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Original poster

How much are you doing?

33 replies

LaraLei · 12/10/2022 08:22

Just wondering how much exercise everyone is doing. Reason for wondering is I have a feeling I might do too much. I go to the gym in the mornings about 4-5 times a week where I do a mix of cardio and weights, swim 5-7 days a week (2500 metres each time) and also walk and cycle at the weekends. Reason I am asking is that I feel like I am not improving much anymore and wondering if I need more rest. I sit at my desk at work all day and really enjoy working out, but wondering if it’s not efficient what I am doing. Have some belly fat I want to lose. I sleep well and my diet is reasonable good too.

OP posts:
waterlego · 12/10/2022 08:29

You are very active, but I wouldn’t say it’s too much, unless you’re feeling exhausted by it or suffering injuries. You could definitely afford to have more rest days if you want them though.

I do 5 hours a week weights and 5 hours yoga, plus dog walking which I don’t count as exercise. I don’t do enough cardio, which is definitely something I should address but I’m a cardio dodger 😬

If you don’t feel that you’re getting any results, perhaps you have plateaued, in which case, changing the type of exercise you’re doing might help.

Christmaslover2022 · 12/10/2022 08:30

None, I don't get time to myself :-( can't make it happen either as no one else to help with children...
I think yours is alot!

Stellaris22 · 12/10/2022 09:06

Do you have a routine you follow to track progress? You might not be seeing results if you're constantly changing the exercises you're doing.

I only go 2-3 times a week but stick to 2-3 routines for 2-3 months so I can monitor progress and improvement.

emmathedilemma · 12/10/2022 10:47

If you want to improve then you need to train to meet whatever goal you want to improve.....if you want to swim further then you need to build up your distance, or improve your stroke to swim faster, or do speed intervals to help you run faster, lift heavier weights even if it means dropping the number of reps.....

Original poster
LaraLei · 12/10/2022 17:15

@Stellaris22 , I do tend to stick to the same routines but not progressing much or able to really push myself that much. I love exercising every day, so perhaps that is more important than constant progress for me. Just wondering what everyone else was doing and if anyone else thought they might be overdoing things at all. I don’t know anyone else who work out as much as I do, but I don’t think i am much fitter than people who hit the gym 3 or 4 times a week, so maybe I am really inefficient at it.

OP posts:
devildeepbluesea · 12/10/2022 17:18

Walk the dog 12 times per week (twice a day save for the 2 days the dog walker comes when it’s just once).

Run about 2-3 times per week.

Alternate between combat / body pump for 3-4 days per week.

If I don’t exercise first thing though, I don’t exercise at all.

GreyTS · 12/10/2022 17:18

How old are you! I think that the biggest mistake most women make is overdoing the cardio so not seeing much results. Heavy weights, and I mean Barbells are so much more efficient at building muscle and therefore burning fat long term. I used to do huge amounts of running and gym classes and have now replaced it with 2 runs a week and 3/4 weights sessions and I've never been in better shape

Delatron · 12/10/2022 17:59

I agree with women overdoing the cardio. I do the same - run 5 times a week and weights only twice as that is all I can fit in. If I cared about my belly fat more than running I would switch that around and do far more heavy weights and less cardio. But I’m competitive so have the motivation to run and the weights are second to that.

Also, improvements happen on rest days so if you’re never resting that may be it. At least once rest day is advised unless an elite athlete.

Delatron · 12/10/2022 18:01

I walk the dog for an hour and a half about 4 times a week also but don’t count that (though probably should). And I teach fitness classes for a living so do about 6 of those. Still have some stubborn belly fat (but refuse to give up wine and excess running!).

Mxflamingnoravera · 12/10/2022 18:22

None, I'm stuck to the sofa with sciatica. Pre-sciatica I swam (fast crawl 1500m) four times a week, plus walking. I hate gyms and classes. I'm 60 and weigh 52 kilos.

CrimsonAlligator · 12/10/2022 18:28

If you want to make progress, rest days are incredibly important. I follow an intense rowing programme and the most progress I’ve seen was after I’d taken a week off. I went from bumbling along, to fast while doing nothing...

But to answer your question, I row for an hour- hour and a half, 5 times a week and I also go for a walk each day (30 minutes during the week, longer at the weekends)

emmathedilemma · 12/10/2022 18:50

In answer to your question, I tend to do 2 weights sessions in the gym (usually do 20min on the cross trainer to warm up), 3 times on a good week, a spin class, a running speed session, a longer slower run, sometimes a leisurely parkrun, maybe a Bootcamp class, occasionally ride my bike, rarely swim due to the pool timetable, aim to do 10 k steps a day (don’t always manage it every day but average more than that over a week)……but it’s the structured things that have the most impact e.g. if I was training for a long run I’d achieve that by increasing the distance of my weekly long run gradually, my shorter run times have improved by doing specific speed work plans, and occasionally I manage to increase how much I lift, even if it’s only for 1 set or fewer reps.

