Getting back in shape at 38 (cold, sore, yoga, advantage)

[Swamp_Yankee]

So I'm 38 (will be this year anyway) and probably haven't done any kind of "workout" in probably 15 years.* That said I am fairly active-even though I have an office job I try not to sit still for too long, always take the stairs, and my job requires me to be in a lot of different places.* On the weekends I do a lot of property maintenance, mowing, weedwhacking, blowing, cutting/moving firewood, etc...* Over the past couple of weeks I probably moved 15 tons of stone mostly by hand for my fire pit project.* I'm 5'9/205lbs.* That said I don't consider myself to be in very good shape.* In my opinion I get winded pretty easily.* As an example, this past spring I brought my daughter to softball practice.* When it came time for a water break we realized that she had left her water bottle in my truck, so I ran to the truck to grab it and then back to the field (about a 1/2 mile round trip, flat ground)-I felt like I was going to die after I handed it to her.* Likewise, this past fall I noticed how winded I got taking my climber up about 20'.* I don't smoke, don't drink alcohol excessively, and I don't feel that I eat all that poorly (lots of lean meat, fish, and veggies)-I don't really have a taste for sugar either.* All I drink besides beer is black coffee, unsweetened iced tea, and water.* *

I wrestled and played ice hockey in high school and kept up a workout routine through college and for a little while after that, but work (and a very long commute) and family took over for a long time.* I was pretty well conditioned back then, especially for short, explosive periods (ie: a 90 second shift on the ice or a three minute wrestling period) , but now my goals are more endurance based.* I'd like to be able to easily run a couple of miles, not that I expect to be able to without breaking a sweat or breathing hard, but I'd like it to not break*me.**I'd also just like to up my stamina/endurance so that I don't feel completely wiped (and very sore the next day) from doing chores all day around my property, or dragging a deer 150 yards.* So where do I concentrate-do I lay off the weights for now and double down on cardio?* Do I start with a combination of cardio and light weights/lots of reps?* *Finally, I just joined a gym withing walking distance of my office, so my intention is to get out three times a week for a hour.* I figure 1o*minutes to get there/get changed, 40 minute workout, 10 minutes for a quick shower/change and then back to work.**

[TXRunner]

I'm 5'9" and 40 years old. 205 lbs. is quite a bit of weight to carry around when you are out of shape. I'd recommend looking at your diet again. You might want to get into calorie counting just for a little bit to get down exactly where all this weight is coming from. Keep a journal, write down everything you eat and the calorie count. You might be surprised. It's hard to believe it mostly comes from lean meat, fish, and veggies. I'd recommend cutting out beer completely or keeping it only 2-3 beers one night a week. Keeping my calories 1800-2200 seems to work well for me, and I stay about 150 lbs.

As far as the exercise, it will not really be that important what exactly you are doing, but if you are able to stick to it consistently over an extended period of time, say 6-9 months. I love running myself, but as you get older, lifting weights does become more important. It strengthens your bones, protects against injury, and raises your metabolism to burn extra calories throughout the day.

Lights weights/high reps vs. heavy weight/low reps is not important. Muscle fatigue is what builds strong muscles, you can get it either way. I mainly stick to curls, push-ups, overhead presses (though some people do not recommend this), and pull-ups. For legs, I just stick to squats. I have one barbell with a couple of weights and can easily get a good workout at home.

Do workouts that you like. I'd minimize your running until you lose some weight and build up your leg muscles to withstand the pounding. Something that is very common, especially in former athletes, is going full throttle too early. You start seeing gains, and then get injured. A simple injury can easily set you out 4-6 weeks and you've lost all your gains. If you really want to run, start with 1/4 to 1/2 mile and then do your remaining cardio on an exercise bike or elliptical. Each week or so, add maybe 1/4 mile to what you are running, so somewhere around 8-10 weeks you are knocking out 2 miles.


