Staying fit for five weeks in Thailand

[thousandpercent]

What kind of puzzy can't excercise if it makes him perspire?

[Myaimistrue]

to add: some people are sensitive to the sun on the head. In this case buy a bicycle helmet.

For me it is no problem at all, but some people seem to get serious problems.....

If someone needs to be told to wear a helmet while riding, especially in Thailand, they should't even get on a bike!

[NoshowJones]

May I suggest that while on holiday .. Forget about running and jumping all over the place and spending needless boring hours in the gym. You can do that at home without wasting your money on a flight and accommodation while on holiday. In this tropical climate a simple extended walk followed by a swim is enough exercise to keep things in order.

Thailand is a great place to relax and enjoy ... well, everything really. One point to remember is that most local people associate a fit, perhaps over toned body with being gay. Steroid induced bulges are a serious turn off, particularly for girls. If that's your intention, ok enjoy.

I fully agree with the over toned body. But there are lots of girls who love steroid size muscle.....But a beer belly and a wallet on steroids would do better.

Being an over muscled monkeyman looking like a freak of nature is not the way to go, being slim, lean and fit is far more attractive to women,

particularly if your not rich, although being fat, ugly and tattooed will also do, if the girl is convince you have a very big wallet.

[NoshowJones]

May I suggest that while on holiday .. Forget about running and jumping all over the place and spending needless boring hours in the gym. You can do that at home without wasting your money on a flight and accommodation while on holiday. In this tropical climate a simple extended walk followed by a swim is enough exercise to keep things in order.

Thailand is a great place to relax and enjoy ... well, everything really. One point to remember is that most local people associate a fit, perhaps over toned body with being gay. Steroid induced bulges are a serious turn off, particularly for girls. If that's your intention, ok enjoy.

I fully agree with the over toned body. But there are lots of girls who love steroid size muscle.....But a beer belly and a wallet on steroids would do better.

Being an over muscled monkeyman looking like a freak of nature is not the way to go, being slim, lean and fit is far more attractive to women, that is my experience,

particularly if your not rich, although being fat, ugly and tattooed will also do, if the girl is convince you have a very big wallet.

[ElisabethA]

Lots of people come to Thailand just to get fit, spending anything from a week to several months here. I use an outdoor gym every morning between 9 and 10am doing cross fit type workouts, involving quite a bit of running (its very hilly round here) and weights. I'm 48 and I can assure you I've more chance of getting hit by a motor bike on a run than 'your death by physics' senario. This is what we did this morning, took an hour.

[Nowisee]

It's seems way to technical speaking for me... watts and heat distribution and beats per minute and humidity ... .

Go swimming, do yoga, run stairs.

I agree with the other posters; slim and lean is a better choice for life long fitness... how many thick headed muscle nuts do you see at 75 years old??? not many.

Most of the older people in their 80-90's never even exercised like we do now.

Edited May 23, 2015 by Nowisee

[ThailandLOS]

I fully agree with mikebike and I don't understand why you are trying to argue it's physically impossible to do tough exercises in this climate. If it's about maintaining the fitness you have and you feel the heat is getting in the way of that. Join an aircon gym. Switch from cardio to weights as it's much more effective in the long run, especially if you wanna maintain. If you really wanna challange yourself. Join a muay thai gym for 1 month and give yourself one week of rest afterwards.

If you are looking to just simply stay fit without sweating your nuts off... Find a place to stay with or near a decent pool and push yourself doing laps.

I see lots of super fit people in the gym I visit (me not included but I am getting there) and they seem to be coping fine.

Cardio and weights is total different kind of fitness.....Fit muscles mean little for the fitness of the cardiovascular system. And a prime bicycle racer will lift only weights like a girl. Best is to do both a cardio like bicycle or running and weight training.

Sorry, that is total and utter BS. Lifting weights, e.g. as in power lifting, has very good and long lasting effects on the cardiovascular system. Just from doing 5 lifting base exercises 2-3 times per week I have stamina enough to run 1h at a decent pace.

On a side note, it seems like OP is more interested in proving his science theories than actually finding a good place to work out in TH. If this was a serious request for advice, I would expect questions on serious gyms in the area he is planning to visit.

[Nobb]

I stay fit by drinking 3 Heinekien,s a day. Pee good and have good bowel movements. 66 years old low blood pressure. And still strong for men muck younger. Gaines 2 kilo but worth every kilo! Plus make my Thai wife more beautiful!

Edited May 23, 2015 by Nobb

[perdido]

......stop trying to do yourself in.....lots of great yoga classes in Thailand-in Glasgow too.....

