If you've lost your exercise/running mojo, come on in for a Christmas countdown .....

[lechatnoir]

I've not done any significant exercise for the past 9 months, have put on 1.5 stone, taken up smoking again after years away and feel like shit as a result plus add peri-menopausal symptoms Working from home , lack of money and general feeling of negativity everywhere hasn't helped and I'm sure I'm not alone.

In a fit of madness I signed up for a HM for next March but need a kick up the arse and a serious overhaul before I can even start to think about following a running plan. Ive got 7 weeks before I start training but think 8 weeks is more realistic and will also tie in nicely with the festive season (right now I just want to hibernate not party).

So aims are:
Get basic fitness levels up and gently resume running
Build some strength and flexibility
Stop smoking (day 3 and counting)
Include some proper self-care - early nights, hair colouring more regularly, just a bit of pampering occasionally.

Get back in the habit of regular exercise with some sort of weekly timetable.

Anyone want to join me and post for support, encouragement, ideas and give each other a proverbial kick up the arse along way?

I'm in! Do a reasonable amount of exercise on school runs but nothing proper that builds muscle. Overweight by at least a stone (probably two) and just no muscle tone. Cant face many diet changes yet but really want to get firmer and fitter at least.

I definitely need some help with motivation! Have been running on and off for years (mostly off!) but really stuck at it during lockdown and was seeing some real gains. Fitness generally takes a dive during summer but the heatwave this year knocked me for six. September was disrupted with my youngest starting school and doing half days for two weeks which meant my usual working pattern was disrupted, and I have not got back on track.

I’ve been redoing couch to 5K but not really getting anywhere. I read some articles about “jeffing”, where you do a run-walk ratio throughout the run, so I might give it a try. I need to get back out there while the autumn weather is still nice, because come the freezing arse-end of November it’ll be ten times harder!

Just did a 35 min dance cardio video and think without this thread I wouldn't have bothered. Easy enough on a Sat when I have nothing on though.

I’d like to join. I’m an on-off runner. Have signed up for 2 halfs next year and have a 10k in December that I really want to improve my time at.

I'm in! I haven't been to the gym since, ahem, February and am now 10kg heavier 😭than I was then. If I could just get back to a decent amount of walking each day and gym three times a week then I'd be thrilled.

Yes, I teach yoga so do that regularly but need to get back into running because it has totally fallen away in the last year

I'd love to join you. I'm also a very on off runner. A few years ago I made it round a marathon then an ultra (both very slowly!) and was really enjoying running. I was injured after my ultra so i had a couple of weeks off which somehow turned into a couple of years. I just couldn't find any motivation. I've just started again and it's depressing how hard it is to run/walk a couple of miles now but I really want to stick with it. I've a few running events coming up that friends encouraged me to do with them. I have found a training plan to get me ready for them but I also want to start doing some online workouts as I think I was too focused on just running last time.
Weight wise I need to lose 4 stone but just going to focus on a stone at a time. Surely running will be much easier without 4 stone of excess baggage!

In. Just got back into the gym after a 3 month hiatus and tbh just really on-off all through covid. I was living in Asia and the restrictions went in for longer than uk albeit not as strict, but gyms and pools were closed for months.

also need to get back into running regularly as doing a trail relay (20k v hilly leg) with mates next May. Organisers are clear that if you have to walk a lot you will not make the cut off and if I do I’ll disqualify the team which will be pretty mortifying.

so basically- gym MWF, running TT and S or S. No excuses.

Just getting myself sorted for first workout tomorrow
Tues, Fri + Sun - run
Mon, Wed + Thurs: strength

I've decided 3 days running + 3 days strength/HIIT workouts will work best with plenty of post run stretching. For now I'm sticking with easy 30 min runs (with walks if needed) until I feel comfortable at that level. Workouts need to be at home and starting with Growingannanas full body 30-40 minutes strength workout possibly swopping 1 for a swim if I have the time.

Diet wise I'm not doing anything specific just stop snacking and eat more fresh fruit and veg. I've meal planned & shopped for the week so should be ok on that score.

@illiterato sounds very similar to me and like you face letting down my mates if I drop out of the HM (I'm the only driver!). Workout tomorrow - check in once you've done and anyone else struggling to motive ✅

Oh god I want to say I'm in but I feel so unprepared. I was doing well at the beginning of summer, but then I always get so disrupted over the long summer hols with the kids. I am going to lurk here.....

How are you fitting all that in OP? I struggle so much with finding time and energy to exercise.

Mornings. I'm making myself to go to bed earlier (also good to stop me snacking & smoking as evening is always when it goes wrong!) and getting up half hour earlier. Long run will be Sunday when luckily I don't have anything on and hoping I can recruit a friend or one of my kids / DH will cycle with me just to get me out of the door!

I'm tempted to try and find a class one evening as I'm generally ok if I've paid/pre-booked but they are all so bloody expensive £10+ which I can't afford.

