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Comment by scottious | Hacker News Reader

For those who are inclined, I recommend running instead (even if you think you aren't a runner)

My body has been completely transformed from 15 years of running. I'm 5'7" and 135 pounds at age 41. My face looks thin, I have a better body than most 20 year olds. I gave myself the best gift that I could possibly give myself.

If they could distill 15 years of running (5x per week) and put it in pill form, I truly believe it would be the most valuable thing medicine has ever created.

All it takes is 45 minutes per day for 5 days per week. And you can actually have fun while doing it! It takes a long time to get to that point but it's so worth it.

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For those who are a bit intimidated by the thought of starting running, especially if you are a bit older, you don't need to run hard or fast. Slow jogging (zone 2) results in great cardiovascular improvements. Don't be afraid to start by alternating jogging and walking.

And if you can't spare 45 minutes 5 days per week, do it 3 days a week instead. Something is better than nothing.

The couch to 5k programme is now routinely recommended by GPs in the UK (and elsewhere), a very positive development in health care in my opinion.

https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/get-running-with...

All it takes? Omg, why not do it every day if you’re going to do it 5 days a week? 3 days a week sounds more reasonable.

I actually do run every day. I've only missed about 4 days so far this year. Anyway, 3 days of running per week is certainly better than 0.

> For those who are inclined

I'd actually recommend an incline treadmill. Roughly 10% grade 3mph will give you the same caloric burn as a run but will be significantly easier to perform and save your knees from the wear and tear of running.

The whole "running destroys your knees" thing is a very persistent myth. Running can cause temporary knee injuries, especially in beginners. In the long run it actually strengthens your knees. There has been quite a lot of research on this but unfortunately, it's still in the cultural zeitgeist that running is bad for your knees

Of course, every person is different. Anecdotally, my knees and hips are so much stronger now than they were 15 years ago after running over 20k miles.

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