The Three Es! EASY...ENJOYABLE...EXERCISE...what are you waiting for?

[Oldfloss]

Hello everyone... Here I am again!

Yes... You thought I had given up on the exercise... but no. I maintained my steady build up following my logged posts... and... three weeks ago, thanks to that build-back, I embarked , once more on the wonderful C25K programme. I ran., Run 4 Week 1 on Sunday. The exercise routine continues

Now... I hear you ask, what is this leading too... well, it is a bit of a thoughtful ramble...not unlike my ones on Catch Up Corner on the C25K forum!

After Mr OF had his heart attack, the recovery plan for him and for me with my issues too, began. At one point in a conversation with a Cardiac Recovery Nurse... she said something which resonated with me and very recently has resonated even more.

She said, when thinking about beneficial and supportive exercise for recovery, it really does have to be something you enjoy and will want to maintain. No use trying to do anything that you really have an aversion to.

Simple eh?

Not so.... some folk really dislike all forms of exercise, no matter how beneficial it may be for their running or recovery from illness or injury and as a result? They don't do it... or they do it for a while and then stop.

That is when the trouble may start. I could give you a whole list of names of some of our fellow runners, who would be only too willing, to tell you how they realised, too late, that not doing some supportive exercise really impacted their running, in a highly detrimental way. But I won't!

So... the first thing to say is, whatever you are using your exercise for... and we all know how many uses it can be out to... is that, the exercise does not have to be painful, boring or all consuming.

In my own case... I use exercise to stay physically and mentally fit and healthy. I use it to support my love of my running.

Your reasons are your reasons. They may be similar to mine, you may be recovering from illness or injury, but for each of us it is so important to find a regular, often simple routine that we enjoy.

Okay... Finding the time. ( There is a past post on here, on this ).

You do not have to spend time or money , ( unless you have plenty of both), to spend hours and hours in a gym. Just a relatively short time spent exercising is better than nothing. Every little helps, as a well known supermarket often tells us. Just a moderate amount of supportive exercising can have a really big impact on both our mental and our physical well being.

healthunlocked.com/strength...

Now, I have, as an Admin' been reading on the C25K and the Bridge to 10K forum, a fair few posts where folk are struggling on some way, with their runs or with injury; and in their posts or in replies it becomes obvious that regular simple exercise is not happening, other than their main exercise focus.

When suggestions are made which are intended to be helpful, there is ,many times a recurring theme in replies... “ I don't like doing that... that exercise is really hard.... that one hurts me...”

So my answer to that... is find something that is right for you and you will actually enjoy doing the very thing which is going to help you What is right for one will not suit all

Even in group classes, if you enjoy those, and feel exercising with others keeps you on track, always do what your body feel is the right thing.

Please too, really try not to overthink or over complicate your exercise. Building a programme with too many different or difficult exercises, requiring too much time commitment will, I feel result in disappointment. Find that simple routine that is yours alone.

Right.

Be realistic in your expectations.

Be kind to yourself.

Realise that some things take a while to show the benefits.

If you are wanting a specific exercise for recovery from illness... there is a wealth to choose from and there are suggestions to help you, again on this forum.

E.g.

healthunlocked.com/strength...

If you are wanting something to support a recovery from an injury... again... look around. First of all look right here, on this Strength and Flex Forum.... there is a huge amount of support right here... and gives you ideas that you can use or tweak to suit yourself!

Online resources are out there, but choose an recognised and reliable source, and do look very carefully at the sources.

Read the experiences of your fellow runners, they may mention something that you can investigate, tweak or adapt to support your running!

BUT....

Choose something that you will enjoy, that you won't find painful or onerous and ones that you will maintain; otherwise, you may find injury or issues improve more slowly and worse than that, are likely to recur.

So, there we go...

Easy, Enjoyable, Exercise...

What are you waiting for?

Oldfloss x

PS

I do love taking my toes for a swim! xxx

PPS

Post 2 on this theme follows next week... watch this space please!

[Dexy5]

Ooh this is so true Oldfloss . I am always brilliant at doing physiotherapy exercises following an injury, but not so good at doing exercise once everything has recovered. I’ve had to temporarily give up on my Pilates classes because so many of the moves put body weight on an injured shoulder. As a consequence, the exercises that help my back, my glutes and generally support my running have been missed. I said I would do them at home instead but it hasn’t happened.

Now that I am approaching a long race, I am down on that mat doing bridges, lunges and other moves to improve the situation.

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to Dexy5]

Good morning! Welcome!

Thank you so much for sharing this... It is probably true for many of us... often and injury prompts is to take expert advice and then follow it until recovery... as you say. Discomfort puts us off too.... and that is not always a physical thing...

