Stephen Harper offers new fitness tax credit after budget gets in shap

[William Ashley]

Being a "world class athlete" and being in excellent shape are two different things. Yesterday I ran a marathon, today I biked 100 miles (160 km) and then went rock climbing. I haven't been in a fitness gym or used fitness equipment since they made us do it in grade 11 (~9 years ago).

Hey Bonam in Seatle --- 1. I am skeptical, while this is possible a bicycle is still equipment. Also I want your training program.

Likewise was it free climbing or did you use assisting equipment? What was the grade of the hill? Which mountain?

That isn't exceptional 40 km run isn't hard, but it is stressful on a large body person - marathon runners are almost always beanpoles with thethered muscle. 160 km bike might depend on the hills on that ride or the elevation. It is however a long bikeride. As I stated, you are likely placing unneeded stress on your body. Once again this might proove as heasay Mr. Bonam from Seatle posting on a Canadian Federal Politics Intnernet Forum.

Regardless of your practices, how much can you lift? SOme pics of yourself and supporting information on yourself to proove this isn't a fabrication.

Like I said though post up your training program. Doing BIAthelons isn't suitable for all people especially those in cold climates LIKE CANADIANS. You arn't going to get me to run 40 km and bike 160 km in -10 degree weather, sorry you are nuts. It is about efficiency and ergonics, for all weather activities you are likely going to need to buy equipment anyway, and a gym is way safer than subzero winter.

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Also you "may or may not be fit. If you were free form climbing without rig on a difficult hill you'd be fit otherwise you are likely on the upper end of health, but not fitness.

People like to think that they are athletic when in fact they arn't, real athletes are at a higher level - than most people understand a lot of work goes into being an athlete. Being fit is difficult also, but it is something to aim for. Everyone should be in high health without disease (or medical condition such as pregnancy) it is mental failure not to be, if the tools are provided. ---- however, it is a choice, it isn't a mental failure based on choice, but it is one I can't understand.

Making it easier to be healthy by assistive gym equipment is a tool where a larger portion of the public can have access to quality health and a chance for fitness.

But 5 years from now is the WRONG PSYCHOLOGY for a government to take on funding programs, and leaving it to the private sector is WRONG and amounts to a funnel without assurance of quality or availability..

FUND PUBLIC EQUIPMENT ON A COST REDUCTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH - GIVE IT TO SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC FACILITIES --- 1st, fund the youth.. promote fitness and make use of it for the non regulated non school age public.

Edited April 5, 2011 by William Ashley

[Jack Weber]

Yeah, all the damn Harris crap. The Harris balanced budgets. The Harris lower taxes. The Harris job growth and lower unemployment. The upgrade of Ontario's credit rating. Damn that crap!

So massive deficits instead of balanced budgets is the opposite side of the same coin? And higher taxes instead of lower taxes is the opposite side of the same coin? And higher unemployment instead of lower unemployment is the opposite side of the came coin?

Balanced budgets???

How 'bout the public debt he racked up???

How 'bout that hidden deficit we found out about in 2003??

How 'bout the John Snobelin "If you don't see a crisis,create a crisis" approach to the Ministry of Education??

How 'bout the David Tsibuche(sp),"the poor can eat out of the reduced for sale bin" approach?

How 'bout the "Make the Ministry of the Environment business friendly" approach

(Plastimet Fire,Walkerton)

That's just off the top of my head...

Gimme some time and I'll rip your boy some more!!!

And massive debts and deficits as opposed to massive public debt and hidden deficits?

How did Mr Harris give us all high employment numbers,Professor??

Do you think it was his borrowing 5 billion dollars to give away in tax cuts in the first mandate??

Or was it that US economy coupled with a low dollar and a booming auto sector??

Hmmm...Let's think about that one...

Naw..It's gotta be all Harris,all the time!!!

[William Ashley]

Who said anything about world class athletics? The tax credit is for people to keep in generally good shape, not to achieve world class status. You're really reaching with that false choice. And by the way, even world class atheletes choose pushups and situps. Even world class boxers use skipping rope for training. You know how much a rope costs? A few bucks.

