Gym stuff (am three decades out of date)

[BelgianBeers]

So last went to the gym erm maybe thirty years ago. Back then I was young and fit and am now post fifty, three stone over weight and a slow jog kills me.

I have joined a city centre Pure Gym which is next to student central and appears to be mainly frequented by tiny girls in tiny shorts and men in vests with big arms and tats. I have leggings my phone fits in but what do I wear on top? Any suggestions for those of us whose belly is bigger than we like to admit.

What else do I need to know? Am starting next week - how do I make this change stick?!?

I normally wear a vest top indoors, but a t-shirt is also fine.

Go for a sports technical fabric rather than cotton that gets heavy with sweat. They're very easily avaliable now.

M and S good move or Next have plenty. Personally I'd look for a gym where you feel you fit in more as you will be more likely to stick to it.

You know I hadn’t thought vest - in a funny way would be better than some bigger t shirt. I was thinking cotton t - stuck sweatily to me. Will get browsing.

A well fitted T shirt is fine.
Its better to wear something relatively tight than something that will flap around or ride up.

If there is a Decathlon near you, they have a wide range of cheap but resilient leggings and gym tops.
A sports bra or elasticated top for under your T shirt is a must - sore boobs will put you off exercising.

Loose sport tshirts/vest, second M&S Goodmove. You may find a smaller local gym is less 'posey', and a couple of sessions with a PT to set out some kind of routine always helps with confidence.

Logistical reasons mean it does need to be the fit, trendy young people gym. I am ok with this - think it’s funny really. I am a bit embarrassed at how out of shape I am but not embarrassed by the disparity between the young lovelies and me. Will try M and S - not really a shopper so only associate it with school uniform!

You are so right about the sports bra - was a few stone lighter when I last wore mine and apparently that weight went boobwards. Thought I would crack a rib before I could get it off!

yeah local would be great but am using time created by waiting for my dd at her activity. Have no other real time. Am too old to want to start at 10pm which would be the alternative.

Decathalon great for vest tops, and cheap! I like them rather than oversize t as it gets sweaty and I feel bulky

I like Amazon icyzone for gym tops but M&S Goodmove stuff is also nice.

I sweat a lot so definitely vests. Also I’ve given up on the more structured sports bras as they are too uncomfortable, I prefer a firm yoga bra/crop top style bra, but then I don’t run much.

Make sure you do some stretching before you start. YouTube has loads of 5 min stretch videos to give you ideas.

Have the staff shown you how to use the various machines?

Again Youtube or other interweb sources will give you suggestions for workout routines, which machines, how many reps etc etc. Or someone at the gym may be able to but you may have to pay for this, depends on the gym.

Good on you for getting started. I started regular exercise a few years ago after a lifetime of doing nothing and I feel so much better. The great benefit of starting from nothing is you see improvement really quickly!!

I signed up but the induction is in a week’s time. I couldn’t get a spot for this week. Thought I would do that before going - this may be a delaying tactic!

Will have a look at those bras. Ha ha I like the idea of speedy improvement!

I'd go for a bra top with a loose vest top over it

Although I've been know to stop down to my bra top if I get to home!

Leggings dark enough to hide pant sweat!

I don't care - I'm 4 stone overweight so nothing looks good on me.

Yeah will be hotter than hell. Is anything hotter than a plump menopausal woman!

I like TK Maxx and an outlet like Chester oaks.

I like Nike, adidas sweaty betty and so on.

Pant sweat - yup that’s the tips I need!

I like a big, baggy vest, with a racer back. I get them cheaply from sports direct.

Sports bras, I like the M and S good move ones that are unwired and zip up the front.

SB sent me back to Decathlon and M and S as am quite mean. Maybe as a treat when I have my new bod… if I have my new bod…

Is it best to have own music? I don’t have headphones and hate things in my ears. Might have to try the kids

Or try bone conducting headphones.

I will Google bone conducting headphones now - who knew!

thanks for the responses - helping make me feel up for this. My sign up was very impulsive

If you're going to Decathlon, grab a couple of their microfiber towels - medium to sit on (absorbs sweat) and small to wipe your face. Remember to take a water bottle too!

I wear a cheap pair of over ear bluetooth headphones - common to see those in my puregym. Mainly because I tend to go later at night so i want to block out the grunting from the men.

The Puregym app has some workouts for beginners. The induction is literally showing you where stuff is in the gym. If you want to use a specific machine, you can always grab a member of staff and ask them to show you how to use it.

I got a PT when I started, helped get my confidence up so I could walk in and feel like I knew what I was doing. Also to learn how to push myself to grow muscle and get correct form.

I'm 50 too - started a year ago, go 1-2 a week although there's been a couple of bad months where i didn't manage that. I'm fitter and stronger. I use the Hevy app to track my workouts so I can see my improvements. I wear a mix of decathlon and shein, can't justify to myself to spend £30 on a pair of leggings even though I would now get the wear out of them!

Good luck!

I’m 51 & I’ve been going for about a year, mainly inspired by MN threads.

I didn’t click at all with the PT who did my induction, but I chose another one from the gym list who turned out to be an absolute gem. She set up workout plans for me, explained techniques & so on - I found with her help that I liked free weights a lot more than machines so now I just collect what I need, find a space & go through the routine.

Good luck! And at the times when you really don’t feel up for it, but aren’t actually ill, go anyway, tell yourself you’ll just do 10 minutes and see how it goes.

A solid sports bra and a Tshirt. And a towel.

And you’re starting to understand why Pure Gyms are so cheap!

But just ignore the gym bunnies. If they’re still lifting hard when they’re your age, then they can look down on you, but not before!

Leggings, good bra, long line looser vest top in that silky exercise material. Mine is technically a rugby training top but it's below my hips which I prefer. Don't forget suitable cross trainers if doing a mix of exercise and cushioning socks

The other thing to remember about the gym bunnies is that they are MUCH MUCH more interested in looking at themselves than anybody else

I get a lot of my kit from Sports Direct.

I wouldn't buy cheap gym trainers. Mine are a pair of running shoes - weren't quite good enough for me for running. But they're fine for the gym.