Before I would do the occasional long walk and sometimes lightish 25 minutes on my exercise bike at home on rest days including 10 minutes with 1kg weights for those bingo wings after each run and every other day. I need to build my strength up aa I am very petit, and I also realised as well as not being so fit at my age and I already have a high metabolism. I have to be really careful not to overdo it as I am 53 in a month. Well anyway, I recently joined a gym. Can anyone recommend what equipment to use and at a beginners pace? I really don’t want to overdo it like I did with a Legs, Bums and Tums class there which nearly broke me. It’s counterproductive if I can’t run the next day or two, and I’m still aching after a week which is affecting my running. I was thinking 20 minutes bicycle again and using theirs, or the rowing machine? Will follow with 10 minutes of 2k weights. Obviously not the treadmill, wanting non impact cardio.
Running rest day exercise advice please? - Couch to 5K
Running rest day exercise advice please?
NHS strength and flex is a great place to start... it’s pretty gentle and while it doesn’t require a gym it could be done there. nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/s...
I do some dumbbell work on my arms and shoulders with light to medium weight (all relative, start light and comfortably) and then lots of planking, some squats, etc.
Walking and cycling are great. I’d probably hit the rowing machine a little too if I had a gym membership. These 3 will help the cardiovascular system and so aerobic fitness.
If they have a beginners yoga/Pilates class that would be great for both strength and flexibility.
The way to go with all new exercises is exactly the same as C25K... start small and build slowly.
Thank you. I got too over confident being so late into the C25k programme. Only 1 run left!! I learnt it the hard way and now as you said I will take it easy and in small steps at a time. I haven’t been to a gym for over 6 or 7 years and it has shocked me how unfit I have become. As for yoga I am not as half as flexible as I used to be! They have yoga classes there, no beginner stage, but I may give that a try...
There are a few good yoga courses online... one seems to get a lot of mentions here but I can’t for the life of me remember the instructor off the top of my head.
I tried online and i have some dvds i bought years ago, my problem was trying to lean to see what i was meant to be doing while doing a pose at the same time... 😂. I did some classes a few years ago which was better and the instructors helped me if i was doing something wrong. Its £2 extra for a yoga class on top of my gym membership which is okay i guess. Teachers vary but i will give it a go.
Ekhart yoga (lots of different teachers) - subscription for full access but there's a free trial (and some stuff on YouTube) - this is what I use.
Yoga with Adrienne is on YouTube and free.
Having two different shifts at work didn’t work well with classes, why i gave it up. But this is a 24hour gym so it suits me well. Plus the plan was when it is too cold and wet outside i can use the treadmill on run days. I noticed it uses different leg muscles though, and as for the balance!
The biggest difference with the treadmill is not having to pace... which I can’t get used to and when I last tried it I spent 5 minutes going back and forth on the running bed... must have looked hilarious to anybody watching 🤣. Treadmill running will keep you going nicely if the weather is too bad for outdoors though.
If you read the forum you'll find that there is no too cold or too wet. (Too hot, too icy, too windy, yes, sometimes)
It might be worth your asking the fitness coach at your gym for some tips - if you know what you want to achieve, they should be able to come up with a programme for you I would have thought. Worth asking anyway!
Just came across your post a bit late but Just in case it’s of interest, I’ve just dropped a rowing interval workout review in the Strength and Flex Forum. healthunlocked.com/strength...
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