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Patrick's Pledge to Participate in Sport

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    Patrick's Pledge to Participate in Sport

    A couple of weeks ago I went to the doctor and was surprised how much weight I'd gained. I decided I need to exercise more. (Not hard given my current level is zero.)

    I mentioned this on Facebook and asked for suggestions with the promise I'd be open to anything. So far I've had the following offers:

    Touch rugby ("We always need more boys") - unfortunately it was the last game of the season that week but come September I'm going to go.

    5 a side football - I've been added to a WhatsApp group for ad hoc games but there weren't enough takers last week.

    Running / Park Run - another WhatsApp group, but last week I couldn't go.

    Swimming at 7am every morning - I plan to go tomorrow.

    Squash with a friend (who was nominated by her partner).

    Open water swimming in the Taff. This was serious but I don't have a wetsuit. Or a desire to catch Weil's Disease.

    I will keep you all updated with progress. I'm hoping a public commitment (on here) will mean I get my lazy arse moving and actually do some of this.

    #2
    If your current exercise level is genuinely next to nothing, then touch Rugby, 5-a-side Football and Squash are going to leave you gasping for air extremely quickly when you first try them. Like within five minutes of getting underway. This is not likely exhaustion, but rather lack of stamina. If you can persevere, then three months down the line you'll be able to last these games at the same level as your peers, and will look back on your first outings with wonder at how quickly your fitness has returned.

    However there are less cliff-edge ways to build stamina back up than pitching yourself, sink or swim, into competitive sport (even if it is very friendly competitive). If you are the sort of self-motivated person who can stick pushing yourself when running, then park runs and swimming sound ideal. As individual endeavours, they are much more easier to set your own pace for. Once you have a base level of stamina in place then diversify to the team games or racquet sports, ones where there is a score (taken however lightly), to maintain interest.

    Or that is how I would approach a similar situation. It is most definitely not expert advice!
    Last edited by Janik; 17-07-2017, 23:14.

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      #3
      Thanks Janik. Good advice.

      Patrick's Public Pledge to Participate in Sport: First Report

      Sport: Swimming
      Venue: Local Leisure Centre that used to be Council but is now run by a national co-op Big Society thing
      Cost: £4.15 plus £1 refundable locker deposit
      Equipment: swim shorts and towel
      Time: first thing in the morning, before work
      Achievement: Swam 14 lengths in the slow lane. I wasn't the slowest.
      Ability: Poor. It took ages for me to get my arms and legs synced up. I reckon it is over a decade since I last went swimming in a proper pool. When I stopped worrying about my stroke, I seemed to find a rhythm.
      Exercise level: pulse up, heart rate up, sweaty. My legs felt very heavy afterwards in the changing room.
      Duration: Probably spent about half an hour actually in the pool. I didn't see the (very large) clock when I first got in so I'm not sure when I started.
      Post-exercise mood: Feel alright and a bit less stressed/grumpy than yesterday so some endorphins probably kicked in.
      Social aspect: The loneliness of the long distance swimmer... said hello to a couple of people, and chatted to my mate who invited me in the locker room afterwards while getting changed. He encouraged me that I would improve if I went more often (and that I would "get the bug").
      Repeatability: My friend goes every morning, but then he is over 60 and it's free for him. I will probably try and go again next week. At some point I need to decide whether to take out a membership and make this something I do more often. I got to the pool just after 7, was heading to work just after 8 and so was in earlier than normal. Traffic was much lighter than during my usual commute time and the pool is practically next to my work space so I had already done the tough bit of crossing the city.

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        #4
        I should add that after this morning, it will be a long time before I try open water swimming.

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          #5
          I keep meaning to start swimming, given that the swimming pool's only 600 metres from my house, and also in a pool it's much easier to look like you're taking a breather between lengths instead of dying from unfitness. However, I've never actually been, partly because of my innate fear of doing things wrong (I haven't been swimming since I was about 13, they've probably changed it all, and you're not allowed to walk through the footbaths or something), but mainly because I've always said "Stop smoking first, then start getting fit." Given that the former looks likely never to happen, I probably should start doing the latter.

          Tell you what, if you keep up going regularly for a month, then I promise to give it a go.

