Are Thais Unfit?

[StreetCowboy]

Can i count our Muay thai camp, all my friends here are super fit obviously.

Don't forget the west has serious obesity issues right now.

When you say "the West" do you mean Glasgow only, or do you also include places like Kilmarnock, Irvine, Greenock?

I find the inhabitants of Ayr and Troon to be relatively fit and healthy.

However, you are quite right; a good friend of mine passed on at an early age, leaving a widow and 3 or 4-year-old daughter, through disease to which rich living may have contributed - "West Coast disease", as the widow put it. So perhaps the jokes about dropping the pizza in the frier are in poor taste...

SC

sorry half those places i have never heard of, but its very sad to see what people are doing to there bodies.

sorry to here about your friends children being left behind. tragic that the poor man did not have the foresight to see what would happen, everyone believes it will never happen to them.

could have had more years with the children.

Only one child, perhaps fortunately. I think the chap took a reasonable amount of exercise, but he was prone to putting on weight and rich eating. But then there's others who are taken from us for no apparent reason and in the best of health. When I look a tthe friends my age that I've lost, I could ascribe one to obstreperousness, one to obesity, one to smoking, one to nothing at all, and one to the wickedness of the world. But then I know plenty of people who are still with us who are more obnoxious, carry more weight, have smoked for longer or live in more depraved parts of the world, and are still with us. The closest I have been to death was through tardiness...

SC

[robblok]

Can i count our Muay thai camp, all my friends here are super fit obviously.

Don't forget the west has serious obesity issues right now.

Of course people there are fit, but people in gyms like that in the west would be too. But in general i feel Thais are not that fit at all they hate walking. Most westerners are not bothered by it also we generally do things in a higher pace.

[doggie888888]

Are Thais unfit? Well, I live in Pattaya and it seems more appropriate that the question should be: are farangs obese?

Thais have a coping mechanism with the heat, and that is to do as little as possible in the midday sun. Well, that is my theory anyway after general observations of the natives in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Phillippines.

[mataus101]

thais do hate walking, and fit as they look often a short walk makes them look like there gonna collapse.

[bonobo]

Go into CaliWow after work and try and get a machine.

dam_n straight.

What's so infuriating is that most of the 20 minutes it seems to take the average Thai to do 3 sets on a machine is taken up by their interminable f***ing about on their smartphones.

Well, you do have that right!

Last week, I was waiting for the bench press, and some guy was sitting at the edge of the bench talking on the phone. After about 10 minutes, I was getting frustrated wondering how long a rest he needed between sets when he hung up his phone, then stood up and left.

[bonobo]

IMO. The thing with gyms,fitness centers,weight lifting institutions etc. is, they are only available because men (mostly men) have been brainwashed to believe that this is the hip thing to do. Same as the "Twiggy Look" for women before. Any normal activity should be sufficient for a normal healthy person.

"Hip thing to do?" How about the healthy thing to do?

Like it or not, we live a more sedentary lifestyle than 500 years ago. Instead of hoeing a field, we sit in back of a computer. Instead of walking to work, to the next village, we drive or take a bus. Instead of swinging swords at our enemies, we shoot a rifle. So to make up for that, we need to exercise in order to remain fit. Gyms are a convenient and reasonable alternative to plowing the back 40. And if you live in a crowded city, gyms may be one of the only adequate methods to keeping fit for most people.

[Travel2003]

Are Thais unfit? Well, I live in Pattaya and it seems more appropriate that the question should be: are farangs obese?

Thais have a coping mechanism with the heat, and that is to do as little as possible in the midday sun. Well, that is my theory anyway after general observations of the natives in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Phillippines.

Spot on

Most of my Thai friends are in very good shape.

They want to look good (vanity I guess).

But yes, they also have this "convenient" issues, where they do not walk for more than 100 meters.

Still they are normally very fit.

I think we can all agree that Thailand still are far behind some of the western countries regarding obesity and unfitness in the society.

However, most of my Pinoy friends are sligthly bigger.

[robblok]

Go into CaliWow after work and try and get a machine.

dam_n straight.

