Getting more excercise

[Linea_Norway]

I really need to get up my amount of excercise to stay healthy. After the age of 40 your muscle mass reclines and during menopause it really deteriorates fast. I am not there yet, but I have not trained enough the last year or so. I do make trips, often foraging, but those are not in training tempo. So I need to do something more rigorous 3 days a week or more. Let's start tomorrow.

Current status is that I am healthy enough, but not in a great condition. I will start by briskwalking, and then run/walk when briskwalking is not a physical challenge anymore.

The challenge is 150 minutes a week high intensity or 300 minutes a week medium intensity.

[wenchsenior]

I feel you so much, being a naturally twiglike and unathletic person who started menopause about 4 months ago.

Let me tell you, this fitness project I embarked on last January has been SO WORTH IT.

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/qualify-for-the-navy-seals!/

If you do get more serious about fitness, you will not regret it.

I recommend breaking your fitness goals down to very small manageable steps, and then tracking your progress. This helps motivate me out of my 'couch groove'.

[Linea_Norway]

I feel you so much, being a naturally twiglike and unathletic person who started menopause about 4 months ago.

Let me tell you, this fitness project I embarked on last January has been SO WORTH IT.

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/qualify-for-the-navy-seals!/

If you do get more serious about fitness, you will not regret it.

I recommend breaking your fitness goals down to very small manageable steps, and then tracking your progress. This helps motivate me out of my 'couch groove'.

Thank you @wenchsenior .

DH just retrieved my old Polar HR monitor and brick and we changed batteries in both. I found a breast belt that can contain the brick. It all connects, but not the GPS for shoes. So I hope the monitor will tell me how many minutes in which zone I trained.

I realize that I should start easy. Although, I do today make long walks regularly, just not necessarily several times a week and usually walking leasurely, carrying a foraging basket. The foraging season now is a bit at it's end, so I hope I can now move at a higher pace than I have done most of the year. Tomorrow I could make a round trip from home which is a little over 5K. Then briskwalk the steep uphills and run/briskwalk the rest.

I am not a twiglike person at all. I have an hourglass figure with wide hips and a relatively narrow waist.

Last week I just read a whole bunch of books in short time (see the books challenge), but that can only be done sitting. In addition the weather was very uninspiring. Normally when I walk, I listen to podcasts. So I can do that during my other excercise as well.

The short term goal is just to start excercising regularly, which is 3 times a week, every other day, as a starter. And to start running again. I was a runner before and I even ran a marathon once.

[Villanelle]

Perhaps on your foraging walks you could add some intervals.  Squats, walking lunges, etc.  Even tricep dips on a branch, bicep curls with your water bottle or collection basket, etc.  Walk for a while, do some squats, walk and do some lunges, walk and do bicep curls, etc.

[Linea_Norway]

Perhaps on your foraging walks you could add some intervals.  Squats, walking lunges, etc.  Even tricep dips on a branch, bicep curls with your water bottle or collection basket, etc.  Walk for a while, do some squats, walk and do some lunges, walk and do bicep curls, etc.

That would make me feel silly, but I guess you are right. Now I just brisk walk in every uphill to get a training effect. But those are often very short and not often enough to get in shape.

[GuitarStv]

If you're worried about muscle mass loss, walking isn't going to help much - you need weight bearing exercises.  The issue with stuff like bodyweight exercises is that beyond adding reps it's hard to gradually increase difficulty of the exercises - and there comes a point where adding reps doesn't really increase your strength in an appreciable way any more.  Some of the simplest and most effective would be basic barbell movements - deadlift, squat, overhead press.  The great thing about weight training is that it's very easy to slowly increase the weight over time and measure progress.

Before you dismiss it out of hand - I have anecdata!  I've managed to teach my mid-70s mother to train safely with barbells, and she had never touched a weight in her life before.  After a year of 2x week, 40 minutes a sessions, at her last checkup her doctor said that she's showing signs of a reversal of some of the damage caused by her osteoporosis - and is actually gaining bone density.

[Wolfpack Mustachian]

I have nowhere near the weight training experience that many on the board do. I will add, though, that you can use barbells in very short doses and make legitimate improvements. I have my weights in the living room and literally 2-3 times a week do a set of basic exercises that take maybe 5-10 minutes. I try to do more than that and at times do get in a routine where I do. However, something as simple as that basic set up has helped me significantly.

[Linea_Norway]

Today I did a 45 minute run/walk of 5,6 km including a short pause halfway. DH joined me until halfway.
It felt very easy in the beginning, but I noticed on the way back that it is slightly downhill in the beginning.
My heartrate monitor that worked before I started didn't work at all, except for during the break.

I will consider getting a barbell. DH mentioned straps as an alternative, which can be hung up on a beam outside. But I think I would prefer something you can use indoors in the winter. (Given that we get a winter this year) We already have 2 x 5 kg fitness weights. But I will take a look at barbells and how much they way. I regularly carry 2 x 10 liters of water a few hundred meters through swampy terrain. We also have 2 x 20 liters tanks and carry one or two at the same time from the car to our cabin over a humpy path. But I don't do this 3 times a week and not many repetitions. So I shouldn't fool myself by thinking this is enough.

Edit: DH reminded me that we also have a lead vest and lead belt for his free diving hobby. In case I would want to make body lift excercises heavier. I also have some filled sand sacks, and as mentioned 2 x 20 liter water tanks, as well as 2 x 5 liters. DH also says that super active fitness people do push ups using only one arm, or do knee bends on only one leg.

