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I took up running back in my 30's. Blew out a knee. When it happened I thought for sure I could just "walk it off" and it would be better. I barely got home. The description of what they would do to fix it grossed me out so bad I said I'll just stop running. I've been off and on into fitness since, got fat and way out of shape, so I started biking 4 years ago and lost 50 pounds. I've kept it off, even though I don't bike nearly as much as I used to. I started doing a yoga CD my daughter got me, and liked that, although there's too much I feel isn't that beneficial, so I'm doing my own program. I had a couple months off, illness first, then vacation, then the crazy holiday season, but am now back at exercising. Some yoga and some exercise bands. If it ever warms up I'm going back to biking outside, I have 5 Christmas pounds I need to get rid of before my daughter's wedding in July.
I was pleasantly surprised to find I hadn't "lost" it ALL, I'm getting back up to speed fairly quickly. Now if I could just get my husband to do something, ANYTHING as far as exercise goes. I even said to him one evening as I was working out and he was sitting on the couch "If I keep doing this every day, I should still be able to do this when I'm 70!" He didn't get my point.
And if you're eating less, you have to be mindful of exercise volume because of the appetite it creates.
I don't find that exercise cause me to eat more than I need. Frankly, I have to worry much LESS about how much I eat, when I am doing a LOT of exercise.
Quote:
Originally Posted by borninsac
The calories you burn from running hard on the treadmill for 30 minutes can be eaten in about two minutes.
Anyone that has made fitness and health a part of their life, knows that, for sure.
Last edited by ChessieMom; 02-09-2017 at 07:04 PM..
I am absolutely sure of my numbers, which derive from many treadmills even at different gyms.
First, the point at which a walk becomes a jog depends partly on one's height (leg length). The longer the stride, the easier it is to walk at a given speed, as opposed to breaking into a jog to maintain that speed. I am somewhat taller than average and 4.7 is a very brisk walk for me. I do have to push myself somewhat to walk that fast.
You are exaggerating about the percentage of people who can do X speeds at certain ages, though I admit I nave no statistics on it. Keep in mind that 6.0 mph is exactly a ten-minute mile. That is pretty damn slow. Fairly small children such as sixth graders (ages 11 and 12) can normally do a mile faster than that. That doesn't mean all sixth graders, because after all some of them are completely sedentary nowdays except what they are forced to do at school, and some of them are overweight. When I was a kid in the 1950's almost all us were physically active; we rode our bikes, ran around the neighborhood, played badmiton, etc.
As for 25-year-olds, sadly, some of them have been sedentary throughout their childhoods, their high school years, their college years (whether they attended college or not), and on into their young adulthood. This is not normal in terms of our evolutionary biology and it is extremely unhealthy. So comparing myself to that totally unfit group (whatever percentage of 25-year-olds it represents) is totally meaningless.
Try googling something like "U.S. masters track records for the mile". I did that a few years ago and found the results mind-boggling. Not that us normal folks should expect to be anywhere close to those competetive athletes, but still, I can barely run twice as slow as the winners in my age group.
I am 5'7", and it's a challenge for me to maintain a 4.0 walk. I have walked as fast as 4.4, but 5.0 is absolutely a run, for me.
I'm 68...ride my bike every morning for 1/2 hour at a moderate pace interjected with sprints with it along the way..go to the gym every other day, doing 15 minutes on the treadmill followed by 20 minutes on the Nautilus machines..that's it for me..I should do more but probably never will..I also get email newsletters from this doctor that seem to be pretty practical..
the bike is non weight bearing and because of it i have to pedal like a madman to get my heart up high enough . that is what i did prior to running and there was little change in my blood work . i use the bike as a warm up . my legs would give up to early trying to maintain a pace on the bike that duplicates running.
running is very strenuous because we are quite inefficient at it . biking is a more natural motion for us .
ER, thank you for this post. About six years ago, I had trouble walking from the rear of my home to the front yard. When I attempted to walk from the local service station back home after dropping off my car, I barely made it. At that point, I decided it was time to do something.
