, walking and any form of continuous exercise "moving meditation" because you can get into the zone and just worry about that moment and little else and this is my experience. I don't necessarily exercise for the physical benefits (though I will admit that it does absolutely help with motivating me to get out) but because it is a direct rebuff to daily modern life. You can go out on trails, nature adventures, hit up some nature preserves and just be in nature for awhile before returning to your home/office/both to continue the day. Now. I tend to do bike rides between 4-6 times a week averaging between 30 minutes to an hour (leaning towards an avg of about 45 minutes...) too much? Avg speed is about 21km/hr.

[@nienke7713]

Does walking/cycling for commutes count for the 5 times 30min moderate per week? Can the 30 minutes be split up (e.g. 2 times 15 minutes) or does it need to be 30 minutes continuous? Can some of the 5 times per week be on the same day, or do they need to be on different days? If they can be on the same day can you add them together (e.g. 1 hour of continous excersice) or do you need to come back to rest between sessions?

[@MedlifeCrisis]

Yes walking to work, cycling definitely counts For light exercise, 1x30 minutes is better than 2x15 Yes, you can cluster exercise ('weekend warriors' don't get quite the same benefit as daily exercisers, but not far off) Last one not really important, do as you feel comfortable

[@markotrieste]

If I hadn't my ebike for commuting, I'd have huge troubles making anything above 100 minutes a week of activity.

[@nienke7713]

thanks for the reply ^_^ The supermarket I go to is about a 15min walk (1.3km) away (and I'm even still walkig a little bit inside as well) and then heading back (with a backpack full of groceries). I think that may count as 30 min continous, as I'm staying at least somewhat active inbetween and it's not a long time to do my shopping. I'll need to find some additional ways to get the remaining weekly sessions, but it's good to know I have a start, and it certaonly feels less daunting now, so thank you.

[@notthatcreativewithnames]

@@MedlifeCrisis This is probably another perk of not owning a car for me. Having to walk from my accommodation to and from bus stops and having to walk to make connections does help digging me out of the so-called sedimentary lifestyle for some reasons.

[@gupadre8255]

@@MedlifeCrisis hello do you play Rocket league

[@sagichdirdochnicht4653]

From my personal experience, an active lifestyle or at least regular exercise and weight loss to healthy weight are the best things you can do to yourself. I was 100kg once, had an office job, didn't exercise or move a lot in general. I feel the effects of everything, that changed. Over time, I changed eating habits - and I felt beter ever since. My back then girlfriend and I started dancing. My standing posture is now straigh. I moved to the city and therefore, began using a bike again. I switched job field and now have an very active job - standing, walking and doing stuff all day. And then I finally began riding my bike to work, 10km forth and back. Today I'm at 60kg, and I just feel god damn amazing. I feel like I can "fit" trough every gap, I'm comfortable in seats, that were to small back then. I can do silly things like walking up 5 floors without feeling like I'm gonna break down. I feel agile and quick, but strong. And I don't exercise! Exercises aren't fun. Do what you enjoy, that gets you going - dancing, biking, climbing, laser tag - whatever! Just begin moving!

[@AnaLucia-wy2ii]

I knew a runner who was advised to cut down because of the size of his heart. I knew someone else who was hospitalized for some weird condition she developed from rapid weight loss and exercising. I could Google it, but I’m too lazy, but I remember that it could have been very serious if left untreated. I’m only halfway through this video so maybe you’ll mention it.

[@CounterGecko]

My grandfather recently had to have a pacemaker fitted because of electrical problems in the heart, and he is one of the fittest people I've known. He cycled from his home in southern Spain through the whole country, up the Pyrenees Mountains, through France and then through England to here. The day after he arrived was his 75th birthday. Within a couple years he went from doing that, having a resting heart rate in the low 40s, etc, to struggling to climb stairs. He's taking it well though and he's probably still going to outlive us all! He also used to be a marathon runner so he was certainly at risk

[@Graham_Rule]

I want to know the correct amount of exercise needed to keep very healthy and fit right to the last minute. My personal plan is to drop dead from cardiac arrest in the pub while celebrating a sporting milestone - but preferably only once the pub has closed - and not for some years yet. Cancer, dementia, and generally falling apart are things I want to avoid.