In spring this year, we bought two kayaks and have been using them pretty often, about twice a week. At many occasions I have been paddling hard. So I guess I have been training arms, shoulders, back and belly all summer. Including lifting the kayaks on and off the car. But the season for that is also getting to an end. At least, it has been a week since last trip. And we haven't registered for the swimming pool winter training.

I just collected the two fitness weights and put them in the living room. DH thinks I shouldn't overdo training to start with, but I have done a few arm repititions and will repeat that more often.

[GuitarStv]

I regularly carry 2 x 10 liters of water a few hundred meters through swampy terrain. We also have 2 x 20 liters tanks and carry one or two at the same time from the car to our cabin over a humpy path. But I don't do this 3 times a week and not many repetitions. So I shouldn't fool myself by thinking this is enough.

Edit: DH reminded me that we also have a lead vest and lead belt for his free diving hobby. In case I would want to make body lift excercises heavier. I also have some filled sand sacks, and as mentioned 2 x 20 liter water tanks, as well as 2 x 5 liters.

These are reasonable alternative exercises to barbell training.  Water carrying, leaded vest hiking, moving sandbags, etc.  The training has to be a regular and scheduled habit.  What you want over the long haul is a measurable repeatable exercise that can be incremented in small amounts.  The ability to partially or fully fill your water containers, or your sandbag, or to add/remove weights from the vest will all help you do just that.

DH also says that super active fitness people do push ups using only one arm, or do knee bends on only one leg.

1 arm pushups are a great exercise, as are 1 legged knee bends.  They work your core and stabilizing muscles quite a bit.  Most of the people I've trained though have trouble doing the motion and can't do enough of them to benefit from training the action.


Weight training progress is slow and gains made are slight.  You don't want to get into a scenario where you're doing exactly the same exercise over and over with the same wi

In spring this year, we bought two kayaks and have been using them pretty often, about twice a week. At many occasions I have been paddling hard. So I guess I have been training arms, shoulders, back and belly all summer. Including lifting the kayaks on and off the car. But the season for that is also getting to an end. At least, it has been a week since last trip. And we haven't registered for the swimming pool winter training.

I just collected the two fitness weights and put them in the living room. DH thinks I shouldn't overdo training to start with, but I have done a few arm repititions and will repeat that more often.

I'd suggest that you avoid isolation exercises (like dumbell curls) and focus on simple compound movements with your weights.  1-arm cleans, shoulder racked squats, overhead press/dumbell thrusters (depending on shoulder strength), walking lunge, lateral lunge, renegade rows and bulgarian split squats.  A couple sets of each of those should get all your muscles working hard.

[Linea_Norway]

Today I did 3 rounds of arm exercises at different times with 2 x 5 kg weight. I did 10 reps of each excercise, varying the muscles used. One excercise was pushing the arms up from the shoulder. That is about the same as our usual kayak lifting thing. But doing it 10 times, started to be strenuous halfway.

I feel my legs from running yesterday. Therefore DH recommended to only do arm exercises today.

I hope the sun will shine again tomorrow, so that is will be inspiring to go running again, like it was last time.

[Metalcat]

I do a lot of body weight exercise like Pilates.

Also, have you tried audiobooks? Great way to combine books and exercise. I used to go through about 100/yr, now I listen to my textbooks with a text reader.

[wenchsenior]

I do a lot of body weight exercise like Pilates.

Also, have you tried audiobooks? Great way to combine books and exercise. I used to go through about 100/yr, now I listen to my textbooks with a text reader.

+1 to this.  I get through more than 100/yr as well. Although I'm doing my first Cormac McCarthy today and I'm rolling my eyes every 5 minutes, so that's not going so well.

Speaking of running... :heaves self off couch:

[Linea_Norway]

This morning my legs hurt more than yesterday, still from the run two days ago. So I decided to briskwalk to a further away than usual mushroom location, in the rain. Still only 5 km, but I had a long uphill on the way back. And a heavy basket full of mushrooms, mostly the yellow foot (craterellus tubaformis).

I listened to a couple of podcasts on my walk. We checked out how audiobooks work. I can log into a library app for digital books on my phone. From there, borrow, download and play. Should work.

[Sibley]

I'm with you on needing more exercise. I ended up in physical therapy at the beginning of the year because of, essentially, not moving enough. After that, I joined the YMCA for the purpose of forcing myself to move more. That was going quite well until I got into audit season. I can go to the gym, or I can work at night, I can't do both. So I haven't gone since August. Looking at the work schedule, I will be getting back to regular gym visits in the next week or so.

At the gym, I'm not pushing myself incredibly hard. I just need to move. Slow progress is just fine. I've got a mix of weight training and cardo that was working well.

The motivation for me really was (and will continue to be I'm sure) audiobooks, specifically Lord of the Rings.

[Linea_Norway]

@Sibley
Be welcome to join here.
Yesterday we also did two more sessions of arm weights with different muscles.
My legs feel normal today, so I will do a run again with briskwalking in uphills if I feel for it. I will do a slightly longer route than last time, just to have an alternative.

[Linea_Norway]

Today I ran in the rain, because it would rain even harder the rest of the day. I wore a cycling raincoat, globes and a cap. DH joined me the first half. It was 7 km in 56 minutes run/briskwalk. My heartrate monitor worked today and the whole training was mostly high intensity, in zone 4 out of 5. my highest HR was when briskwalking the steppest hill. I feel proud of running today in bad weather.

[Sibley]

I'll pop in sometimes :)  My going to a gym really surprised all my friends, but weakened core muscles due to inactivity demands a response. I did put my gym bag back together, so just need to get it into the car and as my schedule eases up some I can resume going to the gym. My back will appreciate the movement.