[edhart]

get fit lady

[mick01827]

I trained for 2 hours 6 days a week at a muay thai gym, outdoors starting at 5pm, I also joined the local gym which was inside and trained mostly in the mornings, I did all this because I enjoyed doing it and I had no problems, think your over analysing things and possibly your body is slowing down and you you shouldn't be training so intensely, maybe it's time to listen to your body. (I'm 44 btw)

[h90]

I fully agree with mikebike and I don't understand why you are trying to argue it's physically impossible to do tough exercises in this climate. If it's about maintaining the fitness you have and you feel the heat is getting in the way of that. Join an aircon gym. Switch from cardio to weights as it's much more effective in the long run, especially if you wanna maintain. If you really wanna challange yourself. Join a muay thai gym for 1 month and give yourself one week of rest afterwards.

If you are looking to just simply stay fit without sweating your nuts off... Find a place to stay with or near a decent pool and push yourself doing laps.

I see lots of super fit people in the gym I visit (me not included but I am getting there) and they seem to be coping fine.

Cardio and weights is total different kind of fitness.....Fit muscles mean little for the fitness of the cardiovascular system. And a prime bicycle racer will lift only weights like a girl. Best is to do both a cardio like bicycle or running and weight training.

Sorry, that is total and utter BS. Lifting weights, e.g. as in power lifting, has very good and long lasting effects on the cardiovascular system. Just from doing 5 lifting base exercises 2-3 times per week I have stamina enough to run 1h at a decent pace.

On a side note, it seems like OP is more interested in proving his science theories than actually finding a good place to work out in TH. If this was a serious request for advice, I would expect questions on serious gyms in the area he is planning to visit.

Yes that is exactly what I mean "I have stamina enough to run 1h at a decent pace." One hour is what someone untrained can do. It is more of an extended warm-up.

[MaeJoMTB]

I trained for 2 hours 6 days a week at a muay thai gym, outdoors starting at 5pm, I also joined the local gym which was inside and trained mostly in the mornings, I did all this because I enjoyed doing it and I had no problems, think your over analysing things and possibly your body is slowing down and you you shouldn't be training so intensely, maybe it's time to listen to your body. (I'm 44 btw)

Not suitable for someone of retirement age.

[thejcb]

5 weeks ? Oh, you poor sod.. Never mind.. Soon be over, soon be home.

Edited May 23, 2015 by thejcb

[h90]

May I suggest that while on holiday .. Forget about running and jumping all over the place and spending needless boring hours in the gym. You can do that at home without wasting your money on a flight and accommodation while on holiday. In this tropical climate a simple extended walk followed by a swim is enough exercise to keep things in order.

Thailand is a great place to relax and enjoy ... well, everything really. One point to remember is that most local people associate a fit, perhaps over toned body with being gay. Steroid induced bulges are a serious turn off, particularly for girls. If that's your intention, ok enjoy.

I fully agree with the over toned body. But there are lots of girls who love steroid size muscle.....But a beer belly and a wallet on steroids would do better.

Being an over muscled monkeyman looking like a freak of nature is not the way to go, being slim, lean and fit is far more attractive to women,

particularly if your not rich, although being fat, ugly and tattooed will also do, if the girl is convince you have a very big wallet.

I knew several girls that specific looked out for bodybuilder and had the opinion: as more as better. I agree that it is total freakish but they loved it.

But agree the wallet beats both slim and fit or muscleman....Walletman wins.

[h90]

to add: some people are sensitive to the sun on the head. In this case buy a bicycle helmet.

For me it is no problem at all, but some people seem to get serious problems.....

If someone needs to be told to wear a helmet while riding, especially in Thailand, they should't even get on a bike!

I never used a helmet....neither in Europe nor in Thailand.....

[goreme]

Pretty easy to stay fit without collapsing due heat exhaustion - workout during the times of day when it's coolest, mornings and late afternoons. Mix it up with swimming and avoid the sun between 11am-2pm and you will be fine.

Most farang experiencing heat exhaustion as result of exercising during hottest part of the day, in direct sunlight with little to no clothing on.

[duanebigsby]

to add: some people are sensitive to the sun on the head. In this case buy a bicycle helmet.

For me it is no problem at all, but some people seem to get serious problems.....

If someone needs to be told to wear a helmet while riding, especially in Thailand, they should't even get on a bike!

I never used a helmet....neither in Europe nor in Thailand.....

Of course you haven't.

Do you wear one on a motorcycle and do you wear a seatbelt in a car?

Done for the same reasons, but it's your life at risk.

[HooHaa]

it seems to me that if the heat is that much of an issue, you can be that fit.

[h90]

checked temperature on the computer 3 times today on the road bike

43

38.5

38.2

Degree Celsius

Don't know why the first value was so high, maybe direct sun on the computer?

[h90]

Pretty easy to stay fit without collapsing due heat exhaustion - workout during the times of day when it's coolest, mornings and late afternoons. Mix it up with swimming and avoid the sun between 11am-2pm and you will be fine.