[@musicbyella3769]

have you considered other causes of death? a sniper, for example, may provide a similarly quick end and is easier to schedule…

[@CED99]

Rohin's recommendation of 2.5hr of strenuous exercise or 5hr of moderate exercise per week sounds like what you want...

[@Unsensitive]

Cancer, dementia, and generally falling apart can easily be avoided. Avoid processed foods, avoid vegetable oils, eat a low omega-6 fat diet, and avoid sugar in excess to maintain metabolic health. Do this long term, and you've significantly reduced your risk for most chronic diseases plaguing modern society.

[@garethbaus5471]

It looks like anything up to about 45 minutes of jogging per day seems to be beneficial, and moderate strength training can extend functionality by maintaining muscle mass without significantly increasing your cardiovascular risks.

[@garethbaus5471]

@@Unsensitive The risk can be lowered, but saying that they can be "easily avoided" is a bit of an exaggeration.

[@Loweren]

As I understand it, extreme fitness can trigger underlying heart conditions. This often causes cardiac arrest in young fit people with no previous complaints. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is commonly asymptomatic, and in many cases the first symptom is the SCD (sudden cardiac death) during exercise.

[@fendybendy6466]

17 and i have hurt my knees trying to chase squat prs too quickly + hugh intesnity running lol. Been working out for 8 months, and am deciding to tone down on intensity now. Was very sedentary prior, and don't want to possibly injure myself so badly that i go back to that eventually. Thank you for this video

[@ThatWanderingNomad]

The thing you said about Strava is so true! People do absurd amounts of kms every week and many feel inferiority complex.

[@lookinforanick]

Grim timing RIP Rab Wardell

[@XavierXonora]

I have been running daily for half an hour, 10 months now. I've never felt better, I weighed 110 kilos before, now I'm closer to 80-85. It's completely changed my life.

[@toastbread3003]

It would be interesting to know if the increased risks seen at the "extreme" end of the scale are a product specifically of a high volume of intense training (so greater overall stress, less time for recovery/repair) or if the damage just accumulates quicker in these athletes due to the pure number of hours under stress they pack in. Many pro endurance athletes will hit the WHO guidelines before second breakfast on a Monday morning!! Would the keen amateur completing similar intensity training but with half the volume acquire the same problems but at half the rate?

[@nech060404]

Honestly our pro endurance athletes don't do much higher intensity excerise. (near or above lactate threshold). This is because our bodies just can't handle it. They mostly do a lot of long easy workouts.

[@Kenoshachannel]

im so glad the algorithm led me to your channel. Your humor is unexpected and im hooked! love your topics!

[@andrewhayward2454]

I've suffered AF for most of my cycling life, usually after high intensity intervals and particularly after racing. For me, it usually clears up after a couple of days. However, it presents as a general all round weakness - for example walking up the stairs at home is strenuous and fatigue inducing. I've learned that long slow rides counteract the effects, providing they account for 80 - 90 percent of my training. I now limit high end training to one or two sessions per week. Or skip them entirely and leave the hard graft for racing. The old way of training slow to race fast is golden.

[@jholotanbest2688]

That was an award worthy ad. The rumours say that he actually had an good quality microphone but he just distorted the sound for effect.

[@ivyofskies9797]

There is also a really cool video by Chubbeyemu about a man with sickle cell trait (not the full disease) who over exercised triggering his red blood cells to sickle and thus resulted in massive health complications. Sickle cell trait is pretty common in West Africans so this is something to consider if you are from that background and want to partake in heavy exercise. Great video topic.

[@mortenrl1946]

I love the U-shaped curve, it really works for visualizing how it works. I would like to see values (time, mortality) added to the axes!

[@msd7544]

Yay an update to one of my favorite videos! Thanks doc, this was great as always, and I actually got more from it than I thought I would. I just started running again this summer - I was a casual runner before college, but lost interest when I hit a plateau. Right now I’m seeing my times improving, my HRH going down, and tbh, it’s kind of addicting! After watching this video, though, I’ve realised that this time around, I gotta keep my focus more on the actual goal (longterm cardiovascular health and anxiety management) instead of getting too caught up in improving the metrics (RHR, time and distance). Its not as fun as thinking "Whoo! RHR to under 60 let’s go!!!" but in the long term, it’ll be a better mindset to have!

