Reassure me that 45 minutes/5 times a week at the gym is enough

[Thefitfatty]

I usually go for about 90 minutes, but my work schedule is changing and I won't be able to fit that, work and family in anymore. Please reassure me that a 20 minute intense run and 25 minutes of weights/kettle bells will be enough to keep me fit!

I'm used to a nice moderate 40 minute run followed by about 35/40 minutes of weight lifting and 15ish minutes of core.

Enough for what?

It's plenty. But it depends what your goal is. Depends what your definition of fit is.

20 mins is plenty to get in a HIT run.

I agree that it depends what your goal is. What it might pay to do is mix up your workouts now. So one day do your 40 run at a moderate pace and no weights, the next do a legs day, another day focus on upper body weights, another do a fast short run then core etc rather than trying to cram in everything on one day?

I don't really have a goal. I'm trying to lose weight, but I know that is more dependent on diet. Mostly, I would like to see a bit of definition and just feel healthy! Mostly, I'm just worried I'm suddenly going to put on a ton of weight and get heart disease. Which I know is totally not going to happen. LOL.

That might be a good idea Skala.

How vigorous will the kettle bells be? I've seen some videos that are pretty darn tame.
Do you do no walking or other activity?

Thing is, if OP fits say all her leg or arm work on one day, won't that put her at higher risk of injury? I would have thought little & often is a lot safer.

Pretty vigorous. I don't tend to do things half way. No, no other activity beyond chasing DC's. I'm up at 5:30am to get breakfast/lunches/dinners prepared before showered and out the door for a one hour commute at 7am. At work from 8am at a desk job (though I try and get up and walk around a bit as much as possible). I used to go to the gym during my lunch break, but I've been told I can't do that now, so I leave at 5, get home for 6 and plan to run to the gym 3 times a week and on the weekend for 45 minutes. DC's bed time is 7:30pm so will be cutting it close with gym.

I don't normally fit in full body everyday, I do a five day split...

i think its plenty, but gymming it doesnt make you lose weight particularly. Gym makes you healthier and stronger and fitter, but unless you reduce your diet accordingly alongside it, its not a weightloss thing

Who told you that you can't gym in your lunch break? Surely it's your lunch break to do what you want in?

Branleuse intellectually I know that. And my diet is more then fine to continue weight loss. It's an anxiety thing. I just suddenly envision myself ballooning like an elephant.

Gravitylucy HR has informed us that our lunch breaks will be closely monitored, and if we go over an hour we will be reprimanded. I've always managed to work it that I could take an extra hour (i.e. come in early, leave late), but they are no longer allowing flex hours.

Oh, and as I said, this is unfortunately the gym is the only real exercise I get.

On days off with DC can you go for long walks?

Is there another parent around so you could go swimming or to gym for a session on your joint days off?

You only need like 20 minutes (combined total) of intense aerobic activity per week to put yourself in the low risk for heart disease group, btw, 3 minutes/day. Yes, real research to establish that one. Putting on weight usually comes down to what went in the mouth.

Working out isn't about amount of time spent but how effectively you use your time. I can do a 20 minute workout which is much more effective than somebody else's 40 minute run. Particularly if they're using a treadmill.

Have you ever had advice about a programme for you? One that incorporates some goals? There are people who spend hours and hours a week on gym equipment and actually are wasting those hours.

But that doesn't mean you can't go to the gym, surely? It just means you have to fit a visit in within your hour. And if you do HIIT, then you don't need to be in the gym forever.

However, there's obviously more here than just the gym - sounds like a lot of anxiety that perhaps you need to deal with?

My gym is a 10 minute walk away, so that and changing is half an hour, which would leave me with only half an hour at the gym. That doesn't seem like nearly enough time?

No, no one's ever given me a program. I generally research myself and set my goals.

As for anxiety LOL. Yes. Years of eating disorders and a lot of anxiety about my body. Working out helps with that.

lljk yes, my DH will be watching the kids while I go to the gym 5 times a week. I do try and take the kids to the park, or get out and about shopping on the weekends, but it's not particularly high impact.

Half an hour not nearly enough time? That's completely untrue. My current programme is 35 minutes, 6 times a week. It is intense. I mean REALLY intense. I am very fit and it's HARD. It's HIIT and weight training combined.

DH is an ex personal trainer and his evening workout atm is 14 minutes. It's ludicrous. I can't do it.

You need to see somebody about an effective workout. Personal trainer?

Are you getting help with the anxiety?

Can't afford a personal trainer. Yes, plenty of help with the anxiety. I was recently (finally) diagnosed with ADHD, so that's helping.

I did do a HIIT sort of thing once, and it was totally intense, but it was a lot of burpees and stuff which wreak havoc on my diastasis recti. Almost gave myself a hernia. :(

If youve got half an hour to spend at he gym, then its better than not going to the gym isnt it.

If you havent got more time, or even if you dont want to be there longer, you can maximise the time you do have.

Also if youre an anxious person with an ED history, then you need to make sure youre not overdoing it anyway, because exercise obsession is no better than food or dieting obsession, plus you risk burnout

Given the current work situation, I would prefer to remain at work during my lunch break. A lot of nosy people reporting comings and goings and all (very negative environment in general, but that's a whole other kettle of fish).

I certainly have an exercise obsession, which is why I started this thread. I need to get it through my thick skull that 30 or 45 minutes can be just as effective as 90 minutes. :) Just looking for some kicks up the bum (and possibly routines if anyone has them).

Go for 30 min gym session in your lunch break. If you focus properly it really will make a difference. Don't turn into one of those people who stagnates at their desk. I get a one mile walk in during my 25 min break whatever the weather.

You should have been offered a programme by the gym? As part of your membership?

Have you had proper advice on the diastasis recti too? It sounds severe if a burpee nearly causes a hernia. Lots of exercise exacerbates the separation so you could be inadvertently damaging yourself. I had a massive separation and tackled that separately. I can do burpees until the cows come home now. I don't though. As I hate them.

Thing is, it's not a forever situation. Only while your DC are smaller & your work could change again, etc.

I live in Abu Dhabi at the moment and my gym doesn't have actually have any trainers (or at least none that speak English), it's a pretty bare bones establishment.

And for the diastasis recti. No. It wasn't just the burpees, it was the crazy sit ups he had me going. All in all, no care for post partum women here. So Dr. Google is the only thing I can find. I found a program online that closed it from a full fist gap to a finger and a half, so I'm proud of that. But I don't want to make it worse again.