[Linea_Norway]

Today the weather was dry with a bit of sun sometimes. So we went kayak padling for an hour and 40 minutes. Also lifting two kayaks on and off the car roof twice.

[Linea_Norway]

Today we went running, on a route with a lot of uphill on the first half. I had to briskwalk most of the uphill, because I felt too tired. I could run the whole way back. 52 minutes with mostly high intensity.

[habanero]

For a heart rate monitor to be of much use (I'd add that you don't really need one at all, but that's a different topic) you need to know your maximum heart rate. Without this info the zones don't really mean much as yout won't know what they actually are. There are some formula for calculating based on age, but they can be wildly inaccurate on an individual level.

The easiest (but far from comfortable way) to get an idea of it is to do interval runs uphill. Find a suitable road sloping uphill for long enough and do one 4 minute run at high speed (like an interval run) then rest a bit and do a second. Towards the end of the second you run as fast as you can, you will genreally see your heart rate plateu, but if you keep going a bit more it should rise somewhat.

When you feel pretty much like puking at the end - or actually puke, you have a fairly good idea of your maxium heart rate.

An easy way to measure fitness and track progress it to look at the heart rate after an interval run or something else at high intensity. Stand completely still for 1 minute and see how much your heart rate drops.

If it drops by less than 12 - go see a doctor
12-20 fairly bad, need more excercise
20-30 you're in a pretty good shape
30-40 you're in very good shape
40 or more at par with well-trained athelethes.

I used to have just over 40 and don't really agree with the "at par with well-trained atheletes" part, but it gives a general idea and is very easy to perform without any other equipment than a heart rate monitor.

There are other variations (2 minutes rest etc) but the general idea is the same and it's very easy to perform.

[elderflower100]

Menopause definitely has affected my muscle mass (your a whole new person! Yay! (not). Also burnout affecting energy levels and everything.

On my journey back to health I am walking > an hour a day and doing 1.5 hrs of physio exercises - stretching, ROM, and some weights, core strength. This has done wonders for my posture and strength. In the summer I was doing major saw pruning and that really built strength and tested if I was moving my body correctly.

Old injuries have come to roost of course but I am loving the Graston tools my PT uses which have been awesome in freeing up various adhered areas (not for everyone I guess).

@GuitarStv  I need to add more weights like you have your mum doing
@Malcat I am considering Pilates,  I am so thrilled to have such a great PT so have to ask about this too as we move forward

The days of Burpees are long gone for me! (are they ever a good idea?) But one must adjust. My major goals are just to move my body appropriately, feel strong and be able to use my arms and legs to their fullest capacity, ride my bike, and hike that damn mountain to subalpine which I didn't get to do this year.

[Metalcat]

Menopause definitely has affected my muscle mass (your a whole new person! Yay! (not). Also burnout affecting energy levels and everything.

On my journey back to health I am walking > an hour a day and doing 1.5 hrs of physio exercises - stretching, ROM, and some weights, core strength. This has done wonders for my posture and strength. In the summer I was doing major saw pruning and that really built strength and tested if I was moving my body correctly.

Old injuries have come to roost of course but I am loving the Graston tools my PT uses which have been awesome in freeing up various adhered areas (not everyone I guess).

@GuitarStv  I need to add more weights like you have your mum doing
@Malcat I am considering Pilates,  I am so thrilled to have such a great PT so have to ask about this too as we move forward

The days of Burpees are long gone for me! (are they ever a good idea?) But one must adjust. My major goals are just to move my body appropriately, feel strong and be able to use my arms and legs to their fullest capacity, ride my bike, and hike that damn mountain to subalpine which I didn't get to do this year.

Look into clinical Pilates. It's a cornerstone of a lot of really good PT programs.

[Linea_Norway]

For a heart rate monitor to be of much use (I'd add that you don't really need one at all, but that's a different topic) you need to know your maximum heart rate. Without this info the zones don't really mean much as yout won't know what they actually are. There are some formula for calculating based on age, but they can be wildly inaccurate on an individual level.

The easiest (but far from comfortable way) to get an idea of it is to do interval runs uphill. Find a suitable road sloping uphill for long enough and do one 4 minute run at high speed (like an interval run) then rest a bit and do a second. Towards the end of the second you run as fast as you can, you will genreally see your heart rate plateu, but if you keep going a bit more it should rise somewhat.

When you feel pretty much like puking at the end - or actually puke, you have a fairly good idea of your maxium heart rate.

An easy way to measure fitness and track progress it to look at the heart rate after an interval run or something else at high intensity. Stand completely still for 1 minute and see how much your heart rate drops.

If it drops by less than 12 - go see a doctor
12-20 fairly bad, need more excercise
20-30 you're in a pretty good shape
30-40 you're in very good shape
40 or more at par with well-trained athelethes.

I used to have just over 40 and don't really agree with the "at par with well-trained atheletes" part, but it gives a general idea and is very easy to perform without any other equipment than a heart rate monitor.

There are other variations (2 minutes rest etc) but the general idea is the same and it's very easy to perform.

Thanks, but I know this sort of stuff. DH has been a very active amateur sportsman and even I have been doing cycling, marathon running and a bit of triathlon through the years. We have done the run up hill max tests in those years. And done several lactate tests. My max heartrate has always been more or less equal to the standard for age HR. This time I didn't feel like doing a max test and just put in my age to get the default values. So far, they feel pretty accurate. And there is no need now to be more precise.