Atheletes are a model to learn from. I'm not saying everyone with access to gym equipment who uses it will become a world class athelete, they don't pay me enough for that, but what I am saying is that people who have access to gym equipment and encouragement will perform much better than people with bare feet unless perhaps you chuck them in the woods and leave them for dead and they survive and perhaps grow hair throughout their body and learn to tackle large game animals and eat them raw. --- only profesional pushupers and situpers MIGHT choose the floor.. I bet most else will choose the room. Having equipment doesn't mean you can't do non equipment exercises too.

OK how do you think a poll of performance atheletes will turn out,

would you like access to this training room with all this great equipment, or this floor over here where you can do pushups and situps? What would you like to use to excel in your sport?

Sadly I think they wouldn't pick the floor but hell perhaps I am living in a bubble.

You need equipment for best effect, it takes WAY more work to do free body training, and it causes way more body stress due to repetition for results.

Edited April 5, 2011 by William Ashley

[RNG]

Atheletes are a model to learn from. I'm not saying everyone with access to gym equipment who uses it will become a world class athelete, they don't pay me enough for that, but what I am saying is that people who have access to gym equipment and encouragement will perform much better than people with bare feet unless perhaps you chuck them in the woods and leave them for dead and they survive and perhaps grow hair throughout their body and leaern to tackle large game animals and eat them raw.

Gold medals and stuff like that are totally irrelivant. People who excercise are healthier therefore are less of a burden on medicare. But we do need to do a study to see if they then live longer so suck more government old age related entitlements. Maybe we should just shoot everyone who turns 85.

[William Ashley]

Gold medals and stuff like that are totally irrelivant. People who excercise are healthier therefore are less of a burden on medicare. But we do need to do a study to see if they then live longer so suck more government old age related entitlements. Maybe we should just shoot everyone who turns 85.

Who do you think has the money -- why are people poor and dependent on government hand outs.. Sadly many old people have lots of money, they just want a higher standard of living a house a car etc... the argument they paid into it however is bogus because they put Canada in debt over those years... but the program should be legally contractable to insure they get returns on the investment of the program, and it is divied out... paying for itself.

The family cord is sadly recked in Canada, we have many family members and should be able to have strong family networks that allow for the surplus of given families to support their less successful members 1st. Only those outside the bounds of family ties should be supported by the larger public. However no, the obligation to provide for the elderly should be provided through optional old age insurance programs. But we really have no obligation and care for those who do not take part should be left to charity. Of course we must have community service and RIGHT TO WORK to provide an in for people to take part.

The argument of redundancy by technological redundancy providing for all is a negligent position and rather inane when discussing social security. For those however who have faith in being provided for so be it, but don't depend on government to do it, you might luck out, but you might not.

For those already in that aged group, it is too late and we can't hold it against them but we can recollect a portion of their benefits for putting the rest of us in debt take the money from the rich dead and give it to the aged poor atleast enough to let them survive and live a basic life use the rest to pay down the debt the rest of us are bearing because of their gains at our costs.

Financial success in a debted nation is often gained at the cost of others they only have money often because they took money from others at profit. This is good to an extent but there is a margin between success and success gained by public expense and debt. Canada has 500 billion dollars of debt. .. WHERE IS ALL THE MONEY? It is out there somewhere. Everyone shares the debt, and everyone shares what we have, but people got money for what we all have.

I'm not saying take all the riches money when they die but I am saying there is a fair amount to take --- such as paying off their portion of the debt, and providing for their peers retirements who are in poverty.

Edited April 5, 2011 by William Ashley

[RNG]

Does this forum have an Ignore feature?

[Smallc]

Does this forum have an Ignore feature?

Top right hand corner, right next to sign out and help.

[RNG]

Top right hand corner, right next to sign out and help.

Thx.

[William Ashley]

Gold medals and stuff like that are totally irrelivant. People who excercise are healthier therefore are less of a burden on medicare. But we do need to do a study to see if they then live longer so suck more government old age related entitlements. Maybe we should just shoot everyone who turns 85.

Who do you think has the money -- why are people poor and dependent on government hand outs.. Sadly many old people have lots of money, they just want a higher standard of living a house a car etc... the argument they paid into it however is bogus because they put Canada in debt over those years... but the program should be legally contractable to insure they get returns on the investment of the program, and it is divied out... paying for itself.