What's so infuriating is that most of the 20 minutes it seems to take the average Thai to do 3 sets on a machine is taken up by their interminable f***ing about on their smartphones.

Well, you do have that right!

Last week, I was waiting for the bench press, and some guy was sitting at the edge of the bench talking on the phone. After about 10 minutes, I was getting frustrated wondering how long a rest he needed between sets when he hung up his phone, then stood up and left.

I can just inmagine the frustration, i really dont like that at all. I like to keep no more as 2 minutes (max) between sets (deadlift) less for bench and squat and other exercises. I felt like i was loosing time and benefits when i have to wait like that.

[HardenedSoul]

IMO. The thing with gyms,fitness centers,weight lifting institutions etc. is, they are only available because men (mostly men) have been brainwashed to believe that this is the hip thing to do. Same as the "Twiggy Look" for women before. Any normal activity should be sufficient for a normal healthy person.

It's got nothing to do with being "hip". It's about maintaining one's physique so that it's better able to do its job.

In my case, I'm knocking on a bit and decided that I'd rather lose weight and fit into the perfectly good clothes I already have rather than buy new ones and end up looking like a heifer in shorts.

[Tonto21]

I took part in MTB race last Saturday, 90% Thai, I don’t consider myself unfit……….But the majority left me trailing, I had a great work out……Love-it.

I think fitness is not a national thing; it’s an education thing, a way of thinking, a life style. Fitness is a habit, unlike most, a hard one to get bitten by…..We, humans are by nature very lazy.

It’s only my opinion, but people who keep fit and manage to keep it up, (the fitness thing) do so not primarily for the obvious health benefits that’s just a bonus. For me, and I think a lot of people who keep fit, it’s the shear buzz, a feeling of achievement, and the rush of energy (and endorphin release at the end of a good section, I have never been more relaxed than after a good blow-out…. burning of energy. I was only reading some study about the mental health benefits from doing even just mild excise; I can most defiantly say it relieves stress.

For those people trying their best to belittle anyone who excises, you’re fooling no one! I don’t have any issues with anyone not wishing to do excise……Up to them. But to them that don’t do anything and try to take the piss! What is that about…?

Edited January 3, 2012 by Tonto21

[robblok]

I have to agree.. i feel much happier and more relaxed in periods where i exercise. I could not exercise for a while because of flooding. I got grumpy and irritable. Now i also feel i have much more energy.

[theblether]

I was going through a period recently of hitting the gym hard, and I was getting fed up with the repetitiveness of it, so I sussed out it was a 2 mile walk to the gym and I walked there and back twice a day. I enjoyed varying the routes and seeing some fascinating things that I hadnt spotted before.

I have joined a new gym which has a spinning bike with a virtual reality screen so you can watch the route and vary the route as your exercising. Monotony is the enemy of exercise.

[robblok]

@theblether

I got a nice spinning bike in my home gym.. and your right montotony is really the enemy. I got some spinning DVD's but they don't really do it for me. I even tried watching movies while i was on the bike.

Trying to get my gf to do some badminton with me, but she seems to think exercise is a bad word

[StreetCowboy]

I took part in MTB race last Saturday, 90% Thai, I don’t consider myself unfit……….But the majority left me trailing, I had a great work out……Love-it.

I think fitness is not a national thing; it’s an education thing, a way of thinking, a life style. Fitness is a habit, unlike most, a hard one to get bitten by…..We, humans are by nature very lazy.

It’s only my opinion, but people who keep fit and manage to keep it up, (the fitness thing) do so not primarily for the obvious health benefits that’s just a bonus. For me, and I think a lot of people who keep fit, it’s the shear buzz, a feeling of achievement, and the rush of energy (and endorphin release at the end of a good section, I have never been more relaxed than after a good blow-out…. burning of energy. I was only reading some study about the mental health benefits from doing even just mild excise; I can most defiantly say it relieves stress.

For those people trying their best to belittle anyone who excises, you’re fooling no one! I don’t have any issues with anyone not wishing to do excise……Up to them. But to them that don’t do anything and try to take the piss! What is that about…?

The revenue department takes a very dim view of anyone that takes short cuts on their excises.