Most farang experiencing heat exhaustion as result of exercising during hottest part of the day, in direct sunlight with little to no clothing on.

I have bad experience with 5 o'clock (on the road bike). Seems every monkey jumps into the car and drives home at full throttle......I first thought it is finish working, but I see the same and worse Saturday/Sunday.

But early morning is very relaxed and no worry about it is getting dark.

If on holidays it might be nice to go to some remote beach with the bicycle, when it is hot, swim, snorkel, read a book and in the afternoon ride home before it gets beer-o'clock.

Might be good exercise but feels more like holidays.

[Craig krup]

Swim

Read the evidence - very unlikely you can keep your heart rate high enough to challenge your CV system.

[if anyone reading this thinks that saying, "Swimming's the best exercise because it "does" your whole body", or "Swimmers are some of the fittest sportsmen in the world", then this comment isn't right, or wrong, it's "not even wrong" ]

[Craig krup]

Then why do so many marathon runners come from Ethiopia and Sudan, which are 50 degrees c in the shade?

.

Shouldn't they all be dead because of math and physics?

Big surface area, low mass, training at the cooler part of the day, training in low humidity environments which allow heat loss through sweating: E=ML.

I'm not a steroid user, I'm not an idiot, and I included some theory at the start precisely to avoid people who don't really care about the detail of things from subjecting me to their sarcasm.

The reason I posed the question was because I thought it was at least possible that someone who knew their onions had arrived at a solution I hadn't thought of. Running in the park and using the MRT to ditch heat was something I did think of, and then I saw someone doing it. I wondered whether there were other things I hadn't thought of, or things I had thought of that someone had tried. For example, I thought about taking a canvas resistance vest and putting the frozen packs from a chill box in it, and then using that to ditch the heat doing things like step ups in the park.

But as I say, I don't need to be told I'm weak or stupid by people who don't care to be right. If you've got a gym that doesn't have air con, and it has a pro-standard piece of exercise equipment, go along and kick out 300W for 20-30 minutes and tell us how you got on.....if you live. The reason I don't want to sit on my backside for five weeks, or do again the hard "running stairs at 6AM next to the Mekong and arriving back utterly saturated in two litres of sweat half an hour later" is because I've maintained fitness for thirty years, but Thailand has set me back so badly I still haven't recovered 11 months on. In your late forties you either maintain blistering workouts or you go off a cliff. Five weeks of "working really hard, dripping sweat, pushing yourself.......at 140 bpm" will do it.

[h90]

Swim

Read the evidence - very unlikely you can keep your heart rate high enough to challenge your CV system.

[if anyone reading this thinks that saying, "Swimming's the best exercise because it "does" your whole body", or "Swimmers are some of the fittest sportsmen in the world", then this comment isn't right, or wrong, it's "not even wrong" ]

I did competitions before, it complete max out the CV system, but that was in pools and don't ask me how boring it is to do 7km in the pool. Beside you need a long pool, min. 25 meter, but better 50 meter. + you would be a major disturbance to the other guest.

Don't know how it goes in the sea and how much water would you swallow if do it really full speed. But I am not from the coast, I often enough read about people who swim to some islands....just it is not my thing.

[h90]

Then why do so many marathon runners come from Ethiopia and Sudan, which are 50 degrees c in the shade?

.

Shouldn't they all be dead because of math and physics?

Big surface area, low mass, training at the cooler part of the day, training in low humidity environments which allow heat loss through sweating: E=ML.

I'm not a steroid user, I'm not an idiot, and I included some theory at the start precisely to avoid people who don't really care about the detail of things from subjecting me to their sarcasm.

The reason I posed the question was because I thought it was at least possible that someone who knew their onions had arrived at a solution I hadn't thought of. Running in the park and using the MRT to ditch heat was something I did think of, and then I saw someone doing it. I wondered whether there were other things I hadn't thought of, or things I had thought of that someone had tried. For example, I thought about taking a canvas resistance vest and putting the frozen packs from a chill box in it, and then using that to ditch the heat doing things like step ups in the park.

But as I say, I don't need to be told I'm weak or stupid by people who don't care to be right. If you've got a gym that doesn't have air con, and it has a pro-standard piece of exercise equipment, go along and kick out 300W for 20-30 minutes and tell us how you got on.....if you live. The reason I don't want to sit on my backside for five weeks, or do again the hard "running stairs at 6AM next to the Mekong and arriving back utterly saturated in two litres of sweat half an hour later" is because I've maintained fitness for thirty years, but Thailand has set me back so badly I still haven't recovered 11 months on. In your late forties you either maintain blistering workouts or you go off a cliff. Five weeks of "working really hard, dripping sweat, pushing yourself.......at 140 bpm" will do it.

yeah it gets harder as older you gets. You loose fast and you gain slow....the only thing you gain fast is a belly......