[Linea_Norway]

According to the Menopause Manifesto book, training helps to increase your balance, which helps to avoid breaking bones when your bones get more brittle, which they do rapidly after menopause. And exercise triggers your body to create more new bone. We should eat enough calsium and D-vitamin as building material for bones. And as wel all know, exercise is also good to prevent cardiac deceases, which is the number one cause of death for women (and men) . And it is generally good for everything.

Yesterday I hiked about 5 km and got some daylight on my face (D-vitamin).

I have calculated how much calsium I usually eat and drink with my one glass of milk, cheese and some veggies and occasional nuts. Thit is not even close to how much is needed, according to the book, or even according to Norwegian guidelines. So I have decided to use a daily supplement with calsium, combined with D-vitamin.

[Linea_Norway]

Today I hiked another 5 km. Found some more edible mushrooms. And I carried 2 full buckets of water through a swamp, slightly uphill.

[Linea_Norway]

Yesterday I ran and briskwalked for about an hour. I scared up three roe deer.

I had some trouble with my podcasts that don't last very long. The app (NRK Radio) doesn't start the next podcast automatically, so I need to take my phone out of the arm pouch, select a new pocdcast and put the phone back onto ly arm. Not so great if you want to run continuously.

Maybe I should go back to using AntennaPod, which plays the next in the list automatically. I still have loads of unplayed material there. I am currently at our cabin without Wifi, so downloading new podcasts takes too much data. I only have 1 GB per month, pluss what was left from last month, or DH's leftover data.

Today I hiked almost 5000 paces, 3,3 km. It was a roundtrip close to the cabin that has been made easier since last time, so ai had to try it out. Nice sunny weather, but slippery on the short strech of asphalt road as it is - 2C. I think I'll do some more after lunch. Or I minght spend the afternoon making a hügelbed from the big pile of braches on our patch.

For those of you who want to know what a Norwegian cabin is like, check out "Ylvis, the Cabin" on Spotity or the like. Although there are nowadays more and more cabins that are like a proper house. Ours is more traditional, 60 m2, without water and no parking right at the cabin.

[Linea_Norway]

Today I ran/briskwalked 5 km.

And yes, I dug a hügelbed yesterday. I had to remove a lot of sandy soil, move lots of branches and put the soil back on top of them. Good exercise.

[wenchsenior]

Today I ran/briskwalked 5 km.

And yes, I dug a hügelbed yesterday. I had to remove a lot of sandy soil, move lots of branches and put the soil back on top of them. Good exercise.

Your consistency in posting shamed/inspired me into running my first EVER 5K today.

[sixwings]

I'm getting back on my 6am workouts, about 6-7 years ago I lost 40 lbs being consistent about what i ate and exercising at the gym every week day from 6-7am, then biking to work, biking home, and walking the dog. I felt great and maintained that schedule until covid. During covid i got out of that habit/schedule and have gained about 15-20 lbs. This week I'm starting the schedule again and so far so i'm 2/2 days! I know the first few weeks sucks but eventually it's gets easier getting up at 5:15am once my body adjusts.

Also I'm working in the office 4/5 days a week now. I'm just way more active in the office, i go for walks at lunch, i walk between buildings/meeting rooms, i walk between floors, etc. At home I just sit on my butt.

[wenchsenior]

Menopause definitely has affected my muscle mass (your a whole new person! Yay! (not). Also burnout affecting energy levels and everything.

On my journey back to health I am walking > an hour a day and doing 1.5 hrs of physio exercises - stretching, ROM, and some weights, core strength. This has done wonders for my posture and strength. In the summer I was doing major saw pruning and that really built strength and tested if I was moving my body correctly.

Old injuries have come to roost of course but I am loving the Graston tools my PT uses which have been awesome in freeing up various adhered areas (not for everyone I guess).

@GuitarStv  I need to add more weights like you have your mum doing
@Malcat I am considering Pilates,  I am so thrilled to have such a great PT so have to ask about this too as we move forward

The days of Burpees are long gone for me! (are they ever a good idea?) But one must adjust. My major goals are just to move my body appropriately, feel strong and be able to use my arms and legs to their fullest capacity, ride my bike, and hike that damn mountain to subalpine which I didn't get to do this year.

I'm also love using the Graston tools, but I have chronic problems with soft tissue, myofascial stiffness, adhesions, etc.

[wenchsenior]

For a heart rate monitor to be of much use (I'd add that you don't really need one at all, but that's a different topic) you need to know your maximum heart rate. Without this info the zones don't really mean much as yout won't know what they actually are. There are some formula for calculating based on age, but they can be wildly inaccurate on an individual level.

The easiest (but far from comfortable way) to get an idea of it is to do interval runs uphill. Find a suitable road sloping uphill for long enough and do one 4 minute run at high speed (like an interval run) then rest a bit and do a second. Towards the end of the second you run as fast as you can, you will genreally see your heart rate plateu, but if you keep going a bit more it should rise somewhat.

When you feel pretty much like puking at the end - or actually puke, you have a fairly good idea of your maxium heart rate.

An easy way to measure fitness and track progress it to look at the heart rate after an interval run or something else at high intensity. Stand completely still for 1 minute and see how much your heart rate drops.

If it drops by less than 12 - go see a doctor
12-20 fairly bad, need more excercise
20-30 you're in a pretty good shape
30-40 you're in very good shape
40 or more at par with well-trained athelethes.

I used to have just over 40 and don't really agree with the "at par with well-trained atheletes" part, but it gives a general idea and is very easy to perform without any other equipment than a heart rate monitor.

