to wonder if this is enough exercise?

[hippospot]

I don't know how to find out if I'm "fit enough" for my age.

I'm no athlete and my goals are to stay fit and healthy as long as possible. My weight is pretty stable, BMI 21.5 so not an issue.

In a typical week I:

• swim for 35 mins quite fast
• do a yoga class
• walk an average of 12,000-14,000 steps a day
• commute by bicycle 3 days but this only adds up to 1hr30 in total as work is local.

So my Fitbit tells me I'm doing 400-500 active minutes a week.

I have literally no clue if this is "enough" exercise. I have an old injury that tends to flare up if I do much in the way of HIIT or running, so I avoid those. My worry is I'm not getting my heart rate up enough. Should I be doing weights? I'm not a member of a gym.

Time is also an issue because I really dislike exercising late in the evening.

How can I find out if I'm fit? If you are mid-40s, how much do you do?

Does your fitbit not give you a cardio fitness rating.? Mine says Average to Good. Sounds like you do quite a bit and you do far more steps than me

No my fitbit is a Flex which I chose because I can swim with it. It doesn't measure heart rate.

I think NHS recommends 30 minutes 5 times a week. Along with the 10,000 steps.

Fit is a hard term to define because it can mean many different things. In terms of strength a weight lifter is very fit but may not do well with cardio, whereas a jogger would be good at cardio however may have no ability to lift weights?

If you're swimming and cycling fast enough to be slightly breathless afterwards, you're probably doing fine. And the amount of steps you do a day alone makes quite a difference - it's not like your exercise is a supplement to a completely sedentary lifestyle.

AYBU about what ???

You are clearly doing FAR more exercise than the overwhleming majority of people in their mid-40s. Your step count alone would put you in the higher % of comparing what you do, Nationally. Whether that is enough for you to be where you want to be in terms of fitness, is personal choice. You could do more, if that will make you feel more comfortable. Does it matter if you are doing more or less than the next person though ? You should do what you feel comfortable with to maintain your desired level of fitness.

Stealth boast alert It’s very widely publicised that 150 mins a week is about right (or 75 mins vigorous activity) plus a bit of strengthening is what most people should aim for. It’s all on the NHS website.

I promise not a stealth boast!

It does sound like I need to add 40 mins of vigorous activity. Possibly I could add a bike ride on weekends and choose a hilly route.

In my circle I am doing less exercise than most - many of my friends are runners and/or do lots of gym classes such as HIIT or bodypump.

But are they getting all those steps too?

You could ask your more active friends for advice, or join them?

Yoga counts as weight bearing exercise but I think you're suppose to do 2-3 sessions a week of weight bearing so yes, another yoga class or weights would be sensible. Does your flex count your swimming and cycling as 'steps'? My Misfit Shine definitely counts my swimming.

You could do a heart rate recovery test, to check your cardio fitness. There are charts to show how well you score compared to other people your age/sex. This would measure your fitness separately from your active minute count.

If the Chief Med Officers are recommending 150 active minutes/wk & you're doing 400-500, you're doing 3x more than they recommend. Seems like 'enough' from a purely health PoV.

The flex doesn't count cycling or swimming as steps, no, but it does measure the time doing them as "active minutes".