who goes to a gym (on a regular basis)?

[EuroTrotters]

Do you enjoy it or is it a chore?.

Our two youngest Daughters and Husbands are regulars. One is a serious trainer and nutritionist. He used to work for "Team Fury" (I am not sure wether I should have mentioned that !).

Okay, here is why I ask.

A few years back, I had a bad fall, broke my Calcaneus. So my days of long cycle trips and long walks came to an end. I am now overweight by about 17kg.

But my life is 110 mph. If I am not at work, we are touring or at our house in Spain. Trying to fit 3 x 1 hour sessions will be hard and just deciding wether to join a gym or not.

>?

Any suggestions and recommendations welcome

 

[AndyPK]

Not me………

(by the way, this is a photo of a friend………)

 

[Spriddler]

I'm 76, height 5' 7" and 10st 8lbs (BMI of 23) and been using an exercise bike for an hour or so first thing every morning for many years........to hold the conservatory door open for the dog.
(Absolutely true).

I used to have one of these in a new shed, briefly, until I needed the space for three more classic motorbikes.

 

[Figaro]

My wife keeps telling me just to eat less

 

[Figaro]

I've been using an exercise bike for an hour or so first thing every morning for many years........to hold the conservatory door open for the dog.
(Absolutely true).

I have a multi gym in the garage, gets used for hanging the dogs wet towels on

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[Silver-Fox]

Never seen the need as I have an active job as a carpenter.

Some do so as a social thing others are gym freaks.

 

[haganap]

I train anywhere between 11 and 18 hours per week depending where I am in my race cycle. I use the Gym mainly for swimming but also for running indoors when the weather is bad. I have my own pain cave indoors which includes some strength equipment, a computer trainer attached to my bike with Zwift access for more training.

I joined Total Fitness in Crewe but it's now closed down but I kept my membership as I go to Wrexham, Wigan, WIlmslow Chester and Manchester often so nip in and do a couple of miles in the pool as it's better than the public pool.

Its about making sure you can find the time to train, for me training is more important than work or anything else. Even after all the above, I'm still fat

 

[63720]

 

[Conal]

If you are only committing to three one hour sessions a week you will also need to look at your life style - can you fit walking into your daily life - making it functional rather than recreational will make it easier to keep it going.
As far as training goes the most important thing to remember is that diet is a far more effective way of losing weight than exercise. They can be combined, but be prepared to be committed. I exercise at least three hours most days but, unless I diet, I put weight on. Repetitive exercise is boring so, apart from the daily hour in the pool, and the walk there and back, and through the local woods, visual media is my friend. I don’t watch a lot of terrestrial TV but follow travel bloggers on You Tube and watch some series on BBC iPlayer, Netflix and Amazon.
My favourite machine is the exercise bike but the elliptical comes a close second. The treadmill is third with rowing last. I tend to stick to the same routine as it is too easy to put things off. I don’t race myself, I listen to my body, but I do keep records. It has taken me three months to reduce my average 25m length time (over 120 lengths) from 33 seconds to 31.You have to be patient.
The golden rule whilst exercising is high intensity, low resistance, especially as you get older.
I have been told that there is a more important rule to avoid injury - spend a third of the time warming up, a third on the actual exercise, and a third cooling down, but I can’t be bothered I just start off slowly and build up, spending only a few minutes cooling down.
Lastly, before taking up any exercise regimen, undertake serious stretching. For pointers You Tube is your friend and spending the first 12 weeks carrying out stretching exercises for your three hours a week will pay dividends.
Lastly, without making it too complicated, carbs before exercise, protein afterwards, but don’t reward yourself with exercise calories.
I am sure I am not telling you anything your serious trainer isn’t telling you but, as a 67 year old, I can confirm it works.

 

[Mixyblob]

My name is Jim, a different spelling but surely thats good enough.
I've got friends and family members that use a gym, in fact one of them owns one.
Surely that qualifies me and its got to make me fitter?

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[Landy Andy]

If you want to loose weight you need to alter what, and how you eat. And even more so what you drink.

I gym most work days even though I have an active job, and in the main enjoy it, especially once I get there.

Exercise can help you loose weight, but isn't the key to it. I’m now 6 stone lighter than I was, and a lot fitter and stronger.

