Unfit at 44 - where to start?

[Cupcake00]

Exactly that really.
I'm a single mum and a nurse. Life has been busy since becoming a single parent 11 years ago. I have done some running/zumba in my time. However, for the last 6 years, I have done nothing. Mainly because of time but also feeling exhausted. Walking the dog and house work is the nearest to any form of exercise.
Not sure if it's age or the lack of exercise, I ache. I'm tired. I ache (I really do).
I see so many people going to the gym or for a run. It's not so much the motivation now, it's the worry of just hurting more than I do now.
Anyone gone from 0 exercise to feeling fit?
Where do I start. Needing some motivational advice.

I did couch to 5k and feel much fitter now.

The aches could be peri menopause. I mean obviously do exercise as well but look into HRT - google Louise Newson / Newson health clinic and up to date HRT information.

Hi Op
How about couch to 5k. Over 8 weeks and perfect for people who do little or no exercise. I'm sure as a nurse you already do a fair bit of walking!
I'm also a big advocate of Parkrun a free weekly timed 5k that you can walk or run

You will hurt when you start exercising but that will pass as your muscles get used to moving. What do you enjoy? The best exercise is the one you like doing.
It’s good to do a mixture of cardio and strength

How much walking do you do with the dog?
Start to record that and set targets so you increase, aim for 5k a day.

You're a nurse, so I'm guessing on your feet a lot which probably contributes to the aching.

Do you want to fit in more general activity into your day, rather than having to "do exercise"? Or is there an exercise you've previously enjoyed that you'd like to try again?

I would also get on to doing some yoga videos at home - Adriene is really good x

What's up with the aching? Are you unwell? Are you overweight?

Please don't feel bad about yourself. Life can be hard. Are you on your feet for work?

The walking with a doggy is good - can you increase the pace of that?

Try swimming. Much gentler on the body and joints - especially if you're already aching! It also exercises all your muscles not just your legs. If weight-loss is part of what you want to achieve, then swimming also burns a ton more calories than jogging or many other form of exercise in that category.

I've just started a weekly swimming session for ladies only - it's fab, you can choose slow lane, medium lane, fast lane, whatever you're comfortable with.

I started HRT at 47. This has helped a great deal. I then spent 6 months conditioning my body with weights, situps, squats etc. It was really hard as my knees were painful. Most of the exercises I supported most of my body weight holding on to the end of my bed! I am only a stone overweight.

Once I graduated from holding onto the bed, I then did weighted squats and can now run 5km. It has taken me 9 months to get this far and because I was so unfit with bad knees I never thought I would run again. It seems all I needed was to spend some time building muscles and conditioning before doing running etc.

Good luck and start slowly to avoid injury. I was doing the conditioning work at least 5 days a week.

I agree with couch to 5k plus yoga with adriene at home. It keeps me sane and despite being a porky 40 year old my fitness is definitely better. I mean I am never running a marathon but I don’t really want to! Plus I am medical and I find it keeps my head clear and makes me a much more tolerant person at work…

I got into exercise after being Ill and house bound for a long time.
I was coming up for major surgery and wanted to be fit to recover easier.
I started with power walking with the dogs, I lived in a very hilly area and I pushed myself for about 40 minutes until I was sweaty panting and my heart hammering.
Then when that became easier I started HIIT, built up to half an hour of 7 minute reps.
Then I did c25k.
Sadly it's all gone to pot, I've now got fibromyalgia and arthritis in my hips and lower spine and exercise for me is much slower and gentler or I suffer badly with Post Exercise Malaise.
I completely understand the not wanting to ache or hurt more than you already do, it's a fine balance between being fitter for life/work and making yourself too sore to function.
The day after my first attempt at squats I screamed when I was lowering myself onto the toilet

But overall yes op it's totally doable, and really I would say essential to increase your activity otherwise it'll just get harder as you get older.

C25k is great, but it's worth being sure you can maintain a brisk walk first.

There's loads of 10 minute workouts on youtube, great for fitting into a busy life and getting started. Mr Motivators Daily Dozen and Fit with Rick walking workouts are great for short bursts of getting moving in 10-15 minutes. I'm not a fan of Joe Wicks for people starting as his moves require quite a lot of strength to begin.

