Help - I’m in my 30’s and have next to no strength or flexibility

[11stoneTess]

I can’t touch my toes. I can’t do a push up. I can’t sit at 90 degrees. I can’t do lying leg raises. I can’t hold a plank. I can’t keep my legs straight in downward dog. I have just had to abort c25k for the 7th time because my knees are unhappy. There are many more examples of exercises I don’t even know the name of.

I realise it’s all connected. I’m weak and tight all over and my body is constantly compensating. This is how I get injured so easily. This is why I give up so easily.

Can I build my whole body up from scratch like this? Any idea where to start? I wasn’t sporty as a kid, or adult (clearly). There is no muscle memory to activate.

I am very motivated. I can spend 1.5 hours a day. Eventually I would like to do cardio, but think I have to fix my structure first. I have 1 stone in weight left to lose, but I’m losing that through calorie deficit, not exercise, so burning calories is not important.

Thanks for any help

I have the same issues as you. I do Pilates and swimming they both definitely help. One to one Pilates at first will make sure you are doing it properly. Swimming will help with fitness and stamina and you just go at your own pace and build up gradually.

You could look up jessica smith on you tube. she does a whole variety of videos, strength, yoga , cardio and flexibility, barre and resistance band ones which are excellent are building strength. she is brilliant.

Yoga.

Yoga.

Yoga.

With a proper instructor not a gym yoga fitness session but someone who is really going to get you in the right alignment and give you adjustments whilst you get used to the poses.

Ideally a PT would be the best way forward but if you don’t have the budget, I would definitely try yoga (you may need to find several types/instructors to find one that suits) to address flexibility and strength. Pilates is also great but there’s more focus on strength than stretching. Then some kind of low impact cardio...cross trainer, swimming, cycling, stair machine ...

Swimming is only good if you are a good swimmer. Pools are stuffed full of people with awful strokes that bring injury risks. Also lots struggle to work out whilst swimming. It is brilliant exercise but something else with spending on a few lessons first.

Pilates is good. Also just the more active you are and the bigger a mixture of activities the better you will feel for it.

I will never be really flexible or even averagely flexible but I have definitely improved with regular Pilates classes. And I have found running easier since doing Pilates

I wanted to suggest looking at Joe Wicks - he has workouts for seniors on his youtube, even some sitting down ones! Could be a good start for you.

swimming is only good if you are a good swimmer

Totally disagree with this. I’m one of those head out of the water slow breaststroke swimmers. I do about 20 minutes in the pool 3 or 4 times a week. It is amazing for me mentally and physically. I’m at much less risk of injury than if I was doing Joe Wicks!
Swimming has helped me tone up but also to stretch and relax my muscles. I see 80 year olds in the pool doing the same as me and it’s all good.

Thanks again for all of these wonderful suggestions.

Having thought about it overnight, I think you're all right about hiring professionals to check i'm doing things correctly. I've emailed a few to see if they would do an every other week pattern to keep costs down. I'm thinking pilates first, then a PT, and then swimming lessons.

I've had a look at yoga by adrienne and think its something I could enjoy. Jessica smith also looks good, the resistance band ones might be a good place to start. I'm a bit weary about starting though.

I would also enjoy swimming, but i am bad at it and get terrible back and neck ache so lessons would probably be appropriate there too as my form must be off.

Have an appointment with the osteopath in 2 weeks time. They have a physio in the same practice, but its his reviews that are amazing so i'm going to try him first. He will refer me to his collegue if thats more appropriate I think.

And, I stretched this morning. Its a dvd I forgot I had called strechworks. I couldnt do all of it, and had to adapt some of the moves, but feels like a step in the right direction.

That’s great OP, how do you feel today? Baby steps and you’ll improve. I am really stiff and inflexible in some ways but it’s so motivating seeing myself gradually improve

Hi Singtothesky! I am doing really well thank you.

I did the stretchworks dvd again this morning, and then at lunch I did the 20 min yoga for complete beginners with Adriene. I haven't made progress over night or anything, but i'm stupidly pleased with myself regardless.

I've identified a PT and a Pilates instructor i'd like to work with. Both insist on a weekly pattern though. I havent actually booked anyone yet though. Still searching for swimming lessons, but not thinking to start that until winter.

My dilemma for now is finances vs timing. I could use savings, but in the current climate that feels too reckless. Which is a shame as right now I'm time-rich as i'm not commuting. At the same time, I feel just too immobile to make the best use of an instructor right now, so perhaps a few weeks doing the dvd is the best idea before deciding?

Keen to see what the osteopath is like too.

Hi....wanted to add from day to day your ability to stretch or do workouts will change..don't be put off. The key is consistency.

I've just been to the osteopath for the first time since March, and am feeling a bit battered, but 4 months of neglect has made everything sieze up. They do a lot of overlap between skeletal, muscular and may be trained up in other complinentary disciplines.

Yoga with Adriene is as good as you'll get online. She recognises that each body feels different and it's about the feel and connection of the pose not the shape.
My body does not do shapes!

15 mins of yoga a day (or pilates) makes a big difference in getting and keeping things moving as well as any of the other strategies already suggested.

Thanks Elsie. I will keep that in mind for the bad days to fight against getting discouraged.

BogRollBOGOF yes15 mins is pretty dooable and so easy to do from home. I can do something morning, lunch and before bed, which has got to be good for me. I think pilates is more in line with my goals, so hope to add that in soon.

Knowledge is power! I tried these hip mobility tests this morning and scored

1. Poor L&R
2. Poor L&R
3. Excellent L&R
4. Good R, Poor L.

Think hip mobility is definately part of the problem.

definitely start with some youtube beginners yoga, you will be amazed how quickly you build up flexibility and tone, even if you can't do those things to begin with. Do it daily even a short amount of time would be good.

I've found a hip opening yoga session from Adriene and some other hip mobility things on you tube. Excitied to give it a try at lunch.

I did Stretchworks again this morning too.