POSTMAN FAT - YOU MUST BE JOKING

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 22 Dec 2009, 15:46

http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepag ... oking.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

THEY walk 10 MILES a day, carrying over 50KG on their round, FIVE DAYS a week - but Scotland's posties have been labelled UNFIT.

A recent study by Glasgow Caledonian University said 85 per cent of postal workers don't do the recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week.

Sports psychologist Tom Lucas said: "They convince themselves that, because they are out walking for long periods, they are doing enough.

"But it won't do them any good if their heart rate is not elevated."

I decided to put these findings to the test by becoming a postman for the day.

And I quickly discovered that posties are ramming the taunts down their critics' throats by working overtime to make sure that 200million mail items reach their destinations across the country over the festive season.

The last day for first class mail to be delivered in time for Christmas was yesterday and staff across the UK are expected to deal with 115million online shopping parcels alone.

I was shown the ropes at the Royal Mail sorting office in Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire.

Postman Stephen McDonald hit back at claims postal workers are not fit enough for work.

He blasted: "How can anyone say that? We're constantly on the move, walking miles every day, carrying heavy stuff.

"Sometimes people think you come into work and there's a bag of stuff waiting for you - it's not that straightforward.

"There's lots of work going into the whole process before we even start delivering."

The 29-year old - who has spent a decade with Royal Mail - added: "People are saying that we are taking shortcuts with heavy parcels but it actually takes longer to write out the 'you were out' card than it does to chap the door and get the customer to sign.

"It's nonsense to say that we're cutting corners."

In October, postal staff were slated when 7,000 delivery and collection workers went on strike over jobs, pay and modernisation.

Delivery manager Colin King insists the tensions have had no effect on the service. He said: "It's been tough but the staff here are professionals. They take pride in their work and get the job done."

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 22 Dec 2009, 15:47

WHEN the alarm went off at 5am, I thought I was having a nightmare.

But the real horror show was still to come - a 6am start sorting letters at the Cumbernauld depot, then delivering them for four hours in sub-zero temperatures.

Things couldn't get any worse... until my mentor Stephen McDonald said he'd been bitten by FOUR dogs in ten years.

We faced more than 70,000 mail items - up 30 per cent on any other time in the year.

Posties have to sort the mail into piles before using a row of slots for each address.

Keeping up with Stephen on the postie crash course was like going jogging with sprint champ Usain Bolt.

He rattled through bundles of mail. It was almost a blur of movement.

But, on his Condorrat route, I was the one doing the work. Some people say you're on easy street being a postie - it's more like s**t creek.

You walk endless streets that all appear the same, look at handwritten addresses that are virtually unreadable and carry a bag that weighs a ton.

In three hours I dropped letters, got lost, walked past houses that were to get mail, got cramp and was ambushed by a Spaniel. Unsurprisingly, come clocking-off time - eight hours later - my P45 was in the post.

Post by **Thorby Bislam** » 22 Dec 2009, 16:24

Sports psychologist Tom Lucas said: "They convince themselves that, because they are out walking for long periods, they are doing enough.

"But it won't do them any good if their heart rate is not elevated."

Didn't we have a thread on this very subject not so long ago ?

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 22 Dec 2009, 16:31

Thorby Bislam wrote:
Sports psychologist Tom Lucas said: "They convince themselves that, because they are out walking for long periods, they are doing enough.

"But it won't do them any good if their heart rate is not elevated."
Didn't we have a thread on this very subject not so long ago ?

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... as#p203490" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

noggin1969 · Post by **noggin1969** » 22 Dec 2009, 16:43

Nice of

ripio · Post by **ripio** » 22 Dec 2009, 18:29

Maybe the reason our heart rates are said not to be elevated is because we are so fit that our hearts don't need to beat that fast to keep us going. My resting heart rate is below 50 so if someone measured my heart rate while out on my walk they might find it is around 70-80 (a normal resting rate for a sedentary person) and therefore assume that it wasn't being worked enough.

smokerjim · Post by **smokerjim** » 22 Dec 2009, 20:06

I got one thing to say to these experts.....come & have a go if you think you're fit enough!

mydaily · Post by **mydaily** » 22 Dec 2009, 20:36

Ok I'm not mega fit or fat but since starting the job I have lost 3 stone and 7 inches off my waist. I now eat what I want a when and am still losing weight and waist size. At this rate I'll be dead before I retire.

I have a app for my iPhone which tracks my walking pace, steps and route travelled etc. On an average day I'm walking 8-9 miles around 17000 steps and an average speed of between 2.5-3mph. Trust me alot of people that would kill once in a while let alone 5 times a week in the worst weather you could imagine.

La Poste · Post by **La Poste** » 22 Dec 2009, 22:00

If you want to see fat check out some of the managers at my place, some of them can't hardly get through the door.
I'd like to see a few of them try a delivery, they would probably keel over in the first five minutes.
Absolutely ridiculous saying delivery postman are unfit. What planet are these people on?
Who ate all the pies?

pickaname · Post by **pickaname** » 23 Dec 2009, 14:12

My heart rate get elevated every morning via stress when confronting the incompetent management.

No need to walk for 30mins...

DGP1 · Post by **DGP1** » 23 Dec 2009, 18:04

My doctor advised me to do soething to increase my heart rate, so I took up smoking again

notamardybum · Post by **notamardybum** » 13 Jan 2010, 11:10

mydaily wrote:Ok I'm not mega fit or fat but since starting the job I have lost 3 stone and 7 inches off my waist. I now eat what I want a when and am still losing weight and waist size. At this rate I'll be dead before I retire.

I have a app for my iPhone which tracks my walking pace, steps and route travelled etc. On an average day I'm walking 8-9 miles around 17000 steps and an average speed of between 2.5-3mph. Trust me alot of people that would kill once in a while let alone 5 times a week in the worst weather you could imagine.

That's impressive - can I quote you in Courier? Am putting together a story to refute this nonsense!

Post by **dvbuk55** » 13 Jan 2010, 19:19

DGP1 wrote:My doctor advised me to do soething to increase my heart rate, so I took up smoking again

Is there anything else you can recommend? Nicotine stains the teeth and it doesn't elevate your heart rate

let me think...................

DGP1 · Post by **DGP1** » 13 Jan 2010, 19:41

dvbuk55 wrote:
DGP1 wrote:My doctor advised me to do soething to increase my heart rate, so I took up smoking again
Is there anything else you can recommend? Nicotine stains the teeth and it doesn't elevate your heart rate let me think...................

Post by **dvbuk55** » 13 Jan 2010, 20:46

DGP1 wrote:
dvbuk55 wrote:
DGP1 wrote:My doctor advised me to do soething to increase my heart rate, so I took up smoking again
Is there anything else you can recommend? Nicotine stains the teeth and it doesn't elevate your heart rate let me think...................

And I was sure you'd have a suggestion - erm but I don't want to go blind

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POSTMAN FAT - YOU MUST BE JOKING

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