Getting fitter and shaping up during lockdown

[BunnytheHoneyBee]

Anyone else aiming to use some of this time to get fitter, maybe lose weight and beautify oneself? Its something I’m keen on and could do with someone to chat to.

I went to the gym fairly regularly before lockdown but stopped when the social distancing advice started (ie well before they closed).

For a couple of weeks I was running and walking but I lost interest a bit. Now I’m doing Body Combat on Youtube (about 3 x least week and the week before) and I’m really enjoying it. I always loved Combat in the gym. I want to try some of Les Mills dance workouts too.

I’m doing fairly well at not eating crap all day just because I’m home.

I also want to keep up with body brushing laser hair removal at home and microneedling.

I’m barely wearing make up (except when I have Zoom meetings!) mostly letting my hair dry naturally might be helping my skin and hair, although I could do with a trim...

@PalacePaper It’s not a smart TV we have. The only reason I can get YouTube and some other apps (like itv, bbc etc) is because we have a now tv stick but you can’t get all apps on it.

Maybe it’s time for a new TV! Or to look up chromecast etc.

Barre is great. I really enjoyed it but haven’t done it for ages.

I will look up Heather Roberson as I think I need a bit of variety but I am picky about what I like!

Barrecore online is hard.... I'm in wk two of their 4 wk strength programme. Normally I play a team sport and train once a week. Thought I was fit but core muscles clearly need some work! Think I'd like to get my strength up and maintain cardio fitness. Anyone any tips for cardio. I hate running, plus I'd need something like high intensity (so jog interpreted with sprints) which I'm simply never going to do jogging around the block.... ideally something fun and engaging

@hettie Why don’t you try Body Combat for cardio? There are some workouts on YouTube if you search Les Mills Body Combat Invincible there are 14 videos which start if shorter and then work out to a full Combat session.

PopSugar seems to have a variety of workouts that look good but I haven’t tried them yet like combat inspired and dance inspired.

If it’s actually running you want to do then how about intervals. Running as fast as you can for one minute and then an easy run for two minutes or whatever intervals work for you. It helps to have an interval timer on your phone or fitness watch. Or maybe that’s what you’re doing now.

I signed up to Davina’s fitness programme free for 30 days but haven’t used it yet so can’t comment but might be worth looking at

I've been doing Couch 25K and I've signed up to the 60 day free trial of Les Mills on demand so have been able to continue with Bodypump now the gym is closed :)

I have definitely got more time to exercise without the daily commute and rushing around during the normal working week. I'm also doing Yoga Yin fertility yoga a few times a week on Youtube.

Sorry for your loss BunnytheHoneyBee we have been trying for DC2 since September 2017 with only two miscarriages to show for it. I am mostly trying to get fitter to see if this makes any difference.

@SilkCottonTree Thank you. I’m sorry for your MCs too. We lost our baby DC1 full term last year and then had an early MC about 6 months later but I’m trying to be positive and hope for the best. Might check out the fertility yoga!

I think getting fitter can only help as a exercise generally affects our physical and mental health positively.

Thanks BunnytheHoneyBee I'll try bodycombat, sounds like it might be more enjoyable than running (which I still loathe), do you find it's gets your heart rate up?

@hettie Yes it really does. If you try the Invincible ones they start off a bit shorter and slower to show you the moves except I think the first one was a bit of a taster so should give you an idea.

It’s a full body workout so you’ll get the cardio but it also works your arms and abs more than running would.

I have got a bit bored of running (I’ll probably go back to it) but look forward to these classes. Let me know if you give it a go!

I was a regular gym goer, 4/5 times a week but now i do an hour every morning or evening depending on my shifts. I follow Betty Rocker, lots of varied workouts following instructor. I also do a lot of Pilates and Barre classes online, i find Barre particularly effective

BunnytheHoneyBee You have been through such a time :( I hope life feels like it is on the up x
The fertility yoga is really lovely - I figure it can't do any harm. Yoga Yin has lots of different classes of various lengths and I really recommend her :)

I don't drive and don't have the regular Tesco delivery slot for groceries. Definitely feel fitter for lugging bag after bag of shopping home as well as my allocated 'walk' time. Easily 10,000 steps which is far more than i used to do. Also cutting out the 'junk' food as it's less to carry home

@slinkysaluki I’m surprised how much I’m enjoying the workouts at home and I avoid a half hour drive to the gym and back. I’ll look up Betty Rocker!