I know I kind of rambled, but here are some key things...
You can't outrun your diet. Expect your workout to burn 300-500 calories, 3 regular beers essentially cancels the calorie deficit from a 3-4 mile run. Track your calories. Eating healthy food will make you feel better, but a calorie deficit is the bottom line to losing weight.

Strive for consistency. Anywhere from 3-5 days per week of working out is fine, as long as it's every week. A good rule of thumb I read one time is that it takes 2 weeks to get back to where you were when you take 1 week off. I've found this to loosely be true.

Avoid injury. Push your body when it's just being lazy, but if you feel exhaustion/fatigue, like a mild cold or flu, that's a weak immune system and your body telling you to rest. At the slightest hint of an injury to your muscles or joints, stop and rest. Do not push through or you may be out 4-6 weeks.

This is all I got. Good luck to you.

[mike1003]

Start by getting a physical, then find a health club with a trainer

[Chaminade]

Originally Posted by Swamp_Yankee

So where do I concentrate-do I lay off the weights for now and double down on cardio?* Do I start with a combination of cardio and light weights/lots of reps?*

You must do cardio the rest of your life.
Do you plan on lifting weights the rest of your life? Weights are important as people grow older however 99% of people under 30 who lift weights do so for vanity.
Do fun cardio things like basketball or cycling or tennis or hiking. Swimming laps is OK if you have a underwater MP3 player.
Don't plan on losing weight from just exercising: for every five calories you burn, you become six calories hungrier.
Unless you live in prohibitively bad weather, gyms are unnecessary and almost always a waste of money.
Having a shower at work REALLY makes exercising easy.

[LesLucid]

OP, I know you’re not that old but have you ever had a cardiac work up like echocardiogram or stress test? It might not be a bad idea.

[Luckyd609]

Baby steps. Walk before you run. Add in running little by little. Give your body a chance to adjust to exercising. The last thin you need to do is push yourself too hard, hate it and hate the way you feel and then quit.

[Chaminade]

And you don't have to work out forever. Once you get married, you can quit and watch TV.

[annabanana123]

Go slowly so you don’t get injured. I say this as someone who has had three knee surgeries from pushing it too far in my younger days...

I’m also approaching 40 and trying to get in better shape. I go to water aerobics and yoga which are both gentle on joints. May be worth looking into near you. Not sure if you’re male or not but I assure you there are people of all shapes and sizes in both of those classes that I take.

[Stephy0519]

I'm sorry, but why are people on here treating 38 like it's old? It's really not.

First off--no matter how long ago, you have an athletic background and you built that up in formative years. That means that somewhere inside of you, your body most likely remembers that.

You joined a gym--awesome. Three days a week to get there--I would recommend using those for weights. Your cardio, you can get in on a walk outside at night or early morning....focus on weights first. I do agree with a previous poster--it's about muscle fatigue. Play with the free weights and the machines and see what feels right for you. If you aren't sure where to start (and being an ex wrestler, I'm assuming you do) I'm betting your gym offers at least one free PT session...take advantage of it. Do not try to mimic other people that have clearly been lifting for a while...do what feels good for your body.

If you can get more than three days in-three days split on weights and 2 on cardio is a pretty good mix. There is a lot of debate between what is better cardio--HIIT or LISS. Honestly, it's whatever is right for YOU. Again...but in the time, listen to your body, and see what feels good. Pay attention to how sore you are on rest days (STRETCH..or a yoga class, great for body and mind) and make adjustments.

Lastly, yes diet....you may be eating the right stuff, but it really is calories in, calories out. While metabolisms can stall and change, once you find your "number" you will absolutely see changes.

If you don't want to focus on weights (although this will build you up overall) I would recommend finding a race training program online. Or, just start small--focus on getting a mile and a half of cardio in, with a mix of light jogging and walking...until again, moving up while listening to your body. TXRunner gave really good advice.

[tickyul]

Watch your diet, very carefully............try to stop overeating/binge-eating as much as possible.

A moderate amount of exercise is fine. But some people get locked into doing a ton of exercise, in-order to maintain a decent weight, while eating a subpar diet.