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Comment by Sir_Substance | Hacker News Reader

It also takes a lot of commitment and time that not everyone has, and requires you to by physically capable of lifting weights which not everyone is.

On a more nuanced note, different things work for different people, and gyms aren't the optimal mental healing environment for everyone.

If you're gonna arrange everyone on a hypothetical comfort spectrum between gym and library, it seems reasonable that some people would be more likely to seek mental help if it came in the form of taking a tab under supervision from a qualified professional in a private room than they would if they have to go lift in the company of a bunch of loudly moaning middle-aged men hell bent on proving to the room at large that they are the highest quality specimen of humanity in the room. Lets not be elitist about the paths to mental health, options are good.

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>It also takes a lot of commitment and time

It's about half an hour a day, that's all you really need. True, if you can't spare half an hour, then you've got greater issues.

The latter part of your argument I personally have never ever once experienced, nor have anyone I known experience it outside of the gym at high school. People grunt when exerting effort, everyone wears headphones anyway. And even then, you don't need to go to the gym to lift, calisthenics are perfectly fine for those with no access/no desire to go the gym.

>It's about half an hour a day, that's all you really need. True, if you can't spare half an hour, then you've got greater issues.

Unless you don't have a car, or live in a congested city, or live outside the city, in which case it can be half an hour of commuting time before you get your half hour of exercise. It's also ~$60 a month, which not everyone can spare. Your statement also assumes people aren't working two jobs, and aren't working shift work (or have access to a 24h gym, which not everyone does).

My statement also had a second part which you seemingly missed for the sake of your argument.

Calisthenics, or bodyweight, exercises are perfectly viable for becoming fit and require nothing than you being able to find a nice spot on a floor. If this hypothetical person is that strapped for time, then how do they even get any sleep? That's an even bigger issue than not being able to work out consistently.

Gyms are the most boring place to get exercise. Go out and enjoy nature, I am sure that will double the benefits of getting exercise if its in order to treat depression.

That's definitely true. I hike pretty regularly, I went hiking here just a few days ago:

https://tinyurl.com/yd58grex

However, you can really only do that between april and november here. There's four months of the year where going on any meaningful hike is absolutely only for people who are totally dedicated and have thousands of dollars of gear, plenty of experience and have been guided on that specific track during winter at least once. Those are the same four months when there's no sunlight and the seasonal depression sets in. I'm not in that league and I'm not embarrassed about it.

The whole "just exercise, it's great and easy" shtick is kinda naive and TBH vaguely annoying. Lots of people, even quite wealthy people, live in circumstances where it's actually just not easy, at least not all the time, and exercise kinda only works for mental health if it's regular. You should see the tires on the bikes that the cyclists who try to keep form during the winter here have to use just on city pavements.

So you have time to hike, but during the winter you don't because of poor weather conditions and lack of money to invest in good gear.

But then if you have that time, why not use it for bodyweight exercise at home?

It costs absolutely nothing, requires no equipment, and weather is not an issue. You could be getting quality exercise for free during the same time that you would have otherwise spent hiking.

If you're open to trying it, check out the bodyweight fitness sub on reddit[1] and their recommended routine[2].

[1] - https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/

[2] - https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/kb/recommend...

You don't need to sell it to me my friend. I walk around the city during the winter. Two layers, hat on, gloves on. It's nice, no one else is around because it's so cold, and the snow muffles all sound. Very peaceful, unless the wind is trying to remove your face.

What I'm arguing strongly against is the notion that exercise is a magical solution that can suit any lifestyle, any country and any economic situation. It's not been so long since I was working a job with a 2.5 hour commute each direction that I find it easy to listen to people with cozy and secure 9-5 jobs in lovely temperate latitudes condescendingly explain how there's no possible excuse for struggling to find time for regular exercise without calling them out on their shit. Offering better results-for-time options for mental health is not indulging the indolent.

It's pretty hard to do strength training outside of a gym. (please note I didn't say it's impossible)

For everything else I agree.

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