[quote=ocrenter][quote=no_such_reality]Relocate to a walkable neighborhood . Walk to the grocery store. Walk to the pharmacy. Walk to the gym for lifts or the pool. Walk to work if you can..
10000-15000 steps a day.
The elliptical is nice for catching up on Netflix while you think you’re working out.[/quote]
true, we have created a bunch of these obesogenic cities in the last 50 years.
Wow, great videos and with great ideas from Medellin, Colombia, ocrenter! Escalators and ski gondolas would be a GREAT idea for a city such as SF! They could get rid of their aging and VERY unsightly overhead line system for cable cars and streetcars. Even SF’s “crookedest street” on Russian Hill and dozens of other back steps in SF District residential parks could be replaced with escalators with community squares built below with recycle and trash bins and doggie bag stands … even lease space to coffee stands, etc. This would increase neighborhood camaraderie as well.
Some of the existing cable car routes could be replaced with ski gondolas. The only problem with this idea is that they would have to be closed periodically when high winds kicked up.
Downtown Chula Vista and surrounds are mostly flat as a pool table and very walkable. The vast majority of seniors around here over the age of 80 are still living in their homes because they can walk to all … and do … and public transportation is abundant. The generation I’m noticing who has the most problem with obesity are the K-12 students (age 6-18). Many of them are addicted to sweets and salty snacks and carry a regular size back of chips with them to school (not “snack size”). In addition, PE is now offered in elementary schools only 1-3 times per week, due to lack of public school staff and some PE staff having to be deployed to teach common core subjects. It doesn’t help that these kids’ parents get them iphones at the age of 8-10 and so they fool around with it after school instead of playing outside.
I swear by going to the gym but I’ve been a “gym rat” most of my life (and I would dislike purchasing, storing, dusting and maintaining gym equipment at home). The classes are great, especially “Body Pump” which I started attending just under two years ago. It really does increase your muscle mass in just a few months which helps your body burn more calories. Throw in 30-40 mins circuit training before or after class and it’s a great workout!
Since 2009, one gym round-trip for me takes 2.75 hrs (incl travel time) but I realize that FT workers raising families don’t have this kind of time 2 – 4x per week. I certainly didn’t when I was in that situation. Even if you just go there to attend class and leave, that’s probably under 1.5 hrs (or <1.75 hrs for pilates and <2 hrs for yoga). Even if you can only go 2x week, you will see the difference. Weight training included your regimen is key (Body Pump qualifies) ... start light with more reps.
