I am chronically unfit - for real; it's bad

[Goldman Sachs]

I have never been interested in exercise. Ever. Even as a reasonably fit and athletic teenager, I avoided running or sport like the plague as I just hated it.

The only time I have ever exercised was in my 20's when I hit the gym and lifted weights purely to get 'jacked' to improve my attractiveness to women (I was previously just thin to average build) I took it seriously, trained really hard 3 nights a week, guzzled protein, creatine, and hit the Dianabol here and there. It worked well, in all respects.

When I got to 30, being an adult took over and I stopped the gym. I just carried on for the next decade as someone who was a classic 'medium build'. Not Overweight, and not skinny. I felt fine.

I used to ski regularly, and was reasonably accomplished, but hadn't been for a few years. Went this January and was absolutely shocked by how unfit I was. My legs were burning and like jelly after only 20 mins. To the point where I had to sit down and didn't know if I could do anymore.

A couple of days ago, I dug my old bicycle out the back of the garage and went round the block on it. Probably only about 3/4 mile and up and down some hills, but honestly, I almost collapsed. I practically fell off it at the end, and thought I was going to vomit. My legs were burning. All of this for 3/4 of a mile. I spent the next hour feeling spaced out and sick.

I walk a lot, and have no issues with that, but walking isn't exactly taxing is it?

I have come to the conclusion that at the age of 42 I am staggeringly and chronically unfit, a condition which is hidden by the fact that I'm not overweight, which would be way more obvious.

I am obviously slightly worried about this and feel I should try to get fit, but I don't know where to start or how long it will take before I see any vague improvement. I don't even know what to do.

[croyde]

I was walking miles on the flat no problem. Went on holiday to a mountainous area and even the hill up to the supermarket was killing me.

Kept at it and a week later I was powering up 2000ft steep paths.

I was the same with running. Couldn't even run for a bus but then did the Couch to 5k.

The first weeks were awful. Running for one minute felt an age.

9 weeks later I was running 5ks every 2 days, until I damaged my knee.

Get back on the bike and do a mile tomorrow, 2 miles the day after, etc. You'll be surprised how quickly your stamina will build.

[alock]

Just repeat your cycling 4 times every week. Don't be afraid to stop part way around, or go a bit slower. After a couple of weeks you'll be doing 2, 3 or 4 laps.

I was the same as you (but also over weight) in 2017. Within a couple of months I was doing 15 mile loops, and within a year doing 60 mile rides. The following year I managed a 100 mile ride.

[2Btoo]

alock said:

Just repeat your cycling 4 times every week. Don't be afraid to stop part way around, or go a bit slower. After a couple of weeks you'll be doing 2, 3 or 4 laps.

Exactly this. You are very unfit, but the initial gains will be very quick. Do it a couple of times more and it'll be significantly easier.

Well done for putting the effort in. Many wouldn't bother.

[LimaDelta]

Couch-to-5km really eases you into it. It is literally designed for people with zero cardio fitness and stamina.

If you already walking, add a bit of weight in a rucksack, no need for 30+kg, just a couple of bottles of water to begin with and gradually up the weight.

[Bowside]

LimaDelta said:

Couch-to-5km really eases you into it. It is literally designed for people with zero cardio fitness and stamina.

If you already walking, add a bit of weight in a rucksack, no need for 30+kg, just a couple of bottles of water to begin with and gradually up the weight.

I agree, it's designed specifically to get people moving from nothing and gives you a structured programme to follow. Do y9ou have any mates in the same boat who might do it with you? Always helps.

No matter how slow you are initially, just remember you are lapping everyone sitting on the sofa!

[Goldman Sachs]

Thanks everyone. This thread is making me feel slightly better.

I’m going to follow the advice and just go out on the bike 4-5 times a week and take it from there.

[LunarOne]

I'm in a similar boat. Always hated exercise as I never found it enjoyable, although I did cycle a lot as a child. But I've been overweight since childhood and never really managed to shake it off - food and driving are my only real pleasures in life, and driving is getting harder and harder to enjoy due to speed limits, onerous regulations and the sheer number of dawdlers.

