Getting fitness back

[Bill Gates]

What sort of exercises are you doing?

 

[lane]

Try your local Cycling UK group

Good idea. Our group fund some short slow rides ones a month on a Tuesday.

 

[lane]

Making a decision to get fit after a setback is a first step and then to go to the gym in a state of unfitness takes courage. Declaring your intentions on an internet forum shows you are prepared to carry out your fitness program to get fit and then to maintain that fitness. No one can ever say that they have cracked this fitness thing. It’s something you have to keep going but the rewards are great.

Congratulations on starting, now you must keep it up.

I’m 70 and over the years I’ve suffered setbacks from injury and illness and getting back in shape is always tough. If you’ve been fit and strong in the past then you have an advantage from muscle memory and the ability to push yourself. The key to progress is adequate recovery at our age. I’ve found that a slow progress is better than doing too much too quickly, after all you’ve got the rest of your life.

You sound experienced and therefore should know what sort of routine to do. For me I follow the principle that high intensity intervals will get you fitter in less time. Twice weekly I do Tabata training, which is flat out sprinting on the spot for 20 seconds and 10 seconds rest x 8. Initially you might be only able to do 1 or 2, which is OK. Warming up and warming down is a must as is stretching. I follow this with lifting weights, pull ups and core strength exercises. This done at least twice a week and mostly 3 times a week. Lifting weights at our age you should allow a 2 day interval before repeating. Maybe one day interval is OK but I never do weights consecutive days.

Personally if I was (or indeed when I have been) getting back after illness / layoff I would not go straight for flat out sprinting or intervals, because even allowing for adequate recovery, would risk further injury / illness. Build up slowly start just getting used to getting the legs turning. Progress to short tempo intervals and go from there.

 

[Bill Gates]

Personally if I was (or indeed when I have been) getting back after illness / layoff I would not go straight for flat out sprinting or intervals, because even allowing for adequate recovery, would risk further injury / illness. Build up slowly start just getting used to getting the legs turning. Progress to short tempo intervals and go from there.

A couple of sprints opens the lungs and gets the heart rate up. Exercising at 50% will get you 50% fit. It depends how serious you are about getting fit. I've had 2 heart attacks from stress, last one 12 years ago, and take no meds, apart from 75 mg aspirin. The hard truth is that a low carb diet and exercise is the best way for feeling great and energetic.

 

[Milkfloat]

Why not just ride your bike?

 

[Rusty Nails]

What sort of exercises are you doing?

Some cycling and step machine stuff to warm up. I have knee problems so plan to use the various weight machines to build up leg muscles that support knee stability. Upper body stuff will just involve a bit of light lifting. I am more interested in stamina than bulk.

HIIT sounds quite interesting as a long term plan.

As you can tell I am not a keep-fit expert.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Why not just ride your bike?

If it were only that simple I would be riding and not have started this thread.

 

[tom73]

Some ways you’ve already shown you want to get fit. Joining a gym near you so come what is a great start. It means routine , gets you out and around other people even though you don’t know them it will help with confidence. All from place to get fit in ways you find able to do.

If you feel like a ride go round the block or to the gym. I’d not go out your way in really bad weather. Yes it will mean you really want to get on the bike. But it’s not going to be any real fun.

Any exercise is better than nothing mix stuff up a bit. Your fitness will improve and quicker then you think. Remember it did not go in one go so want come back in one either.

Go steady , build slowly , set little goals , look at it as investing in the next ride. Your next chapter in your cycling story.

Above all enjoy it.

 

[vickster]

Some cycling and step machine stuff to warm up. I have knee problems so plan to use the various weight machines to build up leg muscles that support knee stability. Upper body stuff will just involve a bit of light lifting. I am more interested in stamina than bulk.

HIIT sounds quite interesting as a long term plan.

As you can tell I am not a keep-fit expert.

If you have good range of movement in the knee, give intervals on the rower a go, soon helps with fitness! If you've not used one begore, get one of the gym trainers to watch you're using it right (just don't ramp the resistance up high, no point).
I've started doing 500m/1min rest four times flat out. For me, the aim is to get flexion back into my arthritic knee so I can clip in again

 

[Deleted member 1258]

If it were only that simple I would be riding and not have started this thread.

Its all I do, I just ride my bike.

 

[Bill Gates]

Some cycling and step machine stuff to warm up. I have knee problems so plan to use the various weight machines to build up leg muscles that support knee stability. Upper body stuff will just involve a bit of light lifting. I am more interested in stamina than bulk.

HIIT sounds quite interesting as a long term plan.

As you can tell I am not a keep-fit expert.

Been there, T shirt etc. I have 2 arthritic knees and both need replacements. Climbing stairs is painful (fortunately I live in a bungalow) and if I sit in a cramped position for too long I have to stretch my legs out to ease the pain. Consultant says he will operate when I say the word. It has stopped me riding my bike but not keeping fit. Hopefully your gym has an instructor because lifting free weights is the way to go. Getting strong muscles doesn't bulk you up and is vital to prevent osteoporosis. There are various dumb bell exercises that should do the trick for the upper body but due to my dodgy knees my only leg exercises are basic half squats with no weights. Stamina is improved substantially by HIIT.

 

[Bill Gates]

Re Tabata training. This clip has had 14.8 million views. Good way to time the intervals while you are focusing on the exercise. I have a digital clock that beeps out the intervals.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4ziWoCuf5g

 

[vickster]

Some cycling and step machine stuff to warm up. I have knee problems so plan to use the various weight machines to build up leg muscles that support knee stability. Upper body stuff will just involve a bit of light lifting. I am more interested in stamina than bulk.

HIIT sounds quite interesting as a long term plan.

As you can tell I am not a keep-fit expert.

Have you seen a physio about your knees? Got a diagnosis? Some exercises like lunges and squats can be very hard on knees especially if the issue is around the kneecap joint

 

[Rusty Nails]

Have you seen a physio about your knees? Got a diagnosis? Some exercises like lunges and squats can be very hard on knees especially if the issue is around the kneecap joint

I have seen a physio and had X-rays. Some arthritis but have been told my knees are not bad "for my age", especially after the injuries I have had in the past few years e.g. torn ligaments in my left knee a few years ago and I had to have an operation to re-attach my right leg quadricep tendon following a fall two years ago, which involved drilling holes in the kneecap.

I will be following the exercises recommended by the physio.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Cycling uses certain muscles, and in ways, which are pretty specific. Running uses a whole different set, in a different way, doing gym stuff, uses different muscles again, and in different ways ( again ). There are some ‘common’ muscle groups that are used in all sorts of exercise, but it will be the cycling specific ones that will take time to re condition, the best way to do it, is to get back on a real bike, on a real course ( be it on or off road). I’ve just got back in my bike after 2 weeks, because I injured myself running. It felt like I’d been off the bike for a lot longer than 2 weeks. Just persevere, and you’ll soon be back in the swing of it.