Too late at 48 to be honed & toned?

[trinni]

I have just put on a bikini and realised my thighs are going south!
I'm not overweight and have never done any proper exercise in my life.

Is it too late at 48 to tone up my legs and see some real results or have I missed the boat?

If I'm salvageable, what type of exercise should I do and has anyone else left it this late to begin?

I'm very determined but need low cost (ie not gym memberships) effective exercise.

Anyone?

never too late, try walking regularly 3-4 miles, or rowing. Both great for leg definition.

Thanks Mary
I actually do walk quite a lot but maybe it isn't far enough or fast enough?

I've had a go at rowing too and that I really did enjoy it but unfortunately, it involves going to the gym.

No it's never too late.

Cycling. That will tone up your legs dramatically, quickly and cheaply.

I'm 44 and started running and swimming in Feb, also do a little bit of cycling and yoga. Have lost a stone (am under 5ft so that's a lot) and gone down to a size 6-8.

If you start running, the danger is injury and it's a PITA, so would suggest barefoot trainers and looking at technique to avoid injury (go on a runners site and look up chi running for example). Yoga is fantastic but it takes time - I've been doing it for over a year - running and cycling give you v. quick results, I noticed the difference in 3 months, have toned arms for the first time in years. I also swim btw, but that costs money and you're looking specifically at legs. Swimming and yoga tone you up all over, but cycling really is the thing for thighs, as is running. (Though with swimming and yoga, you can concentrate on leg stuff if you want to - use floats for arms and just kick legs, do only leg stretches in yoga, but then it's not so much fun.)

Oh and pilates is v. good for toning as well.

HerBeatitude
I was scared someone might suggest running or cycling! The two things I find really hard...guess that's why my thighs are like jelly!

I think I know these two things will bring the best results so I'd better listen to good advice.

I guess that once my legs become stronger, I will find it easier, am I right?

As well as stuff like running and cycling, some resistance training will make a BIG difference to how much things wobble and your general tone.

Lots of people here are doing the 30 Day Shred, which is a 20 minutes a day work out for 30 days (3 levels - do each level for 10 days, progressing as you get fitter.) Something like this, which has exercises such as squats and lunges, as well as the cardio is important in shaping muscle.

I've done 30day shred, its great for legs..

Ok sounds good. Can someone point me in the direction of the 30 day shred please?

here Enjoy...

It's not too late at all. It's never too late- my 84 yr old father does squats every day. I stared regularly walking up and down hills at 52. I have see n a great improvement in my legs and bum ( which were always slim but getting too slim in the thigh)

I walk 3 miles roughly 4- 5 times a week and go fast- do the circuit in roughly 45 minutes but that includes a climb to 500 feet and down again.

You should also try some squats and lunges - 3 sets of 8, 3 x a week.

Thanks everyone for all your good advice, it has made me even more determined to find something that suits me.

I have been far too slack over the years and it's taken me by surprise to find I now have to put some effort in!

I don't want to be wobbly and I don't want to just look ok fully clothed either.

One last question and please bear in mind I am an exercise virgin...The aching muscles, how long before that dreadful pain goes away (if ever) and I can actually enjoy it?

I'll let you know how I'm getting along.

Goodness me, 30 day shred looks a bit tough.
Read the customer reviews and no wonder it's effective!

It is pretty tough tbh....but it only lasts 20 minutes!!

The aches will be there. and will def be there with the 30 day shred, but as you get used to each level they should wear off. That means you move to the next level, or increase the weights you are using or make sure you are doing the 'hard' version of each exercises. There is a hard and easy version for most exercises she does, so if you are not used to that kind of exercise you can start by doing the easy and then the hard.

think i might have to have a bash at the 30day shred.

but i need to combine it with diet i guess too....thats the hard part!

Second 30 Day Shred DVD -really tough but only lasts 20 mins.

20 minutes of purgatory by the sound of it!

Running and cycling are sounding more and more attractive to me.

Would I not be doing myself harm by going from a standing start to attempting this dvd? I'd be willing to buy it and stick with it but I think I need to be doing something beforehand to break me in gently.

It is tough trinni so if you haven't do any exercise for a while would advise cycling and swimming first and then do shred when had become a bit fitter.

join my gym....its run by an ex army sadist
fella.

he has so far reduced most of the members to tears at least once!

I haven't read the 30 day thing but you are supposed to take a day off between workouts- I had a personal trainer for a while and she said that it's okay to work d ifferent muscle groups every day but give muscles time to heal in between. The pain/ache you feel is actually the muscles healing after microfibres tear when they are used a lot- so there is no point exercising if you are in pain.

So, you could do abs one day, legs the next, arms the next and so on. If you are just walking then you could do thatevery day unless you really are in a lot of pain.

I'd recommend walking 5 days a week and doing lunges/squats alternate days.

If you want a quicker, more intensive but more effective start to your regime, running is probably the best and cheapest thing in the first instance.

I'd much rather run for 20 mins than walk for an hour frankly.

There's loads of online programmes you can follow which gradually build up your running time, and before you know it you'll be clocking up the miles!

30 Day Shred is also good, but not as effective for me as the gym; it seems to aggravate my dodgy back. Good thing about it is you only ever do an exercise for a minute or two at most.

You might find if you start it you're fine, and you can always stop before an exercise is finished and wait for the next one, if you're finding it too much.
It really wouldn't be long before you could complete it fairly easily.

Vicar you made me laugh!

pp I agree with you re working on different parts on different days, sounds sensible. Ouch at microfibres tearing.

I do walk almost every day with the dog and I might try a slow jog when nobody is watching.

Is it ok to walk for a bit, jog for a bit etc or is the idea to keep up the momentum?

Questions, questions, sorry.

Oh God, I hope not

Running was the answer for me. I started at 38 after a very inactive 38 years.

The couch to 5k is a great structured plan to follow, but it's basically run a bit walk a bit and build it up. When I started I could barely run 100m, last weekend I raced 10 miles !!

Running toned my whole body but more importantly gave me the fitness and confidence to try anything, so now I have a really varied and active life and actually enjoy getting hot and sweaty

The 30 day shred sounds great - what do you do at the end of the 30 days to maintain your fab new body?

I would get a football and do lunges and squas whilst holding the football in both hands streched out in front of you.

Do four to five sets of 15 lunges and the same with squats.

A football or similar isn't expensive - try this three times a day and see if it makes a difference

trinni - if you want to try jogging download the couch to 5k podcasts. the idea is you run a bit, walk a bit and build up slowly.

i can just manage 5k now but im slowwwww....

i went to the gym the other day for my "re programme" (i joined initially to get through a fitness test for the police - he got me through it!)
sadist looks me up and down and goes - "well done, you passed your test, but now we need to work you a bit harder, tone you up and lose some weight, yeah?"

im now lifting 15kg weights on bent over rows, rowing 2000 metres and all manner of other really unsavoury things...if i dont lose some weight now im going to,to,to, do something really drastic!

gulp.

trinni- I wouldn't really worry about jogging. But jog-walk is fine too- 20 walking paces, 20 jogs and so on. As long as you walk briskly and do some leg exercises it should do the trick. My DH makes fun- nicely- at my rock hard thighs and I don't run at all.

Squats really do help and you can do walking lunges when you are out- as long as no -one is watching.
If you do the same route then you can try to time yourself to cut off a minute, the 2 minutes, five minutes etc.