Is all this exercise pointless?

mixedfeelings

I don't think so but someone said this to me. Let me explain the situation.

I had a procedure in hospital in December and at the moment I'm still off work recovering. I still have pain in my kidney but the doctor has said it's fine to exercise and has encouraged it, and is well pretty impressed by the amount I'm doing. I'm still taking painkillers at night anyway so I try and push through the pain but tend to avoid doing too much that would jar my sides.

At the moment as I'm also trying to lose weight, on an average day I'll do 90 minutes of low impact aerobics, sometimes I will do as little as 30 minutes, sometimes as much as 4 hours throughout the day. I also do dumbbell exercises every other day although with a lower weight than I usually would. I'm also starting to do Tai Chi & Yoga, also hoping to do Tae Bo when I'm feeling somewhat better.

Anyway, the comment that has been made to me is that's it's pointless doing more than 45 minutes of exercise a day, after that it makes no difference. I've not paid much attention to this comment but it's in the back of my head. Am I putting my body under undue stress for no benefit? Like I said to me it sounds absurd but I was after a second opinion.

ninerbuff

I don't think so but someone said this to me. Let me explain the situation.

I had a procedure in hospital in December and at the moment I'm still off work recovering. I still have pain in my kidney but the doctor has said it's fine to exercise and has encouraged it, and is well pretty impressed by the amount I'm doing. I'm still taking painkillers at night anyway so I try and push through the pain but tend to avoid doing too much that would jar my sides.

At the moment as I'm also trying to lose weight, on an average day I'll do 90 minutes of low impact aerobics, sometimes I will do as little as 30 minutes, sometimes as much as 4 hours throughout the day. I also do dumbbell exercises every other day although with a lower weight than I usually would. I'm also starting to do Tai Chi & Yoga, also hoping to do Tae Bo when I'm feeling somewhat better.

Anyway, the comment that has been made to me is that's it's pointless doing more than 45 minutes of exercise a day, after that it makes no difference. I've not paid much attention to this comment but it's in the back of my head. Am I putting my body under undue stress for no benefit? Like I said to me it sounds absurd but I was after a second opinion.

Well in a sense it's true. Cardio in excess of over an hour has a tendency to catabolize muscle IF you're not supplying it nutrients (like carbs and protein). When you catabolize muscle (meaning you're using it for energy) you are lowering your BMR which means that your body will need less calories to continue to lose weight.
For many that overdo the cardio, they get the skinny/fat look and you can even touch their arms for example and they are flabby there if they aren't incorporating a decent strength program.
Now that said, I KNOW you can exercise for 2 hours a day, but I would split the sessions to do it. 1 hour in the morning and 1 in the evening for example.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Pohudet

I never heard of that. It contradicts my own experience. Only in one case can this be true: if from more exercise you start eating uncontrollably. But if you are lcounting your calories and do not overeat, exercise is very beneficial. Especially if you do more thanone session a day. Also congrats on doing tai chi. I know one man who after a car accident could not walk without a cane, and after a couple of months of tai chi he started to walk without the cane. Tai chi has wonderful healing powers. Good luck with everything!

mixedfeelings

I don't think so but someone said this to me. Let me explain the situation.

I had a procedure in hospital in December and at the moment I'm still off work recovering. I still have pain in my kidney but the doctor has said it's fine to exercise and has encouraged it, and is well pretty impressed by the amount I'm doing. I'm still taking painkillers at night anyway so I try and push through the pain but tend to avoid doing too much that would jar my sides.

At the moment as I'm also trying to lose weight, on an average day I'll do 90 minutes of low impact aerobics, sometimes I will do as little as 30 minutes, sometimes as much as 4 hours throughout the day. I also do dumbbell exercises every other day although with a lower weight than I usually would. I'm also starting to do Tai Chi & Yoga, also hoping to do Tae Bo when I'm feeling somewhat better.

Anyway, the comment that has been made to me is that's it's pointless doing more than 45 minutes of exercise a day, after that it makes no difference. I've not paid much attention to this comment but it's in the back of my head. Am I putting my body under undue stress for no benefit? Like I said to me it sounds absurd but I was after a second opinion.

Well in a sense it's true. Cardio in excess of over an hour has a tendency to catabolize muscle IF you're not supplying it nutrients (like carbs and protein). When you catabolize muscle (meaning you're using it for energy) you are lowering your BMR which means that your body will need less calories to continue to lose weight.
For many that overdo the cardio, they get the skinny/fat look and you can even touch their arms for example and they are flabby there if they aren't incorporating a decent strength program.
Now that said, I KNOW you can exercise for 2 hours a day, but I would split the sessions to do it. 1 hour in the morning and 1 in the evening for example.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Many thanks for your advice, I try and split it up (it's something to do in the day) but I'll make it a point to do so in the future. The thing is once I start I want to keep going and do more, I find myself wanting to do more in the evening.

There has been a big difference in my arms, a lot more toned, same with my legs so I'll take that as being a good sign.

mixedfeelings

I never heard of that. It contradicts my own experience. Only in one case can this be true: if from more exercise you start eating uncontrollably. But if you are lcounting your calories and do not overeat, exercise is very beneficial. Especially if you do more thanone session a day. Also congrats on doing tai chi. I know one man who after a car accident could not walk without a cane, and after a couple of months of tai chi he started to walk without the cane. Tai chi has wonderful healing powers. Good luck with everything!

