1 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: This is Annie, and you're listening to stuff I've never 2 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: told you. With now under way, I see more and 3 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: more people out and about exercising, trying to stick to 4 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: those New Year's resolutions. I think I've mentioned before. Back 5 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: when I was a regular Jim goer, one of my 6 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: favorite things was the influx of people in the gym 7 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: in January that would pretty much die out by mid February. 8 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: I'm a terrible person. I should take pleasure in that. 9 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: I used to live with this guy who was a 10 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: runner like me, but he had such an easier time 11 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 1: losing weight and getting in shape than I did, or 12 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 1: at least that's what it seemed like, And it wasn't 13 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: just me saying that to him. He would often say 14 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: things to me like it sucks that it's harder for 15 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: women to lose weight, and it sounds passive aggressive, but 16 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: he was being pretty genuine. This got me thinking about 17 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: differences between men and women in exercise. So in the 18 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: spirit of the season, please enjoy this classic episode. Welcome 19 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: to Stuff Mom Never Told You from how Stuff Works 20 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Kristen 21 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: and I'm Caroline, and since it is the start relatively 22 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: of the new year. What better time than to talk 23 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: about exercise, because it seems like everywhere I turn in 24 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: my neighborhood, their boot camps running around. My yoga class 25 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: is now bursting at the seems I do not have 26 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: much room for my son's salutations. I am a little irked, 27 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: and I feel like it's all provoked because of the 28 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: New Year's resolution. Got to lose the quote unquote holiday pounds, 29 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: New Year, new body, and it's everybody is trying to 30 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 1: fulfill those New Year's resolutions. I, however, am going to 31 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: the gym to quit cancel my membership. Oh nice, Yeah, 32 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: I'm I'm going the opposite way because my resolution is 33 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: more to save money. So I haven't been using my 34 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 1: membership as much as I should, So I'm gonna cancel 35 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: that puppy. That's a great idea. And I quit my 36 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: gym a couple of years ago because my resolution was 37 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: to seem more daylight outside of a building. Uh But 38 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: enough about that. The question that came to my mind 39 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: probably because I do take yoga. That's the only kind 40 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: of organized exercise that I do, and my classes are 41 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: mostly women. And if you see the boot camps around town. 42 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 1: A lot of times, I've noticed it's a lot of women. 43 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: So I got an assumption in my head that maybe, 44 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: especially around this time of year, women exercise more than 45 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: men could be Maybe we're trying to recover from all 46 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: that cake and pie and turkey we eight over the holidays, 47 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 1: unnecessary body standards, body stands. Yeah. So we set out 48 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: to answer this question of whether women or men exercise 49 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: more and the first thing we come across is a 50 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 1: study about what happens on the playground. Yeah, it starts 51 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: in the very beginning, and apparently socialization. Boys are one way, 52 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: girls are another way, and this affects playtime and this 53 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: study found it's out of the UK, found that girls 54 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: take part in six percent less vigorous playtime activity than 55 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: boys do. And according to Dr Nicky Rodgers at Liverpool University, 56 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: girls we tend to when we're when we're little, we 57 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: tend to spend time in smaller groups and engage in 58 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: verbal games, conversation and socializing. Women be shopping, so basically 59 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: while we're playing mash they are. Yeah. Boys are in 60 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: larger groups, which she says, lens themselves to physical games 61 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: such as football or soccer, depending on where you live. UH. 62 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: And data from the National Child Measurement Program in England 63 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: is concerned about the low level of playtime activity for 64 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: boys and girls, even though and and girls are exercising 65 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 1: even less some boys because by age eleven, thirty of 66 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: children are overweight or obese, a statistic which is reflected 67 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 1: obviously in the United States as well. Yeah. And Rogers 68 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: points out that it's definitely a concern that maybe the 69 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: differences in exercise and physical activity, UM, maybe you could 70 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: be contributing to this problem of obesity, childhood obesity. UM. 71 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: And that you know, maybe we should try to have 72 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: games and playground equipment that appeals to both boys and girls. 