[@toastbread3003]

RHR has been a bit of a fickle thing for me! When I was in the "form of my life" (based on times achieved) mine was about 55-60. Several years later I'm still very active but less "fit" and it sits around 48!

[@dewiz9596]

Just had my 78th birthday, and awaiting my second Catheter Ablation for periodic Atrial Fibrillation. . . the first one was in 2011. Apparently my afib is due to the 12,000 km I was cycling every year. I never really considered myself “an athlete”. . . Cycling was just what I did “less poorly” than any other sports. And, yes. . . I’m tall. . . I used to be 6’3-1/2”. .. 2 inches shorter now. But, thanks to cycling, which I’m still doing, the ONLY medication I’m on is the anticoagulant.

[@gupadre8255]

Winter

[@obsidianjane4413]

Well at 78 the human body becomes "high maintenance" no matter what your health is.

[@hexium_]

Happy birthday!

[@gnatdagnat]

This is the takeaway right here. Congrats on your physiological achievement!

[@justanotheryoutubeaccount2270]

Better lose some more of that height to be on the safe side :-) But seriously though, happy birthday!

[@lillywho]

FYI NordVPN had a data breach and didn't tell customers for months. There's plenty of documentation on the incident, and they did not act like a responsible company would.

[@youtubepooppismo5284]

Well just from the bs they make youtubers say it shouldn't be bought

[@jackroutledge352]

As a general rule of thumb, never buy anything advertised on KZbin. VPNs im general aren't necessary, and don't improve security for most users.

[@youtubepooppismo5284]

@@jackroutledge352 They are necessary if you want to trick some website into believe that you're in another state. They cannot improve security.

[@Azeria]

Well, I certainly can’t

[@markbajek2541]

Depending on the sport , you could be at a slightly higher risk of injury or death during training or during an "event" by getting struck by a vehicle (biking, running, etc) or running into another skier , a tree, being involved in an avalanche, drowning during swimming training , or hypothermia from some type of cold water sport like kayaking in large swells etc. Those incidents probably aren't calculated into the morbidity odds of outdoor exercising.

[@aethylwulfeiii6502]

He kind of had a single minded focus on cardiovascular health, and didn’t mention any kind of trauma.

[@mcgaggero]

Excellent video, plain explained and practical! I'll stick with three high intensity interval training per week, end of story.

[@IamProFish]

I guess I am very prone to bias but this video really makes sense in terms of my personal experience. Rhythmic disturbances was definitely widespread for many of my fellow cyclists across different teams.

[@TeoMande]

It's nice to see you in a video well rested (at least you look so and I hope you are) and not exhausted during night shifts 😅 enjoy your holiday !! (And beautiful video by the way)

[@TheScotDrummer]

Exercise saved me from incredibly dire mental health. I found rock climbing, became obsessed and now I'm happier, fitter and stronger than ever. Get out there and exercise people!

[@TheScotDrummer]

@Fire Marshal Bill do anything! There's a million different activities that get the blood flowing, there's something for everyone!

[@yewtewbstew547]

@Fire Marshal Bill Yeah I'll pass on that too. Knowing my luck it would cure my depression and then a week later I'd fall and break every bone in my body lol.

[@Mike-oz4cv]

@@yewtewbstew547 Climbing is very safe if your belayer knows what they are doing and you do a proper partner check before each route. On most sports routes the worst that can happen is abrasions or a strained wrist or ankle if you hit the wall the wrong way or fall at the first or second quickdraw.

[@slofty]

Highly recommend getting in touch with Nassim Taleb as he has been actively exploring effects of survivorship bias across studies concerning the same subject.

[@emmaphilo4049]

Very interesting. And this video made me happier about the fact I am short, thanks🤣🤣🤣 I always liked gentle exercise. Basically being active and moving in general. I kinda hate how everyday people are often pushed to try to be like athletes.... I love that you mentionned anti work movement which I am 100% into. Honestly, work most of the time just doesn't respect physiology or the person in general.... You're funny ! I subscribed!

[@Praecantetia]

Foraging is also a great hobby for exercising. I gets u moving outdoors + u take home a lil snack. It's right around the season to pick wild berries too!