[bonobo]

I was going through a period recently of hitting the gym hard, and I was getting fed up with the repetitiveness of it, so I sussed out it was a 2 mile walk to the gym and I walked there and back twice a day. I enjoyed varying the routes and seeing some fascinating things that I hadnt spotted before.

I have joined a new gym which has a spinning bike with a virtual reality screen so you can watch the route and vary the route as your exercising. Monotony is the enemy of exercise.

I tried some bikes with those reality screens back in the US. I liked them better than the ones without them. But for me, I use my trusty Kindle and read for as long as I am pedaling. It works great for me.

[Tonto21]

I took part in MTB race last Saturday, 90% Thai, I don’t consider myself unfit……….But the majority left me trailing, I had a great work out……Love-it.

I think fitness is not a national thing; it’s an education thing, a way of thinking, a life style. Fitness is a habit, unlike most, a hard one to get bitten by…..We, humans are by nature very lazy.

It’s only my opinion, but people who keep fit and manage to keep it up, (the fitness thing) do so not primarily for the obvious health benefits that’s just a bonus. For me, and I think a lot of people who keep fit, it’s the shear buzz, a feeling of achievement, and the rush of energy (and endorphin release at the end of a good section, I have never been more relaxed than after a good blow-out…. burning of energy. I was only reading some study about the mental health benefits from doing even just mild excise; I can most defiantly say it relieves stress.

For those people trying their best to belittle anyone who excises, you’re fooling no one! I don’t have any issues with anyone not wishing to do excise……Up to them. But to them that don’t do anything and try to take the piss! What is that about…?

The revenue department takes a very dim view of anyone that takes short cuts on their excises.

Ha ha.......very good!

[theblether]

@theblether

I got a nice spinning bike in my home gym.. and your right montotony is really the enemy. I got some spinning DVD's but they don't really do it for me. I even tried watching movies while i was on the bike.

Trying to get my gf to do some badminton with me, but she seems to think exercise is a bad word

I loved badminton when I was younger, fantastic sport. I also loved playing Racquetball when I worked with the US forces in Germany, the ball was more lively than a squash ball so it gave amatuers like me a fair crack at the game, unlike squash which can be brutal. ( and fatal ).

My girlfriend announced that she wanted to "Go walk with me", once I picked myself up off the floor we got about 600 metres and she flagged down a taxi and went home.

[theblether]

I was going through a period recently of hitting the gym hard, and I was getting fed up with the repetitiveness of it, so I sussed out it was a 2 mile walk to the gym and I walked there and back twice a day. I enjoyed varying the routes and seeing some fascinating things that I hadnt spotted before.

I have joined a new gym which has a spinning bike with a virtual reality screen so you can watch the route and vary the route as your exercising. Monotony is the enemy of exercise.

I tried some bikes with those reality screens back in the US. I liked them better than the ones without them. But for me, I use my trusty Kindle and read for as long as I am pedaling. It works great for me.

I cant concentrate on reading when I am exercising, all that sweat getting into my eyes is a real problem, and I cant wear a sweatband, I look stupid enough as it is

[Tonto21]

I was going through a period recently of hitting the gym hard, and I was getting fed up with the repetitiveness of it, so I sussed out it was a 2 mile walk to the gym and I walked there and back twice a day. I enjoyed varying the routes and seeing some fascinating things that I hadnt spotted before.

I have joined a new gym which has a spinning bike with a virtual reality screen so you can watch the route and vary the route as your exercising. Monotony is the enemy of exercise.

I tried some bikes with those reality screens back in the US. I liked them better than the ones without them. But for me, I use my trusty Kindle and read for as long as I am pedaling. It works great for me.

I cant concentrate on reading when I am exercising, all that sweat getting into my eyes is a real problem, and I cant wear a sweatband, I look stupid enough as it is

Fair play to anyone who can read and exercise……I’ve started to use an MP3 stick when riding, I am very careful about where I use it, I’m only to aware I’m losing a sense. I only use it when up in them there hills, but that has its dangers, I was caught red handed by half a dozen field workers singing along to; “Can you see the real me” …The Who, while climbing a grotty hill! I was totally unaware they were there until I passed them. The look on their face……..priceless.

