What has increased fitness given you?

Carl Henrik · Post by **Carl Henrik** » May 12th, 2006, 10:47 am

So you're fitter now than before. Has it been worth the time and effort? Will it be worth it ahead? Why?

efg · Post by **efg** » May 12th, 2006, 9:54 pm

I don't really understand the question. I would guess most (if not all) of us who row and log meters think it is worth the effort. All I know is I'm glad I found something I liked well enough to stay with it. I'm hoping I don't end up as feeble as my grandmother is (and has been for as long as I can remember) when I am older. As for right now, being fitter means I have less back pain and more energy. In my opinion, even with the time I spend rowing, I'm coming out ahead.

Emilia

Sean Seamus · Post by **Sean Seamus** » May 12th, 2006, 11:14 pm

Has it been worth the time and effort? Will it be worth it ahead? Why?

yes - both in and of itself - that is, the activity is itself a pleasure - and, I am confident it will be "money in the bank" in the future.

I teach basic exercise and lead fitness classes, largely with older adults, and it is easy to see which participants have kept active over their lifetimes. The results of being physically inactive, and/or having abused their bodies with food / drink / bad exercise technique / etcetera, are spread before me every day.

I only began to take care of myself about 10 years back, and the benefits are still fresh to me personally. I am in all ways stronger and happier as a result.

But really - just sit quietly and Look. You will See.

ancho · Post by **ancho** » May 13th, 2006, 1:55 am

- Lots of fun and muscle soreness...
- Feeling as if I were 38

Carl Henrik · Post by **Carl Henrik** » May 17th, 2006, 4:04 pm

I deliberately stated the question with a skeptical tone, since it is people who puts the question like that that I most want to be able to give a good anwser. Thank you for your replies.

People not into fitness tend to take it for granted that what we are doing is for us boring, tedious and painful (since that's how they feel) but that there is an award we value (since that's what they do, and hear talk about) and have the discipline to go after (which they don't). Clearly this is not the whole truth. We are not "discipline machines", but better at appreciating the activity in the moment, making it more lustful and less discipline demanding.

To convince someone to start training it won't suffice to just ramble the positive effects and say it takes discipline. To convince someone you should show "from the inside" of the sport how you enjoy it and why it's rewarding immediately to engage in it.

Well, just my philosophical ramblings. Take care, have fun, keep excercising.

ancho · Post by **ancho** » May 17th, 2006, 6:56 pm

Thank you for reminding me.
Indirectly, getting back into rowing has taught me to appreciate the time we spend doing the workouts and other things, helping to plan family-work-leisure-sport time and holding the balance...
I know that now the effectiveness of my workouts is MUCH bigger than 20 years ago, when my results were far better, but I also spent about double as much time training....

bw1099 · Post by **bw1099** » May 17th, 2006, 10:17 pm

I had to laugh when I opened the Health and Fitness index just now. Right on top was this topic: "What has increased fitness given you?" And underneath it said "Hay Fever," "Mitral valve repair" and "stress-cardio test tomorrow."

bw

jbell · Post by **jbell** » May 20th, 2006, 7:56 pm

Dont know if I can answer this as I'm only 15, but rowing has definetly made me way more competitive in games. Before I would be like the kid in gym who was somewhat ok at things. Now, I can out run people, keep it up for a longer time, and arent afraid to go after something. Also, it helped my gym average (we have fitness tests) go from 85 freshmen fall year to 95 this spring. Next fall I'm shooting for 100 (just gotta get 5 more sit-ups in a min and 6 more pullups).

LJWagner · Post by **LJWagner** » June 8th, 2006, 1:48 am

Uh, gee. Four times in four years I have gotten fit enough to walk up 16 flights of stairs at work easily after 3 heart injuries and a broken arm that gave me very high blood pressure. Most people won't walk 4 flights.

Before that, I was in good enough shape to beat my teenage nephew at basketball on a regular basis, losing only one game in 20.

I'm an older Dad, and I carried my kids on my shoulders at the zoo until they were too heavy at age 6, when most Dads quit at 3. I threw them up in the air overhead and caught them on the way down until they were 6, which they dearly loved. Again most fathers give that up when the kids are little.