It's strange, when I first started I wasn't feeling hungry after working out but it is making me hungry now. My problem had always been under-eating throughout the week and binging at a weekend I find I'm eating more now but I make sure I stick within my calories. I've just started Tai chi in a way as a bit of an alternative to yoga because at the moment that can be still quite painful, the procedure was an embolisation on a growth inside my kidney and I'm still waiting for the results to see how well it's worked. From the pain my doctor thinks it's gone well though!

BerryH

As well as burning calories, it will give you awesome endurance that will make not just exercise but day to day living easier.

Runners wouldn't be able to get round a Marathon with 12 minutes of HIIT and a couple of heavy-lifting session a week!

lesle1

As well as burning calories, it will give you awesome endurance that will make not just exercise but day to day living easier.

Runners wouldn't be able to get round a Marathon with 12 minutes of HIIT and a couple of heavy-lifting session a week!

Running is great. I always run at least 60 minutes. If I don't get my 60 minutes I don't feel like I did anything. Under 60 minutes is just too easy. Maybe I should work harder on my speed...

IveLanded

As well as burning calories, it will give you awesome endurance that will make not just exercise but day to day living easier.

Runners wouldn't be able to get round a Marathon with 12 minutes of HIIT and a couple of heavy-lifting session a week!

This.

I have a lot of athlete friends who are in amazing shape and I don't know any of them who'd tell you "oh just do an hour a day because the rest is a waste.."

tigersword

If you are eating back exercise calories and properly fueling your body, you can exercise as much as you want. However, if you are seriously restricting calories while exercising like crazy, then you are doing much more damage than good.

hiker282

Betting that a lot of pro athletes exercise a helluva lot more than an hour a day and don't consider it a waste. I've seen this nonsense bandied about in the past and it just falls on it's *kitten* when you think about it logically.

chrishgt4

I think it depends on how you take the term "waste"

If you're training for a marathon, then you need to run for that amount of time to build up endurance, but running a marathon isn't healthy in itself.

For people who want to lose weight and tone up, 45-60 minutes in a session is ideal.

DixiedoesMFP

From a health standpoint, your heart will be much stronger and will work more effectively! Your bones will also be stronger!

kp1439

never heard that before ... but i am new at this so may be i am wrong ... for me , i workout to burn more calories so i can have more .. just in case i wanna eat something lol ... which havent happened in last 50 days but u never know ... good luck ... feel free to add if you like ... TC

mixedfeelings

If you are eating back exercise calories and properly fueling your body, you can exercise as much as you want. However, if you are seriously restricting calories while exercising like crazy, then you are doing much more damage than good.

No, I've upped my calories. The exercise is on top of doing nothing else all day.

mixedfeelings

Betting that a lot of pro athletes exercise a helluva lot more than an hour a day and don't consider it a waste. I've seen this nonsense bandied about in the past and it just falls on it's *kitten* when you think about it logically.

That was my thought but it was just chipping away at me. The waste more from a putting my body under strain with no gain (in terms of the tumour shrinkage)

mixedfeelings

I think it depends on how you take the term "waste"

If you're training for a marathon, then you need to run for that amount of time to build up endurance, but running a marathon isn't healthy in itself.

For people who want to lose weight and tone up, 45-60 minutes in a session is ideal.

I want to be a lot fitter than I have been in the last ten years. At the moment being at home all day is giving me the chance to exercise quite a bit. It's all fairly gentle as I can't work-out too hard. I think it's finding the right balance.

mixedfeelings

Forgot to mention in my first post that straight after the procedure in December I wasn't able to get about the house myself for the first month, I was also not very active on the run up to the procedure due to pain.

sportyskylar

exercise is NEVER a waste!

chrishgt4

I think it depends on how you take the term "waste"

If you're training for a marathon, then you need to run for that amount of time to build up endurance, but running a marathon isn't healthy in itself.

For people who want to lose weight and tone up, 45-60 minutes in a session is ideal.

I want to be a lot fitter than I have been in the last ten years. At the moment being at home all day is giving me the chance to exercise quite a bit. It's all fairly gentle as I can't work-out too hard. I think it's finding the right balance.

I think it's basically something along the lines of you get 85% of the benefit out of the first 45-60 minutes. Keeping going has the benefit of the last 15%, but the effort:benefit ratio becomes lower and so isn't 'worth' it. Also there are other issues with working out too long, but I believe the logic they were probably referring to is as above.

As someone else mentioned though, splitting workouts is a good way to go.

funkycamper

I just think a good exercise program should be well-rounded and properly fueled by eating enough calories and foods that are, for the most part, nutritious choices. And I think a well-rounded exercise program includes weight training, HIIT, and steady-state cardio. Nobody can convince me that I'm doing something bad for my body if I indulge in a 5-hour bike ride or a 6-hour hike. Just need to take some nutritious snacks with me to keep me fueled. Sure, I can't do it every day. Who has that much free time anyway? As long as it fits into your lifestyle, is enjoyable, and doesn't leave you so fatigued that you can't function properly for days afterwards, I think any amount of exercise is just fine.