[@RonaldBeirouti]

Great video! You mention the optimal amount of exercise for health benefits. But for those that are addicted, what is the maximum amount of exercise before it becomes being detrimental? i.e. where does the plateau start climbing?

[@zsomborszarka2616]

I would like to know that too.

[@AstorEzequiel]

Well, like he said, there's the plateau and the risks starts appearing when you truly go to an extreme, which I guess it should be noticeable for many people as it can manifest as pain, uncomfortableness or a general feeling that _something_ may be wrong. Elite athletes have to ignore many of these feelings because their lifestyle depends on doing so, if they don't go to the extremes, they can't compete. Luckily, we don't have that pressure if we are training only for ourselves, so it's easy to not ignore these signals.

[@clairecadoux471]

Worth listening to this right to the end. Smugly about to do a coastal rowing session of around an hour. I am 67. Feel fantastic. One should have protiction for all sorts of reasons, age related.

[@RDRF_SB13]

I used to skateboard competetively. My resting heat rate when I was in my early 20s was in 40s, it was scary to stand up because of postural hypotension. My doctor became very concerned after he measured my HR at 35bpm and told me to tone it down a bit. I started having seizures almost daily at 23, they reduced significantly after I stopped the excessive exercise, I dont know why. Even to this day I pay for the strain I put my body through a decade ago, especially muskuloskeletal issue. In hindsight I was addicted to the adrenaline, I wonder if that addiction to "the rush" has contributed to later mental health issues. A friend of mine who was quite tall suffer pneumothorax and atrial finrillation from the intentisity of the excertion. This is a really interesting video.

[@Someone-xj3zg]

@James P I use to be an avid runner however I have eased it off to once per week, I run a moderate 8.5+ miles. I cycle for commutes and I lift 4 times a week. Other than reducing exercise, what else did you do to get rid of postural hypertension? I currently suffer from it and have for the past 3 years. Cheers

[@RDRF_SB13]

@@Someone-xj3zg unfortunately i still struggle with it. I contract my leg, arms, somtimes cleanch my jaw to get a bit of blood flowing before i stand and it sometimes helps, but it still catches me a few times a day. Certainly talk to a doc if its severe though, its a strange sensation and ive almost fallen from it before.

[@Someone-xj3zg]

@@RDRF_SB13 With me it's inconsistent as it could happen a couple times a day or not at all for a few days, when it does happen my vision progressively fades as if a squid just inked me. From a second to around 6 seconds when I stand up, mostly from a seated position.

[@RDRF_SB13]

@@Someone-xj3zg exact same for me mate. I haven't really found a pattern to it, some days it's bad others I dont experience it at all. I guess we messed ourselves up a bit 😋

[@omarthduckzombie]

Your father, and my friend, Julian Francis, just showed me your video and I must say I'm highly impressed and hope to encounter you in Bangladesh soon.

[@binkao2938]

As someone with ME/CFS that’s 90% bedridden I’m quite concerned I’m getting the disadvantages of both ends of the spectrum with no fitness at all and possibly damage from what little I do going by how my body reacts and the enormous effort it takes.

[@panthergirl1256]

I have fibro, which has some commonalities with ME/CFS, so I have similar worries 🙁 It only became disabling a couple of years ago, so I'm still figuring out what works for me and what I can do

[@hughcaldwell1034]

ME/CFS research needs more funding. It's such a fucked up condition and it isn't even rare.

[@comedyman4896]

Have you considered yoga? It's actually slightly healthier than regular exercise and is minimally strenuous

[@PinataOblongata]

Do whatever you can, even in bed. There is always something. If all you can do is blink, get blinking hard and try to increase your reps tomorrow ;)

[@hughcaldwell1034]

@@PinataOblongata Graded exercise therapy is liable to make people with ME/CFS, especially severe ME/CFS, much worse because of post-exertional malaise (PEM). Please don't go recommending this to people - it's actively harmful.

[@ImMigrant98086]

I am only 20 and I understood the CD analogy. My time has arrived

[@ht21]

Gymnasts and Figure Skaters are definitely in this. Even without drugs, these fields are incredibly prone to disordered eating, which has high rates of complications with bone density and cardiac health.