Sad how most people let go themself.....Most young Thais don't train anything beside the finger on the mobile phone and when you look at the tourists you see huge mountains of fat walking around....at least they must have strong legs....

[duanebigsby]

Then why do so many marathon runners come from Ethiopia and Sudan, which are 50 degrees c in the shade?

.

Shouldn't they all be dead because of math and physics?

Big surface area, low mass, training at the cooler part of the day, training in low humidity environments which allow heat loss through sweating: E=ML.

I'm not a steroid user, I'm not an idiot, and I included some theory at the start precisely to avoid people who don't really care about the detail of things from subjecting me to their sarcasm.

The reason I posed the question was because I thought it was at least possible that someone who knew their onions had arrived at a solution I hadn't thought of. Running in the park and using the MRT to ditch heat was something I did think of, and then I saw someone doing it. I wondered whether there were other things I hadn't thought of, or things I had thought of that someone had tried. For example, I thought about taking a canvas resistance vest and putting the frozen packs from a chill box in it, and then using that to ditch the heat doing things like step ups in the park.

But as I say, I don't need to be told I'm weak or stupid by people who don't care to be right. If you've got a gym that doesn't have air con, and it has a pro-standard piece of exercise equipment, go along and kick out 300W for 20-30 minutes and tell us how you got on.....if you live. The reason I don't want to sit on my backside for five weeks, or do again the hard "running stairs at 6AM next to the Mekong and arriving back utterly saturated in two litres of sweat half an hour later" is because I've maintained fitness for thirty years, but Thailand has set me back so badly I still haven't recovered 11 months on. In your late forties you either maintain blistering workouts or you go off a cliff. Five weeks of "working really hard, dripping sweat, pushing yourself.......at 140 bpm" will do it.

I'm not telling you you're weak or stupid, I'm telling you that you are overthinking it.

You use your "science" to refute any suggestion people have made. Swimming is not good exercise?

I have dozens of friends who jog, cycle, swim, work out in the gym,etc in this heat who are very fit in Thailand, but you reject every suggestion.

Advice with your attitude? Don't come, forget about Thailand or any other hot country, and be super fit at home in the cold.

[billphillips]

Then why do so many marathon runners come from Ethiopia and Sudan, which are 50 degrees c in the shade?

.

Shouldn't they all be dead because of math and physics?

Big surface area, low mass, training at the cooler part of the day, training in low humidity environments which allow heat loss through sweating: E=ML.

I'm not a steroid user, I'm not an idiot, and I included some theory at the start precisely to avoid people who don't really care about the detail of things from subjecting me to their sarcasm.

The reason I posed the question was because I thought it was at least possible that someone who knew their onions had arrived at a solution I hadn't thought of. Running in the park and using the MRT to ditch heat was something I did think of, and then I saw someone doing it. I wondered whether there were other things I hadn't thought of, or things I had thought of that someone had tried. For example, I thought about taking a canvas resistance vest and putting the frozen packs from a chill box in it, and then using that to ditch the heat doing things like step ups in the park.

But as I say, I don't need to be told I'm weak or stupid by people who don't care to be right. If you've got a gym that doesn't have air con, and it has a pro-standard piece of exercise equipment, go along and kick out 300W for 20-30 minutes and tell us how you got on.....if you live. The reason I don't want to sit on my backside for five weeks, or do again the hard "running stairs at 6AM next to the Mekong and arriving back utterly saturated in two litres of sweat half an hour later" is because I've maintained fitness for thirty years, but Thailand has set me back so badly I still haven't recovered 11 months on. In your late forties you either maintain blistering workouts or you go off a cliff. Five weeks of "working really hard, dripping sweat, pushing yourself.......at 140 bpm" will do it.

Sounds like a real fun guy that's going to have a real fun holiday. 5555

[ElisabethA]

Good grief, you are going to be dripping with sweat out here whether you exercise or not, copious showers are the way forward. As for all the nonsense about it not being safe or sustainable for 'late 40's) did you actually read my post, see the workout I did this morning and actually digest the information. I did similar workouts every day this week, and the one before and will do so again for the foreseeable future. I'm now watching the sun go down over the water with a very cold sing in my hand so obviously didn't get heatstroke or die! Oh and btw I am a 48 year old female so put your big girl panties on and suck it up.

[tolsti]

Why not rent in a condo that has a fitness room? The one I manage has weights, machines and saunas and showers. Oh, I nearly forgot the most important item... Floor to ceiling mirrors as well.

[Myaimistrue]

Swim

Read the evidence - very unlikely you can keep your heart rate high enough to challenge your CV system.

[if anyone reading this thinks that saying, "Swimming's the best exercise because it "does" your whole body", or "Swimmers are some of the fittest sportsmen in the world", then this comment isn't right, or wrong, it's "not even wrong" ]

Swim faster?