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Original poster

Is this a well rounded exercise plan?

61 replies

naiveandrestles · 11/09/2025 07:49

I need to lose about 5stone. The stiffness and inflexibility bothers me the most. I'm also 45 and have previously been old Im at risk of osteoporosis.

I used to run but I dont think my knees and hips could cope with that right now. I've tried at home stuff but I just dont have the motivation for it. I hate just walking for the sake of walking (yet I loved running, go figure).

So, Im joining a gym. I dont like just "going to the gym". I find it boring and I dont push myself. I like classes but the only gym with classes is a bus ride away so I feel like I need to make it count when I'm there and do a few classes after each other.

Do you think the below is well rounded? I know if Im strict with myself for a month or so, it will become habit so it is realistic.

M - Spin (I love spin!) followed by body pump then a stretch class
W- Spin followed by yoga
T - Personal trainer to focus on weights

I have been addressing my diet.

OP posts:
Original poster
naiveandrestles · 11/09/2025 20:40

ClashCityRocker · 11/09/2025 18:56

How recently have you exercised and what's your fitness levels like?

Have you done body pump before?

Im going to drop the body pump because it isnt what I thought it was.

Fitness is shocking (just walking) which is why Im hiring a PT to help me.

OP posts:
Original poster
naiveandrestles · 11/09/2025 20:23

deirdrerasheed · 11/09/2025 19:37

I agree the PT needs to give you a programme that you can work on by yourself. I hate body pump. You should be able to cut the PT sessions down if your following a programme. Can you work on increasing your walking speed to work.

Ok. So I'll get the PT to do me a weights programme to do after spin on Monday, plus still seeing him on Thursday.

Id like to have a weekly PT at the moment to keep me committed.

I have super short legs so only have a max speed even when Im healthy. 🤣 When I was "running" my husband could pretty much walk next to me! My hips are so stiff right now that I struggle to take bigger steps. I do try to walk fast enough to be out of breath talking on the way to work but if Im honest with myself, that might just be weight making me out of breath.

OP posts:
Original poster
naiveandrestles · 11/09/2025 19:40

TheLemonOtter · 11/09/2025 16:35

Wed and Thurs look fine, but of you do spin, pump, stretch you are unlikely to do anything properly. Id do spin if you love it and then stretch, or a few weights (your PT will tell you) and then spin. (Weights best before Cardio, not after)

I cant get there before spin. So everything else needs to come after that. The classes only run at those times.

Its a trek to get there (I know I will keep it up once it's a habit so Im not concerned about that) but I cant spend that much time going there and back for just one class.

Im going to look into whether weights would be better than body pump.

I need to do some flexibility stuff. The stretch class is literally just stretching.

OP posts:
deirdrerasheed · 11/09/2025 19:37

I agree the PT needs to give you a programme that you can work on by yourself. I hate body pump. You should be able to cut the PT sessions down if your following a programme. Can you work on increasing your walking speed to work.

Original poster
naiveandrestles · 11/09/2025 19:26

ParmaVioletTea · 11/09/2025 16:10

I wouldn’t be doing Spin followed by Pump. I’d also think that Pump would be too high an impact on joints if you’re obese . It’s aerobic rather than muscle building.

And to build muscle (which burns more calories all the time) you should ideally weight train 3 times a week so you’ll need to build up to that.

You don’t mention steps per day. You should be aiming for 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day minimum. Walking is low impact while you’re so overweight and there’s al lot of evidence which suggests that it’s that daily activity low impact but regular that is as important as short burst of high impact exercise class. Stop using you car, walk instead of catching the bus and go for a half hour walk twice a day.

Thanks.

I hate walking for no reason. 🤣 Im not going to pretend I will do it because that will just set me up to fail. I dont drive (medical) so walk to and from work 3 days a week which is 30mins each way plus I walk most other journeys.

Ill look into the body pump. I used to do a weights class after spin at a different gym and I felt like that worked well for me. I thought body pump would be like that. Maybe I need to get the PT to do me a weight programme for Monday after spin instead?

It will take me the best part of 2 hours to get to the gym and back so I really need to make it worthwhile.

I need to work on my cardio so I dont want to spend what limited time I have just doing weights. Plus I love spin and that is the main reason to go to that gym instead of the one next to work.

OP posts:
Snapplepie · 11/09/2025 19:03

Agree with others saying spin+pump+ stretch is too much. Id do pump and stretch. If you do pump after spin you wont get much out of it anyway as you'll have depleted your leg muscles.

Even without the three classes on a monday, depending on your levels of activity and fitness at the moment, this may well be too much and tip you into being at high risk of injury.

Your tissues need time to adjust to increased activity if you do too much too quickly you'll just get injured and have to stop everything. This schedule looks like a tendinopathy waiting to happen.

ClashCityRocker · 11/09/2025 18:56

How recently have you exercised and what's your fitness levels like?

Have you done body pump before?

Original poster
naiveandrestles · 11/09/2025 18:45

BramStoner · 11/09/2025 15:51

Three classes in a row sounds too much. How long are they?

The last one on Monday is literally just stretching and I think 30mins. I thought it would be good after the 2 previous ones.

I used to do spin and a weights class straight after either other and that was OK. They are very different so I never felt overly worked iyswim.

OP posts:
TheLemonOtter · 11/09/2025 16:35

Wed and Thurs look fine, but of you do spin, pump, stretch you are unlikely to do anything properly. Id do spin if you love it and then stretch, or a few weights (your PT will tell you) and then spin. (Weights best before Cardio, not after)

ParmaVioletTea · 11/09/2025 16:10

I wouldn’t be doing Spin followed by Pump. I’d also think that Pump would be too high an impact on joints if you’re obese . It’s aerobic rather than muscle building.

And to build muscle (which burns more calories all the time) you should ideally weight train 3 times a week so you’ll need to build up to that.

You don’t mention steps per day. You should be aiming for 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day minimum. Walking is low impact while you’re so overweight and there’s al lot of evidence which suggests that it’s that daily activity low impact but regular that is as important as short burst of high impact exercise class. Stop using you car, walk instead of catching the bus and go for a half hour walk twice a day.

BramStoner · 11/09/2025 15:51

Three classes in a row sounds too much. How long are they?

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