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Comment by rasengan | Hacker News Reader

Please speak with your physician or another professional before undertaking any kind of advice like this.

Walking is a great calorie burning activity and can absolutely help when it comes to obesity and such. However, skinny != fit.

If you want to be fit, there's no shortcut. Eat healthy, hit the gym (or other real training activity), don't abuse drugs and delete social media.

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Please speak with a medical professional before... walking?!?

Walking is the most basic, most fundamental human physical activity. Hitting the gym deserves a lot more scrutiny.

We live in a diverse society, and HN is just as beautiful as our society in its diversity. However, there are people who absolutely shouldn't walk without consulting with their physician.

And apparently they're so infantile and stupid that they need to pay a professional to tell them if they can stand up, or take a step.

No, but maybe they have a pre-existing condition and could be in danger if they walk too much or walk uphill--and may not possibly realize it?

A friend of mine, who is obese and takes a lot of medication, and also who has recovered from COVID, started getting really lightheaded when we walked uphill about a block to our parked car.

Sounds like your friend realized it. Listening to your body and seeking out professionals if it sends negative signals is probably a better strategy than asking a doctor before any activity, unless you already know you have serious medical conditions.

I was once in a similar situation where after recovering from surgery I found I could only walk short distances before becoming lightheaded and tired. I asked a medical professional for advice. He told me to get over it. I'm lucky I didn't have to pay for this information.

Who are these people that shouldn’t walk without consulting a physician? The only people who shouldn’t walk would be those who had explicitly been told not to walk (e.g. letting a bone heal), but I imagine anyone going to their doctor to ask if they can walk would be laughed out of the room.

I've known a few people where walking was physically just too much for them. Generally very morbidly obese and there was no way they could follow the walking advice even if they wanted to.

I'm talking about people that literally had spinal fractures from standing up (pretty sad really).

> and delete social media

Interesting advice you snuck in there. Might not be a bad idea, but necessary for fitness? Not so sure.

> Might not be a bad idea, but necessary for fitness? Not so sure.

I agree, I'm not so sure as well, and anything that comes to making changes to your physical body should be consulted with a professional. That said, I have seen people using social media and they literally sit around on instagram/fb/twitter _all day_ with their neck and backs in some weird contorted position for 0 constructive/positive net gain for themselves or society.

Maybe instead of "delete social media" they should be encouraged to contribute. Use social media to foster good habits (rather than bad ones).

For example, starting/joining groups based around encouraging members to stick to fitness routines.

To an extent internet is a strong break to healthy activities. It sucks time and motivation.

As he says posting on HN... This place (like any messageboard) can be as toxic as anywhere else in it's own way.

Is there actually any evidence to suggest someone who walks, say, an hour daily is less healthy, controlled for diet than any other physical activity?

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