Stamina, strength and flexibility
March 13, 2023 6:22 AM
I'm looking to overhaul my (at best sporadic and at worst non-existent) fitness routine to focus on these three things - stamina/endurance, strength and flexibility. I have a non-continuous hour to give this (maybe two 30 min chunks?). I walk about 8-10k steps a day so I'm not completely sedentary, but I've had real trouble building a routine I'll maintain. A few additional details/queries below the jump.
I'm hoping for an online series that progressively builds but without the time commitment going up. Home workouts are a must - I have a yoga mat, some basic weights and resistance bands, and a rowing machine. Something (or things) that uses all three would be great.
Suggestions for ancillary changes (sleep? Mindfulness?) that would make this easier/better, again without adding a lot more time, would be much appreciated as well.
Finally, is there a habit tracking app that makes this process at least somewhat rewarding/fun?
Help, Hivemind! Thank you.
I'm hoping for an online series that progressively builds but without the time commitment going up. Home workouts are a must - I have a yoga mat, some basic weights and resistance bands, and a rowing machine. Something (or things) that uses all three would be great.
Suggestions for ancillary changes (sleep? Mindfulness?) that would make this easier/better, again without adding a lot more time, would be much appreciated as well.
Finally, is there a habit tracking app that makes this process at least somewhat rewarding/fun?
Help, Hivemind! Thank you.
Not a primary suggestion but as an addon, when walking go as brisk as possible for a few segments. Like for 2-3 blocks. Kind of a poor mans high intensity routine. Stamina is a long term change so regularly adding a bit of intensity should be significant over time.
posted by sammyo at 7:08 AM on March 13, 2023
posted by sammyo at 7:08 AM on March 13, 2023
I routinely recommend FitnessBlender.com for online workout videos and programs that you can do from home. They have a huge variety of workout types and lengths and levels. A quick search shows they have 641 videos under 30 minutes. A lot is free on their site, but if you are a member of FBPlus, all their 2-, 4- and 8-week challenges and programs are included. There's a good stats tracking and dashboard to track your progress, and a very nice community board as well.
posted by sk932 at 7:28 AM on March 13, 2023
posted by sk932 at 7:28 AM on March 13, 2023
You may find that stamina and strength are in opposition to flexibility - I had a previous workout regime that maximised for both stamina and strength but I found my flexibility suffering and injuries creeping in. I scaled back the strength work in particular and focussed instead on yoga and swimming. Whatever you do, technique is paramount. You won't get flexible if you don't use your whole body properly, as muscles work in pairs. Think about your body - do you tend to get injuries? Learn what physical therapists recommend for those injuries, and work to strengthen those. Walking is really one of the best exercises there is - your shoes will tell you if you walk with the weight unevenly - work on fixing an even footbed first of all, your knees and hips will thank you!
posted by london explorer girl at 7:42 AM on March 13, 2023
posted by london explorer girl at 7:42 AM on March 13, 2023
This seems like yoga. You can find lots and lots of progressive series' online. I started with Yoga with Tim (free starter series on YouTube, each class is approx 30 minutes in the series I started with) and now subscribe to Do Yoga With Me. They also have a number of progressive series', but you can also sort by duration and intensity.
posted by latkes at 8:39 AM on March 13, 2023
posted by latkes at 8:39 AM on March 13, 2023
stamina/endurance, strength and flexibility
This is pretty vague, so the responses you get will be all over the place. Strength to do what? I encourage you to think in focused, practical terms so that you can articulate goals to achieve and track them. Then you'll be able to measure whether or not you're achieving those goals. Examples: Strong enough to do 5 unassisted pull-ups 6 months from now. Enough endurance to ride a bike to work 10 miles away 3x/week.
Highly recommend paying a personal trainer for one session. A trainer can help you articulate goals and design a program to achieve them. A trainer can also teach you the basics of how to formulate a workout so that, even if you need to switch up the routine, you can always know that you're still headed in the right direction to achieve your goals.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 9:30 AM on March 13, 2023
This is pretty vague, so the responses you get will be all over the place. Strength to do what? I encourage you to think in focused, practical terms so that you can articulate goals to achieve and track them. Then you'll be able to measure whether or not you're achieving those goals. Examples: Strong enough to do 5 unassisted pull-ups 6 months from now. Enough endurance to ride a bike to work 10 miles away 3x/week.
Highly recommend paying a personal trainer for one session. A trainer can help you articulate goals and design a program to achieve them. A trainer can also teach you the basics of how to formulate a workout so that, even if you need to switch up the routine, you can always know that you're still headed in the right direction to achieve your goals.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 9:30 AM on March 13, 2023
If you are willing to shell out some money for an annual subscription, Beachbody is right up your alley. There are a ton of different programs ranging from beginner to expert and many are in 30 minute chunks. I particularly enjoyed LIIFT4 and Muscle Burns Fat.
posted by tafetta, darling! at 11:36 AM on March 13, 2023
posted by tafetta, darling! at 11:36 AM on March 13, 2023
I learned about GMB Fitness from someone here and have been very pleased with the combination of strength + flexibility. If you sign up for their email list, you'll at least one example workout. For strength, I use Juice and Toya. They have an app, but the free videos give you a good sense of what it offers.
posted by lab.beetle at 6:23 PM on March 13, 2023
posted by lab.beetle at 6:23 PM on March 13, 2023
In my experience, the easiest way to get this is to hire a fitness coach. They'll do the planning for you.
If you don't want to do that, you have to assess your current fitness level, find something that starts at your level and hits your goals (probably a different thing for each of your goals), and cobble together a plan that works with your schedule.
