just want to keep fit

yonk

Breaking Muscle is an online magazine with lots of different workout programmes, from kettlebells, mummy fitness to swimming.

welfayre

Buy a barbell with some weights 5-10kg is probably all you'll need then do the following.

10 x Dead lift
10 x Shoulder press
10 x Squat
10 x Bent over row
10 x Bicep curl
10 x Clean and jerk

Try to go from one exercise to the next without stopping (except to set yourself up i.e changing grip from bent over row to bicep curl)
Take a 2 minute break and repeat x 5

Finish with as many sit ups as you can manage in 1 minute and repeat every 2/3 days depending on how you feel.

Takes about 15-30 mins but works your whole body.

YORKSHIRELASS

Hmmmm, I wouldn't want to lift weights without someone making sure I am doing it properly. I lift a 4kg kettlebell which is enough for me!

How's the running going? I am tempted to start again because I do love it but just have to be careful with my knee.

And I am yorkshire through and through! Have never lived anywhere else and wouldn't want to!

custardy

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

Hmmmm, I wouldn't want to lift weights without someone making sure I am doing it properly. I lift a 4kg kettlebell which is enough for me!

How's the running going? I am tempted to start again because I do love it but just have to be careful with my knee.

And I am yorkshire through and through! Have never lived anywhere else and wouldn't want to!

4Kg is way too light.
For a woman I would expect at least 8kg to start. 12KG for a larger woman/man
Im no man mountain and use 16/20 and my newly purchased 32kg(bargain!) depending on exercise/fatigue.
My 6 year old can pick up my 16kg!

trailingspouse

Thanks YORKSHIRE LASS, the running is going fine. No, I can't imagine living anywhere else, now that I'm back here!

My routine is now as follows - a little gentle stretching and bending every morning and evening, c25k every other day (I'm nearly at the end of week 2), and Pilates on a Tuesday evening. On c25k rest days, I try to make sure I get out for a walk.

The weather has been a bit challenging, but I work from home so I'm fairly flexible and can pick my moment. I've only had to miss one day so far.

So - I've only been doing this for about 2 weeks, but already I feel stronger, more energetic, I can bend more easily, and I'm not getting the niggly feeling in my back/hip like I used to. All good. I'm also extremely shocked at just how unfit I was to start with (and still am, really) - running for 90 seconds at a time doesn't sound much, but
O, M, G, it's a long time when you're doing it!!

trailingspouse

Well, the running hasn't happened for the last three days - too icy over the weekend (although OH and I went for a walk), and then yesterday I didn't feel well.

Back to normal today, so will get out this afternoon. I found Week 2 quite hard, so with that in mind, and because I've missed a couple of days (should have started Week 3 yesterday), I think I might repeat Week 2 rather than moving on. I don't feel like I'm comfortable with it yet.

Bizarrely, I've put weight on. I'm not doing it to lose weight, so not too bothered, but it's interesting. I think a) maybe some of my fat has turned to muscle (can't imagine that has happened yet though, and I didn't have much fat to start with!!) or more likely b) I'm feeling more hungry and also allowing myself extra bikkies etc.

trailingspouse

Well, after 3 weeks, I've decided to knock couch to 5k on the head. Shame, as I enjoyed the running, but hip, knee and achilles were telling me to STOP!! It might be that due to the cold weather I'm not really warmed up enough - I certainly feel that even with tights on under the joggers, my legs were never really warm. Might try again when the weather improves.

Still determined to keep on with the keep fit, so I'm still doing the gentle stretches morning and evening, and a Pilates class once a week. Instead of couch to 5k I will be doing the brisk walk for longer, and doing it every day.

I'm also about to start a major renovation (last room of a 10 room project), which will involve a lot of lifting and carrying up and down stairs, climbing steps, and wielding a bolster chisel, so that should tick a few boxes too.

Swipe

http://www.fitnessblender.com it's completely free, no excuses.

trailingspouse

Thanks Swipe - I'm not making excuses, but I'll take a look, ta.

I'm actually quite upset - I enjoyed running in my youth, in fact I ran everywhere!! After the birth of my first child (age 23), stress incontinence meant that I didn't feel confident running any more (or sneezing, or coughing...). This gradually got worse with a second child, age, and eventually fibroids. I had a hysterectomy last year, and I no longer have a problem - it's been incredibly liberating, after 30 years!

It's not something women talk about much, but I suspect it's a major reason why many women don't do much in the way of exercise. I know I tended to say I was too busy, or wasn't interested, rather than say the real reason for not doing certain types of exercise. I could do the low-impact stuff, but not aerobics, jogging etc.

And now that I can do it, it seems I've left it a bit late for going back to it, as far as my joints are concerned. I'll stick with the walking until the summer, then see if I can manage a little gentle running. So sad, and such a waste.

YORKSHIRELASS

trailingspouse wrote: »

stress incontinence meant that I didn't feel confident running any more (or sneezing, or coughing...).

I have problems with this too, I am OK with exercising but for running I use Alldays products that make me feel more secure. And yes you are right this probably puts a lot of women off the idea of running/fitness but no-one likes to discuss it!

However, as I said in my original post I have decided that running is just putting too much pressure on my joints at the moment. Dont underestimate the power of walking though, and as you say just generally being more active is no bad thing.

And my weight goes up and down for no apparent reason - strange isnt it?