73 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: So like extreme Mash, extreme Mash where like yeah, kind 74 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: of combined mash and duck duck goose somehow. There you go. 75 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,160 Speaker 1: That's again, instead of drawing the circle, you have to 76 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: run around. I think we just invented something we did amazing. UH. 77 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: And the this gender difference seems to carry over throughout 78 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: the lifetime. UH. In a study funded by the National 79 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:16,679 Speaker 1: Prevention Research Initiative for people over seventy, older women tend 80 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: to be less active than men. And Ken Fox is 81 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: a professor of exercise and Health Sciences at the University 82 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,799 Speaker 1: of Bristol partially attributes this to traditional gender roles, where 83 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: the men might be getting out and cutting the lawn 84 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: and being more active, whereas women might have a lower 85 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: intensity activities indoors right, like like chores like biscuit making, yes, crocheting, yes, 86 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 1: both of which I like doing. I have never crocheted. 87 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: I tried to learn a knit one time from a 88 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: kit and I I All I did is kept nodding 89 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: the yarn. It wasn't working. I went through a croucheing phase. 90 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: IM not gonna lie. I'd like to I'd like to 91 00:05:57,520 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: restart that that it didn't get you out of the 92 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: house though it didn't did not do extreme knitting or crocheting, 93 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: I should say. Now. There are some also some interesting 94 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: differences in how much people are exercising depending on their 95 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 1: marital status. And this is coming from a study in 96 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: two thousand about of about thirteen thousand Americans aged eighteen 97 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: to sixty four, and it charts their hours of exercise 98 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: in a two week period. Yeah, and as you might predict, uh, 99 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: single people men and women exercise more than people in 100 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 1: any other marital category. And those are divorced or separated, 101 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 1: currently married, and widowed. So even though the single people 102 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 1: in both groups are exercising more than anybody else, men 103 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 1: are still exercising more than women in every single yeah, 104 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:53,480 Speaker 1: way more way more single men. Always always single men 105 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: reported that they put in eight hours and three minutes 106 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: of exercise in the last two week aread that they reported, 107 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: and the always single women said that they put in 108 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: five hours and twenty five minutes. Now, I wonder you 109 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: got to take into account. It sounds like there's a 110 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: lot of self reporting going on. Perhaps men inflate what 111 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: they're doing in terms of exercise. Maybe we're they're counting 112 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: more walking or stair climbing. And as we should point out, 113 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: this is a cross sectional study that just captured that 114 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: one moment in time, that one two week period, so 115 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: it could be there. I mean, if they captured them 116 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: right after New Year's maybe everybody is really exercising. Maybe 117 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: if you did this again and like June, it wouldn't 118 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: be as high. I don't know, but it's nevertheless a 119 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: pretty start difference and also a start difference between those 120 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: always single men and the currently married men, and even 121 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: when they controlled for age, since the age band does 122 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: go from eighteen to sixty four. In this study, it 123 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: was still married men getting far less exercise eyes than 124 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: single men. Yeah, they controlled also for married men's parental 125 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: status and hours put in at work, just in case like, Okay, well, 126 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: it could make sense that if you have kids and 127 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: or work a lot outside of the home, that you know, 128 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: maybe you're not able to exercise. But they did control 129 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: for that, and the married men still had less exercise time. 130 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: But here's a little nugget of information that grabbed my 131 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: attention in terms of women and marriage and working. From 132 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: the mid seventies to the mid nineties, during a period 133 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: when women's labor force participation increase, our participation and exercise 134 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: also increased dramatically. I wonder if that's just what I'm 135 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: already getting out of the house. I'm taking control of 136 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: my finances. I'm an independent woman. I'm going to go 137 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: get on the StairMaster. I wonder what the what the 138 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: deal is. I feel like I'm just imagining just a 139 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: woman juggling balls, and it's just another another ball to juggle. Um, 140 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: So basically, we're an exercise not mutually exclusive for women. 