Age 45. Want to get fitter and stronger. Recommend me a programme

[CatInAShoebox]

I'm 45. Not overweight but am watching my calorie intake as losing a few lbs would do me good (I'm at the top end of normal for my height on the bmi chart).

I'm also perimenopausal and want to get stronger. I tried Caroline Girvan's beginners' programme and am really cross because in doing session 2 I hurt my elbows to such an extent that I am now out of action arm-wise and have been prescribed naproxen for post-injury swelling (nb I've tried various programmes over the years and this has never happened to me before!) I don't know what I did wrong but there we go.

I did couch to 5k last year but am trying to avoid running while I wait for an appointment with a women's physio as my pf is knackered. As you can see, I'm basically falling to bits and have been a couch potato for about a year.

Ideally I want something either free or not too £££ that I can do from home.

Any recommendations? Thanks in advance, mumsnetters :)

Similar age and also perimenopausal. I find walking really effective and makes a HUGE difference but obv much gentler on your joints than couch to 5k.

c25k
plus some strength training

@AnElegantChaos yes definitely to walking - I'm trying to do more of this.

@purplesequins can you say more about strength training? What should I be looking for (that won't injure me again!)

I'm a little older than you, perimenopausal too, not overweight either and want to keep it that way. Have to watch what I eat these days, too much sugar and bread really makes a difference in how I feel.
I walk a lot with my dog/DH, at least 60 mins brisk walking a day and more at the weekends.
I do a couple of 30 minute high impact workouts at home a week and a couple of weights workouts, using hand weights and kettle bells.
I don't stick to a routine/programme, I just do whatever I fancy at the time dependent on my mood. I really like a YouTube couple called Juice and Toya, Joe Wicks is another favourite.

I love the Les Mills+. (Was Les Mills on demand)

about £7 PCM. There’s yoga, weights, cardio, core training, ballet workouts, martial arts stuff. Plus a load of programs to follow to get you up and running, and a load of tutorial videos.

you absolutely DO NOT need the £££ equipment they sell though. I started doing the weights program with tins of soup and bags of rice.

you should be able to blag a cheap introductory offer. I got a free first couple of months.

www.lesmills.com/uk/ondemand/

I've just started indoor climbing for strength training. Also kayaking. Not a fan of gyms (annd out with my budget). I run a couple of times a week too. Late 40s. Getting stronger, fitter and lighter!

Thanks, loads of ideas here - much appreciated! I will investigate Les Mills, looks good. I've got hand weights already.

And you've reminded me that I actually have Joe Wicks dvd somewhere probably under a layer of dust I'll look for it tomorrow.

And indoor climbing sounds fun too. We've got one nearby - my kids have been but it's never occurred to me to have a try myself!

@CatInAShoebox look up 'core strength for runners' on youtube
there are some great ones (I like holly from runner's world). you only need a mat and use your own weight as resistance, similar to pilates.

Thanks, v useful - I'll look this up.

If you do sign up to Les Mills. Look for the ‘no gear, no problem‘ video. Shows you how to do a lot of the routines without needing to buy anything. (They did it during COVID when no one could buy anything anyway)

the weights one, it shows them using a barbell, but you don’t need it. Hand weights are fine. And I use a sock for some of the stretches where it says to use a band.

Walking and Pilates works for me. I’m 49 and peri with a slipped disc in my back so need core strength and flexibility

I do:
Strength training with Resistance bands, Swiss ball, TRX and hand weights/kettle bell.
c25k/Jeffing.
Yoga.
Swimming.
Long brisk walks.

Google PahlaB and read the free ebook. All her stuff is on YouTube, no quick fixes, but a long term mindset.

For weight training there are some good videos on youtube, I know Caroline Girvan is popular but she's a bit too hardcore for me.

I love Johanna Soh and Nourish, Move, Love - both of them have beginner/ easy videos (usually 20 - 30 mins) to start off with. I think they both probably have lower body specific videos until your arms recover.

Also Blogilates does short pilates videos that are very doable.

I highly recommend Growingannanas. Free on YouTube.
Anna has tons of workouts of varying duration, with/without weights, as well as some tabata and yoga sessions.

Most of her workouts include warm up and cool down, which makes life easy.

However, I'd also recommend planks and abs workouts. A strong core is the key to successful exercising. Look for the Bowflex 3-minute plank and Rebecca Louise's Best Abs, which are brilliant. Do one or the other every day and you'll soon notice the difference.

I also love Lucy Wyndham Read's Thighs & Glutes. The rest of her stuff is more for beginners, but this one is great.

The Body Project (YouTube channel) has some fantastic free beginners workouts as well, all do-able in your bare feet in the front room. For most of them they'll have someone doing the beginner, intermediate, and experienced version of each exercise (or demonstrate the easier version and the harder version) so you can start off gently and work your way up.

I actually like Joe Wicks. He has lots of stuff on YouTube so is free.

I used to run. Gave it up due to knee problems. Walk instead but do weights/functional strength training 3x a week. Made so much progress. Lost weight and toned up in a way I have never done with running.

Do you have a nintendo switch? If so, there's a programme for it called ringfit that I find very effective. A mixof cardio and strength training.

I've damaged my ankle so can't do it currently. Really miss it.

Thanks for all the ideas, everyone. As soon as my poor elbows are better I'm going to get started.

@ThreeLocusts someone else mentioned ring fit to me recently- I don't have a Nintendo though, unfortunately (anyone know if anything similar exists for a PlayStation?)

I don't know about ringfit, but the HIIT workouts by Growingannanas are excellent for cardio and strength training - especially the ones using weights.

I’m late 40s and menopausal but definitely overweight. I had to stop running because of knee issues too but have recently started spin and it’s fantastic. Currently, I’m doing 4x spin classes per week, 4x Body Pump (strength/cardio) and a couple of HIIT classes here and there. Spin has really improved my endurance and I’ve noticed a difference even in just the few weeks since I started doing it.

The Nike training app is free and has lots of equipment free / body weight resistance workouts. It’s excellent

I’m a female specialist PT.

if your PF is compromised I absolutely would not recommend weights, HIIT, or any other program on the internet at the moment. Most of what has been suggested above is not appropriate. You really could do yourself some damage.

If you can’t afford going to see a women’s health physio privately or a female specialist personal trainer asap, I would advise you wait until you’ve seen a physio who can recommend the most appropriate course of action.

In the meantime, walking, swimming and Pilates would be ok for you I would say.

Pelvic floor exercises are a must, several times a day. The squeezy app is good for reminders and explaining what you need to do.

When your elbow has healed fitness blender on you tube is good and free.