Parkrun is family friendly (can register from 4 and children can run beyond arms length from 11) and can be walked or run at your own pace. The tail walker usually comes in at a gentle walking pace at roughly an hour.

My legs used to ache when I was teaching, but it eased after I took up running!

Thankyou everyone. Just reading through these messages after another busy day. I just can't find the motivation after a busy day. I can't keep using this as an excuse though.
I just couldn't imagine ever running again. Well done to all that have. I get so out of breath if I'm in a hurry.
I'm about 12 stone and 5 ft 5.
I walk the dog 20 mins in the morning and my dds walk him after school/work. I should try to do a walk in the evening too.
No idea why I ache. I will look into peri menopause. I'm not on my feet alot as I'm a community nurse.
I worry about as I age. So yes, I know I have to do something. Maybe pilates and swimming (although you are brave in this cold weather).
It's definitely motivation that I need. I'm in a bit of a rut I think. For my mental health too.
Thankyou all so much!

Hi

I didn’t do any exercise for the last 5 years after I tore my meniscus while trying to do the C25K. I have been overweight all my life and then during lockdown I put on 2 stone pushing my bmj to over 31.
I got to the point where my body was aching all the time and I said enough is enough.
So at the age of 49 I hired a personal trainer. She has me on 1,200 kcal per day and tracking those on MFP. I need 120g of protein which means eggs for breakfast, chicken for lunch, greek yogurt for snack, lean protein and veg for dinner. I walk the dog for an hour each day, sometimes more to get 10,000 steps in every day. I weight train with her twice a week (I had no idea how to exercise before).
The first training session was unbearable. My quads hurt so much that I couldn’t sit on the loo. I thought I made the biggest mistake of my life signing up.
Three months later I am 2 stone lighter, not breathless all the time, aches have gone, legs are toned. Still overweight, but BMI is 27 and I can find nice stuff to wear. I plan on loosing 2 more stone until the summer.
I walk faster now, I still lift weights twice a week and I started lifting weights at home too. I realised that I would never achieve such results with zumba or pilates classrs.
If you’re on Instagram look up trainwithjoan. She’s a lady who got super fit in her 70s! Inspirational!
Good luck and do keep us posted on how you are getting on

Hi, I got into fitness when I was 50, I now strength train and run and do various classes and love it! I started with brisk walking though, and lost weight just doing that, which then helped with more intense exercise. GIven your time pressures, I'd try that, but in gym kit, run a bit if you want to. I've also really enjoyed Les Mills on Demand which is good value and your dc might enjoy too, and Lottie Murphy pilates (she has a free youtube channel and a paid version). Both include short workouts and LM has a huge variety including boxing, dance, stretching.....Main thing is to find something you enjoy that works for you.

If you can extend the dog walk by about 10 mins, you could do C25K with her?

And as you're feeling unusually fatigued, frequently breathless etc, then make a GP appointment and discuss. It might be normal perimenopause plus lifestyle, but they should do some blood tests (established eciaoly a full blood count) just to check there's nothing else obviously wrong

C25k can be walked with brisker/ gentler intervals which is a good starting point.

Hi - I started c25K about a year ago and went from not being able to run more than 2 minutes to running 40 minutes fairly easily. I am not super fast but running is quite rewarding as you really get to notice an improvement fast. Could you run in the morning before work? I never run in the evening as I just don't have the motivation. I also ache a lot and am having this investigated but actually the running doesn't seem to exacerbate it - I hurt just as much on the days I stay on the sofa!

Body Project on YouTube

Another vote for c25k, and doing it in the morning (instead of dog walk is ideal!) as it's easy to be too busy or to have lost motivation in the evenings.

When I started c25k I was a size 12-14 (14 if I'm honest!) and so unfit I literally couldn't run for a bus. I'd wait for the next one rather than run 100m.

Now I'm a size 8 and run 5k in 20mins. But more important than that, I'm far happier and healthier than I was before.

Strength training. Stick to compound lifts with a few bits of isolation work if you like.
You get good time:benefit ratios if you do heavy work. It can be adapted to any strength level and so good for you as you age.

I used mark rippetoe videos on YouTube to get my form correct, he does a book called starting strength too.