I do play golf as often as I can, and I agreed to go on a bit of a cycle with the golf guys on Sunday. In the end we did about 20 miles from Theale to Sonning Lock and back. It was not a fun experience. It was my first time on a bicycle for about three years. My thighs were burning. I was out of breath. But worst of all, the weight of my body pressing down on my arms was causing me extreme pain in the hands and wrists. Some of our route took us across grassy fields were people were picnicking, and the undulations of the ground was causing the handlebars to transmit hammering forces through my hands and wrists and I just had to stop and walk the bike for that section. My hands were in pain and going numb at regular intervals, so I had to keep stopping for a break to allow the sensation in my hands to return. And my god, the pain in my arse from the saddle was horrific. It's Tuesday today and it's still very painful, although not as much as it was on Sunday and Monday.

I get the feeling that if I could tolerate the pain of cycling more, I would very quickly increase my fitness level. Perhaps I need a new bike (I bought this one about 25 years ago), but I think the real solution is to find a way to lose weight before I get back on my bike again.

I'm toying with the idea of buying an e-bike. Potentially it might have a more comfortable seat and a different geometry and I might be able to tolerate it better. But does an e-bike help to get you fit? Surely more than a regular bike that I can't ride, but maybe no better than just walking more. I don't know!

[egomeister]

From the point of view of someone who has gone from chronically unfit to mildly unfit, I can echo some of the stuff said already.

- Initial gains will come fast so persevere with it.
- You don't need to go full gas to the point of feeling sick - just put in moderate effort and aim to extend out the distance initially.
- There's no shame in stopping and starting to allow a bit of recovery (I believe the pros call it interval training ), just keep aiming to push a little longer than last time or do an extra stint.
- One technique I found useful was to ride or run as far away from home as I could with the initial effort, then come back with as many stop/starts as I needed which I viewed as "bonus" exercise over my usual capability
- If its hot like it was this weekend you'll likely suffer for it. Try to stick to slightly cooler times initially, and stay hydrated!

Keep it up (with some caution) initially and you'll soon have a foundation to build from

[Wacky Racer]

If you have stairs, go up and down them 20 times slowly

Repeat every couple of hours, gradually increasing the pace.

Good easy free exercise, gets the heart going.

Keep 999 on speed dial.

[ARHarh]

If you peddle an ebike, it is going to be better exercise than watching telly.

I to have never liked exercise and have always been overweight. 20 off years ago at work justified a fag break, I tried to run up 2 flights of stairs. It didn't go well. I then started cycling to work. A whole mile, this soon grew to 3 mile ride each way. 10 years later I moved to a hilly area and stopped cycling till I got unfit again. I then fitted a motor to my bike and cycling again became possible. I have now covered 9000 miles on that bike and feel pretty fit for a 60 year old fat bloke.

[Goldman Sachs]

Part of my problem that combined with my hatred of exercise, my lifestyle is less than ideal. We enjoy our food, so we eat out quite a bit, and we love a glass of wine. You get the idea.

My wife however, offsets this by running, and eating salads, fruits, and healthy foods, and has always been a size 8-10 even after having kids. She’s always been a healthy eater.

I offset eating out and drinking wine by enjoying watching films, listening to music, doing a bit of work on my laptop, eating a bag of peanuts, having a beer, and generally sitting on my backside.

It would appear this has all caught up with me.

[asfault]

I thought i was fit because I ate well and have a heavy lifting job. Cycled too now and again.

Went for a run for the first time in forever like 10 years and barely made it 400meters before having to stop out of puff blowing hard.
5 mo the later 5k easily enough. You can build it up fast very quickly.
Re skiing.
Was pretty good super supple and flexible for absorbing bumps etc now having not done it for 5 years it would take a while to get the body used to it again.

[Hereward]

Goldman Sachs said:

Thanks everyone. This thread is making me feel slightly better.

I’m going to follow the advice and just go out on the bike 4-5 times a week and take it from there.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised about how quickly you improve in the first month or two.

Cycling (for me) has the added benefit of releasing endorphins. I would be on a natural high for a few hours after a ride.

[MaxFromage]

LunarOne said:

I do play golf as often as I can, and I agreed to go on a bit of a cycle with the golf guys on Sunday. In the end we did about 20 miles from Theale to Sonning Lock and back. It was not a fun experience. It was my first time on a bicycle for about three years. My thighs were burning. I was out of breath. But worst of all, the weight of my body pressing down on my arms was causing me extreme pain in the hands and wrists. Some of our route took us across grassy fields were people were picnicking, and the undulations of the ground was causing the handlebars to transmit hammering forces through my hands and wrists and I just had to stop and walk the bike for that section. My hands were in pain and going numb at regular intervals, so I had to keep stopping for a break to allow the sensation in my hands to return. And my god, the pain in my arse from the saddle was horrific. It's Tuesday today and it's still very painful, although not as much as it was on Sunday and Monday.