I started a walking regimen that began with walking to the corner and back. I did that for three days and then extended the walk to the next corner for three days, etc. etc.
By the end of the Summer, I was walking for 30+ minutes daily and had dropped 15 pounds. I was so proud of myself that when we went to the beach for vacation I could keep up with other family members.
When I had some health issues, I stopped my daily walks and have the pounds/lack of energy to show for it. Your post has kicked me back into gear and once the snow and ice clear away, I plan to resume my previous regimen. At 81, I may not make it back to 30 minutes/day, but I plan to walk every day and get back some of what I lost during the hiatus. (Or better to say lose some of what I gained!)
I'm still recuperating from a bout of pneumonia that had me hospitalized for a week in January and that, combined with the snow that fell yesterday, is preventing me from beginning this minute but rest assured you have inspired me. Since it "takes eight weeks to make a habit", I expect to be entrenched in my daily walks by the end of April. And I'll owe it all to you.
ER, thank you for this post. About six years ago, I had trouble walking from the rear of my home to the front yard. When I attempted to walk from the local service station back home after dropping off my car, I barely made it. At that point, I decided it was time to do something.
I started a walking regimen that began with walking to the corner and back. I did that for three days and then extended the walk to the next corner for three days, etc. etc.
By the end of the Summer, I was walking for 30+ minutes daily and had dropped 15 pounds. I was so proud of myself that when we went to the beach for vacation I could keep up with other family members.
When I had some health issues, I stopped my daily walks and have the pounds/lack of energy to show for it. Your post has kicked me back into gear and once the snow and ice clear away, I plan to resume my previous regimen. At 81, I may not make it back to 30 minutes/day, but I plan to walk every day and get back some of what I lost during the hiatus. (Or better to say lose some of what I gained!)
I'm still recuperating from a bout of pneumonia that had me hospitalized for a week in January and that, combined with the snow that fell yesterday, is preventing me from beginning this minute but rest assured you have inspired me. Since it "takes eight weeks to make a habit", I expect to be entrenched in my daily walks by the end of April. And I'll owe it all to you.
Your story should be an inspriation to all those who, for whatever reason, are starting from a point of extreme debility. Yes, "walking to the corner and back" is the intelligent way to start if that's all you can do. The point is to make that beginning. Patience is the key, as illustrated by your two paragraphs which I bolded. Well done!
Six or seven years ago I had hernia surgery. The day after the surgery, that's how I started - walking to the corner and back, slowly! The following day, around the block. The next day, onto the treadmill. (Treadmills go slow as well as fast!) Each day, a tenth of a mile per hour faster, and a couple of minutes longer. The doctor had said no jogging for two weeks, so after two weeks I started cautious, slow jogging. I'm convinced this regimen speeded my healing greatly.
when i started out 15 years ago i got dizzy riding my bike a few blocks . i really thought something was wrong with me i was in such poor shape .
but over the years it became easier and easier as the workouts grew more intense at the gym . my wife and i eventually rode in the tour d' putnam every year . a grueling bike run up state ny that goes up to 100 miles in mountain terrain . .
we did a 70 mile mountain biking trip along the Delaware too . they were all loads of fun . considering i couldn't go more than a few blocks starting out , the effort working at it paid off .
tour d' putnam , in my big boy biking outfit .
delaware river trip
Last edited by mathjak107; 02-10-2017 at 08:10 AM..
absolutely true . but being diabetic i need the intense cardio to stay off meds . weight lifting and lighter cardio still had me on lipitor and blood pressure meds as well as needing some meds for the diabetes ..
so i use a balance of the intense cardio and weight lifting . as you see i have lost very little muscle mass and i will be 65 . my arms have not really lost much strength eiher . i still am within 15 pounds or so of what i did 15 years ago .
yes, your fitness is very impressive, esp given your age. if you don't mind, what is your lifting routine and what weights do you use?
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