To ask if you think I am doing enough exercise

[Oopupsideyourhead]

So this is my weekly exercise- I am trying to drop a bit of weight but struggling- I am 45 and perimenopausal so finding it tricky. This is my average weekly exercise:
Mon- 10,000 steps
Tues- an hour of full on Zumba
Weds- rest
Thurs- Davina Hiit DVD around 30 mins
Fri- rest
Sat- 5k run
Sun- long walk

I suspect it’s not enough but interested to know what else I could do- avoid rest days maybe??

Also- I try to do 5:2 on my rest days!

Are you pretty sedentary around the other times?

@lastqueen I do an office job so pretty much yes!

Yeah sounds good. I average 10k steps a day, but should be mixing it with more high intensity stuff

You don't need rest days if you have a sedentary job - you should be aiming for at least 30 mins a day of activity that raises your heart rate to around 120bpm, even if that's just brisk walking.

Could you add in some weight training? I’d say that it’s not just a question of what exercise you’re doing but what you’re doing IYSWIM. Weight training can help you with a lot of aspects of health including weight loss, in combination with some cardio to burn calories.

If you’re struggling to lose weight - do you count your calories? Have you worked out your TDEE? If not, have a google for TDEE Calculator and it should take you to one.

It’s hard to say without more info if your exercise is enough for you - e.g without knowing what else you do day to day, how much you eat and even your height :)

Sorry that should say not just a question of how much you’re doing but also what you’re doing.

I also agree that if you want to lose weight and have a sedentary job, 5 days a week exercise with 2 of those being just walking sadly may not be enough. In the same breath though, losing weight should mainly be focused on diet.

I’m 5ft 8 am weigh 11.11 at the moment- I want to get to 11 stone. I eat mostly vegan diet but with eggs added. I try and do 5:2 but have found it harder as I have got older for son reason- I eat about 1400 calories a day based on nutracheck tracking! (I do vaguely try and calorie count)

Apologies for crap phone spelling!!!

I'm currently trying to burn over 2,000 calories, and eat about 1400. I've lost half a stone in three weeks so far.

I exercise five days a week, do 16/8 and am low carbing. It seems to be working so far.

It looks good to me. Adults should do at least 150 minutes a week, which you are probably hitting, assuming that the run and the walk last at least half an hour each. So that’s great, but you could also try to add in some strength building exercises, which ideally you should be doing twice a week. Especially important if you are perimenopausal because you don’t want to lose muscle mass. It doesn’t have to be hours and hours of exercises, but it should target all the main muscle groups. There are loads of videos on YouTube if that’s your thing, otherwise something like Pilates or BodyPump might appeal.

Not at all

A good hour a day should be minimum

As PPs have said, can you add weights into your plan - and I mean PROPER weights, not just messing about with 2kg dumbbells?

I took up Olympic lifting a couple of years ago (I'm 39), having spent most of my time doing cardio and basic resistance (my main sports at the time were endurance running and equestrianism, but I also play rugby).

I LOVE it and it has changed everything: my shape, my posture, even my metabolism. Am also 95% plant-based, so I think lifting for women is incredibly important in terms of maintaining bone density.

I know there will be people saying 'oh, a gym membership isn't necessary', but IMO, if you want to lift properly, you need to go to a good gym to access equipment.

If you have one nearby, pop in and ask them about 121 sessions or a couple of shots with a PT to work on form. I promise you won't regret it!

I might do one of the longer older Davina dvds which uses weights once a week too to up it all a bit

@thistle at the moment time is a bit of an issue with gyms but maybe I will investigate a PT once a week for weights

Personally I wouldn't count 10k steps as an exercise in and of itself. That should be a daily activity aim with additional exercise on top. Also having done a Davina DVD myself, I'd guess out of those 30 minutes, only about 20mins is strenuous enough activity to elevate your heartbeat and get you out of breath. The 5k run and the Zumba is probably the only good heart raising cardio you are doing, so in reality you do quality exercise twice a week.

In my unqualified opinion, and without knowing your general health etc, I'd recommend you look to increase more activity in your normal day. Can you walk where you currently use transport (get off a stop or two earlier etc)? Can you use stairs instead of lift at work, walk to speak to colleagues rather than email? You'd be surprised how many steps this would add.

I'm also a big fan or strength/resistance training. I lose more weight lifting heavy weights, than when I do cardio. If you can't do this at a gym, find a more strenuous and longer DVD to replace Davina and do this then and in addition to the 10k steps day.

Remember that 10,000 steps has no basis in science. It is just a number.
Also that 10,000 ambled steps is very different from 10,000 yomped steps.

How many times a week do you actually get sweaty AND out of breath?
What is your core like - how long can you stand on one leg?
How about standing on tiptoes with your heels together?

Just that core / balance fitness is what will protect best from broken hips later in life ...

I think the general advice is 30mins of raised heart rate exercise a day, but I find it hard to fit it in every day with work/family/general life.

I'm early 40s, I tend to do two hour long high impact classes a week (combat, circuits), an hour of body pump, an hour of competitive netball and a little bit of walking at weekends but I have a sedentary job and little motivation to get up early to exercise. I also love food. And a little wine at weekends.

I can't shift weight easily, am 5ft 11 and 12 stone, relatively toned and am happy(ish) with my weight as long as I'm fit enough to run 5k easily or do a high impact class.

10k steps is basically what you should be aiming for as a minimum every day, so to have a rest day from that probably will slow things down.

The 10k steps thing is a bit of a myth, it's useful as an incentive, as a target to get people moving more, but there's no scientific evidence to say that 10k every day will keep people fit.

I reckon three high impact hours of running/exercise/ weights/ swimming/other sport a week is better for general health than 10k steps every day.