141 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: But yeah, single folks were leading the pack some of us. 142 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,839 Speaker 1: So some of us are leading the pack and others 143 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: of us are wearing pajamas all day on Sundays. There's 144 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: nothing wrong with that. Um, But the thing is, Caroline, 145 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: maybe maybe you need to wear those pajamas, okay, because 146 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,199 Speaker 1: you don't need to exercise in the same way that 147 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 1: a man does because your body is built differently. Tell 148 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: me more. How about that for a segue. Yeah, here's 149 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: the thing. Exercise scientists have only started focusing on gender 150 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: differences in how the male and female body exercises and 151 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: responds to exercise in the past decade, and really only 152 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: in the past few years as it started to ramp up. 153 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:51,959 Speaker 1: For instance, we ran across a New York Times blog 154 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 1: post highlighting some studies on how when sports scientists have 155 00:09:56,280 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: recreated male only experiments to include women, they have found 156 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: that women react much differently. For instance, Um, they've discovered 157 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: that estrogen affects your metabolism and muscular health much differently 158 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 1: than it would in men. Researchers at McMaster University in 159 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: Canada gave estrogen to male athletes and then had them 160 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: complete a strenuous bicycling session, and it served as some 161 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 1: kind of metabolism booster magical. Yeah it was. Yeah, it 162 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: was a total magic bullet. They seem to have developed 163 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: new metabolisms. They burn more fat and a smaller percentage 164 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: of protein or carbohydrates to fuel their exertion, just like 165 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 1: women do. Oh and the whole thing about carbo loading 166 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: before and endurance exercise that has been around for so long, 167 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: it doesn't work the same for women. It's really not 168 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: that great for us certainly, Yeah, it does not work 169 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 1: the same. And Massive University in New Zealand did a 170 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:02,319 Speaker 1: study also a cycling an extreme cycling session and had 171 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: the male participants carbo load and and eat protein, and 172 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 1: they looked at the recovery time and you know, did 173 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: did test a couple of days later, and then they 174 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:16,679 Speaker 1: found that men definitely rely on both carbs and protein 175 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 1: to fuel not only their exercise but their recovery. This 176 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 1: is definitely not the same for women, who rely more 177 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 1: on the fat burn to fuel their exercise. And it 178 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:31,559 Speaker 1: seems too that estrogen might have kind of a protective 179 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: effect on our bodies when we are exercising. For instance, 180 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: a study at Mass University in New Zealand found during 181 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: another cycling study apparently it's very easy to study. Well, 182 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: this is the one that David Rowlands at Massey recreated, right, Yes, 183 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,680 Speaker 1: because you know, women were like, hello, we're different, We're 184 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: not the same. Can you not? Can you not do 185 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: a study that's only men? Right? And they suffered less 186 00:11:56,559 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 1: muscle damage, possibly because of the estrogen. Yeah. In the study, 187 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 1: Rolands found that women's blood contained lower levels of creatin kinase, 188 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: a biochemical marker of trauma in muscle tissue. And so 189 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,559 Speaker 1: while he's not really sure why what's going on here, 190 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: he did, Yeah, he did suggest that it could be 191 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: estrogen protecting our muscles. And here's the thing when it 192 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 1: comes to gender differences with exercise. In a previous podcast, 193 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 1: we've touched on how it's easier for men to lose 194 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: weight than women, which has been very frustrating for you know, 195 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 1: straight couples who are losing weight together because the guy 196 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: will just instantly, he'll stop drinking coke, you know, and 197 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: she's on this treadmill and still can't match him in 198 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: pounds lost. But it all has to do with how 199 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 1: we metabolize and how when we when women do endurance exercises, 200 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:03,319 Speaker 1: if we're running marathons, our body actually switches more into 201 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: a survival mode and holds onto energy storages were slowly burning. 202 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: Fatch makes exercise sound terrified, I know, because we you know, 203 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: we're evolutionarily protecting ourselves to uh, I guess to take 204 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 1: care of our offspring. About some babies. Whereas men just 205 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 1: go and they have those fast stores of energy from 206 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: carbohydrates and proteins, and uh, there you go. And they 207 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 1: have the higher density of muscle that also fuels they're 208 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 1: more efficient calorie burning. Exactly, it's all about lean muscle mass, folks. 