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            #6
            If weight loss is the goal, I'd recommend walking, but it takes a lot of it. There are contrasting views on this but based purely on my own experience, when I did a sustained walking regime (initiated by a pedometer challenge at work, and documented on Runner's Screed in World) the weight fell off - I lost three stone in less than a year. This was backed up by a general 'living healthier' approach, with relatively minor tweaks to my diet, and more importantly a noticeable drop in alcohol intake. There is a theory that (particularly long and steady) walking is more efficient at burning fat than more intensive forms of exercise, and that because it's gentler on the system you don't over compensate by upping your food intake. To put it another way, if your one exercise burst each week is a parkrun, you'll use 300 or so calories and then there's a danger that you'll celebrate with a bacon sarnie or hot chocolate and negate the benefit.

            Walking takes a lot of time though, that's the problem.

            I've moved on to running (again, documented at length in World), and I couldn't have done that without the weight loss that I got from walking, but even though I'm doing a lot of miles, my weight has plateaued, and even crept back up a bit, firstly I'd like to think because I've put a bit of muscle on around the legs, but also because I'm always f'ing starving and eat whatever I want (which tends to be a lot of quick carb fixes and snacks).

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              #7
              OK Pebble, you're on.

              Walt, I'm also reasserting a closer control on carbohydrates. I'm trying to build in some extra walking every day, mainly by trying to park off campus instead of the big multi storey. (Cheaper too) I managed to do that today along with the swim so that's 20-25 minutes of walking at least.

              I've been told so many conflicting things about exercise, including the exact opposite of what you've said i.e. it's better to do a very intense bout of exercise a couple of days a week. I have a feeling that like a lot of things just doing something is a start.

              If I do swimming once a week and maybe running one evening then I will be doing a lot more than I was previously.

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                #8
                I've lost sixteen kilos with WFD's scheme: cut out the beer and walk 20kms per day. Takes loads and loads of time, but it sure did pay off.

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                  #9
                  Cycling?

                  Or is where you live not really conducive to riding a bike?

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                    #10
                    It's pretty flat in the city. I'm not a confident cyclist though.

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                      #11
                      Walking is great and actually pleasant too. But 20k a day Wouter? That's practically a half marathon.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Sits View Post
                        Walking is great and actually pleasant too. But 20k a day Wouter? That's practically a half marathon.
                        Yeah, I used to live 10km from my work, and at some point I just started walking back and forth. It took me a while to ramp up to this. The first week went differently:
                        Monday: walk 10km to work, take the bus back.
                        Tuesday: blisters. Take car.
                        Wednesday: walk 10km to work, take the bus back.
                        Thursday: blisters. Take car.
                        Friday: screw this! Take car.

                        At some point the blisters went away, then the distance stopped seeming so daunting, then I started walking every morning, then added in some afternoons. My weekly record now stands at 144km, which I'm unlikely to break any time soon purely by lack of time.

                        I started doing this after coming back from a month-long holiday, where I didn't do anything special but just walked around the place a lot. When I came home, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had somehow lost four kilos. That weight loss was all the motivation I needed.

                        It takes loads of time, but I could see the kilos flying off, and that keeps me going.

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by Patrick Thistle View Post
                          I have a feeling that like a lot of things just doing something is a start.
                          That's the first hurdle, just doing something, and the second is to keep doing it. I did nowt for 42 years (I'm 45 now), so walking was an ideal entry level for me, and at 14 stone plus I was in no shape to do any intensive type of exercise (or nominally 'competitive' sports), but getting the weight down to 11 stone (and less than 11 when I'd completed the second of the two long distance walks I'd trained for) opened up running as a possibility for me. I could have started running at 14 stone but wouldn't have been able to make the progress I did, in the time I did, from starting it at 11 stone.

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                            #14
                            I would heartily recommend korfball - http://www.welshkorfball.org/

                            There is usually a summer friendly league which is designed for beginners, it's a fantastic sport, and it's one that allows you to catch your breath a little bit better than (say) touch rugby. Don't worry if you've never heard of it and have no idea how to play - nor have 95% of other new people who turn up to a club.

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                              #15
                              Someone I worked with in a previous job was a korfballer. So I have heard of it.

                              My neck aches today from the trying not to drown aspect of swimming yesterday.

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                                #16
                                Hopefully you got on with them, korfball is a small world!