I cut down trees in my yard. I eat as much as I want of nearly anything.

I run sprints with my 16 year old daughter to help her train for Track. We climb 1000 ft hills on vacation. I bodysurf as well as I did as a teenager.

My wife enjoys certain benefits of the energy of a youthful husband.

I can enjoy almost anything I care to do, with few limits.

And I'm a slim 6'0" and 150 lbs.

LJWagner · Post by **LJWagner** » August 27th, 2006, 2:46 pm

I can now add:

Some degree of overconfidence, as I now have a 4th artery clog, and need a stent in a week or so. Its very annoying to take a walk after dinner and have some chest pain when you go up a slight grade.

But I'll get back to training, and keep my HR closer to an 80% max for a few more months.

Jenniferzville · Post by **Jenniferzville** » August 27th, 2006, 3:04 pm

I get asked this question a lot, and after staring in shock at the person for a breaf few seconds, I usually tell them that I can't imagine life without working out. It is the one part of the day that no matter what else is going on, I look forward to. It excites me and relaxes me at the same time. It clears my brain of all that obsessive thinking and focuses my brain tighter onto certain thoughts at the same time. It awakens my spirit and puts me into a trance at the same time. Oh, and yeah, it helps my health and puts me in shape, too; but those are just added on benefits. I'd do it for what I get at the moment more than what I hope it will give me in the future.

Jenniferzville · Post by **Jenniferzville** » August 27th, 2006, 3:05 pm

I get asked this question a lot, and after staring in shock at the person for a breaf few seconds, I usually tell them that I can't imagine life without working out. It is the one part of the day that no matter what else is going on, I look forward to. It excites me and relaxes me at the same time. It clears my brain of all that obsessive thinking and focuses my brain tighter onto certain thoughts at the same time. It awakens my spirit and puts me into a trance at the same time. Oh, and yeah, it helps my health and puts me in shape, too; but those are just added on benefits. I'd do it for what I get at the moment more than what I hope it will give me in the future.

julieofarc · Post by **julieofarc** » August 28th, 2006, 2:52 pm

I can jog 3+ miles now! Before I got back OTW (and on the erg) 3 months ago I couldn't do that. We had an odd number at practice on Friday, so I jogged. It was amazing for me- it's been *years* since I could do that.

I sleep better.

Increased fitness for me has meant a lot of body compositon changes (lost lots of fat). At the beginning of the year sitting stroke in a 4 left me with torn shorts and bloody hips. Now, I can sit there without hitting the sides at all! :0 My new goal is to no longer be making zipping noises on the sides of our BBG double (it's pretty narrow) with my shorts. Pretty sad to measure inches lost in terms of boat space, isn't it? LOL

I can keep up with my kids better.

I can watch my Heart Rate continue to adjust downwards during workouts. That has been really great- to look back at what pace I had to keep just a month ago in order to stay within 140-150 HR, versus what I can do now.

Most of all, when I'm in a 8 OTW, I'm not worried that the workout will be more than I can handle. I know I can hold my own in the boat now.

Julie

JohnBove · Post by **JohnBove** » August 29th, 2006, 10:30 am

Just noticed that beneath the title of this thread --

What has increased fitness given you?

Is the title of the next thread --

Blisters, abrasions, and other losses of skin.

LJWagner · Post by **LJWagner** » September 1st, 2006, 6:12 pm

Back from my stent procedure.

Learned my spring fitness rehab from bypass surgery caused the bypass graft for the right coronary artery (RCA) to provide the energy for the RCA to grow and extend its way to the now fully blocked left coronary artery (LCA). Its now done an "end around", and oddly enough the blood to the LCA now comes from the wrong direction. Without this, my widow maker artery would have earned its nickname one more time.

My stent was placed way down the RCA, just ahead of this normally non-existent arterial connection.

I would suspect that most of the regular cast of characters of these forums who row and push themselves in their workouts on regular basis also have such extensive collateral circulation, and they may be for the most part "heart attack proof".

How much is that worth ? A half a million dollars a family, or more ?

Concept2 Forum

What has increased fitness given you?

What has increased fitness given you?

Is being fitter worth it?