There are other variations (2 minutes rest etc) but the general idea is the same and it's very easy to perform.

This is useful for me, given that I've just started a running program in 2022, and as I was walking after my 5K today, I thought, man, my heart rate slowed down fast...I wonder just how good my cardio condition is right now?

[wenchsenior]

Menopause definitely has affected my muscle mass (your a whole new person! Yay! (not). Also burnout affecting energy levels and everything.

On my journey back to health I am walking > an hour a day and doing 1.5 hrs of physio exercises - stretching, ROM, and some weights, core strength. This has done wonders for my posture and strength. In the summer I was doing major saw pruning and that really built strength and tested if I was moving my body correctly.

Old injuries have come to roost of course but I am loving the Graston tools my PT uses which have been awesome in freeing up various adhered areas (not everyone I guess).

@GuitarStv  I need to add more weights like you have your mum doing
@Malcat I am considering Pilates,  I am so thrilled to have such a great PT so have to ask about this too as we move forward

The days of Burpees are long gone for me! (are they ever a good idea?) But one must adjust. My major goals are just to move my body appropriately, feel strong and be able to use my arms and legs to their fullest capacity, ride my bike, and hike that damn mountain to subalpine which I didn't get to do this year.

Look into clinical Pilates. It's a cornerstone of a lot of really good PT programs.

:notetoself:

[Linea_Norway]

Today I ran/briskwalked 5 km.

And yes, I dug a hügelbed yesterday. I had to remove a lot of sandy soil, move lots of branches and put the soil back on top of them. Good exercise.

Your consistency in posting shamed/inspired me into running my first EVER 5K today.

@wenchsenior
Wow, that is great. Keep going at it.

Yesterday I had a day of rest, including a long drive home. So today I need to find motivation to go out and run again. I will, as DH also helps motivating me.

[Linea_Norway]

I'm getting back on my 6am workouts, about 6-7 years ago I lost 40 lbs being consistent about what i ate and exercising at the gym every week day from 6-7am, then biking to work, biking home, and walking the dog. I felt great and maintained that schedule until covid. During covid i got out of that habit/schedule and have gained about 15-20 lbs. This week I'm starting the schedule again and so far so i'm 2/2 days! I know the first few weeks sucks but eventually it's gets easier getting up at 5:15am once my body adjusts.

Also I'm working in the office 4/5 days a week now. I'm just way more active in the office, i go for walks at lunch, i walk between buildings/meeting rooms, i walk between floors, etc. At home I just sit on my butt.

@sixwings
Great that you have started! Be kind to yourself and don't overdo the workout part in the beginning. Although walking the stairs is something that is always good to do, unless you work/live in a very high building. I always prefer to take stairs.

Unfortunately, I have discovered a stupid computer game to play. So now I also sit on my but. But I will go out today. And I am busy in between baking sourdough bread. And when I have the ingredients, I will also make crackers.

[mm1970]

For the menopausal of us...I can recommend this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Next-Level-Kicking-Crushing-Menopause-ebook/dp/B091JVW6QR

I am definitely doing more weight training.  I have dumbbells, not barbells.  And no space for barbells.  But it's good enough.

[Linea_Norway]

For the menopausal of us...I can recommend this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Next-Level-Kicking-Crushing-Menopause-ebook/dp/B091JVW6QR

I am definitely doing more weight training.  I have dumbbells, not barbells.  And no space for barbells.  But it's good enough.

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Today I will not be running, so I did weight training again. Just with 2 x 5 bars, many repititions in different directions. It usually gets very heavy after a while, so I guess it has an effect.

Yesterday I ran/briskwalked 5,6 km. It was my intention to run the whole way, with a little break in at the turn around point. But I only ran the first half and parts of the second half. The way back has much longer stretches of uphill and I can't have a low enough HR to maintain when I run them up and they last too long. Briskwalking them is also good training.

Today it is snowing just a bit. And the rest of the week it will snow and rain at the same time, or something in between. We hope it will fall as snow in the higher regions. Then hopefully we can start cross country skiing. That is very good exercise for condition, legs, shoulders, back and stomach. And I find it fun to do. Maybe my running now kickstarted my condition this year.

[Metalcat]

For the menopausal of us...I can recommend this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Next-Level-Kicking-Crushing-Menopause-ebook/dp/B091JVW6QR

I am definitely doing more weight training.  I have dumbbells, not barbells.  And no space for barbells.  But it's good enough.

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Today I will not be running, so I did weight training again. Just with 2 x 5 bars, many repititions in different directions. It usually gets very heavy after a while, so I guess it has an effect.

Yesterday I ran/briskwalked 5,6 km. It was my intention to run the whole way, with a little break in at the turn around point. But I only ran the first half and parts of the second half. The way back has much longer stretches of uphill and I can't have a low enough HR to maintain when I run them up and they last too long. Briskwalking them is also good training.

Today it is snowing just a bit. And the rest of the week it will snow and rain at the same time, or something in between. We hope it will fall as snow in the higher regions. Then hopefully we can start cross country skiing. That is very good exercise for condition, legs, shoulders, back and stomach. And I find it fun to do. Maybe my running now kickstarted my condition this year.

This may be a dumb question, but from how you've written it, it sounds like you're winging it. Do you know how to use free weights?

There are tons of videos you wan watch on specific exercises you can do with 5lb weights, but if you don't isolate muscles properly, you're not going to get much out of them.

I personally use 5lbs often because with my joints I'm not allowed to use heavier. I do ultra slow reps, so it's an intense challenge. The heaviest I go with weights is 10lbs and that's just for bicep curls.