Mental anxiety hampered me for a while after Mr OF's heart attack!

I am so glad that you have found something that works for you until you can get that shoulder sorted...

Your reply emphasise very much, the need to find what is right for you and what feels right. Thank you x

[skysue16]

Thank you OF, as always, wise words from you. The recent trend towards ‘micro-workouts’ really interests me. I find routines like squats while brushing my teeth are becoming a habit. A few squats, standing push-ups and arm exercises at odd times in the day are much more manageable and crucially enjoyable. I feel good because I have done something, even if it is only 5 minutes! In the i weekend paper recently there was an interesting article ‘How five-minute ‘exercise snacking’ is helping me to get fit. Thanks again OF 😊

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to skysue16]

Hello... and thank you... this is exactly what I was trying to say...

These little routines that become a habit really can be fitted in and become almost second nature and they do have an impact... All the time immediately after Mr OF had his heart attack... I still did my teeth cleaning squats and simple morning wake up yoga... As you say just five minutes here and there...it matters !

Very well done you! xx

[skysue16 in reply to Oldfloss]

😀👍 💪

[MissUnderstanding]

I had injury problems when I cut down my cross training so I could run more. Now I’m back doing more strength and flex than ever before and it’s made such a difference. My typical week has a kettlebells class, body pump, two Pilates sessions, Zumba and a swim at the leisure centre, some free weights in the gym plus a few some short stretchy/yoga YouTube workouts at home-one with the dreaded spiky massage ball.

They’re very different sort of workouts to runs but all very enjoyable and it means I’ll be able to keep running the way I want to. Plus as an added bonus I’ve got faster!

Getting stronger is so important to stay off the injury couch and can be so much fun too. Just find what works for you!

Thanks for this post series ❤️❤️❤️

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thank you for this...so useful to hear exactly how you have got your strength and stamina exercise plan worked out. The fact that it is enjoyable is really great too Although the spiky massage ball sounds a tad scary !!!

Feeling fitter, getting stronger, getting faster for the runs and staying off the injury Couch! What better advertisment can there be for realistic , recognisable exercises, that are fun?

You have got this really sussed!

Thank you so much!!!

[MissUnderstanding in reply to Oldfloss]

Thank you!! I had some fantastic input from a physio who put me on a programme of targeted exercises and stretches to sort my injury out. I started off just following that but I knew long term I’d rather be doing classes with other people so I looked for ones that incorporated the same sort of moves. I’ve just been to body pump this morning and it’s really satisfying to now be using heavier weights and feeling so much stronger. It’s also lovely to chat to people afterwards and share the “oh my goodness, those lunges were tough but we did it!” solidarity!! I’ll know feel the benefit next time I’m running up a hill so that makes it very much worth it. Plus I really did enjoy myself!

A physical class with others is some people’s idea of a nightmare or logistically it’s tricky but it works for me. It’s great that there are so many options free online now and you don’t even have to have weights-today’s toughest part was lunges with no weights at all. It’s all about finding what fits with your preferences and life pressures.

Stay strong (and flexible!!) ❤️❤️❤️

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to MissUnderstanding]

This is great.... and following the advice from experts, like the physio' can be so important when we have any kind of recurring or unidentifiable injury! Better to get the advice from those who know... rather than exacerbate the issue!

The body pump sounds hard work! It is all I can do to lift my small weights right now...but as you say, it builds up!

I know you do love the classes and they do seem to work for you.. I am looking around for a Yoga class... I have done those before and have enjoyed, but they are all too far or at very weird times... so for now it is just Adriene and me!

Thank you for the update... and yes, staying strong is the thing! x

[CBDB Administrator Graduate Gold]

“She said, (…) it really does have to be something you enjoy and will want to maintain. No use trying to do anything that you really have an aversion to.”

Yes, I have been pondering about this. So true in some ways. But there is also something, though, about giving something a real go, and only then falling in love with that. Giving an activity a real chance to have an effect, to “do its thing”.

I think I only fell in love with rowing once I really got into the different ways of putting together workouts and training plans. And I think it took the goal of finishing C25k to fall in love with the habit of running and slowly identifying with being a runner.

There is something about learning a habit and then keeping up the love for that habit 😀, isn’t there?

Love your swimming toes!

[Oldfloss Administrator in reply to CBDB]

Each to our own choice... and that is just fine...but trying something that you really dislike, can be an added challenge, when finding something that supports your other exercise... ask Mr OF !

Certainly the Cardiac rehab nurse was right when it came to his rehabilitation plan! I think too for many of our new runners, the simpler the whole thing is, the better

Yes, my toes do love an outing in the sea... my Nan was still going for a gentle paddle, even in her nineties!