Thanks for the advice Stef - will go and sort physio out for my foot - ta

Thanks for the info Stef. Just wait to those guys start on at me next week back in the office.

You're a mind of useful information.

Thanks

Carol

Date an aerobics instructor? Masochist!

From what you say you are indeed doing enough exercise to meet the minimum requirements for maintaining your current weight and gaining all the health benefits you have probably read about!

You seem to be doing about 6 hours of moderate execise a week. And your diet seems OK, calorie-wise anyway! You should be aware that the exercise alone won't necessarily lose you any weight but it is vital to maintain any weight loss you achieve through diet and exercise combined. Walking is weight bearing so you are definitely getting some protection against osteporosis (always a worry after a hysterectonmy). You may even be reversing any existing osteopenia (the precursor to osteoporosis)!

If you can find the courage, the facility or a friend to go swimming with I would highly recommend it. It is a really good exercise for toning all muscles and is a good aerobic workout, if you do it for real and resist the temptaion to float elegantly from one end to the other!

Hope this was helpful! Stef

What would you recommend as a healthy amount of time to spend workign out in a week. I know we are talking quality work out here and not just going through the motions to get rid of the time.

I used to work out five mornings a week for about half an hour - usually to a Lorraine Kelly exercise video or a tae bo one. Then I would walk at lunch time. It took me an age to build up to this fitness level and I would like to get there again but I am very concious of how quickly I lost that level of fitness once I had reached it. (my dad was in hospital on theother side of the country for 4 months so all spare time was spent travelling to see him instead of working out)

Is half an hour 3 times a week a good way to start, think this would be a big effort to start off with - I'll need to do it gently and build it back up gradually to add in a fourth and then when I feel able the 5th. Do you rate any exercise videos above any others. I can't get to regular classes as hubby works shifts and I can't leave the kids on their own & the local sport centres only run creches during the day.

So many questions ??

Carol

A healthy amount of exercise per week?

Well the government and ACSM (the experts in America) say 30 mins on most days of the week. This amount will help prevent heart disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis, non-insulin dependent diabetes and even some forms of cancer. And of course it helps to weight loss and is considered vital to maintaining weight loss. This amount changes with each person, your age and how much exercise your body is used to on a daily level. Asking a nurse, shop assistant, traffic warden etc. to walk half an hour a day is a bit silly considering they must walk miles more (literally). The half hour a day is on top of the activity you do now!

It's great that you once did this amount of exercise. Don't feel down about having stopped. At least you know it is possible to do a healthy amount of exercise on a regular basis. Dare I say you may even have found yourself enjoying it?

I think you probably know your body best, so if you think that half an hour 3 times a week is a possible starting place for you then go for it. If you find it is a bit much drop to 2 (or 1) and work from there. Don't get discouraged when you find it's not as easy as you remember it. As you said we lose fitness very quickly when we reduce our activity levels.

As for recommending videos I'm afraid I'm not up with the current crop. I tend to buy videos for instructors (very expensive and no use to participants at all). Try asking here on 3fcuk. You will be getting expert opinions. If you do I will be taking notes as well for passing on to other clients!!!

Hope I answered your question, Stef.

Thanks Stef. Already decided I'll start it all off again this week with the walking - feel I need to build back up to the exercise videos. Definately couldn't do my Tae Bo tape at the moment - I'd be on oxygen before he'd finished the warm up.

Plan on getting up early tomorrow as long as it's not to icey going round my 2 mile circuit - nice & gently. Will build back up to the power walking as well.

Carol

How much exercise does it take to build a pound of muscle - just roughly nothing scientific needed here.

I know to lose a pound of fat you need to take in xx amount less of calories than your body uses. Is there a similar measurement for building up the old muscles.

Just curious.
Carol

Thanks for the advice, Stef.

I have decided to start lane swimming again when I can fit comfortably in to my Baywatch red cozzie - which is (I think) a size 16 - so I think I need to lose at least a couple of stone first.

Yes - dating a fitness instructor was masochistic, especially as he saw me as a convert to physical fitness.... lane swimming for an hour each morning, gym work, running, jogging, team sports.... yuck!

Carol,

My physiology bible is in my office. I'll grab it tomorrow and look up this info for you. I aaven't the faintest but I am certain that there will be an equation I can use.

Read you soon, Stef

Hi Stef

I wonder if you can help me. I have just come back from a very brisk hour and a quarter walk (with a dog who is on his knees begging for mercy) and I thought I would see how many calories I burned. So I went to FitDay.com and put in what I had done, guessing at 4mph and it said I had burned 254 cals. Then I thought, I wonder what a 2 and a half hour walk at 2mph burns up - it said 254 cals - again! No matter what way round I did it, if I did a 5 mile walk at any speed it burned 254 cals.

So why do doctors, articles, etc, etc, tell us to walk briskly for a minimum of 20 mins when we could be ambling happily along for 40 mins burning the same amount of calories?? Is there some other factor involved that makes it better for us?

Carol - I didn't go in today, had cancellation so I taught a Baggy-T aerobics class instead. I'll get the book tomorrow and do some sums for you.

Peachey - From memory a person weighing 10 stone walks off 240kcal/hr walking normally or 360 kcals/hr walking quickly. Obviously this increases if you weigh more (a bit). HOWEVER, as I have said before (in an earlier reply), and you have found out, speed is not a good measure of work done. You need to measure time spent walking and distance covered (known in the trade as the 'volume' of exercise). So double the time spent walking at half speed IS the same amount of work done. Same time spent walking at twice the speed covers more distance so MORE work is done.

1 mile covered in 1 hour = 1 unit of work
1 mile covered in 1/2 an hour = 2 units of work
1 mile covered in 2 hours = 1/2 a unit of work

I hope this makes sense. Sorry if I bored you. Stef.

Hi Steff,

As I Told you I am disabled but used to do a lot of swimming till my friend moved to Spain. I have just dragged my old trampoline (small one) out to try try bouncing till the weather improves again. I have no idea what to do but I was told that you only need to bounce and gravity does the rest. I havent the balance for running on the spot etc. Any suggestions please.
best wishes Vivienne
tizme2000