                                I guess my disclaimer would be, if you can't catch then it's probably not going to be much fun, but otherwise go for it.

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                                  #17
                                  Despite an invitation from the running group last night I didn't go. It was a bit late (4pm you meet at 6.30) and I was stuck in a work meeting until 5.30. If I'd had some kit with me I might have gone but I didn't so I didn't.

                                  I have thought I may need to buy some proper running trainers if I do go running. That feels like an expensive investment unless I'm actually going to do it. Maybe the walking is a better option to start with.

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                                    #18
                                    But if you're going to walk you'll need proper shoes anyway. This is one of those things where it really is worth buying the real thing and not a cheapie. One of the proper brands: Asics, Brooks, Nike, Mizuno, (New Balance?) - others may have suggestions. Go to a sports shop and try them on, often they will provide a fitting service for free. Over here you have to pay $120 upwards, no idea about over there.

                                    Once you find the one that works take a note of the brand and model. Then you always know what fits, and if they're pricey in the shops a quick check on eBay can be worthwhile; an earlier version might be a fair bit cheaper.

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                                      #19
                                      Agree if you're going to run any sort of distance with regularity then it's worth going that route and getting proper shoes properly fitted at a proper shop. I'm on my second pair of Brooks Ghost and the newest version costs about £90, but they are worth it. For walking I use fairly generic Reebok and Asics running shoes which I picked up cheap when I started running before I realised the worth of proper running shoes. They are absolutely fine for walking, when things are less sensitive to your particular stride pattern and foot landing, so if you are going to walk I'd suggest cheap running shoes. Don't buy 'walking shoes' unless you're going to hike trails.

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                                        #20
                                        So swimming again this morning. Managed 22 lengths and found it a lot easier. Got into the rhythm a lot faster. It helped knowing what to expect as I felt less nervous going in.

                                        Pulse and heart rate were up. But my legs were less heavy in the changing rooms despite the longer distance. They were full lengths too, not just standing up near the end but touching the side first.

                                        It's definitely easier swimming one way than the other. Heading "North" I could do a length in less than 50 strokes. Heading "South" always took me more than 50 and sometimes 60. I'm not sure why that would be except in that direction you are next to the wall of the pool.

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                                          #21
                                          Swimming again this morning. Much quieter, which is apparently true of all Wednesdays so I might swap my days. Lost count of lengths (Think about 18) but less than 50 strokes each way so my stroke is improving.

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                                            #22
                                            It seems you are interested in heart rate. I would definitely recommend getting a wrist heart rate monitor that links to a smart phone - it is good for tracking your improvement, estimates calories burned and gives you a measure of improvement.

                                            That said, you also have to disregard it sometimes. For some reason when I am doing stairs - stairs are a great way to get in shape - when I carry a 50lb bag with me and hold on to the rail it drops out and says my HR is in easy (~110) when it is clearly nearer my limit (176 or there abouts).

                                            I do other stuff (run, bootcamps, spin, weights) but swear that 40 minutes of stairs (about 200 flights) with and without weight is the best thing I do. I was gassed after doing 32 flights at the start of the year.

                                            Having a tracker watch / fitness thing is a good way to make solo exercise more competitive.

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                                              #23
                                              What watch do you use, caja-dglh? I've had shite experiences with first Garmin (easily broken strap and software issues) and now Polar (re-charging and software issues). A friend of mine here at the weekend had a Fitbit Charge 2, and I really like the look of it.

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                                                #24
                                                I use a Fitbit Surge - the HR data sometimes seems dodgy when at the high end, but seems to be pretty reliable for resting and low to mid-level exercise. The strap broke once, but they immediately sent a replacement watch (and I was able to fix the old strap with just some super glue). I think dodgy straps seem quite common here.

                                                If I use the GPS on the Surge the battery drains quickly - about 4-5 hours, so it's fine for a run but not a hike or bike ride. Generally, it's a pretty good device.

                                                Not good for swimming, though - it's not designed for being immersed in water, and that could be what got into the strap first time for me.

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                                                  #25
                                                  I'm interested in heart rate only because that's a measure of exertion. No point doing exercise that isn't exercise.

                                                  Thanks for the advice about fitbits and whatnot. Will think about it.

                                                  Another friend has asked if I want to go to Spin class with him. Apparently this will be painful but I've said yes.

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