SunshineLollipopsAndRainbows · 12/10/2022 18:54

None at the moment as I have been really suffering physically for nearly 2 years & haven’t really been able to do anything. It depresses me as I used to practice karate & was in the best shape of my life in my mid 40s.

Chateaudiaries · 12/10/2022 18:59

I do a homework out with cardio and weights every weekday morning for 30 mins, followed by a 45 min dog walk (slow walk these days with an old dog).

Swim 1 km each week (one session).

I’m guilty of too much cardio but it’s my fave. I need to do more yoga in the evenings.

AnnaTheMouse · 12/10/2022 19:02

I walk a few miles most days but that's it for exercise

hobbledyhoy · 12/10/2022 19:09

About 7hrs a night in a relaxed plank.

I admire all those who put the effort in but I can never stick to it long-term, sitting down is just too enjoyable.

Stellaris22 · 12/10/2022 19:15

I do two strength training sessions a week with my PT at the gym and the occasional spin class and maybe a ten minute run before a PT session.

I admire that much running, but I find running exhausting so I do what I enjoy. Tracking progress is essential IMO rather than just doing lots of exercise with no rest days. One of the best things my PT said was being thankful that women having to do endless cardio to be skinny is over, being strong is great.

TheFormidableMrsC · 12/10/2022 19:17

I fast walk approx 40 miles a week. 30 mins of strength training every other day and school runs are cycled so around 4 miles round trip a day. I think I need to up strength training though. I think possibly longer and more challenging weights.

FlowerArranger · 12/10/2022 19:21

I work out 80-90 minutes most days, with an active rest day (walking) every 8-10 days. I usually do:
warm up
HIIT session
weights session
plank
abs session
cool down

i don’t go to the gym. I work out with Growingannanas and Caroline Girvan (plus a few others) on YouTube. Caroline has been life changing for me as she uses serious weights and her workouts are incredibly well structured. I’m in my 60s and in the best shape of my life.

if you are not progressing, it’s because you are not challenging yourself enough, especially with weight training. At the end of every set you should not be able to do another lift.

lljkk · 12/10/2022 20:06

What improvement do you want to see, OP?
What does "progress" mean to you?

Faster? Higher weights lifted? Weight loss? Better heart rate recovery? More uninterrupted sleep? I don't know what your goal is.

Swimming 5-7 days 2500 m : would take me 75 minutes each time.
Depends on intensity walk/cycling events, but it sounds like you're doing minimum 1 hour of cardio a day., + 1 hour of 'strength' / endurance.

I envy how much you get to eat, I suppose.,

UnaOfStormhold · 12/10/2022 20:23

I tend to run 4 times a week, swim twice and do a spin bike session plus 2-3 sessions at the gym, cycling errands and a bit of yoga last thing in the evening to help me sleep. I do two sessions some days but I always make sure I have at least one day a week with nothing beyond walking/gentle stretching/daily activity. It's also really important to make sure you're fuelling your body enough with a good mix of quality carbs, protein and fat to help you recover from all the demands that the training is placing demands on your body.

Only you can tell whether it's too much for you, but if you're not seeing improvements with all that activity that does suggest that you're doing too much or not resting/eating enough. You could try scaling back for a week and see how you feel during the rest and how your performance looks on returning to exercise. That doesn't mean stopping entirely, maybe think of cutting back by say 50% on the length of sessions/number of reps and add in a rest day or two.

Adding variety might also help - do a class, mix up your intensity with short intense or long and easy days, maybe even take up a new sport. One thing I find helpful about having races (mostly running) to train for is that it breaks up the year into phases, so at the moment I'm tapering before a race this weekend, then I'll do some base building training before starting to ramp up the intensity in preparation the next race. I try to fit in different distances across the year (5k this summer, half marathon this autumn), which require different paces in training and challenge different systems.

Bookaholic73 · 12/10/2022 20:24

I run 3x a week and lift weights 3x a week.

BogRollBOGOF · 12/10/2022 20:31

I do quite a lot, something (running/ swimming/ strength/ yoga mainly) most days. It's varied with more intense days, some gentle "active rest", some actual rest. With running being my big love, I tend to log what I do and follow some kind of structured training of building up/ tapering/ maintaining a base. I listen to my body too.

Doing the same thing all the time is fine if you enjoy the routine of it and your body is happy, but not necessarily productive if you're focusing on results/ progress. Rest days/ easy days and playing with longer, stamina sessions and short intense sessions is good if you want results (I find it more interesting anyway)

StandUpStraight · 12/10/2022 20:32

I alternate each day between 30-40 minute workouts and hour+ long walks. Workouts are always strength training, heaviest weights I can handle, sometimes with some hiit. I do think age (hormones) plays a big role in the results you can get with the type of exercise you do. Lots of cardio is no good for me. Running is dreadful - fastest way for me to put on weight is to start running. I’m 47 and this mix works well for me. I did hear a v interesting podcast the other day about perimenopause and menopause - essentially saying to train more like a man. Ditch cardio, lift very heavy with rest between sets. I’m trying to do that as I definitely have a tendency to think that I just must be constantly moving. I’ll see if I can find the episode.