Are trains bad for our health?

As with all things- moderation.  I love model railroading but I sometimes wonder if I'm not too old to finally start my LAST layout.  I have retired, but have many other interest that don't allow me to work on it often.  As far as the exercise thing- it's good for you, but don't take it too seriously.  A freind 52 years old in excellent physical condition-worked out all the time-dropped dead from a heart attack after a policeman's endurance test.  On the other hand, I had an aunt who practically lived off fried food and Bar-B-que.  It shortened her life greatly.  She only lived to be 102!

I don't know. I'm on my feet and walking all day at the club on Saturdays, but all the lacquer and smoke fluid fumes I've been breathing the last couple of weeks probably aren't good.

Boys and girls, can you spell M-O-D-E-R-A-T-I-O-N? 

You could have trains as a hobby to reduce stress and exercise 30 minutes a day. 

I had open heart surgery last year, (4 bypasses) at 57 years old and 160 pounds.

You have to be your own self policeman, we should, being responsible , know when it's time to quit and do something else.....but like many other hobbies or food or entertainment, it can get to be an addiction....

YES! Between the smoke, stress caused by defective items, and the sedentary nature of the hobby, its a recipie for a heart attack!

......not to mention the lead in the paint from china.

South...,

I can only speak for myself. Keeping myself fit is a priority for me, and the gut thing you speak of... definitely, isn't my thing. People who care about their physical health and well-being... make the time to eat right and exercise.

Walking is free and an enjoyable activity, that contributes to your overall health. Exercising with or without weights can be done at home(indoors or outdoors). A few free weights don't cost much, either. I still use steel weight equipment, at home. While I was in corrections, some time ago, I had a welder build me a nice power rack. It cost me about $500.00, at the time. I could do chin-ups(had a leather belt so I could increase the weight load, by stringing weight plates onto the chain, attached); squats and bench press(the rack had steel safety bars, too); I could also do weighted dips(using the parallel safety bars and the belt I previously mentioned) to increase my muscle strength.

There are many ways to obtain physical fitness.

There's no need to pay and drive to a gym, unless you want to.

Rick

"Sometimes I think I made a big mistake building the layout at all."

You're right.  Sell the trains, cut up the benchwork (use a dull hand saw for the most exercise) and do some pushups.  DROP AND GIVE ME A HUNDRED! 

Not really, for me.  Even when I run trains, I stand so I can see beest, and usually move around the room a lot.  But usually, if I am up in my trainroom, I am working on my layout - crawling over and under, working in unusual positons that often require a surprising among of strength and precision. . . or carrying materials and stuff up stairs, or carting junk down to the trash over and over, or working prone on a "bridge" that I can erect over the layout, which is, always a stress on my muscles, etc. .  I don't get an aerobic workout perhaps, but a lot of times after a day of working on the layout I feel like my body had a real workout. 

 For me, it is a way to 'de-compress' after a stressful day at the office.  I think it is good for me in this regard.  I don't get enough. 

When things go wrong, as when all my track corroded, I think that.  But then I get something fixed and I am happy I did it. 

No No Bob, put that handsaw down, your layout is exquisite.

I recommend purchasing a treadmill or stairmaster and placing it in your train room. That way you can run your trains and get some exercise...

At a large layout, like Houston Tinplate, and during a public op, one can be walking most

I knew there was good reason to take this photo on the trail this afternoon:

...

I had to check the date of the post to make sure it wasn't something dredged up from April 1. Between yard work, house repairs, physical work on the job, I have all the exercise I can stay awake for. I lift a second cheese burger in homage to the effort I put in, then it's down stairs to the train room where there are more knee bends, and chin ups under the train table. According to what I heard on the news, the over weight will out number the correctly weighted people in this country in about a decade. I can't wait, because as a member of the new majority I propose to shut down all this skinny health stuff and outlaw low carb beverages less than 24 ounces.

Hamburger Express will be the name everyone will want on their train set and the tank cars will deliver beer and soda. Gondolas will cary onions sauted in butter. I can already see the head light on that train....

And if you connect that up so that it powers a generator, you can save on the electricity bill too. 

