Off to gym tomorrow and feeling incredibly unfit .... help !

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Can anyone suggest a program I can follow to improve my fitness level as a starter.

I’m menopausal, aching joints and 5 stone overweight!

I like the cross trainer but after that I’m a blank and classes aren’t back on yet.

Can you book a session with a trainer at the gym?

My best advice is to start very slowly and gently, whatever you do. Swimming and the exercise bike are both great low impact exercises to start improving your cardiovascular fitness without straining the joints. And maybe some body weight only exercises - squats, wall push ups, sit ups.

Don't go crazy, do cycling, walking on an incline and if you want to do weights, then use very low weights and not too much.

For first week do one day gym one or two day off depending on how achy you are.

Build it up from there

What do you like doing? If you enjoy what you're doing, you're more likely to stick at it

But getting a trainer is a good idea if you can.

I had one, saw him on a one to one basis for a while then when I got good/confident enough he would set me a programme that I could follow by myself. I found if I didnt have that id sort of flounce around not doing much of anything.

I don’t even feel for enough to start with a trainer right now ... think I’ll start on cross trainer and swimming and build up some stamina.

I know the aches and pains will be helped by exercise so I’ll persevere.

as a personal trainer just hitting menopause I would strongly advise against just blasting ahead without looking at the bigger picture. i find a lot of PT’s have the incorrect assumption that menopausal women should be treated exactly like a 20 year old. it’s outdated and disrespectful.
amanda thebe has a good social media presence and Dr Stacy Sims- follow them for menopause fitness content
I have also been impressed by the Alva website- set up by a GP and her daughter after the GP went into early menopause and was disgusted by the ignorance of medical professionals ( including her own). the website has really useful guidance and access to speak to doctors if needed.
one of the main blind spots i see in menopause discussion is optimal thyroid levels- not ‘normal range’ as most GP’s are happy with which can be anywhere between 1% within range up to 75% which is optimal for me. I have autoimmune thyroid disease and when i hit peri menopause my thyroid crashed even on a high dose of t4 & t3. health unlocked thyroid page is good if you need more info on optimal thyroid levels
once you feel physically good to work our the best place to start is to do some type of full body workout 2-3 times a week alongside cardio of your choice ( there are arguments for and against high intensity for older women but start with what you can do and aim to track steps and calories with some type of tracker if you can, it’s a rough estimate but can help). there are loads of you tube full body workouts for beginners they include compound exercises such as press ups, squats, deadlifts, overhead press, lunges. the key is to do the exercise safely, and ensure you stop if you feel any sharp pains. you can book on with a trainer if needed to ensure your form is correct but be cautious of any advice on diets or quick fixes especially if they aren’t menopause trained ( most aren’t). strength training won’t give instant resultsbut it will give long term success such as stronger bones, greater strength, increase of calories burnt at rest & can be great for mental health too (the most noticeable will come from fat loss via burning more calories than you eat which is why i recommended tracking calories burnt and eaten)
good luck

teamrh.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360005853760-Full-Body-Machine-Workout

Don’t write off having a trainer. Me and DH have shared one for just over a year now, and whilst I had a good-ish ‘base’ level of fitness, my DH was extremely unfit, is about 4 stone overweight, and has a dodgy knee.
He has really worked well with both of us, managing to significantly improve both of our fitness levels. I was worried he’d be all ‘beach body’ and ‘stop eating pizza’, but he hasn’t, and it’s been really great for both of us.

If you do go on the cross trainer, choose one of the settings that vary intensity to give you a challenge. My downfall is just poodling away the gym and leaving without even breaking into a sweat

I doubt if you will be alone in feeling how you do!

@mummylondon16 thanks for great advice .... I’d never even thought about thyroid. I’ll go and have a read up.

Oooh OP, I could have written that post except I'm taking the plunge and joining a gym tomorrow! I'm also 5 stone overweight and have chronic pain which means I can't even walk. Good luck and I hope you enjoy it, you're fantastic for going

I went this afternoon and did 30 minutes cardio. Going to do some squats, weights etc tomorrow, and alternate until I'm feeling confident to get a trainer in a few weeks.

It wasn't as bad as I had thought, and I feel better for just going.

@fairydustandpixies well done and let us know your progress.

Glad it was a positive experience OP!