Have a read here about what you can do to help with the pain

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/traini...

[LunarOne]

MaxFromage said:

LunarOne said:

I do play golf as often as I can, and I agreed to go on a bit of a cycle with the golf guys on Sunday. In the end we did about 20 miles from Theale to Sonning Lock and back. It was not a fun experience. It was my first time on a bicycle for about three years. My thighs were burning. I was out of breath. But worst of all, the weight of my body pressing down on my arms was causing me extreme pain in the hands and wrists. Some of our route took us across grassy fields were people were picnicking, and the undulations of the ground was causing the handlebars to transmit hammering forces through my hands and wrists and I just had to stop and walk the bike for that section. My hands were in pain and going numb at regular intervals, so I had to keep stopping for a break to allow the sensation in my hands to return. And my god, the pain in my arse from the saddle was horrific. It's Tuesday today and it's still very painful, although not as much as it was on Sunday and Monday.

Have a read here about what you can do to help with the pain

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/traini...

Thanks Big Cheese! The article mentions Ulnar Neuropathy and I do actually have issues with loss of sensation in my hands and feet. The docs have examined me and decided that it's neither Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, nor Diabetes - in fact they have ruled out everything but something called Small Fibre Neuropathy.

But I have never really gelled with this bike - it's a flat-bar hybrid but I've always felt that if I get the seat far enough from the pedals to make it easier to pedal, then the bars are far too low. My bike also has twist grip gearchange which means I have to be careful how I grip the bars or else the bike will jump to another gear.

I tried my friend's bike and that felt better - his bars aren't so low and have a sort of flat surface where you can rest your hand and the gears operate on separate push buttons. It's quite a bit more comfortable! So Now I have a few ideas of things I can try, but I think a new bike may be in order.

[funinhounslow]

LunarOne said:

I'm toying with the idea of buying an e-bike. Potentially it might have a more comfortable seat and a different geometry and I might be able to tolerate it better. But does an e-bike help to get you fit? Surely more than a regular bike that I can't ride, but maybe no better than just walking more. I don't know!

I’ve always cycled but I’ve never cycled more since buying my ebike (a GoCycle) six years ago.

It will just slot into your life, and if your experience is anything like mine you’ll be hopping on it all the time to run errands or see friends etc.

You won’t think of it in terms of “going for a bike ride” you’ll just use it because it’s the most convenient and fun way to do trips up to about the 10 mile mark. Wind, hills, heavy shopping just aren’t an issue.

From my experience e-bikes certainly do help you get fit because they’re a pleasurable and convenient way of getting exercise.

[MitchT]

[Crumpet]

I’d personally say don’t fall into the trap of being all or nothing. What I mean is don’t start a program or routine that you know full well is going to be unsustainable into the future.

If you’re not keen on exercising now you’re unlikely to get into it to such a degree that a fasted jog before breakfast and an evening weights session five times a week is something you’ll be able to maintain. Sure, you might be able to keep it up for a month but chances are you’ll lose interest and go back to your old ways. If you do get into it you can always step it up and do five days a week.

That was me anyway; yo-yoing from fit to fat by losing interest in between. And now I’ve found a sustainable balance which is roughly 2 fairly intense runs a week and 3 weights sessions, often I’ll do the runs on the same days as the weights so I can have three full days off where I don’t worry about it. So just start steady and do 2-3 sessions a week and go from there as you’ll see rapid improvements and be able to keep it up long term.

There’s also nothing quite like a health scare to motivate you! Try to get ahead of the health scare! And, not to worry you, I now know more than a handful of people in their early to mid 40s who’ve had heart attacks or heart issues. Don’t put this off.

[toon10]

I'm 50 and similar to the OP in that I really hate the gym and exercise in general. Done the gym in the past, played the odd sport in the past but nothing consistent. I have a regular build but over the years, my love of all things sweet and beer has taken over. It took a visit to the Dr. to give me the kick up the backside to get out and do something. I did the couch to 5k. Works a treat. I still hate running but now I've done it, I do 3 30-minute runs before work each week. It's not a lot but I'm much fitter, slimmer and happier with myself. I also try and get my steps in when possible. I work from home so have to force myself to go out and walk around. If biking is more your thing, then look into building up distance locally. You can always go on longer and more challenging rides once your body is used to it.