209 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 1: According to Leslie Rochford, she's the executive editor of Women's 210 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: Health magazine. She was answering questions on their on their 211 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: website and from a lot of frustrated exercisers, and one 212 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:51,560 Speaker 1: one person wrote in about like why am I having 213 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: such a hard time losing weight when my husband is 214 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 1: having an easier time, And Rochford said that men have 215 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 1: more natural muscle mass, which fuels metabolism, so they lose 216 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: weight faster and easier. Those jerks um. And she suggested 217 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,079 Speaker 1: that women can speed weight loss by building more lean 218 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: muscle mass through strength training. So don't just you know, 219 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:12,720 Speaker 1: I mean, there's nothing wrong with being a runner and 220 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: just running that would be a great first step for me, 221 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: I think. But she suggested that women try to lift 222 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: weights now and again, and you know, in exchange for 223 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: their fat burning muscle mass, we have shapely curves. There 224 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: you go, glass half full. Well, yeah, men's men's muscle 225 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: mass also raises their just their resting metabolic right, so 226 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: even when they're sitting on the couch, they're still burning 227 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: more galleries than we are. Well, another thing too, is 228 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 1: we tend to perceive the outcomes of exercise differently. And 229 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 1: I think this has to do possibly with more of 230 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: socialization factors. But men are really motivated to or more 231 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 1: motivated at least a quarter two studies to want to 232 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 1: you know, do the rigorous exercises and build the muscle 233 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: and see it as a way to feel better and 234 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: feel stronger, whereas a lot of times women's motivations for 235 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 1: exercising is more about shapeliness and wanting to look better. 236 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: Or if you're like me, you want to exercise so 237 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 1: that you can eat that ice cream exactly, drink a 238 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: glass of one. It's kind of that means to an end. Yeah, 239 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: and uh, weight watchers did a study and chief scientists. 240 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: Their chief scientists, Karen Miller Cova Covac said that men 241 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:38,640 Speaker 1: see sweating as a badge of honor, so they're in 242 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 1: the gym adding more and more weight, like oh, yeah, 243 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna bulk up because they're thinking, obviously this is 244 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: a generalization, but they're thinking, I'm going to add all 245 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 1: this weight, so I'm gonna be huge and musclely, whereas 246 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: women are going like, oh, I'm just gonna lift this 247 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: three pound wait, because I'm so terrified of looking like Madonna. 248 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: So but but as we've heard you, you should lift 249 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: more weight as a lady. Right. But that dry for 250 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: muscularity is also a potential risk factor for men. There's 251 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,400 Speaker 1: a two thousand to study from the University of Florida 252 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:10,359 Speaker 1: which found the college aged men and this is confirmed 253 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 1: by time spent in our college Caroline. Uh. College age 254 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: men were twice as likely as their female counterparts to 255 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: exercise to excess and become distraught if they miss one session. Yeah. Well, 256 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: that's that whole issue of exercise dependency. And it does 257 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: make you feel better, it relieves anxiety and tension and 258 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: all that stuff, but you can become um hooked and 259 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: should really not try to push yourself over the limit. 260 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,360 Speaker 1: There's it's there's a difference between pushing yourself and trying 261 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: to get healthier and pushing yourself and then injuring yourself. 262 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: And women have to watch out too, because, according to 263 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 1: Jennifer Bema of Brigham and Women's Hospital, we you know, 264 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: we do exercise differently, and we respond differently to exercise, 265 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: and we have to actually work harder to keep our 266 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: hips in line with our knees when we're doing things 267 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 1: like running and jumping. So our bodies not only our 268 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 1: bodies responding differently to exercise, but um, we're physically different obviously. 269 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: For instance, women tend to have smaller hearts, and on 270 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: the downside, estrogen actually counteracts a protein which is produced 271 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: when we exercise really intensely, which helps protect the heart 272 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 1: against tissue damage. So we might be at a higher 273 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: risk of that kind of tissue damage because of estrogen. 