Also, have you ever checked out Pilates? I'm going to recommend it again because of how strongly I support trying it.

Cute strength and flexibility are very important. My DH has always been very fit and he was doing weights, running, and biking, but he kept getting injuries. I sent him to PT and she kept saying how tight everything was.

I FINALLY talked him into doing regular Pilates and the change is dramatic. His posture is phenomenal now, his running form is much better, he's very flexible and his balance is amazing.

I start everyone out with this old but excellent starter video from Mari Winsor. If you are looking for bang for your buck in terms of effort to long term health outcome, Pilates is where it's at.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z72js

[jambongris]

For the menopausal of us...I can recommend this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Next-Level-Kicking-Crushing-Menopause-ebook/dp/B091JVW6QR

I am definitely doing more weight training.  I have dumbbells, not barbells.  And no space for barbells.  But it's good enough.

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Today I will not be running, so I did weight training again. Just with 2 x 5 bars, many repititions in different directions. It usually gets very heavy after a while, so I guess it has an effect.

Yesterday I ran/briskwalked 5,6 km. It was my intention to run the whole way, with a little break in at the turn around point. But I only ran the first half and parts of the second half. The way back has much longer stretches of uphill and I can't have a low enough HR to maintain when I run them up and they last too long. Briskwalking them is also good training.

Today it is snowing just a bit. And the rest of the week it will snow and rain at the same time, or something in between. We hope it will fall as snow in the higher regions. Then hopefully we can start cross country skiing. That is very good exercise for condition, legs, shoulders, back and stomach. And I find it fun to do. Maybe my running now kickstarted my condition this year.

This may be a dumb question, but from how you've written it, it sounds like you're winging it. Do you know how to use free weights?

There are tons of videos you wan watch on specific exercises you can do with 5lb weights, but if you don't isolate muscles properly, you're not going to get much out of them.

I personally use 5lbs often because with my joints I'm not allowed to use heavier. I do ultra slow reps, so it's an intense challenge. The heaviest I go with weights is 10lbs and that's just for bicep curls.

Also, have you ever checked out Pilates? I'm going to recommend it again because of how strongly I support trying it.

Cute strength and flexibility are very important. My DH has always been very fit and he was doing weights, running, and biking, but he kept getting injuries. I sent him to PT and she kept saying how tight everything was.

I FINALLY talked him into doing regular Pilates and the change is dramatic. His posture is phenomenal now, his running form is much better, he's very flexible and his balance is amazing.

I start everyone out with this old but excellent starter video from Mari Winsor. If you are looking for bang for your buck in terms of effort to long term health outcome, Pilates is where it's at.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z72js

I do yoga regularly to combat the tight muscles I get from running so I have a question for you if you have any thoughts and are willing to share.

Is there a big benefit for Pilates over yoga? I’ve tried Pilates and it never really held my interest like yoga does.

I do dynamic stretches before my runs, static stretches afterwards, and yoga ~2/week. What benefit would Pilates provide that I’m currently missing out on?

[Metalcat]

For the menopausal of us...I can recommend this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Next-Level-Kicking-Crushing-Menopause-ebook/dp/B091JVW6QR

I am definitely doing more weight training.  I have dumbbells, not barbells.  And no space for barbells.  But it's good enough.

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Today I will not be running, so I did weight training again. Just with 2 x 5 bars, many repititions in different directions. It usually gets very heavy after a while, so I guess it has an effect.

Yesterday I ran/briskwalked 5,6 km. It was my intention to run the whole way, with a little break in at the turn around point. But I only ran the first half and parts of the second half. The way back has much longer stretches of uphill and I can't have a low enough HR to maintain when I run them up and they last too long. Briskwalking them is also good training.

Today it is snowing just a bit. And the rest of the week it will snow and rain at the same time, or something in between. We hope it will fall as snow in the higher regions. Then hopefully we can start cross country skiing. That is very good exercise for condition, legs, shoulders, back and stomach. And I find it fun to do. Maybe my running now kickstarted my condition this year.

This may be a dumb question, but from how you've written it, it sounds like you're winging it. Do you know how to use free weights?

There are tons of videos you wan watch on specific exercises you can do with 5lb weights, but if you don't isolate muscles properly, you're not going to get much out of them.

I personally use 5lbs often because with my joints I'm not allowed to use heavier. I do ultra slow reps, so it's an intense challenge. The heaviest I go with weights is 10lbs and that's just for bicep curls.

Also, have you ever checked out Pilates? I'm going to recommend it again because of how strongly I support trying it.

Cute strength and flexibility are very important. My DH has always been very fit and he was doing weights, running, and biking, but he kept getting injuries. I sent him to PT and she kept saying how tight everything was.

I FINALLY talked him into doing regular Pilates and the change is dramatic. His posture is phenomenal now, his running form is much better, he's very flexible and his balance is amazing.

I start everyone out with this old but excellent starter video from Mari Winsor. If you are looking for bang for your buck in terms of effort to long term health outcome, Pilates is where it's at.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z72js

I do yoga regularly to combat the tight muscles I get from running so I have a question for you if you have any thoughts and are willing to share.

Is there a big benefit for Pilates over yoga? I’ve tried Pilates and it never really held my interest like yoga does.

I do dynamic stretches before my runs, static stretches afterwards, and yoga ~2/week. What benefit would Pilates provide that I’m currently missing out on?

Do whatever you prefer doing. Both target stabilizer muscles and core strength.

