Trump: exercise is bad, people are like batteries

[Gustaf]

Please tell me we can at least all agree this is factually wrong.

"Look, I'm not saying I agree with Trump 100% on this, but at least he's starting a dialogue about viewpoints and possibilities that weren't being discussed before because they were deemed too 'unpopular' or 'not politically correct.' "

You won't die young because you ran an Ironman triathlon, but you might have a hip replacement by your fifties. Running is good for your heart, but awful on your joints. (I love to run but I treat it as a vice.)

This is true of a lot of extreme sports and obsessive exercise regimens, so in a sense Trump isn't wrong. It's unhealthful to be sedentary and fat, but no one should delude themselves into believing that there is no long-term downside to an activity just because it is exercise and exercise is supposed to be virtuous. Someone who walks for a few hours each day has better long-term prospects than the person who swears by their daily run.

Didn't take long!

[Gustaf]

Please tell me we can at least all agree this is factually wrong.

"Look, I'm not saying I agree with Trump 100% on this, but at least he's starting a dialogue about viewpoints and possibilities that weren't being discussed before because they were deemed too 'unpopular' or 'not politically correct.' "

You won't die young because you ran an Ironman triathlon, but you might have a hip replacement by your fifties. Running is good for your heart, but awful on your joints. (I love to run but I treat it as a vice.)

This is true of a lot of extreme sports and obsessive exercise regimens, so in a sense Trump isn't wrong. It's unhealthful to be sedentary and fat, but no one should delude themselves into believing that there is no long-term downside to an activity just because it is exercise and exercise is supposed to be virtuous. Someone who walks for a few hours each day has better long-term prospects than the person who swears by their daily run.

Didn't take long!

The Ironman remark is the only specific cited in the piece and it's well known that those events are a health risk on account of injuries and long-term stresses on the body. Forgive me for posting a relevant clarification rather than indulging in yet another round of mindless guffaws.

Ok, I forgive you.