 

[Tonks68]

I have a multi gym in the garage and also a smart bike trainer (Wattbike Atom) which I use to train using Zwift and ROUVY apps. Brilliant fun, extremely addictive and burns calories like no one’s business. Used to cycle outdoors and run but this is safer. 3 times a week allows me to eat and drink what I like.

 

[Lenny HB]

Did go to the gym for a couple of years found it very boring. Stopped after taking up dancing, started Jiving then went on to Lyndy Hop. I think I get more exercise dancing that I did at the gym. Don't have any weight problems can eat & drink what I like weight never varies by much more than a kilo or two..

 

[Rob Hammond]

Nope knackered after work.

 

[Mr-Snod]

Someone keeps spelling “ Gin “ Wrong .

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[Terry242]

I enjoyed sport in school and have trained ever since, I'm now 65. In the early years I loved the competition and the camaraderie. Now those two factors are the other way around!

At one stage when in my 40s I kept training diaries and one year I trained 370 odd times. I even took a leaf out of Daley Thompson's book and trained on Christmas days. Friends would say that I needed to get a life, I would respond that it was my life.

However, that took it's toll and now both hips and lower back are shot. A few weeks ago I had a new hip and I'm on the list for the other. Now I'm still in the gym 6 days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday - gym and the alternating days doing rehab in the pool!

For someone considering starting, I always recommend going to a gym but make sure that it's local - if it's not convenient it will always be a chore and you'll soon loose interest.
If you want to train at home, think about getting a set of bands, these are cheap, very effective and there's loads of demo's on YouTube. A spin bike is brilliant for both ease of use and great work outs but can be quite an expensive gamble for newbies (there's great re-sale value in the good ones partly because of the waiting list to buy new).

Ultimately, you are what you eat, so smaller portions and a little more exercise than you currently do. You'll soon drop a few kgs.

Terry

 

[carolyn]

I go to the gym 5 or 6 times a week. I do classes, my normal is a mix of aerobic stuff like step, legs bums & tums, body combat, mixed in with strength stuff like bodypump and body conditioning. Since having my blasted frozen shoulder I’ve had to replace a few with spin classes which I hate but having worked so hard to get fit I’m determined not to lose it.

If you want to do it you’ll find the time but if you’re not really committed I’m sure you’ll soon find yourself “too busy”.

 

[Colino]

 

[stevewagner]

Went to the gym once and couldn’t open the door

 

[mitzimad]

i go regular about once every ten years

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[lorger]

We join the gym in the winter due to weather as in summer we’re outside more. I enjoy it and sometimes think the hardest part is getting there as once there I’m fine . As my marathon running days look to be over (new hip) I’m trying to get into cycling so have been using the wattbike at the gym, also do some kettle bell work. I try to do stuff that I can continue at home in the summer.

All I would say is plan what you’re going to do and go and do it, if you go with no plan you’ll just plutter about. You don’t need to go for an hour if you do a HIIT session.

 

[Parrot Face]

I've been going to the gym regularly for over 20 year. I still go but as i'm approaching 70 i seem to be doing less in the gym so I've started doing the pilates classes twice a week, a swim and a sauna.. The main thing i do now is walking football. Been doing that for nearly 3 years and love it. We use the facilities at Wigan Athletic Academy. Facilities are second to non, latest 5g astro surface, showers and tearoom. Its a faster game than you would expect and a great workout . Social side is also great with over 70 members all of vary abilities. Age group mainly 60-70 but youngest 52 oldest about 83. With regards to loosing weight the gym and diet will help but I find that the thing that might stop us all from loosing weight is the booze.

 

[Jon B]

My Wife does loads of training - Triathlons being her sport of choice and she really enjoys keeping fit.....

So we decided to utilise our underused garden extension as an indoor gym a couple of years back.

I use the Nordictrack treadmill all the time - sometimes the Wattbike Atom, which is a great bit of kit and we are currently storing our Daughters Peloton bike for her too - but never use that

Gear is expensive to start off with, but no Gym fees to put up with and only a Zwift subscription to pay...... I know I'd never get round to finding time to get to the Gym regularly, but have no excuse to not use our stuff at home. Keeping fit has gone from being a real chore to an enjoyable part of the day



I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic just before my 50th birthday with the Doc saying it was pretty inevitable that I would become fully diabetic within 3 to 5 years unless I made some changes - sedentiary lifestyle & job coupled with smoking and too many carbs in the diet.