@SilkCottonTree Thank you. It has been a strange year but I have lots to be thankful for x I will definitely look up Yoga Yin 🧘🏻‍♀️I was doing yoga weekly at the gym but haven’t found a class I like enough to do at home.

@DOINGOURBIT That’s probably slightly annoying but also genius!

Bunny. I can recommend Betty Rocker you can do a free trial shes very good

So great to see loads of people have taken to home workouts! I made the switch a couple of years ago and I now have a wee weight rack and a spinning bike in the spare room. I also invested in a pull up bar, my goal is to do one without any assistance. I'm a beachbody on demand convert but I'm a member of les Mills too. If you have a blue light card you get a discount. I find it so much easier to get regular exercise than going to the gym.
Whatever your goals welcome ladies and good luck with your goals xxx

I really like the fitness blender website (or YouTube channel). There’s loads of stuff on there for free - hiit, Pilates, weights, yoga or combinations of all of them. I paid for a programme (not much - it’s priced in dollars but was about £11 I think, and they have cheaper ones) that gives me access to an online calendar with links to workouts 5 days per week, and they mix it up so you do arms one day, legs the next, core the next. You can do the programme as many times as you like.

I sound like I work for them - I assure you I don’t - but I was pretty unfit when I started and have really improved (not lost much weight though - must stop eating). I like that the instructors are really calm - there’s none of that shouting and whooping you get with some other instructors that I find a bit off putting - and they’re frequently knackered and out of breath which makes me feel better.

I’ve done a couple of the barre workouts - they kill! I’ve done 30 day shred on YouTube as well but found it a bit repetitive.

I've started doing Jillian Michaels body revolution. It's years old now but I've never been able to commit to working out 6 days a week before. I'm 3 weeks in and already can see and feel a difference.

I have set myself a target of running 5 miles per day.

I’m on day 5, fitter than I have ever been and loving it.

It helps that I live rurally and I can run around the quiet lanes from my house.

I did the joe wicks beginner hiit on you tube yesterday. I now can barely move today! I stretched and everything! I'm just incredibly unfit. I'll have to ease myself in I think - I was planning to do a work out every day but I'll have to do every other I think. I'll go for a long walk today instead and hope I feel better tomorrow....

Some of these channels look really good

I felt like a struggled with my workout yesterday. I’ve been doing combat but it got harder with the burpees and jump squats etc. I decided to do something different yesterday so I did a different cardio video and was only doing it half an hour but I found it really tough! It was high intensity but I wonder if my body is a bit tired as I have been exercising more than I usually do tbh

@Hannah4banana What is a blue light card? I get a discount through my gym which is 60 days free trial and then £7-8 a month which isn’t bad

@Italianmeringuebuttercream I think every other day is fine for me. I don’t want to feel like I have to work out every day and I think you need to be gentle on your body to some degree but everyone is different.

@WingBingo 5 miles a day is impressive! I got bored of it. I love semi rurally and there are loads of beautiful places to run so I no excuse really. I might go for a run at the weekend but I don’t think I could be bothered every day 🙈

Theres a free app called FitOn which is good too

@Permenantlyexhaustedpidgeon I am intrigued by the 75 hard thing!
Have you started? How is it?

@BunnytheHoneyBee yes I'm going to aim for at least some movement every day, even if it's just stretching before bed. I haven't done anything since the lock down started and I was starting to feel very down and had no energy. After the session I did yesterday it really lifted my mood. Even though I'm paying for it today, I know it will help me in the long run.

A blue light card is a discount scheme for public sector workers like nurses, police and fire. I think the prison service and army can join too. They have done really good discounts on everything x

I think I’ve heard of FitOm but haven’t tried it, I’ll have a look

I have definitely felt better since doing more exercise. I’ve been more active (exercise wise) during lockdown than I was doing before lockdown as I’d got to a stage where I was only going to the gym once or twice a week and one session was yoga. I feel like I’ve already lost weight but can’t check as the scales are broken!

Ah thanks @Hannah4banana I don’t have one of those but the Les Mills deal I can get doesn’t seem too bad

The Peloton app is free for 90 days at the moment & has really good yoga, HIIT and strength/core classes. We have the bike but I’ve been doing loads of their yoga classes and actually found them better than the group classes I’d been attending via ClassPass.

Second the recommendation for Fitness Blender as well. I was lucky enough to nab some kettlebells in mid March so have been destroying my legs, back and shoulders on Fitness Blender 3 x week in an effort to keep my grumpy spine mobile & pain free (so far working well). Kettlebells are absolutely KNACKERING!