274 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: Um and we also have smaller lungs, which can limit 275 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 1: exercise tolerant, which makes me feel better about when I'm 276 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: on the treadmill and I'm next to a dude and 277 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:43,119 Speaker 1: I'm like, you know, I'm doing that awful, ugly heavy 278 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: breathing thing and turning bright red, and then the trainer 279 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:47,920 Speaker 1: comes over and he's like, are you all right? I 280 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: need to get off. But that doesn't mean that we 281 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:54,159 Speaker 1: are not fit for endurance competition. Even though here's a 282 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:58,959 Speaker 1: staggering fact for folks out there, it wasn't until nineteen 283 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:02,119 Speaker 1: eighty four were that women were allowed to compete in 284 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 1: the Olympic marathon. Crazy, that has only been twenty seven years. Yeah, yeah, 285 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: I mean, we're actually better suited to long distance running 286 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: marathons because we've got fat, all that wonderful fat that's 287 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: more of a long burning fuel as opposed to carbs 288 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 1: or protein. So even though over the long term, if 289 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,199 Speaker 1: we're doing all of that, we might not might not 290 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: necessarily burn the same amount of calories as guys, but hey, 291 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: we can, we can run, we can burn fat. And 292 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: you'd think, because when they gave in that study we 293 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, when they gave men estrogen, all of a sudden, 294 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 1: the men were like bam, fat gone, and they weren't 295 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: relying their bodies, weren't relying so much on proteins and carbohydrates. 296 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,119 Speaker 1: You'd think like, oh, well, then why do we have 297 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: the harder time losing weight. But you know, several studies 298 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: that we looked at showed that women just have to 299 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: work harder because to lose that fat that we're holding onto, 300 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: because our fuel is perhaps in a way you could 301 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 1: think of it as a gas tank premium because it 302 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: burns slower and longer. UM. Yes, But for all of 303 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: our gender differences in motivations for exercise and how our 304 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:19,239 Speaker 1: bodies respond to exercise, and yes, these are a lot 305 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:24,879 Speaker 1: of generalizations that we have mentioned, here's the thing that 306 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:29,240 Speaker 1: we can all take away, and that is the fact 307 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: that every single one of us probably needs more exercise. 308 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: What are you talking about unless a lot of people 309 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: have written in UM and say that they listen to 310 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: the podcast while they're at the gym, are going jogging. 311 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 1: So for those of you exercising while you're listening to 312 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: this right now, kudos because you are in the minority, 313 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: and don't be embarrassed about your panting. Just you have 314 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:51,680 Speaker 1: smaller lungs as a woman, and I get red, face 315 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 1: get so red and anyway, Yeah, people people get have 316 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: concerned looks when they pass me on the sidewalk with 317 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: I'm jogging. But according to these centers for disease control 318 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: and prevention. More than sixty of American adults are not 319 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:15,919 Speaker 1: regularly active, and of us aren't active at all at all. Well, 320 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: it's those you get those Law and Order marathons going 321 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:21,160 Speaker 1: and it's hard to go. Yeah, and especially I mean, 322 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: I'm now to down to Nabbey. Every episode is like 323 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: an hour and a half and just for for one more. 324 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 1: Kind of frightening statistic. This is coming from an American 325 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: Time Youth survey that was recorded from two thousand three 326 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: to two thousand eight amongst eighty thousand people twenty years 327 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:42,120 Speaker 1: old and over, only five percent of respondents reported any 328 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: vigorous activities on a day to day basis, and the 329 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: most common of moderate activity that everyone reported was food 330 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: and drink preparation. The most calories. Take that into people, 331 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: The most calories that we're burning during the day is 332 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: when we are micro waving that hungry man XXL dinner 333 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 1: before we tuck in for a Law and Order marathon. 