Pilates tends to be preferred for people with any injuries or weakness because the movements are more controlled, and yoga can fuck you up if those are your issues, but that's also why it's more boring. So my default for someone who hasn't tried either is always Pilates.

They're similar enough though that I wouldn't see any benefit in switching to Pilates from yoga if yoga is going well for you and not causing injuries.

[Linea_Norway]

@Malcat

I have done mindfull yoga many times. That was nice to do. I will have a look at Pilates as well.
Edit: watched the video. It looks like the same kind of exercises, but again slightly different. I will give it a try. Hopefully I can get the TV to display it.

Currently my left knee hurts a bit. I obviously did too much running in too short time, and maybe without enough warming up. The day before yesterday I did very little, apart from one round with weights. Yesterday I walked for an hour and a half. I briskwalked as much as I could, but some of the downhill was a frozen and slippery path, so I had to step carefully (and thus slowly).  My knee also hurt while walking, so that is no good.

I will check today if my knee works better. If so, put on a knee support and try runnning again. Otherwise walking again. And cleaning the house, although that does not count as (conditional) training. The weather looks very windy again. I will put on warmer gloves than yesterday.

When I was at the cabin, it was easier to get out of the door every day, as there isn't much to do inside. At home there are lots of alternative things one can do.

[Metalcat]

As someone who can no longer walk, I cringe at the thought of someone with an injured knee just tossing on a brace and running on it.

[TreeLeaf]

I know several people (triathlon coaches, etc) who have accidentally injured themselves while training for triathlons, 100 mile races, etc. Then they wound up not doing any cardio for months.

I run and walk every single day of the year, but I only run 1-3 miles per day then walk another 2-4 miles per day then do some strength training every 2-3 days.

I like to tell myself it's not because I'm lazy, it's because I'm trying to prevent injuries that I don't run that far. 😂

Someday I may work my way up to running longer distances.

ETA: My goal is to run longer distances. It has been challenging to work my way up to this because there was 12 years or so where I did not exercise at all...I'm still trying to get back into shape...

[Linea_Norway]

Today 20 minutes Pilates with the video, plus arm excercises with 2 x 5 kg weight.
My knee is still painfull, even when walking the stairs. Therefore no running today.

[Metalcat]

Today 20 minutes Pilates with the video, plus arm excercises with 2 x 5 kg weight.
My knee is still painfull, even when walking the stairs. Therefore no running today.

Is there a physiotherapist nearby that could help you with a program to make running safer?

My DH got into running, injured his knee and had to stop running altogether. I sent him to my physiotherapist and she put him on a full running rehab program. Everything from loosening his hips, to improving his overall posture, to changing the way he steps when he walks.

He can now run comfortably again, but he's very, very careful.

[wenchsenior]

Today 20 minutes Pilates with the video, plus arm excercises with 2 x 5 kg weight.
My knee is still painfull, even when walking the stairs. Therefore no running today.

Is there a physiotherapist nearby that could help you with a program to make running safer?

My DH got into running, injured his knee and had to stop running altogether. I sent him to my physiotherapist and she put him on a full running rehab program. Everything from loosening his hips, to improving his overall posture, to changing the way he steps when he walks.

He can now run comfortably again, but he's very, very careful.

For sure. I was never into running, never did much of it even when young. I think the absolute farthest I'd ever run was maybe about 2 miles a few times in my teens (forced) and mid 20s (voluntary).  I was physically unable to even jog a short distance from approx age 40 to 50 and I hadn't jogged much in my 30s either.

So when I spontaneously healed from the 10 year problem that kept me from running (CRAZY LOL), and decided to start, I knew that I was risking bad injury given my age (51) and my soft tissue rheumatological problems.  I built up distance and speed super slowly, much more slowly than the average person would, and did all sorts of stretching, foam rolling, working on it bands and hip mobility, and was super careful about feet and ankles as well (I have a history of foot problems too). I did have some runner's knee in the first couple of months but I kept up the physio work and skipped runs anytime it was sore.

And it worked!  But I'm under no illlusions that I should be aiming for regular running of e.g., 5 miles or anything like that.  Now that I've actually run my first 5K ever in life, a couple times, I'm going to run an 'official' holiday 5K next month and then ease back on training. 2 mile runs 2-3 times per week is more than sufficient for me at this age.

[TreeLeaf]

Today 20 minutes Pilates with the video, plus arm excercises with 2 x 5 kg weight.
My knee is still painfull, even when walking the stairs. Therefore no running today.

Is there a physiotherapist nearby that could help you with a program to make running safer?

My DH got into running, injured his knee and had to stop running altogether. I sent him to my physiotherapist and she put him on a full running rehab program. Everything from loosening his hips, to improving his overall posture, to changing the way he steps when he walks.

He can now run comfortably again, but he's very, very careful.

For sure. I was never into running, never did much of it even when young. I think the absolute farthest I'd ever run was maybe about 2 miles a few times in my teens (forced) and mid 20s (voluntary).  I was physically unable to even jog a short distance from approx age 40 to 50 and I hadn't jogged much in my 30s either.

So when I spontaneously healed from the 10 year problem that kept me from running (CRAZY LOL), and decided to start, I knew that I was risking bad injury given my age (51) and my soft tissue rheumatological problems.  I built up distance and speed super slowly, much more slowly than the average person would, and did all sorts of stretching, foam rolling, working on it bands and hip mobility, and was super careful about feet and ankles as well (I have a history of foot problems too). I did have some runner's knee in the first couple of months but I kept up the physio work and skipped runs anytime it was sore.

