Running and what else??

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

I’m 53 and love parkrun. I’m not fast by any means and hover around 35mins for 5K. Currently training for a 10K so running 3X a week and apart from walking a lot I don’t do any other exercise. I know I should add in S&C to aid my menopausal joints and bones but what sort of stuff? I’m thinking to swim as well which I enjoy. I really dislike gyms so anything like S&C would need to be done at home but not sure where to start with equipment/who to follow on YouTube etc. Any suggestions gratefully received!

I also don't like gyms but I did join one for a bit just to get an idea of correct form and exercises to do. Then I bought some basic equipment which I use at home - kettlebells, dumbells.

If you don't fancy a gym at all, Sally Gunnell has some really good exercises online for people starting out - particularly aimed at older women.

Swimming is great to complement running.

Heavy weights and plyometrics for bone health and fall prevention. Pilates for balance, strength and mobility. Think of your old age and train accordingly.

It's so important to strength train with running, especially as we get older. You can do body weight stuff at home - squats, lunges, push ups etc but you'd do better by adding in weights either at home or in the gym. There are some good routines online if you google strength training for runners

Ive been doing Pilates for about six months it was ok. Changed instructor and oh my god she is amazing taught me breath work and pelvic floor exercises, she is on another level. I also love yoga.

This is great, thank you!

Maybe a couple of sessions would help to get me started, good idea 👍🏻

Oh god, not sure about thinking about my old age, but you’re right, of course ☺️

Thanks will do. I have resistance bands at home but no weights yet.

I tried Pilates a while ago and didn’t get on as the only class I could make was too advanced. I’ll look into it again.

get a kettlebell and do that at home. Lots of videos on YouTube etc

I box in a women only boxing group. It's a great combo of cardio, strength and HIT traing. We also do v hard core exercises as a finisher 😱. Great combo workout though with the added bonus of being really sociable.

This.

You need resistance training which will eventually take you to failure (after a few months of training). You could do this at home with weighted vest or backpack.

Squats (full body, compound movement), press ups (arms, back, core), split squats (glutes & quads) hollow holds (core killer but so good), glute bridges (glutes). Those would give your some semblance of strength training.

You can use bands for resistance as well as weights.

But a gym will have all the equipment to do all of these, and to a much better standard! They'll also have plyo boxes for jumping, which is really good for running. Or, you could do burpee broad jumps in the garden or park!

I just do a variety of things I enjoy. Currently I run, walk, row, cycle, use a cross trainer, do weights, yoga, swim, line dancing and pickleball. Occasionally I add in Zumba and mini trampoline for a bit more variety.

The problem with doing weight workouts at home is that as you progress to heavier loads, you need to get new equipment and you might end up either limiting yourself to what you have, or finding you need have more than you do. Not the worse obstacle to overcome, but something to consider. Either way, as pp has said, a few classes or sessions to make sure your form is right are really valuable.

I go to a small group gym which I love, having paid a lot over the years to never go to a more typical gym. Each user has their own station and full weights set up with a coach to guide everyone through the day's session (mix of heavy weights and conditioning), correct form, give advice on modifications, etc. So it could be worth investigating if a different type of gym might work for you.

Only putting out there as I should have started sooner! Caring for older family members was an eye opener to the issues old age can present.

Excellent advice @HollywentLightly

Your small group classes sound a bit like sedate CrossFit boxes. Cross Fit is wild!

There’s lots you can do at home but you could also look for somewhere that does S&C classes instead of just going to the gym. Outdoor bootcamp style ones would work.

Great suggestions thanks everyone. I used to do an outdoor boot camp twice a week but since working F/T I can’t make that which is a shame as it was amazing. That definitely helped my running too. Ok I need to do some research. Thank you ☺️