I do 20-30 mins of yoga Mon to Fri before the kids get up but that's just enough to get my creaky body going for the day. I don't have the energy for strength training or anything at that hour and before breakfast! I do get 7 hours sleep most nights and I guess I'm reluctant to go to bed much earlier as I'd lose time with DH in the evenings after kids are in bed.

It's just such a juggle!

I do finish work at 1pm twice a week so have time before getting kids. I try and do 20-30 mins of strength workout at home one day and a 30 min swim the other day (which I love).

Monday check in. Bit of a weird week as I’m on holiday and this is normally my perfect excuse to do FA exercise because the hotel gym is too small/ busy/ hot/ cold/ doesn’t have the exact same equipment/ it’s too soon after breakfast/ I had a beer at lunch etc etc. But today I went and had a pretty good session. Did have to improvise a fair bit but it’s all good. Still got 45 mins of weight training in. They had v fancy machines that count the reps and monitor the rep speed as well.

Well done @illiterato and on holiday too .

@Coraline353 you sound like you've got a good routine for daily exercise - is it just running you want to up or everything?

I did GrowingAnnanas 30 HIIT with weights yesterday - only had a 2kg set so whilst it was better than nothing, it was a bit take so definitely need to dig out the next set of weights from the garage . I'm off to running club tonight (wish me luck it's been a while and will be firmly in the beginners group!) so just did a 20 min stretch to keep in the habit of a morning workout before breakfast.
Drinking LOTS of water too as I think my over eating was 99% thirst and boredom!

I'd love to join in here, I was doing a body pump class weekly and regular walks until last June, i haven't regained any momentum since the kids went back to school. I'm having a minor surgery tomorrow but by next week I plan on building the habit again. I've 7lb to lose to have my clothes fit better again . We have a rowing machine at home and weights, hoping to use those and get back to a weekly weights class and regular walks. Good luck to all

I don't especially want to take up running (my knees are not good) but want to up my exercise and strength training especially (I'm 46).

Did 30 mins of pilates yesterday and 20 mins yoga this morning. With it being half term I'll struggle to get my usual swim and strength training in this week.

First run in over a week and tried a bit of Jeffing: 5 mins running and 1 min walking. Surprised how quick (relatively speaking!) it was, c25k has longer running stretches but also longer walking ones which tends to bring the average down. Did 3.5 k and aiming for another two runs this week, hopefully working up to 5K.

I jeffed 4 miles with a friend at the weekend then today I ran 5k doing 3 min run 1 min walk. I just need to stick with it, and I know I'll be able to run more and walk less. I've got a couple of 5 mile and 10k runs booked in and I'm hoping that will keep me motivated.
Tomorrow I'm cycling into town for a social walk with my running club but I'm planning to do an online workout before I go - I've joined the Team Body Project website and so far I'm enjoying the workouts. I love having a little program to follow and tick off rather than just looking for workouts to try.
I took my girls bowling today and my eldest had her phone out to take pics and captured my huge rear end and flabby bits 😥. It was a bit of a shock but a good push to work on losing some weight!

@Tailrunner I like the idea of a plan (& also spend far too much time searching for the 'right' workout!). I've had a look online at Team Project but can't see anything about costs ?

You can use the free workouts for quite a while. I did that to start with to make sure I liked it but then I started the trainee program and plan to move on to the apprentice when I'm finished. At some point you have to sign up to use all the workouts (or I think some people just find them on youtube). It's about £37 for 3 months or you can pay monthly/annually. I'm sure you can just use the free bits if you'd rather.

Well done everyone. Didn’t exercise yesterday as DH had to go to hospital ( he’s fine now) so all a bit of a drama. Got in the gym this morning for another weights session. Managed to up my DB for the bench press and up the weight on the leg extension machine ( the quad masher). Slowly getting back to where I was.

I used to have a PT twice a week when I lived in Asia and do Group strength and conditioning classes too. Tried using her for online coaching when I moved back but it just didn’t stick so now I just program for myself as I figure the best workout is the one you’re going to actually do even if it’s not 100% optimal. I’ve been strength training long enough to know the basics and I form check by just filming myself and playback in slo-mo.

Am going to start Move 30 on Monday for flexibility as that looks really good.

I was feeling a bit sore after so many squats on Monday followed by a run Tuesday so did a stretch session last night and feels much better today. I did another 30 minutes strength session but given how sore I was am sticking with the pathetic 2kg weight for a bit longer 😬

It goes to show how little I use most of my muscles now (new job wfh definitely made a difference). Onward and upwards and I'm finishing this week and m going to try a week of the Team Project plan and see if I prefer that.

@illiterato hope your DH is OK and well done for still fitting in a session. Sounds like you know what you're doing in the gym -- I might be back for weights advice as I'm seriously rubbish 😂