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Comment by epistasis | Hacker News Reader

Seeing these decrease in numbers really emphasizes the strength of exercise as an intervention. It's lot just isometric exercise, but all types here that significantly lowered blood pressure. And it's not just blood pressure, it's basically all bad health outcomes, according to other meta analyses. People want to know what food to eat, what food not to eat, and what supplements to take, what drugs to take. But we should be asking how we can make room in a week to get 3-6 hours of moderate physical activity, first.

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This can't be emphasized enough. Exercise is likely the single most important and effective intervention we have available from a preventative medicine standpoint.

If you're not optimizing adequate exercise alongside controlling bodyfat levels first and foremost you're doing it wrong.

Eat less, move more, make sure you sleep.

Sleeping is actually not easy. I reserve 9 hours in bed, but I snore and wake up very tired, also insomnia and therefore it’s a feedback loop to open the phone in bed otherwise I ruminate (potentially suicidal) thoughts… I bet less than half the population is able to sleep properly while laying in bed (and yes, I’ve heard all the advice about sleep habits and seeing someone).

Once you fix sleep, you become much more brave and courageous for sports. And it’s a positive feedback loop, it’s a blind spot for sporty people (I’ve practiced 8-9hrs a week) to tell “Just do sports and sleep soundly”.

Have you been tested for sleep apnea? Your symptoms are pretty on the money.

I see your comment about intrusive thoughts. Don't hesitate to speak to a doctor about them and take medication for it.

I put off doing that for almost two decades, when I finally did after an attempt it really changed my life around.

I'm now on a maintenance dose of trazodone, and thought I've went off of it a few times, I think I'll stay on it for good now. It keeps future episodes away and it does wonder for your sleep. I'd agonize over the days event's for an hour or so after going to bed, but it really helps me fall asleep in 15-20 minutes.

lol dude you have sleep apnea. you're suffocating.

That "eat less"needs to be elaborated. Eating less beef is not the same as eating less tomatoes. :-)

In the context of caloric intake, it basically is the same thing. People (population level) eat too much food. Which foods should they eat, exactly, is essentially premature optimization in this context.

In the context of caloric intake, it’s especially true due to caloric density. Cutting out the beef cuts significantly more calories than cutting out the tomatoes which are mostly water. There are about 77 calories per oz of steak and about 5 calories per oz of tomato. Which foods you choose to eat and their calorie density can have a huge impact on overall calorie consumption.

What about eating fewer chocolate/coconut covered almonds?

Dark chocolate, of course. Healthier.

"Exercise makes you healthier" is hardly an earth shattering revelation. Everyone knows the benefits of exercise, especially unhealthy people. That is still usually not enough of a motivator, however, hence the reliance on fad diets and drugs.

Given the obsession with changing what a person invests over the obsession with exercise, I'm not sure people really know how effective exercise is.

I don't think people realize that even a little amount exercise will make a difference tho.

Something as simple as a daily fast walk is going to do wonders for one's health when compared to a 100% sedentary life.

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