This is a great way to put it. I've been exercising so long that it is my normal. Not exercising for more than two days in a row and I start to feel weird/not healthy. This has led me to end up on the treadmill at 10pm or 5am. When it becomes your normal it is just like breathing or eating.

Same to me, but I was more active when I was living in a warm country. Now I am living in a mildly cold winter country, and struggling to go out out to walk/run because of the cold. 3 weeks and I already feeling less productive and healthy.

Check Craigslist for a cheap treadmill or stationary bike if you have room. Years ago I bought an inexpensive treadmill that had been used maybe twice, that I still use today when I can't get to the gym.

Running in the cold is great. I run outside until it gets below -20 deg C. Some thermal tights and a few layers on top is all you need. It took me quite a few years to finally just give it a try and now I actually prefer running in the winter vs summer.

There are masks you can wear that makes it easier to breath the cold air for running when it's even colder. I guess it heats the air a bit. I like walking in the cold, just have to dress for it and not overdo it so you overheat in your nice warm clothes :-)

I haven't tried the breathing masks though I probably should since I have asthma and breathing in the cold makes it worse.

I did the same comment seconds ago about breathing. I don't have asthma, but this is something that is difficult for me too.

Are they the sort of mask that makes you look like subzero from Mortal Kombat? I've been thinking about getting one.

I dont know about those, the one I saw looked like an asthma inhalator I think. But this was long ago.

Wow, this is great. I feel ashamed now because I was complaining about a 10-15 deg C cold. My old city was around 30 C the whole year.

What about breathing? Do you use any mask or this is something that you get used too?

I've never worn any kind of mask. I grew up in this weather, so maybe I'm used to. I was just in the Caribbean for a holiday. I tried running in +27 C weather with 70% humidity and I felt like I was suffocating.

I've seen people going to the park here in t-short, shorts and flip-flops the first nice day in spring when the weather goes above 10C.... ;-)

My problem with that right now is running in the snow/ice. The cold doesn't bother me, but It's hard to run on ice, even with traction devices on your shoes.

Yes, ice is by far the worst part. You have to pick your route to avoid it. I'm lucky enough to have a mostly cleared or packed paths in my neighborhood.

I think is normal ( like almost all animals) to be less active in the winter, and to be really active in the warm time/summer.

I do the same, body is used to idle in the winter/cold time. In summer, I spend almost all my free time outside.

Feeling great at my 40's.

There's a saying: You don't stop running when you become old. You become old when you stop running.

Of course, "running" can be substituted with any other exercise

Not only a saying: science. As long as you can walk 1.36 m/s (about 5 km/hour), the grim reaper will never catch up with you. 0.82 m/s (about 3km/hour) already makes you mostly safe (http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d7679)

It's nice to see an editor for the BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal) has a sense of humor. I wasn't expecting to see Pratchett T. as the first citation in a (somewhat) serious medical journal article.

The BMJ Christmas issue traditionally is for (somewhat) serious science, presented funnily. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320319.php has some examples.

I always feel this way when i see 'anti-' something. For example anti-austerity. That noun makes it sound as if austerity was the norm and sane choice and anyone with better ideas was being negative.

It's quite obvious actually, a very neglected truth. Humans are animals and sustaining the body takes work and time, the body needs it though, all mammals have maintenance to do. It shows how much modernity is twisting some basic stuff. The problem though maybe is what other truths we'd had to take into consideration by accepting that one, mainly that our society, lifestyle, work expectations & etc literally kills us slowly.

This needs to be one of those Bear memes.. anyway I like this and will put it up on my door at work.

This is often referred to as the "normalization of deviance" in sociology and public health research.