Do less young people to excersize nowdays than years ago?

[ColinJ]

I live in a really nice part of Yorkshire, as you will know if you read my posts - I'm forever posting photographs of the area. I've been walking and cycling (road and MTB) round here for over 20 years and I can honestly say that apart from around Hardcastle Crags (a local National Trust beauty spot), I've hardly ever seen anybody under 25 up on the hills. The countryside just doesn't seem to appeal to them, or it is too much like hard work going up there.

The local yoof generally hang about in the town centre or park, smoking (fags/spliffs) and drinking, so it isn't just TV/games/computers making them lazy.

There is a skatepark in said park where kids into skateboarding, rollerblading and BMX do their tricks, but they are definitely a minority group.

 

[Globalti]

I was dragged up mountains from the age of 8 by my parents and sometimes I went unwillingly. It wasn't until I was in my thirties that I really began to appreciate the aesthetic pleasures of mountain sports like walking, skiing and MTBing.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

As a kid in the late 60's/70's, was always out and about, cycling, football, climbing trees etc., etc. Summer holidays in particular, straight out after breakfast, might remember to dash in for 5 minute stop middle of the day for sandwich, and then back out till "tea-time". Just don't seem to see many kids doing likewise nowadays.

Having said that, remember being mesmerised by that ping pong thingy game that you could buy and play on your television, first ever "computer" game I ever saw....so perhaps all us old geezers would be exactly the same as the kins today.

 

[Noodley]

Jeesus H Christ! I'm surprised there was bloody room to move in the outdoors in the 1970s and 1980s by the sound of you lot!

'Kids' today are no less/more lazy than any generation. Nor are they less/more clever, or less/more violent. Or less/more 'anything'. Now stop reading the 'papers and watching and listening to the 'meedya' and absorbing all their gobshite.

Thanks for reading

 

[marinyork]

I think it pretty much all comes down to the love of instant grafitication our society in general has. This is not something that is unique to young people since they caught it off their parents or plenty of other older people that exhibit it and our media.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

My kids get plenty of exercise but then they're too young to refuse when I say we're going to the park or out on the bikes, for a walk, etc.

And they'll have a good time whether they like it or not!

 

[Globalti]

1950s:

2000s:

 

[threebikesmcginty]

mmmmm that popcorn looks tastey

 

[marinyork]

That remote seems to be giving a good workout.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

I live in a really nice part of Yorkshire, as you will know if you read my posts - I'm forever posting photographs of the area. I've been walking and cycling (road and MTB) round here for over 20 years and I can honestly say that apart from around Hardcastle Crags (a local National Trust beauty spot), I've hardly ever seen anybody under 25 up on the hills. The countryside just doesn't seem to appeal to them, or it is too much like hard work going up there.

The local yoof generally hang about in the town centre or park, smoking (fags/spliffs) and drinking, so it isn't just TV/games/computers making them lazy.

There is a skatepark in said park where kids into skateboarding, rollerblading and BMX do their tricks, but they are definitely a minority group.

We'll have to bring the Little-LCs up there - they like something to climb and a bit of a walk. But that's probably because we've "trained" them to it, same as our parents did to us. Like Marinyork said, if the kids never get taken out on walks / rides / whatever, they're just not going to be able to do it.

And that's society as a whole .. you only have to look at how the crowds tail off as you get past 400 yards away from the car park at a "beauty spot" to see that.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

But today, the crags and indoor climbing walls are full of young people, many of whom were introduced to it by their schools and teachers. It's even great to see groups of young women confidently climbing together rather than simply being appendages to some bloke.

When I started climbing in the early seventies, the numbers climbing and walking were miniscule compared to now. We were all drinking / smoking blokes without a care for our health or fitness. After we were done, you might meet girls down the pub, but rarely did they venture onto the hills. Now all the youngsters are into training and high performance and as a result, standards have rocketed.

Anyway, I had better get my work finished so I can get down to Kendal wall later. (Mmmmm . . . lithe young things bound in harnesses writhing around in gymnastic contortions . . . )

 

[Globalti]

*checks list of local climbing walls*

 

[ColinJ]

*checks list of local climbing walls*

There are a lot of old quarries round here which are apparently great for climbing and bouldering but I rarely see anybody aged under 25 out in them...

Perhaps it's a regional thing?

 

[Toshiba Boy]

Jeesus H Christ! I'm surprised there was bloody room to move in the outdoors in the 1970s and 1980s by the sound of you lot!

'Kids' today are no less/more lazy than any generation. Nor are they less/more clever, or less/more violent. Or less/more 'anything'. Now stop reading the 'papers and watching and listening to the 'meedya' and absorbing all their gobshite.

Thanks for reading

Noodley you're absolutely correct, we had to take tickets from a Deli style counter, and when our number came up we were allowed 45 minutes cycling time, or half an hour football (with a rolled up newspaper of course, we couldn't afford propoer footballs).

Then on the way home, if there was enough room between those kids taking their 45 mins of cycling time, we used to lick the road clean, as the salt residue from the winter would help with our meagre 3 day week rations

 

[gbb]

Noodley you're absolutely correct, we had to take tickets from a Deli style counter, and when our number came up we were allowed 45 minutes cycling time, or half an hour football (with a rolled up newspaper of course, we couldn't afford propoer footballs).

Then on the way home, if there was enough room between those kids taking their 45 mins of cycling time, we used to lick the road clean, as the salt residue from the winter would help with our meagre 3 day week rations

Eeee lad, that were nothing, we used to......