tzonoqua Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Makes me chuckle when this topic comes up as it does from time to time. Smithing is not a cardio vascular exercise and isn't a substitute for one. I know plenty of smiths with big bellies!! It is manual labour, and is fairly active compared to a desk job but if you're wanting to get fit best get on your bike or go for a brisk walk or jog and cut down on the naughty foods. Smithing is however incredibly great for your mental fitness, and absorbing to learn a new skill. Make you skinny, it does not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yves Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Let me put it to you straight and clear. I got old and stopped smoking and I got bigger in the bargain and topped at 210. Then I "retired" as they say so I could do what I wanted.I got into woodworking every day all day and still weighed 210.I had a car accident, spent 3 months in a hospital and went down to 200. Yeah. I looked great. After a couple of months or rather weeks I was back up to 210. I could not work for 3 years rolling around in wheel chairs and pushing my weight on walkers. I stayed at 210.Every 2 years I go to France for 6 weeks or so. Once, I came back at 248. Came back down at 210. Every 2 years! This year however, I came back from France at a measly 225. Now I'm back at ... guess what ...I got into blacksmithing. Been at it for 4 years now, most every day all day (blacksmithing is not only hammering iron or steel). I'm still 210. A couple of weeks ago I started working in the woods 1 day/week for the cardio bit.That will not take me below 210 I'm sure of it. It only permits me to find new spots to feel pain.It seems the only way for me to get back down to 200 or 190 would be to ... no it's not blacksmithing ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 (edited) It's my opinion, that the modern-day obsession with weight, ... is, in itself, ... a MENTAL HEALTH issue.Please recall, ... that this obsession DID NOT EXIST in the era before Electronic Media brought a 24/7/365 barrage of propaganda into our lives. And yes, ... it is, by definition, ... "Propaganda".Propaganda is a form of communication aimed towards influencing the attitude of a population toward some cause or position.Propaganda is information that is not impartial and used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda, often by presenting facts selectively (perhaps lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or using loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information presented.------------------------------------------------------------- As an Engineer, with access to a Computer full of "data", ... Statistical Analysis plays a part in every project.And perhaps it's greatest role, is it's use in "selling" ideas and projects, to the Bean Counters that control the funding of those projects.So, ... in practice, ... one of the most important things you learn about Statistics, ... is that they can be endlessly manipulated, to advance ANY agenda.And are therefore, ... MEANINGLESS. All the propaganda aimed at controlling your personal behavior, is always based in unverifiable, ... but plausible sounding, "statistics" ------------------------------------------------------But then, ... so were the ads encouraging you to buy a Yugo .....------------------------------------------------------ Personally, ... I DO NOT look forward to an extended Dotage of infirmity and sickness, as a worthy goal.And have no intention of making myself miserable today, ... and for the next couple of Decades, ... in order to enhance my Insurance Providers bottom line. . Edited May 5, 2015 by SmoothBore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yves Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 It's my opinion, that the modern-day obsession with weight, ... is, in itself, ... a MENTAL HEALTH issue. One morning, walking on the bathroom, I suddenly saw my father in the mirror. It was I that had taken his or is it our shape. My father was a heavy man with no health issues at all (died in a car accident). I spent my life at 185-190 and when my shape changed, I worried. However, every second year I have my young doctor repeating the same thing : "Everything is fine. You should reduce your waist and do some exercise for the cardio." And every time I ask how was my blood pressure. Fine she says like a teen's. And my reply is that I just climbed the stairs to get to her office.You are right SmoothBore, it is a mental health issue. I am not worried that I got heavier which does not seem to be a problem after all. What I was more worried about was that shape I lost. But you cannot get that old without something changing and this getting old thing is better than the alternative.So to the gentleman that started this topic, get into blacksmithing because it's a lot of fun. And if you want to make a little money to at least pay your hobby, you are better with metal that with wood. With a piece of flat bar 3/16 x 1/2 x 5", I can forge a little cubboard door hook sold at 8$. Try doing that with a piece of wood of the same size!You might not get thinner with blacksmithing but neither will your wallet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 There are some things one might consider, Smoth Bore. My famaly lives long, so as the average man in my fammaly lives well in to his 80's and 90's are not at all uncomon, I do look at what I can do now to improve my quality of life then. Its to late to protect my back, sholders and knees from arthrites, but I certainly can keep high blood sugar from damaging my arteries. Despite the fact that we have medication now that helps treet insuline risistance, but intise execise treats it as well, as it also treats risistance to a hormone reliced by fat that tells us we can cut back on calory consumption. Reducing the cost of refined sugar has not helped our bodyies in the growing old catagorie. So I think I will eat less sugar and refined grains, eat more fruit & vegetables, excersize more now and enjoy my old age more. Your right, doctors can keep us alive longer so our quality of life sucks, but we can invest and improve our qulity of life now and later. If I chose to drink tea and watter insted of pop, then a few beers wont be so bad in the fight to keep my belly under control Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gote Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 ------one of the most important things you learn about Statistics, ... is that they can be endlessly manipulated, to advance ANY agenda.And are therefore, ... MEANINGLESS-----Anything CAN be manipulated. An ax can be manipuled to kill somebody but that does not make it useless as a tool. Satistics are much better than biased opinions. They can also be checked. If someone says that "Statistics show that Brand A is better than Brand B so you should pay double" you can ask "How much then?" Answer "0.23percent better." Since the sales patter used the word "statistics" you know that there are figures somewhere and the seller is obliged to show them if he does not want to lose face - and the customer.There is a wonderful book called "How to lie with statistics" that is funny reading and exposes the manipulations you refer to. (Still available from Amazon). It is worth every penny since it shows how to expose humbugs.It is really much better to look at statistics with an informed look than dismissing it altogether.Göte PS.I agree that health can become an obsession and beancounters belong to my hate objects. They go to meeting and speak about the value of invention, creativity and research, Then they go back to office and fire the creative inventing researchers because they do not show up as assets in the balance sheet.PPSBlacksmithing is definitely better for you than to sit in a sofa with a beer can in front of the telly. It is probably a real improvement in health for most desk-worker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Exercise can be dangerous regardless what the MDs have to say, in 9 months one friend crashed his Mtn. Bike about a mile & half in the woods broke his TWO legs in 41 places now full of screws and pins may not walk again after 7 hrs of two operating teams worked on him. A Cousin had a tread mill at the gym go nuts and went to full speed throwing her off dislocated her knee looking at 1 -2 operations, a neighbor went jogging at 5am in a snow storm with his headphones on ran into road as the sidewalks weren't shoveled right into the path of a town snowplow he didn't make it. Want exercise blacksmithing? consider picking up you anvil and carry it around the shop for 15 min. best be smaller than my 213 lb. anvil. At my age I'll stick to my jogging my memory and jumping to conclusions. I do walk half hour a day after leg surgery 2 weeks ago will see how long that lasts. Got to love Doc. First one told me it was being caused by my weight next three who were specialists said he was totally wrong very little to do with weight most to do with heredity & occupation. They do get paid to practice after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.