For a concrete suggestion, I really really like the old PS/XBox/Wii/PC program Yourself!Fitness. You could choose your goal, equipment, and available time, it performed a fitness assessment at the beginning and after every X workouts, and then prepared a new custom workout each time. I loved that thing. I fully credit it with getting me from being a life-long couch-potato to the best shape of my life 10 years ago. You can still get it, erm, on the high seas yarrrr, if not elsewhere.
posted by gakiko at 2:00 AM on March 15, 2023
If you don't want to do that, you have to assess your current fitness level, find something that starts at your level and hits your goals (probably a different thing for each of your goals), and cobble together a plan that works with your schedule.
For a concrete suggestion, I really really like the old PS/XBox/Wii/PC program Yourself!Fitness. You could choose your goal, equipment, and available time, it performed a fitness assessment at the beginning and after every X workouts, and then prepared a new custom workout each time. I loved that thing. I fully credit it with getting me from being a life-long couch-potato to the best shape of my life 10 years ago. You can still get it, erm, on the high seas yarrrr, if not elsewhere.
posted by gakiko at 2:00 AM on March 15, 2023
It's cliché, but for the new year (after a few years of body blobbing after injury/surgery/recovery) I started an overhaul, too.
Background: I used to run at least 30 miles per week, but in 2018 I had a medical setback that led to an operation that I've recovered from but left me weak, unbalanced, and feeling gross, unprepared, incapable. Overweight. Too easy to drink, eat, and stay in bed. I know how much better I feel when I have movement built into my day, but everything I've tried to pick up has felt so strenuous that I feel out of my league and I can't build a routine.
As a motivational gift to self, I wanted to gain confidence and comfort with my balance and flexibility again so I could start C25K again this year as my path back into running. At the suggestion of my doctor, I paid for this three week yoga-based back care "challenge." Speaking as a 40 something who's never done a bit of yoga in my life, the process and outcome was... pretty amazing. I don't want to sound like a buffoon but after the very first session I felt a little bit like I was 'back in my body.' I walked to get groceries and had spring in my step. I kept moving my arms and torso around. I wanted to run. I hadn't felt that kind of comfort (maybe even joy) in my body in, I don't know, almost four years?
So I stuck with it! I did the daily challenge because it was easy to commit to—no more than 15-10 minutes each day, plenty of reaching for goals but only using bodyweight for tension kept everything feeling within my capabilities, a (pre-recorded) q&a afterward that isn't necessary but often addressed questions I had or brought up questions I didn't know I had. I was so pleased with the experience that I followed it up with their hip mobility challenge, and am currently in their 'science of stretching' program. It's given me a really good foundation in the things you mention (the program(s) each emphasize that they're about building strength, balance, and flexibility.
Proof is in the pudding, personally. I've restarted C25K and it feels wonderful. I wish I'd done this sooner. I imagine any bite-sized yoga/pilates-type program will give you what you're looking for if you find a teacher whose courses you vibe with.
And FYI I use Google sheets to track my exercise. It's not a habit tracker app, but I learned long ago that pushing a "task completed" button doesn't give me the dopamine reward that I suppose helps some people build good habits. No, I feel good entering information into a spreadhseet. I get that dopamine from looking at a well-structured set of tables that I can do stuff with (e.g. for my runs I love having a little sparkline showing the trend of increasing distance over time... that little trendline is my cup of tea!).
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 2:51 AM on March 15, 2023
Background: I used to run at least 30 miles per week, but in 2018 I had a medical setback that led to an operation that I've recovered from but left me weak, unbalanced, and feeling gross, unprepared, incapable. Overweight. Too easy to drink, eat, and stay in bed. I know how much better I feel when I have movement built into my day, but everything I've tried to pick up has felt so strenuous that I feel out of my league and I can't build a routine.
As a motivational gift to self, I wanted to gain confidence and comfort with my balance and flexibility again so I could start C25K again this year as my path back into running. At the suggestion of my doctor, I paid for this three week yoga-based back care "challenge." Speaking as a 40 something who's never done a bit of yoga in my life, the process and outcome was... pretty amazing. I don't want to sound like a buffoon but after the very first session I felt a little bit like I was 'back in my body.' I walked to get groceries and had spring in my step. I kept moving my arms and torso around. I wanted to run. I hadn't felt that kind of comfort (maybe even joy) in my body in, I don't know, almost four years?
So I stuck with it! I did the daily challenge because it was easy to commit to—no more than 15-10 minutes each day, plenty of reaching for goals but only using bodyweight for tension kept everything feeling within my capabilities, a (pre-recorded) q&a afterward that isn't necessary but often addressed questions I had or brought up questions I didn't know I had. I was so pleased with the experience that I followed it up with their hip mobility challenge, and am currently in their 'science of stretching' program. It's given me a really good foundation in the things you mention (the program(s) each emphasize that they're about building strength, balance, and flexibility.
Proof is in the pudding, personally. I've restarted C25K and it feels wonderful. I wish I'd done this sooner. I imagine any bite-sized yoga/pilates-type program will give you what you're looking for if you find a teacher whose courses you vibe with.
And FYI I use Google sheets to track my exercise. It's not a habit tracker app, but I learned long ago that pushing a "task completed" button doesn't give me the dopamine reward that I suppose helps some people build good habits. No, I feel good entering information into a spreadhseet. I get that dopamine from looking at a well-structured set of tables that I can do stuff with (e.g. for my runs I love having a little sparkline showing the trend of increasing distance over time... that little trendline is my cup of tea!).
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 2:51 AM on March 15, 2023
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For body weight exercises, I suggest DAREBEE which has hundreds of free, follow-along-workouts that can be tailored depending upon your level of fitness (click the Videos tab to see them all).
For tracking, I use an Apple Watch (which gives awards, sets challenges), Concept2's log program, and Google sheets.
posted by skye.dancer at 7:05 AM on March 13, 2023