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Comment by jerlam | Hacker News Reader

Cardio is unpleasant and stressful, which is why most people don't do it. Someone willing to do something that is not fun, on a regular basis, is going to have stronger mental status that someone who doesn't try at all.

As Calvin's dad says, misery builds character.

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> Cardio is unpleasant and stressful

It can be, especially when you're only getting started and completely out of shape (I advise mostly walking and a bit of running if thats the case). But it can also be a beautiful, relaxing, meditative and totally addictive thing - which is why tens or hundreds of millions around the world do it. That feeling of unlpeasant stress means you probably went to hard; decrease the intensity. Walk if u have to, then run a bit, then walk some more. I agree that when you're starting out - feeling like you're suffocating / out of air is not a great feeling. There's really no reason to train like that.

Once you get over the hump and develop a certain amount of cardiovascular fitness, it stops being unpleasant and stressful.

The real problem is that most people don't feel like this is true. It really takes a solid 6ish months of earnest effort (AT LEAST 3x per week, probably more) to develop cardiovascular fitness. For some people, it'll take even longer.

I run an average of 6 days per week for the past 10+ years. At this point running is just about the easiest thing I do, it doesn't take any mental fortitude at all to do it. It wasn't always that way though, I used to dread it.

> It really takes a solid 6ish months of earnest effort (AT LEAST 3x per week, probably more) to develop cardiovascular fitness. For some people, it'll take even longer

I don't think people need to suffer through 6 months just to start enjoy running. Yes when beginning running you suck (and also prone to injury); you basically have no zone 1-2 since your'e so out of shape, your zone 2 is basically a fast walk. So for newbies who train like that all runs become a zone 3 or even 4 - when you're totally new to running. No surprise they many time a) hate it b) get injured

I advise newbies to walk and run and try to keep HR very very controllable until you build up fitness. That should be both more fun and also more sustainable injury wise.

It's only unpleasant and stressful when you're unfit. I cycle 4-6 hours a week and it's wayyy more pleasant than sitting around at home

Agreed, cardio is actually generally enjoyable, hence the massive popularity of run clubs and marathons. It is unpleasant for the first couple months of someone 20 years sedentary and overweight going into 9/10 effort runs though (when they should jog)

> the massive popularity of run clubs and marathons

A few hundreds/thousands members in cities of millions doesn't equate massive popularity. Doing cardio is unpleasant to most people, I don't understand why it's so important to cardio enthusiasts to frame them as being liars or unaware? That's not convincing anyone and your energy would be better spent trying to find other ways to entice people.

How many yearly events are drawing tens of thousands in cities? About 15% of the US runs regularly per stats, cardio is even more because cycling is also huge.

Of course cardio is unpleasant to most people, 73% of the US is overweight or obese. I'm saying for healthy individuals with a small modicum of fitness (like their bodies were evolutionarily designed to do, we are the animal kingdom's top long distance runner after all), cardio is generally enjoyable.

People who enjoy exercise are in the minority. Literally doing anything I find interesting would be preferable to exercise, I exercise because I have to, not because it is enjoyable in any way.

I think it depends. People should branch out more and try different sports. I'm sure there's something most people could find that just happens to be exercise

I was like that when I was into lifting weights. I wanted the results, but found the process incredibly grueling

With running/cycling I like the activity, not that interested in the results

It's the "forcing yourself to do something unpleasant" part which improves mental state, not the fitness itself. I suspect that people who find exercise enjoyable, or are forced to do it, don't get the same benefits.

This article is basically just the marshmallow test: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_marshmallow_experimen...

And 4-6 hours a week would be a low week for me =)

Zone 2 cardio is pretty doggone easy. I notice that if I hit 50 minutes of zone 2, then it is a huuuge stress reliever for me.

I used to feel this way until I discovered cycling, I started running because I don't want to bike in NYC winter weather. Highly recommending trying cycling since you get to make it as hard as you want and it builds amazing cardio

when you’re fit and make it a habit cardio is pleasant and calming. and it doesn’t take long to get there unless you have health complications

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