Edited January 3, 2012 by Tonto21

[StreetCowboy]

I was going through a period recently of hitting the gym hard, and I was getting fed up with the repetitiveness of it, so I sussed out it was a 2 mile walk to the gym and I walked there and back twice a day. I enjoyed varying the routes and seeing some fascinating things that I hadnt spotted before.

I have joined a new gym which has a spinning bike with a virtual reality screen so you can watch the route and vary the route as your exercising. Monotony is the enemy of exercise.

I tried some bikes with those reality screens back in the US. I liked them better than the ones without them. But for me, I use my trusty Kindle and read for as long as I am pedaling. It works great for me.

I do mental arithmetic on the data in front of me, and try to compare hear trate to estimated time of expiry, average rate of fluid loss per virtual kilometre cycled, litres of fluid loss per beat per minute and so forth.

[StreetCowboy]

I was going through a period recently of hitting the gym hard, and I was getting fed up with the repetitiveness of it, so I sussed out it was a 2 mile walk to the gym and I walked there and back twice a day. I enjoyed varying the routes and seeing some fascinating things that I hadnt spotted before.

I have joined a new gym which has a spinning bike with a virtual reality screen so you can watch the route and vary the route as your exercising. Monotony is the enemy of exercise.

I tried some bikes with those reality screens back in the US. I liked them better than the ones without them. But for me, I use my trusty Kindle and read for as long as I am pedaling. It works great for me.

I cant concentrate on reading when I am exercising, all that sweat getting into my eyes is a real problem, and I cant wear a sweatband, I look stupid enough as it is

Fair play to anyone who can read and exercise……I’ve started to use an MP3 stick when riding, I am very careful about where I use it, I’m only to aware I’m losing a sense. I only use it when up in them there hills, but that has its dangers, I was caught red handed by half a dozen field workers singing along to; “Can you see the real me” …The Who, while climbing a grotty hill! I was totally unaware they were there until I passed them. The look on their face……..priceless.

On a real bike, I try to avoid distractions. Although I'm not as young as I once was, I'm still younger than I'd like to be in the future, and inattentive cyclists can quickly become late cyclists.

SC

[xthAi76s]

IMO. The thing with gyms,fitness centers,weight lifting institutions etc. is, they are only available because men (mostly men) have been brainwashed to believe that this is the hip thing to do. Same as the "Twiggy Look" for women before. Any normal activity should be sufficient for a normal healthy person.

I agree, but you can't deny that it's pretty nice (and, in my case, motivating) to be a man working out amongst good looking young women.

I have a gym room in my condo which works just fine for me. Don't laugh, but I've found that bodyweight exercises work just fine for me. Dropped significant weight here in Thailand since performing the routines. Following site is excellent: http://www.bodyrock.tv/

As for the fitness of Thais, I agree with some of the guys/gals that the overwhelming majority are unlikely to be fit as is likely the case in any country. If we get into comparing percentages of Thais vs non-Thais, who knows? Also, what is 'fit' anyway. While average Thais do seem to be adverse to walking in the heat, there are a good deal of them who making their livings doing physical work which might tend to make them more agile, though they might still not be fit by typical definitions. Indeed most people the world over are probably not 'fit'. Who here among us can, for instance, run a 12K in a reasonably amount of time?

It's probably more fruitful to compare statistics on health issues related to being 'unfit' -- if those stats exist and if they can be trusted to be reasonably accurate.

[Semper]

IMO. The thing with gyms,fitness centers,weight lifting institutions etc. is, they are only available because men (mostly men) have been brainwashed to believe that this is the hip thing to do. Same as the "Twiggy Look" for women before. Any normal activity should be sufficient for a normal healthy person.

First you say your really not fit and then you start commenting over things you "presumably" have no knowledge about. What is normal activity ? I know weight lifting helps me (not as much as watching my food) with weight control. Actually there are many levels of fitness and many are not transferable between sports. (just get a swimmer to jog or a biker to swim)

Its good that there is so much to choose from sports wise as we don't all like the same thing. And for course the most effective thing is the thing you like doing.