[@Nadia1989]

From what some former figure skaters have hinted in the last years, the EDs were more the result of coaching "pressure". Which, sadly is not THAT surprising. I hope that now the minimum age for seniors has been raised we'll see some changes in the nearby future

[@jhonm6347]

man, this channel is so so good.

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

Great video, very clear explanation :) Would you consider doing a video on vaping? Maybe the impact of very high doses of nicotine on the heart? Anne Readon's recent video on vaping was very interesting. I'm a younger millennial so the vaping trend hasn't affected me directly, but I've seen people a few years younger than me expressing that they're being peer pressured into vaping in a way that sounds similar or worse than how smoking used to be. Even without the cancer risk of smoking, acquiring a nicotine addiction when you didn't have one previously seems to be a decision lots of people regret. At the same time, I'm seeing doctors discuss prescribing/recommending vaping to smokers because it still has a lower cancer risk than smoking. I'd be interested in how you'd analyse that topic, and how much is currently known about the safety of vaping and risks to non-smokers taking up vaping.

[@joanhoffman3702]

There is problems with some of the additives put into the vaping liquid. For example, vitamin E acetate does horrible things to lung tissue. Going from smoking to vaping is still not a good idea.

[@gdog5514]

my father was actually a cyclist in the 90s and early 2000s and died of a heart attack in his mid 30s from his heart not being able to pump properly

[@weksauce]

"Yet another reason to be a part of the anti-work movement." Love it.

[@chrisogrady28]

I'm a fitness instructor and athlete but I always give the advice to people looking to get health benefits to do more, lower intensity activity like hiking rather than 10 of my spinning classes a week

[@danbeard4854]

just remember that everyone who has ever died exercised at some point in their life

[@MedlifeCrisis]

Peter O'Toole was asked if exercise was the reason he lived so long and he replied "The only exercise I take is walking behind the coffins of friends who took exercise."

[@TNP-]

@@MedlifeCrisis 2nd hand exersize

[@potatoflips2694]

So important to just find something, anything, you like doing! Fell in love with Tabata workouts. If you have zero patience and low motivation it's perfect. You'll always be able to push yourself for 15 seconds at a time. And then you'd feel silly not doing another 15 and all of a sudden 15 minutes have gone by and then 30 and then 45... Do that two /three times a week! Actually life changing.

[@bobbrian6526]

what you are describing is not a Tabata workout as originally conceived, but just a mild form of interval training. The original Tabata workout consisted of up to 8 bouts of 20 secs with a 10 sec rest. Each 20 sec was a maximal effort sprint. Total workout time 4 mins. This was done with Olympic athletes, many of whom could not complete all 8 bouts due to the high intensity. The aim was to find a workout that would maximally stress the aerobic and anaerobic systems. It is effective but extremely unpleasant to do.

[@elliot95100]

This morning I opened the Guardian to this headline: "Mountain bike rider Rab Wardell dies aged 37, days after winning Scottish title". He died of a cardiac arrest. Just had to share given the timing of this video. Such a tragedy, and perhaps an real-world example of the tail end of that U-shaped curve.

[@incars1000]

looks like you beat my comment by 21 minutes, immediately thought of this video too

[@IMBlakeley]

I made a point of improving my exercise and losing weight when I packed in work 6 years ago after all I could no longer claim too busy. Less gym now but a lot of hiking. My GP was concerned that my resting heartrate was too low ~45 - 50 and wanted me to see a cardiologist. Luckily a I have family contact who is a consultant cardiologist here, heart rate is fine but he was less than impressed with my blood pressure so after a lifetime of avoiding medication for it I had to admit defeat and pop a daily pill.

[@CainXVII]

I went to a doctor to talk about my problems, and he just started scolding me about not exercising enough. I have an active job, I rarely sit down for more than maybe two hours in total. But he tried to tell me that everything would solve itself if I just started exercising regularly. Problem is, at my last job I biked 35 min there and 35 min home every day and nothing was better then... In the end I just walked out. Now I don't want to go back in case I get the same doctor...

[@susannicolasheehan]

Thanks

[@jlvandat69]

Valuable video. There's so much confusion around exercise and its benefits, which your video quickly clarified- either 5 days of 30 minutes (moderate) or 3 days a week of 30 minutes of intense exercise. So simple even i can understand it. Regarding that chart showing mortality risk versus exercise level- I wonder how that chart would appear if developed using data from our distant ancestors who spent much time hunting/gathering? My guess is the charts would be similar, i.e., we probably evolved to be exercising at about the same levels as the Sapiens of 20, 30, 40 thousand years ago. Anyway, thanks again doc. A much-needed addition to the KZbin universe.

