Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/15

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Subject: RE: [Leica] OT Wandering: Motor Scooters
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 10:06:58 -0500

Don't get me wrong - I am NOT suggesting that exercise is a bad thing, nor
that cycling is a bad thing. There seems to be no question that regular
exercise helps fend off any number of awful conditions.

Although - up until about five years ago I was a total coach potato - always
told people exercise was forbidden by my religion.But oddly enough, I was as
healthy as the proverbial horse - low cholesterol, low blood pressure, NEVER
sick for more than a day or two.  Then I got religion, realized that a lot
of weight had crept up on me....Went on a serious diet, began taking short
walks, then longer and faster walks. Then I began biking. Got the biking up
to 6 miles every day, and up to 35 miles on some weekend days. Really
enjoyed it. Lost 45 pounds...

And within a year I had developed a hernia, severe chronic sinusitis - and
really hairy chronic asthma.

So much for exercise. ;-)

B. D.

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of John
Brownlow
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2002 5:19 PM
To: Leica Users digest
Subject: Re: [Leica] OT Wandering: Motor Scooters


On 3/14/02 4:42 PM, "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> wrote:

> What studies in the U.S. seem to indicate is that what the oldest of the
old
> have in common is - good genes. They all have parents, grandparents,
> siblings, who were long-lived. They may ride bikes, etc., because they
have
> been in good health, rather than the other way around. And, quite
obviously,
> they aren't long-lived because they smoke like chimneys, but rather have
> genes that have allowed them to get away with smoking like chimneys.

Your smoking point is a great one but not so convinced by the bicycling one.
Did their good genes predispose them to take up long-distance cycling at age
20? Seems rather unlikely.

Anyway the more important point is that since you cannot do much about your
genes, you might as well do something about the things you can control, such
as increasing your cardio fitness. Cycling 5-10ks a day is a very good
enforced fitness routine and (to me) about a thousand times more interesting
than going to the gym. AND you can carry a camera, which I do.

- --
John Brownlow

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com

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