What exercise do you do each week ?

[Rainydays55]

What exercise do you try and do each week and what benefits do you see from it? Looking to try and get into it a bit more but not sure where to start!

I spin 3 x a week
Try to do a yoga class as well.
Sometimes add in a weights and tone class.
Also try to do some exercise at home in between - normally weights with Caroline Girvan.

Walk the dogs every day and also we have an ancient pony who I muck out and do the general pony work for most days.

Definitely good for my mental health - I feel so much better after spin. Also just keeps my general fitness up. I'm sure a lot of people do a lot more but it's the most I can really at the moment.

Caroline Girvan Epic programme 4 days a week, running and cycling 2 days a week, one rest day.

Two lots of 7 minute workouts from you tube daily. Started during lockdown and it suits me well as it fits into the time for cooking the kids tea.
Fitness wise it is not great, however I did drop a dress size and have kept my new weight stable.

Which work outs are they @Dangermouse80?

2 x 3-5 mile runs. One fast hike up a mountain. One Heather Robertson home workout using YouTube.
As for benefits, it keeps me slim and fit, and keeps my mental health steady.

I do 3 weights sessions a week, one long row and a run. I like the mixture of feeling stronger and having better cardiovascular health. I feel like I could help move a piano and chase after my toddler. I'm 35 now so I'm not trying to be in peak physical fitness but I'm trying to preserve my muscle mass and general fitness as long as I can!

3 x 45m PT sessions
1 x netball training session
1/2 netball matches

It takes a lot of my time and I work in a very demanding full time job. I also have 2 primary age children. I have to get up at 5;15 to fit everything in 🤣

I do body pump x2, HIIT, circuits and run x2/3. For my age, I want a good mix of weights/weight based and cardio.

Run about 25-30 miles a week and I walk 20 miles a week.

Walking the dog, Pilates, swimming when I can manage it.

I have been diagnosed with long COVID and am on a managed exercise plan- as much for my mental health as my physical health.

How do people have time to fit in all this exercise?

Best thing I ever did was buy a Peloton

I do the bike workouts 2 or 3 times per week, 1 or 2 run workouts (the instructor guides you while you run, telling you to slow down, speed up, walk etc) and 2 of the Pilates and strength ones

Because the bike and screen are at home and the classes are on demand, I can find the time during the day

And the app is just the right sort of nagging/gaming to keep me motivated to do classes each week

Walk 6 days a week for about an hour plus x3 5k runs

I really enjoy HIIT and kettlebells classes, good for heart health. Plus weight sessions as it helps maintain bone density and muscle mass which is crucial as a woman and as we age. I feel good, sleep very well, am very toned and lean. The look that I personally like. And remember you will never get big muscles as a woman unless you are professionally training and bulking up with the calories.

@RampantIvy I get up early. It doesn't feel like I am making time, it's just part of my daily routine.

I started walking a year ago. Previously I was doing about 6,000 steps a day now I'm between 15-18k a day.
I've lost weight and really enjoy it now I'm so much fitter. It's also really benefitted me mentally.

[quote HarlanPepper]@RampantIvy I get up early. It doesn't feel like I am making time, it's just part of my daily routine.[/quote]
Now that it is getting light much earlier I will find it easier to do this.

I get up early (alarm goes off at 5.45). Then we do parkrun as a family on Saturday and I squeeze in another run or 2 while DCs are at after school activities.

At the moment I walk the dogs every day. Run 6 days a week, about 40 - 45 miles.

Maybe one easy day on the turbo trainer cycling.

And then go to the gym with a PT once a week for strength and plyo training.

I try to do 3/4 45 min sessions of weight training plus a bit of stairmaster during the week and then zumba on Saturday morning.

Wow! You lot are so motivated. I manage a swim most weeks and try and walk as much as possible. But with two young children and working full time it's so hard , husband starts early so no chance to do anything in the morning unless I want to get up at 4ish. And have work to do most evenings. Hopefully as the kids get a bit older it will be easier. Definitely feel the benefits when I do, trying to fit in more that I can do at home.

I do judo because I enjoy it and generally have an active lifestyle. I don't need to specifically exercise much on top to keep fit. I cycle to work because it's convenient. Walk and cycle whenever i can. And I'm out and about with the kids at the weekend. there is no need to fit in artificially created exercise if you have a healthy lifestyle to start with. I do need to get the kids back into swimming though. Because we enjoy it.
Exercise should be done out of enjoyment and not a chore. I never really got much out of gym based exercise. Not my thing. I can definitely run but i find it a bit boring.

Re diet v sport. Diet is definitely what drives weight loss. Not exercise. But exercise has many other benefits. But exercise is a wide word.

@Frollop

Can I ask what motivates everyone to do regular exercise?

When I feel low I tend to stop exercising which I know is the wrong thing to do.

For me, when I'm low, I want to exercise, as it's what helps me. Gets me out of my head.

I also like the competitive element - I work out with the same people quite often & like to push myself.

And it's also linked to my physical appearance, it helps me stay in shape, I like having defined muscle, abs etc

But it's a matter of finding what suits you and what you enjoy, then you'll feel motivated.

@RampantIvy

How do people have time to fit in all this exercise?

I get up at 520

God this depresses me. Pre lockdown I would run a few times a week, weekly yoga class, walk everywhere - 10k steps daily as a minimum, some YouTube HIIT and swim. Plus family activity included lots of long walks.

Now I sit.

This is due to a combination of getting out of the habit and not restarting it, my work gets hideously intense and draining, my kids getting older and sulking/stropping their way through life plus also them changing hobbies - whereas once I had 2 hours on a Saturday morning where I had to be active and loved it, now I spend that time watching her.

I am slowly making a start - trying to get back into a daily yoga habit (was going well, got Covid quite badly but now building up), back in the office 2 days a week which naturally gets me to 6k steps without effort, long walks on weekend.

My ideal would be 10k steps a day, 2x 5k runs a week, daily yoga (I like flow) and a swim. I feel I should get some weights in there too. For now I am focusing on the steps and yoga to get the habit back.