I gained too much weight in the past 3 months because i was unable to do exercise (flooding 1,5 month holiday with parents 1mnth). But i know for a fact that with weightlifting and minding my food id be able to loose it in the same time frame.

Ok. I'll start with you. You ask what normal activity is. Well, I can tell you that weight lifting is not one of those things. Don't take this as an offence, but weight lifting is not a normal activity for a human, as a hobby, yes but for maintaining your bodys normal fitness, no.

And about your weight gaining. This is a normal reaction to your body. When you eat more than you need, the extra energy is saved as body fat for a rainy day.

Edited January 3, 2012 by Semper

[travelmann]

For your answer, look in any car park, Thais will double park to be millimetres from the doors, not only are they unfit, they are extremely selfish and lazy but in the realms of TV I must point out not ALL Thais

[robblok]

IMO. The thing with gyms,fitness centers,weight lifting institutions etc. is, they are only available because men (mostly men) have been brainwashed to believe that this is the hip thing to do. Same as the "Twiggy Look" for women before. Any normal activity should be sufficient for a normal healthy person.

First you say your really not fit and then you start commenting over things you "presumably" have no knowledge about. What is normal activity ? I know weight lifting helps me (not as much as watching my food) with weight control. Actually there are many levels of fitness and many are not transferable between sports. (just get a swimmer to jog or a biker to swim)

Its good that there is so much to choose from sports wise as we don't all like the same thing. And for course the most effective thing is the thing you like doing.

I gained too much weight in the past 3 months because i was unable to do exercise (flooding 1,5 month holiday with parents 1mnth). But i know for a fact that with weightlifting and minding my food id be able to loose it in the same time frame.

Ok. I'll start with you. You ask what normal activity is. Well, I can tell you that weight lifting is not one of those things. Don't take this as an offence, but weight lifting is not a normal activity for a human, as a hobby, yes but for maintaining your bodys normal fitness, no.

And about your weight gaining. This is a normal reaction to your body. When you eat more than you need, the extra energy is saved as body fat for a rainy day.

I get that weight lifting is not normal.. though in early times hard work was normal. But i asked you what is normal for your body to stay in shape.. what kind of exercise or movement do you consider normal and is enough.

Anyway i dont take any offense, i know what to do to keep in shape.. a mix of weightlifting and cardio.

Weight gain can be real bad.. especially if you gain too much. Just think about all the diseases related to obesity.

[Tonto21]

IMO. The thing with gyms,fitness centers,weight lifting institutions etc. is, they are only available because men (mostly men) have been brainwashed to believe that this is the hip thing to do. Same as the "Twiggy Look" for women before. Any normal activity should be sufficient for a normal healthy person.

First you say your really not fit and then you start commenting over things you "presumably" have no knowledge about. What is normal activity ? I know weight lifting helps me (not as much as watching my food) with weight control. Actually there are many levels of fitness and many are not transferable between sports. (just get a swimmer to jog or a biker to swim)

Its good that there is so much to choose from sports wise as we don't all like the same thing. And for course the most effective thing is the thing you like doing.

I gained too much weight in the past 3 months because i was unable to do exercise (flooding 1,5 month holiday with parents 1mnth). But i know for a fact that with weightlifting and minding my food id be able to loose it in the same time frame.

Ok. I'll start with you. You ask what normal activity is. Well, I can tell you that weight lifting is not one of those things. Don't take this as an offence, but weight lifting is not a normal activity for a human, as a hobby, yes but for maintaining your bodys normal fitness, no.

And about your weight gaining. This is a normal reaction to your body. When you eat more than you need, the extra energy is saved as body fat for a rainy day.

“Weight lifting not normal activity” I beg to differ, it’s more normal than tapping away on a computer keyboard! the human body requires a degree of load bearing to maintain a healthy skeletal, muscle and nerve structure. The human race has outpaced naturel evolution, where in the past we as humans would have to hunt, run, walk lift, fight and lift/carry day in day out.