[@MedlifeCrisis]

That's a really interesting question, some people have tried to answer it and basically the conclusion is that 'exercise' as a deliberate concept didn't exist until very recently in human history. Before that, we were just on the move most of the day, doing some form of physical work. And for much of modern civilisation, that was still true (although there were other factors like poor people being more likely to do manual labour, so might not reap the health benefits as they didn't have much money to eat, nor good food). So if one subscribes to the 'ancestor' model being on to emulate (which is often not the right way, but let's assume for now) then it would've been regular, moderate exercise with occasional short-lived episodes of more vigorous exercise, which isn't really like our modern culture of sedentary jobs and HIIT sessions.

[@jlvandat69]

@@MedlifeCrisis Exactly. Seems logical that the hunter/gatherers would do plenty of moderate activity while gathering, e.g., and infrequent strenuous activity to chase or run away from animals. I have tried to adopt a "caveman lifestyle" to capitalize on the hypothesis that the more similar out lifestyle is to that of our distant ancestors, the healthier we can be and visa-versa. I see so many health issues (mental and physical) associated with living much differently than our ancestors did. Just one example: did our ancestors spend 10 hours a day worrying about the future, the stock market, politics? I think not- their concerns were the immediate need for food and shelter and if these were satisfied, it was time for some serious R&R in preparation for the next hunt. I have come to see life through this lens and have even considered writing a book expressing the probability that most of our personal/social issues could be better addressed by "returning to our roots" in ways that are practical.

[@ahnojunkmail]

@@MedlifeCrisis Do you know of any studies done on construction workers or similar? This model of exercise (regular moderate/sporadic vigorous) sounds quite similar to many labor jobs. I work in the field and have always been interested on its effect on the body. Suppose it would be difficult to select participants as so many people in the field live otherwise unhealthy lifestyles - at least here in America.

[@Bkaithaone]

Pertinent timing. As Scottish Pro Mountain Biker Rab Wardell passed away in his sleep just a few night back.

[@julianjohnmichael]

Love to hear your views to compare & contrast with Peter Attia again after your Silicon Valley Medicine video. He recently released a podcast and AMA (#217 and #218) discussing the exercise/mortality J-curve, and he makes a pretty good case against the studies supporting it (in short, they have methodological problems, they are very underpowered at the elite athlete exercise level, and measuring self-reported amount of exercise is much less reliable than measuring fitness parameters like VO2 max, which don't show the same relationship). There are more nuances of course, but anyway, I would love to hear more details if you disagree with his team's analysis. Fun fact, I discovered Peter Attia because of you over a year ago. After watching your video on the Vegan vs Keto study, I googled it and found his interpretation of the same study on his blog. I appreciated it so much I followed him for more, and now I'm a card-carrying Attia stan (sorry! haha).

[@Malkovith2]

I'm honestly feeling so much better since I started taking a bike to work and taking walks after work. It's not much, but there is a big difference. Also some push-ups when I feel boredom is creeping in and it keeps me going.

[@skybluskyblueify]

Five hours per week is great but in order to reinforce my habit of exercise I do seven hours of workout per week, i.e. one hour per day--every day. I skip exercise on very stressful days and it looks like since I do it seven hours per week I can afford to do that if I want. Medlife-thanks for giving me an excuse to skip a day or two every once in a while to de-stress.

[@shaylorcyclingwahoo]

There are plenty of very good reasons to rest 1-2 days a week. No trained sports coach would ever plan somebody training every day. Even pro athletes have that in their plans. Exercising every single day isn't optimal for either ordinary health or peak performance.

[@bobbobson4030]

Peter Attia covers this topic nicely, where people are stratified by VO2 percentile groups and there doesn't appear to be a U- shape in risk. Every decrement in group is associated with an all cause mortality increase of 40% (equivalent of taking up smoking) with groups being 97.5-100, 75-97.5, 50-75, 25-50 and 0-25. A similiar trend is found with strength. Of note is the fact that you cant start smoking 4 times in a row and thus achieve a 5x risk of dying when comparing top and bottom groups. Impressive. In other words when you ask "how fit are you?" rather than "how many hours do you exercise?" you get different answers due to fewer confounders.