At just under 60, I'm now almost back to the normal levels vs the diabetes scoring (get tested once a year). Am 2 1/2 stone lighter than I was at 50, blood pressure now around 122/ 80 vs 135/95 (as it was), haven't smoked for 9 years and drink about a third of what I used to. The savings from smoking alone account for approx £22k over 9 years so hence I really don't mind spending some of the money saved on good equipment to help keep fit (not that the equipment cost anywhere near 22K though, no idea where the balance went? ).

 

[Odd-no-more]

I joined a gym when I retired as I knew I needed to move more, it was all going well and I went 3 times a week, then the pandemic came along and the gyms closed. I bought some secondhand equipment from Facebay and carried on at home, but then I wrecked my arm and had to stop. I'm just getting back into it but it is amazing how fast it goes away, I used to do 30 minuets on the rowing machine and then 30 minuets on the spin bike followed by some weight training, now I'm doing 10 minuets on each and too knackered to touch the weights. I hope to get a bit fitter by the summer.

 

[simsy56]

I keep myself in shape, (round is a shape by definition), I have a nice walk daily, maybe 2 miles, and friday's I swim 70 lengths, non stop, in under an hour at our local pool, (64 is a mile). The only time I have been 'slim' is when I have been seriously ill in hospital or ICU.

If I strip off and get aroused, I look like the letter Q.

Craig

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[TM59]

Trying to fit 3 x 1 hour sessions will be hard and just deciding wether to join a gym or not.

Heard this so many times in respect of various activities including gym. It’s called an excuse. If you really want to do something no matter how busy your day/week is you will always find time. Remember your health is your wealth.

 

[bobnick]

What's a Gym

 

[Trevor Wbm]

Do you enjoy it or is it a chore?.

Our two youngest Daughters and Husbands are regulars. One is a serious trainer and nutritionist. He used to work for "Team Fury" (I am not sure wether I should have mentioned that !).

Okay, here is why I ask.

A few years back, I had a bad fall, broke my Calcaneus. So my days of long cycle trips and long walks came to an end. I am now overweight by about 17kg.

But my life is 110 mph. If I am not at work, we are touring or at our house in Spain. Trying to fit 3 x 1 hour sessions will be hard and just deciding wether to join a gym or not.

>?

Any suggestions and recommendations welcome

I should be about 13 stone according to my Doctor. Yeah, right, I was when I was 21. I'm happy enough at 15st 7lb, but would like to be 15st. I got to 17st 9lb before I decided to so something about it, around 4 years ago. Got down to 15st 4lb and stuck there two years ago, back up to 15st 10lb after three weeks in France last summer and a passably passable Christmas. Now back to 15st 6lb, determined to make the 15st this year. I cannot abide gyms and won't go. I get my exercise via DIY and volunteer manual work.

I've said before on here that the trick to losing weight (assuming you haven't got any genuine medical reasons that mean you retain it) is to consume less calories than you use. That is all. I takes a bit of fortitude in the early days but then becomes routine. Either consume less calories or burn off more, ideally both and don't set daft targets for yourself - losing a pound a week will do it.

I use the MyFitnessPal to count the calories and that soon educates you as to what you can fill up on and what will do you no good. I've done things like swapping the first two cans of beer (250 calories each roughly) for two glasses of blackcurrent cordial (about 5 calories each) - that way psychologically I've got the habitual glass to my right of an evening, but I'm consuming nearly 15000 less calories a month. (There'a another debate to be had about what's a sensible amount of beer to drink regularly - I don't do terribly well in that one).

No need to avoid carbs or drink disgusting green stuff, just learn how many calories are in what you're eatin, let the App tell you what a sensible amount is and try to achieve it.

 

[bobnick]

I would be the ideal weight if i was 6ft 10"

 

[The Old Man]

Almost every day when at home.

Mostly to the wet area and swimming.

I go at 6:30am when it opens.

Exercise in the pool, swimming and running for an hour. Shower and recover, 30 minutes, so 90 minutes max.

I don't do a lot but it keeps my mobile and holds my weight, also saves on hot water as I don't need to shower at home.

The hour in the pool gives me time to organise my thoughtsand prepare for the day, time well spent.

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