And it worked!  But I'm under no illlusions that I should be aiming for regular running of e.g., 5 miles or anything like that.  Now that I've actually run my first 5K ever in life, a couple times, I'm going to run an 'official' holiday 5K next month and then ease back on training. 2 mile runs 2-3 times per week is more than sufficient for me at this age.

I have no idea if there is any research behind this at all, but for me running on dirt trails feels easier on my knees afterwards vs running on concrete. This is while wearing trail running shoes on trails and street running shoes on the concrete sidewalks. So you could try trail running.

Of course running on dirt trails is also how a couple of my friends got injured by tripping on roots, etc.

Another friend of mine ran straight into a parked box truck while biking and texting at the same time during a triathlon and broke his collar bone.

Listening to stories of injury also has made me a little scared of running too much and I'm not sure if I'm just being paranoid or if it's really that common for people running marathons, etc to become injured along the way. idk.

[wenchsenior]

Today 20 minutes Pilates with the video, plus arm excercises with 2 x 5 kg weight.
My knee is still painfull, even when walking the stairs. Therefore no running today.

Is there a physiotherapist nearby that could help you with a program to make running safer?

My DH got into running, injured his knee and had to stop running altogether. I sent him to my physiotherapist and she put him on a full running rehab program. Everything from loosening his hips, to improving his overall posture, to changing the way he steps when he walks.

He can now run comfortably again, but he's very, very careful.

For sure. I was never into running, never did much of it even when young. I think the absolute farthest I'd ever run was maybe about 2 miles a few times in my teens (forced) and mid 20s (voluntary).  I was physically unable to even jog a short distance from approx age 40 to 50 and I hadn't jogged much in my 30s either.

So when I spontaneously healed from the 10 year problem that kept me from running (CRAZY LOL), and decided to start, I knew that I was risking bad injury given my age (51) and my soft tissue rheumatological problems.  I built up distance and speed super slowly, much more slowly than the average person would, and did all sorts of stretching, foam rolling, working on it bands and hip mobility, and was super careful about feet and ankles as well (I have a history of foot problems too). I did have some runner's knee in the first couple of months but I kept up the physio work and skipped runs anytime it was sore.

And it worked!  But I'm under no illlusions that I should be aiming for regular running of e.g., 5 miles or anything like that.  Now that I've actually run my first 5K ever in life, a couple times, I'm going to run an 'official' holiday 5K next month and then ease back on training. 2 mile runs 2-3 times per week is more than sufficient for me at this age.

I have no idea if there is any research behind this at all, but for me running on dirt trails feels easier on my knees afterwards vs running on concrete. This is while wearing trail running shoes on trails and street running shoes on the concrete sidewalks. So you could try trail running.

Of course running on dirt trails is also how a couple of my friends got injured by tripping on roots, etc.

Another friend of mine ran straight into a parked box truck while biking and texting at the same time during a triathlon and broke his collar bone.

Listening to stories of injury also has made me a little scared of running too much and I'm not sure if I'm just being paranoid or if it's really that common for people running marathons, etc to become injured along the way. idk.

Yes, trail running would be great. But we don't have many trails here. There's a couple city parks with running trails (by which I mean running a gravel circuit around a park containing lawn and a few trees) but nothing close to me. And I am in a part of the country almost entirely devoid of public land available, let alone any natural beauty, state parks with running trails, or anything like that. There is a decent running trail on campus downtown, which I will definitely check out.

[jambongris]

Today 20 minutes Pilates with the video, plus arm excercises with 2 x 5 kg weight.
My knee is still painfull, even when walking the stairs. Therefore no running today.

Is there a physiotherapist nearby that could help you with a program to make running safer?

My DH got into running, injured his knee and had to stop running altogether. I sent him to my physiotherapist and she put him on a full running rehab program. Everything from loosening his hips, to improving his overall posture, to changing the way he steps when he walks.

He can now run comfortably again, but he's very, very careful.

I’ll second this.

I started running about 18 months ago. After a few months I developed an acute pain in my left knee. Best I can tell it was an IT band issue related to weak glutes. I dialed back my mileage and went all in on glute strengthening exercises. Luckily, it worked for me and now I take pre-hab much more seriously and I pay close attention to my body to stay ahead of any niggles.

If I could go back I would have seen a physiotherapist about the knee pain. I’ve done a lot of reading about running since then and there are a large number of things that can go wrong with running due to poor form or your own personal biomechanics. It seems like a lot of these issues can be addressed with targeted stretching and/or strengthening but you really need a good physiotherapist to identify the root cause of the issue and to prescribe specific exercises.

It’s also important to develop a longer term outlook. I was too focused on each run whereas I now take the view that any gains are more likely going to be the result of long term persistence and consistency. Pushing through injuries might allow you to make it out for your next run but it will likely come back to bite you in the long term.

[Linea_Norway]

Today I feel my stomach muscles from the pilates yesterday. So it worked. I tested my knee by walking the staircase and today I didn't feel it at all. So I will give running a try, despite the discouraging mix of rain and hard wind we have today. I run mostly on a gravel road as that is what we have available here. We do have some trails in a forest, but maybe they are more challenging with so little light. It is easy to stumble over a tree root. Been there, done that.

My knee is not yet bad enough for physiotherapist. I think I just overdid running a bit. I'll see if some days with rest have helped.

[Linea_Norway]

Despite the weather I got out of the door in training clothes. Walking on the driveway, my knee felt a bit sore still. So I decided to walk instead, briskwalking in uphills. About 5 km in total. This was not painful for my knee.