Fact is, us human are remarkable bits of kit. But still we need to maintain it by regular physical exercise, both cardio and load bearing activities.

If your comment regarding Weight lifting is aimed at body building, OK that would be another issue, no comment. But if you’re someone who does not do a physical job, an allover body activity on a very regular basis, then weight lifting will fill the body’s needs, and is very beneficial.

One of the reasons so many people suffer from back and joint pain as they get older is down to lose of muscle volume which in turn leads to poor posture. Light weight training, (not body building) will maintain muscular frame and help keep bone density from diminishing.

Recent study have shown, (sorry can’t quote any figures) that weight training has had a bad press in the past, and, as said new studies now say the benefits are very tangible, a little known fact, weight training will burn as many calories, if not more than like for like cardio work.

On a personal note……I hate weight training…….But, I do recognize the benefits it brings, and have planned to start going 2 or 3 times a week in addition to my cardio work.

Edited January 3, 2012 by metisdead
Quit using odd fonts!

[kurnell]

Apart from the occasional gym fanatic or athlete, I am yet to find a Thai girl with a firm ass.

[bonobo]

“Weight lifting not normal activity” I beg to differ, it’s more normal than tapping away on a computer keyboard! the human body requires a degree of load bearing to maintain a healthy skeletal, muscle and nerve structure. The human race has outpaced naturel evolution, where in the past we as humans would have to hunt, run, walk lift, fight and lift/carry day in day out.

Fact is, us human are remarkable bits of kit. But still we need to maintain it by regular physical exercise, both cardio and load bearing activities.

If your comment regarding Weight lifting is aimed at body building, OK that would be another issue, no comment. But if you’re someone who does not do a physical job, an allover body activity on a very regular basis, then weight lifting will fill the body’s needs, and is very beneficial.

One of the reasons so many people suffer from back and joint pain as they get older is down to lose of muscle volume which in turn leads to poor posture. Light weight training, (not body building) will maintain muscular frame and help keep bone density from diminishing.

Recent study have shown, (sorry can’t quote any figures) that weight training has had a bad press in the past, and, as said new studies now say the benefits are very tangible, a little known fact, weight training will burn as many calories, if not more than like for like cardio work.

On a personal note……I hate weight training…….But, I do recognize the benefits it brings, and have planned to start going 2 or 3 times a week in addition to my cardio work.

Excellent post, and spot on.

As we no longer are out hunting for mammoth, hauling the kill back to camp, we do need to do something to stress our loading-bearing musculature and bones. Lifting weights is a valid and reasonable way to do this.

While more men than women lift weights, it may be more important for women to do so in order to combat osteoporosis.

[arthurwait]

@theblether

I got a nice spinning bike in my home gym.. and your right montotony is really the enemy. I got some spinning DVD's but they don't really do it for me. I even tried watching movies while i was on the bike.

Trying to get my gf to do some badminton with me, but she seems to think exercise is a bad word

I loved badminton when I was younger, fantastic sport. I also loved playing Racquetball when I worked with the US forces in Germany, the ball was more lively than a squash ball so it gave amatuers like me a fair crack at the game, unlike squash which can be brutal. ( and fatal ).

My girlfriend announced that she wanted to "Go walk with me", once I picked myself up off the floor we got about 600 metres and she flagged down a taxi and went home.

Sounds so familiar.

Things my wife has suggested to do together for her to get fit.

Running she tried about 4 times. Twice I couldn't workout how she had got past me. There is no way she ran past on the other side of the road like she claimed unless she'd secretly been training for years. I suspect motorbike taxis.

Cycling. She's used her bike about 4 times in the same amount of years.

Swimming. This lasted longer, but it wasn't long before the I don't want brown skin excuses started.

It's amazing how long she can walk in shopping centres though or how many exercise gadgets and videos she can buy that have been used once or twice if at all.

[arthurwait]

Go into CaliWow after work and try and get a machine.

dam_n straight.

What's so infuriating is that most of the 20 minutes it seems to take the average Thai to do 3 sets on a machine is taken up by their interminable f***ing about on their smartphones.

Which they're still using in KFC, pizza company and Svensons straight after the gym.