Exercise blues

[nessie75]

Anyone else finding fitting exercise into their crammed daily routine quite tricky? Me too. I'm also finding the exercise itself very hard going. I get incredible pain in my shins! Any tips for motivation in this area? I know its going to do me good eventually but I'm finding it very hard to stay motivated and I'm only in my first week!

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

It sounds to me as if you're doing too much, too soon, Nessie!!

You should build up gradually, take rest days and if something's really hurting, stop!!!

If you've gone from doing virtually nothing, a brisk 30 minute walk, three times a week, is enough!

[Active_43]

Maybe just start by trying to fit it into your weekly routine rather than daily routine.

If walking is uncomfortable have a look on YouTube for low impact routines that you can do at home. Try making a date with a friend and do it together.

If that seems daunting why don't you try building up movement into your lifestyle. Standing when on the phone, taking the stairs instead of the lift when out and about, parking slightly further away from where you're getting to and walking the rest of the way.

Good luck x

[Hidden]

I just started walking ten miles per week at night after work. It's hard but I just make myself do it. Just do it and it should become routine.

[gman1961 Restart April 2024]

Hi nessie75

I used to find it difficult,I try to go out running before work .if that's no good I go out as soon as I come home .

Once I got into a routine then it got easier .

Good luck,take care regarding those shins .

Gary

[fosterdown]

I struggle due to injury and a very bad back, I try to walk most days for at least half an hour and swim a couple of times a week if I can, I was always such an active person, but in recent years weight gain and other issues have resulted in a huge lifestyle change, don't put yourself under too much pressure and don't do anything that causes you pain, good luck

Angela

[Dietbunny2 7lbs]

Hi nessie75 - I sympathise, when I was working and had a family to get out of the house, exercising was something that I had to do at the very beginning of the day, or it just didn't happen. So I got up a little earlier and got into the habit of doing 20-30 minutes in the living room with a DVD workout before the rest of the family was up and about and before heading off to work!

At other periods of my life I tried, depending on the opportunities available, to do an exercise class during my lunch hour, usually held at an adult education centre, but there are lots of gyms around these days. When I was working in central London, I would use my lunch hour for a walk window shopping! And I have at other times been a member of a gym and either gone to classes after work once or twice a week or at the weekends.

Now that I'm older and not working, and a bit more fragile physically, I have reverted to my DVD collection, but have added Youtube workouts to the choices to mix it up a bit (though one of my favourites is still the YMCA Fat Breaker DVD from trying to battle post baby weight in 1990!) - whether it is Yoga with Adrienne (my favourite yoga online), or Happy Walks with Lesley Sansone (a great way to walk a mile at home!).

Personally, I think a little and often is good to start with (but what that looks like will depend on your current level of fitness), for example, swapping walking for the car or bus whenever practical, and taking a longer walk when you can. Then you have a baseline of regular physical activity and you can add to that depending on the opportunities available.

Finally (and sorry for such a long post) - regarding those shins: this may be a problem with either your gait or the shoes you are wearing (see verywell.com/how-to-prevent... for a good article on shin splints - the term for shin pain when walking/running). My daughter had the same problem and sorted it by going to a good sports shoe retailer where they looked at her gait and checked on her movement (physiotherapists can also do this), and she ended up with a new pair of trainers with special insoles which improved her arch support - problem solved.

Hope that's helpful - it is so discouraging when you are trying to do the right thing by exercising and are rewarded with pain! And as one of the other responders said, once you make your exercise a regular part of your life, squeezing it in any way you can, it will become habit and much easier.

Good luck with it all

[xvanillaskyx in reply to Dietbunny2]

This was a really interesting read, thank you for sharing! I have two very little ones and whilst we walk our dog I find I struggle to find time outside of this. Your idea about getting up earlier than them is a good one, how did you start this, did you set an alarm? Sorry I do struggle with mornings as I’m not a morning person so I’m just wondering roughly how long it might take to adjust to this change.

[Dietbunny2 7lbs in reply to xvanillaskyx]

Yes, you are right, I did set an alarm! It was the only way. Fortunately, I am naturally a morning person, so it suited me quite well, so I guess it might take a while to get used to if you aren't. You don't say how long you walk the dog, or how fit it is, but one way to increase your own activity would be to simply do it faster! It might give the dog a shock if you normally stroll, but it would be good for him/her too! I definitely put weight on after our dog died - even though I only walked her 3-4 times a week (my husband did the other days), I kept up a very fast pace and those half hours were well worth while for both of us!

[xvanillaskyx in reply to Dietbunny2]

Is more of a dawdle right now because of the toddler 😬

[Dietbunny2 7lbs in reply to xvanillaskyx]

Ahhh - walking the dog with the toddler is of course a completely different proposition! I see some mums pushing a youngster along in a buggy while jogging, which I am sure is good exercise, but not much fun for a dog if there's no time to stop and sniff! Unless you jog in two minute bursts (akin to HITT?!). And the toddler could walk, while the dog sniffs... Just thinking aloud really! Otherwise, I can see how you could be a bit stuck - unless you can co-ordinate their nap times and do living room aerobics while they sleep?!

[Hidden in reply to Dietbunny2]

I walk my dogs 6 days a week, take Sundays off! It used to be 30mns quiet walk, I tried running but I’m getting on a bit and it was hurting my joints so I do fast walking, much easier to keep up. I have 2 sets of weights, like fat, heavy bracelets with velcro, so I put 1 kg on each wrist and 2 on each leg. I’ve been told on NHS programme that I must do more strength exercise, I hope this goes towards it, though not sure.

When I was younger, with kids, etc... I used to do 20mns of exercise in the evening, before going to bed. I’m not a morning person, This worked for me.

Good luck Nessie75, do a bit at a time and build up.

[Justswimming]

Play music ..stretch before hand get a fitbit and set a goal how many steps and it will prompt you to walk get moving..if your shins hurt your probably running ..so walk or do elliptical instead..you should be doing it with wt on heels