Running rest day exercise advice please?

[Sonia52]

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.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

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.

[Sonia52 Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

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...

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to Sonia52]

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.

[Sonia52 Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

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.

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to Sonia52]

I very rarely look at the screen. Some of the classes I do encourage you to stop and watch first.

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

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.

[Sonia52 Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

A friend highly recommended and uses Adrienne videos. Maybe I should get a good book to learn the moves. I’m not very good with verbal or visual instructions and remembering them, but when something is written down...

[Sonia52 Graduate in reply to UnfitNoMore]

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!

[UnfitNoMore Graduate in reply to Sonia52]

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.

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to Sonia52]

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)

[Sonia52 Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

Too much snow?

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to Sonia52]

Not in my opinion... I've had some lovely times in snow drifts.

[Oldgirlruns Graduate]

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!

[CBDB Graduate]

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...