Strength & Flex Podcasts - anyone used them ?

[richardvc]

I saw them whilst looking at the website and wondered if they are any good and worth doing ?

I would quite like something to do on my non running days and this maybe the answer.

Any advice / suggestions / links / youtube vids etc etc would be greatly appreciated.

Richard

[gary_bart]

I tried the first one, but since before c25k my exercise was to go to gym, some of it was a bit light already by the time I found it. That said, things like the stretches were really hard for me, because I'd neglected those.

They say strength exercises for the legs help protect against injury, too. If you build up (gently) your ability to squat, it's meant to make your knees that much safer, for instance.

Best bet for you, as far as the podcasts go, might be to download week 1 and week <last>, and see how much is too light, how much is taxing, and then perhaps even adapt the parts that are too light by carrying bricks or something when you do them? If the final week is quite challenging you could just build up to it a bit quicker than the programme, too. Sort of like starting c25k with a bit of fitness already.

[JoolieB1 Graduate]

Now I feel guilty as I did week 1, day 1 about 5 weeks ago and didn't do any more. However, I felt an immediate benefit in my legs and my knees were really good. I have graduated now but I'm going to do it on non run days as I have read strength training is vital to avoid injury and improve running. Not sure I would do it in the park as the sight of me grabbing a tree and doing public squats could b seen as anti social behaviour!! 😳😳😳😳😳😳 Julie

[GoogleMe Graduate]

I did it the full programme. I found it a bit harder to organise than C25K and ended up doing most of the later ones at home. I think it is a great idea and lovely to be back with Laura - and deceptively challenging in some of the exercises.

In practice, what I have kept up (apart from the running) is doing a short gentle yoga practice every morning - put together essentially from Ekhart Yoga's YouTube offerings although I now have a subscription too.

[ActonHighStreet]

I've been doing them since February - I still do the Level 5 twice a week (my third strength training session of the week is a slightly harder session in the outdoor gym). They work for me - if you do them at a sufficient level of intensity they're enough strength and stretching exercise to prevent running injuries without tiring you out for running.

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

Thanks for this thread, I've always wondered ab out these. How do they work? Is it Laura telling you what t do with her special brand of music?

[ActonHighStreet in reply to Curlygurly2]

Pretty much, yeah - although it's background music rather than the songs from C25K. You can listen to them here: nhs.uk/Livewell/strength-an...

[Curlygurly2 Graduate in reply to ActonHighStreet]

Thanks AHS, I'll give them a go. Did you start at level 1 and work up?

[ActonHighStreet in reply to Curlygurly2]

I did, yes but that doesn't mean everyone has to - for example, I started C25K at week 5.