Would you join a gym in my shoes? 👟🎽

[40in23]

I’m 40 next February (yikes!) and feel I need to make some changes.

I have seen the medical and physical difficulties the older members of my family have, due to being overweight and having reduced mobility due to getting out of breath.

I have an inherited chronic health condition and it is likely that in 10/20/30 years this will cause associated further conditions, or have complications, as it has with my family. However I feel if they weren’t overweight then things might be easier for them.

I have a BMI of 30.5. I used to be on oral steroids which put weight on me. I lost a bit. But then over the past ten years my weight has creeped (crept?!) up by about two stone.

Apart from my sweet tooth, my diet is actually pretty healthy. It’s the post-dinner pudding/snacking that causes the problem!

But I think the main problem is my low activity levels. I sit all day at work, and then all day at home. Apparently my VO2 is terrible and one of those body scanner things said I have the body of a 57 year old

I feel like I need to focus on upping my activity levels. We don’t have room to swing a cat at home, but there is a gym that looks lovely about a 20min drive away. It looks to have interesting classes on, a ladies’ only weights room, and a pool. However, it’s £55 a month…

Would you do it?!

*and then all evening at home, that should be.

Although right now work is at home, so.. yeah I guess I just sit at home all the time!

Yes, definitely. You’ve identified that you need more exercise and you like the look of the gym, so that sounds like a winner, provided you can afford it.

The alternatives would include doing some home workouts or something like C25k. Some people are able to self-motivate and enjoy working out on their own steam/enjoy the flexibility of being able to do workouts at home to their own schedule. I’m not one of them and need to actually go to a gym or a class to get motivated. I became a fitness instructor in the end so now I get paid for it which is even more motivating 😂

I think that’s a good price for membership, at least compared to some of the facilities in my area (South East).

Worth giving it a go I’m sure and then if you hate it or find you’re not getting your money’s worth, you can quit and try something else.

Would you do enough classes to make it worthwhile? I’d say you’d need to go at least twice a week, every week, to make the £55 worth it (also, remember that’s £660 a year…).

How motivated would you be to do couch to 5k yourself, instead of the gym (almost free, apart from the cost of some leggings and good running shoes), or YouTube workouts (which you can do even in a tiny house - you only need a space the size of a yoga mat). Many are completely free, eg Joe Wicks.

Or you could go swimming in the normal pool for a lot less than £55 a month. Does that appeal? Would you motivate yourself to go?

I hate classes etc and did Couch2K just before l was 40 and it has changed my life in terms of how fit and healthy I feel. Even in phases (like now!) when my diet is crap.

For me, the extra effort of having to go somewhere to exercise would give me a reason not to go. Running is perfect for me as I'm exercising as soon as I step outside. For other people having that commitment might help with motivation.

Try couch2k5 . I used to be very inactive. Over the last 3 years ive become much more sporty

I Started with nice walks every day and also C25K. Ive recently joined the gym and find it so boring, would much prefer to be outside running/jogging x

This is the crux of it- it’s finding something you enjoy and will stick to! I hate running. Have tried it several times over the years. I did 5k a few times (the Race for Life) and completed a 10k a few years ago. I did it but didn’t enjoy any of it and spent every minute looking forward to getting home 😂.

I like loud music that I can lose myself in, and the camaraderie of classes. In terms of fitness, the fittest I’ve ever been was when I was having Personal Training but that is another expense on top of gym membership.

I wouldn't. If you want to make a commitment to getting fit, it doesn't have to cost you £600 a year for the specialist equipment and facilities you'd be paying for. You'll need to start off gently anyway, so you're not going to be using the big weights. Weight machines aren't ideal for anyone (unless you're working with an injury)

If the gym is 20mins away, you could have your workout done and dusted before you'd have got there and back.

Get out for lunchtime walks, for a start, and, if you want 'gym' stuff, buy a set of adjustable weights. Hire a personal trainer for a couple of sessions, just to show you the ropes, and then you can do it all at home.

I do do it and wish I'd started long before 44.

I go to an independent gym so the classes are cheaper if you pay monthly but long term health is worth the money imo. Not to mention bone health.

It's tough at first but it's surprising how fast your body responds if you keep at it.

I have tried Cto5k a few times, by myself, with DH and in a running group. I hate it, absolutely hate running. I would love to say I’m a runner but I just don’t think I’m built for it! I have tried and tried.

Personally I would but you don't really know until you try it. £55 isn't much if you go 2-3 times a week, compared to what it would cost to pay for individual sessions. I just can't get into home workouts, particularly when I've been working from home all day (not to mention I don't have the space for it). And yes, I go for a walk at lunchtime, and I go running, but it's not the same as a gym or swim session for me.

That's a good price! I would do it.

Lots of food for thought and things I hadn’t thought of.

I just use pay as you go classes at my local leisure centre with ouch to 5k. That’s a lot less than £55. Just getting out and walking is a really great place to start.

I would look at what you’d use it for and try and be really realistic about how much you’re going to be able to go.

Are there any cheaper options locally?

Well done for being ready to make positive changes. There’s loads of support on the exercise and weight loss chat boards.

Couch to 5k! Ouch to 5k was right yesterday though!

@PurpleDaisies

Couch to 5k! Ouch to 5k was right yesterday though!

Couch to ouch?

Sounds like a good idea to me as long as you get good value for what you will be paying

I was correcting a typo in the previous post. Yesterday’s run was up a lot of hills. Ouch.

@40in23

I have tried Cto5k a few times, by myself, with DH and in a running group. I hate it, absolutely hate running. I would love to say I’m a runner but I just don’t think I’m built for it! I have tried and tried.

It's not for everybody, but I've trained quiet a few people to become runners who thought they weren't built for it. Generally it's to do with going too hard too fast. I was a personal trainer (not any more, but still work with friends and one has just done her first hour running and her first 10k) PM me if you'd like any advice.

Of course, there's millions of other ways of exercising, so no need to run if you don't fancy it. I was just picking up on 'I would love to say I'm a runner', which I've heard so many times before.

Personally I love the gym, mine has unlimited classes included in the membership of £25 a month, it's PureGym.

I hate running too so during lockdown I did YouTube Pilates and yoga and bought some dumbbells for resistance workouts.

Walking burns so many calories, doesn’t stress your body, and improves circulation and well being. You can do 10 minutes or 100. Can you start with that?

I’ve just joined the gym. I started a dance class once a week 6 months ago, and the cost of that is more then my gym membership. I’m doing c25k on the treadmill and swimming. As long as I go twice a week I think it’s value for money.
I did c25k a few years back but where I live is very hilly and is a village so there’s not always footpaths and when there is there isn’t often streetlights so it’s not pleasant running in the winter, and in the summer I just swallow midges from the local river so it was too easy to just give up.
It’s up to you and how much you value your health, can you really put a price on that? People wouldn’t think twice about paying £55 a month for a sky tv subscription - which is your priority?

I don’t like the gym I suppose you won’t know till you try. Regarding snacks and portion size, that’s a lot of your weight loss issues and almost every woman I know who has successfully tackled it has sort of concentrated on getting her head in the right place first.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Depends whether you would actually go. The fact of it being 20 minutes drive away (that's 40 minutes' there and back) would immediately put me off. I would think you might be better off taking up an activity that you can do closer to home (walking, online classes ...) but the main thing is that it needs to be something you'd enjoy.

Les mills online is brilliant

@roarfeckingroarr

That's a good price! I would do it.

I was thinking £50 was pretty expensive ...