334 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: That's awful. So so the calories were burning are immediately 335 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: added back and probably double or triple or quadruple. Except well, 336 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 1: that is scary. Um that makes me want to do 337 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 1: push ups. I think I think hard about it, I 338 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: really do. I just it's hard. I don't have time. 339 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 1: I'm tired. It is hard. Yeah, and our our constant 340 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:44,719 Speaker 1: work cycle is completely tiring, and commute times and hello, 341 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: child rearing. I can't imagine that I have none of 342 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: those things to blame it on. Just laziness, just podcasting, 343 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: just podcasting. So I think we can take away that 344 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 1: men and women are different in every single possible imaginable way. 345 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,359 Speaker 1: But men, you do exercise more than we do. Yeah, 346 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: you do, so kudos. Try to get your female friends, girlfriends, wives, whoever, sisters, 347 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: mothers into the gym with you. Yeah, so that we 348 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: can all be so healthy, exactly healthy and live long 349 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: and productive lives. Yeah. So so, ladies. I'd like to 350 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:22,719 Speaker 1: know if we have listeners, female listeners out there who 351 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: are like, what, this is ridiculous. I'm at the gym 352 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 1: every day, I run marathons every weekend, So I want 353 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:32,160 Speaker 1: to know about the the extreme. Yeah, people exercise regularly 354 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:36,400 Speaker 1: out there. What keeps you motivated? Please tell me something, anything, 355 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,680 Speaker 1: because it's easy to go on the New Year's kick 356 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: of getting in the gym or the yoga class of 357 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: the boot camp every day. For I don't well, not 358 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 1: every day, but regularly for a couple of months, and 359 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:49,719 Speaker 1: then it slowly tapers off. So what do you do? 360 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: Let us know Mom Stuff at how stuff works dot 361 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: com is our email address. And on a much lighter note, 362 00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: I have an adorable email from a listener named Jewel Leah, 363 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,160 Speaker 1: who writes, I was listening to your perfume podcasts from 364 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 1: way back when I was listening to your perfume podcast earlier, 365 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:10,360 Speaker 1: and you said that a woman might like perfume similar 366 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,440 Speaker 1: to what her mother had worn. I'm fourteen years old, 367 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 1: and my mom and I each have a perfume motion 368 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: from Bath and Body Works. I recently secretly stole hers 369 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: she's not listening and replaced it with mine because it 370 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,359 Speaker 1: smells so much like her and it makes me happy 371 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: when I wear it. So I agree with you that 372 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: a girl would like a perfume similar to her mom's. 373 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: M That's very sweet. That is sweet. This is an 374 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: email from Allison about our Imaginary Friends podcast, and she 375 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: said you mentioned something about the number of imaginary friends, 376 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: and I wanted to tell you that I had seven 377 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,679 Speaker 1: imaginary friends. They were all named Katie, and they were 378 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: about seven inches tall with wings one would say bad 379 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:52,080 Speaker 1: words like poop, and I would immediately have to rush 380 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:54,520 Speaker 1: in and tell my mom that Katie had said that word. 381 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: Another one used to fly out of open car windows, 382 00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: forcing my family to spend more than one car ride 383 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: with their hands flinging out the window trying to help 384 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: me catch Katie as she tried to fly away. I 385 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,199 Speaker 1: just like to interrupt here and say that my parents 386 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 1: never would have participated anyway, she says. At one point, 387 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 1: I was at dinner with my family when suddenly I 388 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 1: stood up on the booth, raised my hand above my head, 389 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:19,920 Speaker 1: snapped or tried to my fingers, and cried, waiter more 390 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 1: napkins please, because Katie. Because different, Katie had put her 391 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:27,160 Speaker 1: face in her food, as she did often. Katie. I'm 392 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: an I'm an only child and have always been told 393 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: that I have great verbal skills. I'm not sure what 394 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 1: all this says about me now, but the podcast was 395 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 1: one of my favorites. Thank you. I have been Rickie 396 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:39,639 Speaker 1: Allison and all of your Katie's Yeah, and to all 397 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 1: of you who have been sitting in stories about imaginary friends, 398 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: they are a delight. If we still haven't heard anything 399 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 1: about Cucumber Boy, I know you're out there, Send us 400 00:24:49,560 --> 00:24:52,440 Speaker 1: an email mom Stuff at house stuffworks dot com or Hey, 401 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 1: Head over to our Facebook page, or you can follow 402 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: us on Twitter at Mom's Stuff Podcast, or you can 403 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: check out the blog during the week It's stuff Mom 404 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:07,199 Speaker 1: Never told You at how stuff works dot com. Be 405 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:09,920 Speaker 1: sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff from 406 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as we explore 407 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,879 Speaker 1: the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The how 408 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: Stuffork's iPhone app has arrived. Download it today on iTunes.