The family cord is sadly wrecked in Canada, we have many family members and should be able to have strong family networks that allow for the surplus of given families to support their less successful members 1st. Only those outside the bounds of family ties should be supported by the larger public. However no, the obligation to provide for the elderly should be provided through optional old age insurance programs. But we really have no obligation and care for those who do not take part should be left to charity.

[Bonam]

Hey Bonam in Seatle --- 1. I am skeptical, while this is possible a bicycle is still equipment.

Yes, yes it is. That's why I inquired earlier whether anyone knew if buying a bike would qualify for the credit

Also I want your training program.

Sure. Sit in my lab and do science all week throughout the day. Most evenings I either go climbing or biking for a few hours. Running is not something I usually do, not particularly fun, just picked it up lately to try and keep up with the gf. I didn't really train for the marathon, hence the mediocre time of 3:56. The most significant "training" I do is mountaineering on the weekends: ice climbing, back country skiing, glacier expeditions, hiking up various peaks, etc. I tend to do this purely because I find it enjoyable and I have good company to do it with, the fitness benefits are a nice side effect.

By the way, spending a lot of time at high altitudes makes doing things at sea level way less tiring. A friend of mine from Colorado was literally completely tireless because she is used to doing everything on ~34% less oxygen. Come down to sea level and you are suddenly turbocharged.

Likewise was it free climbing or did you use assisting equipment? What was the grade of the hill? Which mountain?

Rock climbing as in lead climbing up a vertical rock face. Given that this was something we did for just a few hours after the bike ride, we climbed a couple 5.9 and 5.10a routes, located at exit 38 off of I-90 east of Seattle.

That isn't exceptional 40 km run isn't hard, but it is stressful on a large body person - marathon runners are almost always beanpoles with thethered muscle.

In that case, I should count myself fortunate to have a relatively compact body, I suppose. I wouldn't count myself a marathon runner, it was my first.

160 km bike might depend on the hills on that ride or the elevation. It is however a long bikeride. As I stated, you are likely placing unneeded stress on your body.

That particular ride was mostly level along the Burke-Gilman and Sammamish River trails, which have only very minor elevation change along the route. I don't find biking to put any particular stress on the body. Last season I did, but after skiing ~60 times this winter and developing the quads some more, I can hardly feel the biking.

Once again this might proove as heasay Mr. Bonam from Seatle posting on a Canadian Federal Politics Intnernet Forum.

I am working on my PhD in Seattle. Most of the time that I've posted on this forum, I resided in Vancouver.

Regardless of your practices, how much can you lift?

As I mentioned, I have not gone to a gym or used exercise equipment for about 9 years. The only thing I lift is myself up rock climbing routes. Also, pull ups on climbing features.

SOme pics of yourself and supporting information on yourself to proove this isn't a fabrication.

I prefer to maintain my anonymity on this internet forum. Anyway, I look like a normal dude in good shape. I don't have huge bulging muscles nor do I want to. My goal is only to be in sufficiently good shape to keep up with my friends on our various mountaineering adventures. For example, last summer we summited Mount Rainier and Mount Waddington among others. We also did the West Coast Trail (75 km) without stopping except for quick water/snack breaks. Boy, that hurt by the end of it, was an interesting challenge though.

Like I said though post up your training program. Doing BIAthelons isn't suitable for all people especially those in cold climates LIKE CANADIANS. You arn't going to get me to run 40 km and bike 160 km in -10 degree weather, sorry you are nuts. It is about efficiency and ergonics, for all weather activities you are likely going to need to buy equipment anyway, and a gym is way safer than subzero winter.

If you are so into training, how about training yourself to be resilient in the face of cold weather? I lived in Montreal for a year working there and most weekends we'd go up skiing in various places, including Mont St-Anne and La Massif north of Quebec city where it was routinely -20 C to -40 C. Cold temperature is no excuse to stay indoors. In fact, it makes the outdoors even better, since you get more of the place to yourself There are plenty of enjoyable outdoor activities you can do in almost any winter weather. By the way, Vancouver has very mild winter weather.

Also you "may or may not be fit. If you were free form climbing without rig on a difficult hill you'd be fit otherwise you are likely on the upper end of health, but not fitness.

If by free climbing you mean doing this without protection, I'm not suicidal, thanks. I put in cams/nuts/hexes every 6 feet or so, or ice screws when climbing ice. Or perhaps you meant something else?

Edited April 5, 2011 by Bonam