Exercise recommendations

[RightNews12]

What starter exercise would you recommend for a 41 year old female with 3 children & not much time. Historically I have done bits of the gym, couch to 5k but must say I am not particularly exercise focused. Also have very bad coordination. I have quite a bit of weight to lose but dealing with that in a calorie deficit I just really want to get fitter as I get older so there for the children! Financially I can probably commit about £100 a month to it so thinking the gym and one PT session to get me familiar with weights but open to other ideas. Wouldn’t be adverse to doing C25K again but realistically I am probably only able to work out 3 times a week. Children are 5,6 and 6 months.

Walk! Try to get around 20,000 steps a day. That really makes a difference. 10,000 steps is a bare minimum.

Or, yes, go with your gym plan - maybe try a few gyms, and see what classes they offer & how good the instrctors are. Do they just go through the motions in front of you, or do they actively coach you in correct form?

Going to classes puts an "appointment" in your diary, and it's social. Then you can get into the habit of going & enjoying the social aspect. Maybe 2 classes a week, one session on your own & a block of PT sessions to get you started?

Love this for you!

If your main focus is weight loss, I’d start by working on your relationship with food before spending money on a personal trainer. The reason is that evidence shows exercise alone doesn’t usually lead to more weight loss sometimes it even makes people eat more.

Feel free to ask me any questions if you want to know more - I’m happy to help!

Agree with PP to focus on your relationship with food, and to walk more.
I generally walk everywhere if it's less than 2 miles because it can be quicker than getting stuck in traffic and finding a parking space.

Look for an exercise class and book 2 classes a week. I'd recommend Body Pump.
It won't be easy, but you'll 'switch off' during the class. You'll have to go to all the classes or it will be so much harder if you miss one. You'll tone up very quickly.

Walking is great.. also swimming if you have access to a pool

For £100 a month you could join a basic gym (Pure or The Gym etc.) for about £20 and then get 2 or 3 PT sessions per month to keep you on track. They also do classes which are included in the membership price.

Would having something to work towards help? A 5k or 10k race for example.

Do something, anything you enjoy. If you don’t get some pleasure/fun from an activity you won’t keep it up.

I pay £400 per annum for a council gym/pool.
I go 4 times a week - pilates, aqua aerobics, pump and strength.
It's fantastic.
I also walk a minimum of 15,000 steps every day.

I have a cheap gym membership and run an excessive amount.

if you have somewhere like PureGym they’re great value and have a good variety of classes included with the price. If you’re not adverse to C25k then it’s free and can fit well around your life. Doing parkrun on a Saturday morning may help you stay motivated.

join a gym and do classes and/or gym. There are lots to do and you soon get into a rhythm.

The best exercise is the exercise you do

so think about what you like to do - sounds like you enjoy running so build that in - as the kids get older you get occasional chances to run whilst they are at a party or club ( although with 3….)

weights is really useful to build in - getting advice on that - a PT session or ten is a great idea

at your age I would also think about a yoga or Pilates - again I would start with a trainer or class

in your situation I wouldn’t join a gym but once you have the basics think about YouTube videos or following a PT program at home. So you fit in what you can when you can - 20 mins after they have gone to bed and before you collapse

you don’t mention DH however- some would rather you spend 2 hrs disappearing to the gym than letting you do half an hour whilst he keeps and eye on the kids

Most gyms have some kind of new starter deal, maybe only 6 months commitment.

The advantage of gym membership to start on your fitness journey, is that they typically offer lots of styles of fitness classes. Make a promise to yourself to try each one 3x before you decide if you want to continue, which you like.

The real challenge with gym membership is finding self-discipline to go at all. You have to plan when the week you WILL go to at least 3 sessions, try at least one new class a week for one of those sessions.

Park run on Saturday mornings is free. You can walk the whole way & your kids may be able to run (walk) with you.

I always gravitated to running when my kids were young as it was free and very time efficient. Just out door 30 mins…done.

if you could add weights in too I’d buy some free weights and work out at home. When I started with weights I started with a local PT (not gym affiliated) went once a week and am confident now of my form to work out at home. This also means you can fit it in easily round life.

you can buy a set of dumbbells for under £100

https://mirafit.co.uk/mirafit-hex-50kg-dumbbell-set.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21929230043&gbraid=0AAAAADKKnjn_K2Ezx-mSObi_MVO8Fzapw&gclid=CjwKCAiA2PrMBhA4EiwAwpHyC4N06FoWOvIPxfCWDBW7sVabgDEQK00T56jNXIdCWoNoRa_HRYp9khoCwQkQAvD_BwE