[@bobbobson4030]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/paewZKB6areipdk

[@memofromessex]

At what point is a low heart rate dangerous? Mine has been as low as 41bpm, 7 day average of 43bpm. Last time in the hospital two nurses had to take my heart rate after they thought the machine had broken! I'm nearly 40 and I am a semi-serious runner. I don't get dizzy or anything.

[@MedlifeCrisis]

[Not personal medical advice] If your heart rate is low secondary to exercise (mine was in the low 40s but it's crept up over the last year as I've exercised less) and you're asymptomatic, don't worry about it. I'm the same age as you.

[@alicejwho]

I'm so glad you asked this question (and that it was answered!) I'm 56, cycle several times a week and do light weight training. I feel great! But my lowest resting hr is low 40's and my max is mid-180's. I used to feel anxious about it but my doc said if I feel great, there's no need to worry. Occasionally I glance at my watch and see my hr at 42 whilst at rest and I still have to try not to worry about it (I did have my heart on a continuous monitor for 6 days, under a cardiologist, so that was reassuring).

[@rkan2]

40 is quite normal for more fit people. Actually very fit cyclists can go the mid 30s and some absolutely exceptional people (or with drugs) can go below 30. People doing less than 15-20 hours per week of excercise should start to get worried if their resting heart rate goes regularly towards 35. At these resting heart rates cycling teams usually want to do a seasonal medical check that includes a proper ECG.

[@123cp8]

I love how you cite data from peer reviewed research. Soooo refreshing.

[@halfdan_f]

no mention of the impact of diet or experimental jibjab.

[@tristantheoofer2]

im 14 (15 in 2 months) and i kinda just walk 1-3 miles a day and bike to school also (like 1.5 miles away lol its not far). i think thats a gold amount of excerisize but idk. oh also on weekends when im bored ive been just going out on long walks or bike rides and its rlly relaxing actually lol. actually on saturday last week i biked 9 miles in abt 1 hour somehow and i think around that much biking + a bit from school stuff is good

[@pezvonpez]

you sir, are badass also it's been 2 months, happy slightly early/slightly late birthday!

[@DC-wt2vi]

Hope you had a great birthday! When I was your age, I cycled to get to school, too, and liked to ride what my mother called "there and back" during one day most weekends. It helped me with everything I think. My studies as well. All the best for you 👍

[@notyourdamnbusiness8795]

not that i disagree with a medical professional.....but i dont think more people exercising would change the overall obesity rates very much.sport makes you fit....losing weight happens in the kitchen.

[@MedlifeCrisis]

Agreed, exercise is not a major contributor to weight loss compared to diet but it's got so many other health benefits it can be a key part in a weight loss programme as it can improve mood, pain etc which influence eating patterns.

[@notyourdamnbusiness8795]

@@MedlifeCrisis i....would be concerned that it would make it worse, people tend to vastly overestimate what they "burned off" doing like 30 minutes of cardio. "jeeeezzzz....i just jogged 15 minutes.....those 2 Big Macs, large fries and milkshake is clearly earned." not that doing more sport, or any sport at all, wouldnt be beneficial for most people, but the obesity thing.....i think is little tricky. anyway. love your channel. Enjoy your holiday.

[@thomashugus5686]

I was an avid runner up to marathon distance. Developed pact then a-fib! My electrophysiology doctor asked if I was a runner? I asked why and he said he was doing a study and there was a strong correlation! Absolutely true for me ! After 3 ablation procedures I’m doing fine but still through irregular beats at times. Moderate exercise is best in my opinion!

[@OriLOK2]

I went in for an appointment about my knee. I couldn't climb stairs, because of the pain. After checking the MRI and doing some maneuvers with my leg, the doctor said "you're a runner?" Lol I had been running 10k a week for 5+ years. Long story short, I can only run 2k at a time now, and I had to stop a lot of other exercises.

[@hats1642]

I KNEW IT!!!! That's why I'm out and about on my bike all day! Edit: You should have said that earlier, now I feel stupid 😮‍💨