Getting fit from scratch?

[RedRosie]

Can I ask for some advice on how to get fit? As with everything else, there are bound to be experts on MN.

Am mid-forties and have never been properly fit - would like to be. Not overweight and don't need to lose weight (five foot five, just under nine stone) although there seems to be an element if middle-age spread around the middle which it would be great to lose.

Generally fairly "healthy" these days although had years of gynaecological issues and probably entering the peri-menopause years now. Gave up smoking ten years ago but did smoke for 20 years prior to that. Decent vegetarian diet with a good balance of food. We eat very carefully as my DH is ill and we want to be sure he is as well supported as possible.

Did try running a couple of years ago but found it hard to do with painful knees and it didn't get better/easier. Don't fancy DVDs and leaping around the living room. Gym would be difficult for various logistical reasons. Do like walking and being outdoors ... Used to cycle to work (Central London) but lost confidence after a couple of near misses.

Any suggestions? Can it be done with brisk walking? Am prepared to commit 30 mins a day to that if it will do the trick - how fast should one be walking and is there a technique?

I think you can get fit just from walking - as long as you do it at a pace to get your heart rate up. A gentle amble is no good. If you can plan routes to include plenty of hills (if your knees are up to it) that will help too.

One of my friends can walk my socks off, although that is all the sport she does. She can leave me (a runner of sorts) standing on the hills.

Cycling is also supposed to be easier on the knees than running - if you live somewhere where this is feasible.

You should also build some kind of weights work into your schedule to reduce the rate at which bone mass is lost, especially from the upper body.

You also might like to google exercises with kettle bells. These are a low impact weights based exercises which might suit you.

There are some really good websites (and apps if you have approriate phone), google 'couch to 5k'.

Thanks OneHandFlapping. Is it a question of going fast enough to be breathless?

I do have a couple of 1.4kg hand-held weights around (not sure where they came from) so maybe they would be of some use. I am worried about the upper body thing as I don't have much strength there and am not sure how to address that. For a relatively slim person I also have quite large arms, so anything to target that might be useful.

Don't want to be a gym-bunny or a bore/exercise fanatic, but just want to be fit and healthy at this point in my life and forward.

Yes, I think so. Just pushing yourself to be a little bit outside your comfort zone each time.

I'm sure you can find a series of exercises on Youtube that you could use your weights for. I've also seen people round here walking while swinging light weights in their hands - personally I like to have my hands free.

Thanks again. Will make a concerted start tomorrow.