Getting back in trains is the best thing i done it 5 years.. Relaxing hobby i am to aggressive at hobbies and trains theres no reason to be... I love bulding my layout and fixing trains almost as much as running them.. When i run my vl challenger i am so relaxed...

Not everything in America need be a competition, despite much evidence to the contrary.  People are "addicted" to all sorts of things, exercise included -- not to mention eating, and the opposite extreme, NOT eating.

Better to be "addicted" to trains than to booze, drugs, hookers, and many other unhealthy pastimes.  It's also not all that great to be a workaholic, so I think more Americans could do with more hobbies.  But of course the point of a hobby is fun, and not be like more work.

Yes, but if you weren't running trains, would you be doing yardwork and working out, or would you be watching tv? Be honest.

Keeps me out of the bars.

Today must be a day for complaining. We are taking this hobby way too seriously.

romiller

One thing about wireless handheld controllers and realistic operation is actually walking with my trains and manually throwing switches. When I'm trying to operate two trains on a single track mainline, I'm standing and walking around a lot. For me, I rarely am sitting on a stool to watch the trains. I had a cardiologist suggest standing and walking whenever possible. It seems to work for me.

Stairmaster(s) won't fit in most dwellings due to lack of headroom.

YES!  Pack them up and send them to me.  You will get exercise packing them and once gone, no more temptation, you can spend your days working out.

Don

I spend most of the year travelling on business.I get a only few days home per month during our busy part of the year (September-June).I have a few weeks off during the summer.I make it a point to spend time running and enjoying my trains.It's very relaxing to sit and watch everything operate. I can feel the stress just melt away................I always feel so relaxed after a couple of hours running trains!

i know i am out of shape but i am working on it.  when i was in high school i was over 400lbs and now i am under 300.  so far so good  

Well, so what? 

According to the knowledgeable elite of the great state of California, EVERYTHING is bad for your health!  They would know, of course.

Besides, if this is going to be 'Death-by-Cheux-Cheux', bring it on, pal!! 

Yee-ha!!

It is possible to have more than one hobby.  How much time you spend on them is up to you.  I enjoy trains, gardening, running, and a number of other things.  As with anything, the key is to not go overboard with any of them.

Jeff Davis

I feel if you love the hobby it can be very zen which is good and very sedentary which is bad. It relaxes me after work and puts me in a state of bliss. However, at the end of every day, I fast walk 5 miles. After the walk, I relax with a bottle of water and play trains again.

A great book which was on the NY times best seller list was  PLAYING WHICH TRAINS by Sam Posey---- a great read, and it goes into the benefits of the hobby..

Are trains bad for our health?

“The toy train hobby is very sedentary in nature – “

So is eating, sleeping, driving, watching TV, Sunday Church, office work, praying, painting, reading and sitting on the porch – but I ain't gonna quit any of them and there is still enough time left to get in a little activity.

You could have trains as a hobby to reduce stress and exercise 30 minutes a day.

Mark nailed it.

I use manual switches and switch all over the place.  I have to crawl under the table to get to the other side, squeeze myself in the narrow space just to rerail a train.  Now my 3 year old can rerail a train for me and my 7 year old handles the switches I can't reach, BUT since I am bonding with my children, when I am in bad health maybe they will let me stay with them when I am old.  Now I am thinking of adding foam board to my plastic tables my layout is on, and creating actual scenery instead of paper grass, that will take work.  going up and down basement stairs is also exercise.  work up a sweat switching, run grass scented smoke fluid and pretend you are outside jogging in a park.

Why do you Tea Party types have to drop your political c--p in every thread you get a chance?

I like to think the 'brain-stimulation' of musing on layouts, planning and building is pretty good for me. Maybe I just like putting a healthier brand on day-dreaming. 

What's wrong with one hour at the gym every other day. You can do both. Don

A hobby is good for your health.  Just ask your doctor.  Keep in mind that physical health is just one part of the equation.  Mental health and emotional well being is equally important.  And there's absolutely no reason that a responsible individual can't achieve a good balance in maintaining both.