Are you moving enough?

Janeainsworth I was just about to do what you have done and recommend Tai Chi. I started Tai Chi about 2 years ago and love it. I was also doing pilates, but with lockdown decided to concentrate on Tai Chi and drop Pilates.

The joy of Tai Chi is that it is gentle bending and stretching. The Jo Wickes and other popular workouts are all very well when you are younger and fitter, but for older people there is nothing to beat Tai Chi. There is a reason why, when you see it being done in China, it is predominantly older people doing it.

You can do as much or as little as you like. I am fortunate my teacher, who runs classes for the over 50s in the village hall, transfers to Zoom during lockdowns, so that I am continuing classes as normal.

I find these ladies good to follow for a little bit of extra exercise or as an alternative when you cannot get out for a walk. youtu.be/9khVr_NtBxI

My friend says she does her 10000 steps easily, she naturally has a smaller stride. On the other hand (or foot- sorry). I did five thousand five hundred but had to walk nearly an hour. Is it the distance or the step. I think next time we walk together we will set our phones and see if they match. The watch I used to wear showed that I had done 50 steps while I had been sitting marking tests.

Before Covid I went to Aquafit twice or three times a week. It was such a good workout for all the various muscle groups and I feel I've really stiffened up since the classes were all stopped. It will be sooooo good to be back and exercising with the support of the water. Until then I'm walking...

I seem to be up and bouncing around all the time. Today, I started by doing the washing up, then defrosted the chest freezer, bending and stretching to clean it out and empty it, continued tidying our study so that I can get at DH's computer during his rather prolonged stay in hospital. Cooked lunch and then spent time finishing decorating a bedroom then cleaning it, then supper and a sitdown to watch a DBD. I intersperse active periods with periods at my computer keeping up with email etc etc.

Tomorrow, more decorating, weekly shop and probably a walk.

Right, this thread has shamed me, I will get out tomorrow and walk, even round the local houses is a start, I needed a kick up the probably spreading btm.

NotTooOld Yes I listened to Women's hour this morning,,very informative about keeping moving etc

honeyrose same here I did joe wicks routine back in the Summer but like you I find it boring. I’ve looked at Pilates and tai chi but again not motivated to do it in my front room. I suppose I should be glad that I actually enjoy my walk even in the freezing cold or rain. I’ve probably got a square bumb too.

I was having a discussion with a friend about this. Do we need to exercise or just move more?

In the ‘olden days’ people were a lot more active because they didn’t have washing machines, cars etc. They didn’t exercise though I don’t think.
So we need to be active to make sure we can continue to function.
Does that mean walking, to build bone and muscles, preferably with a hill or two on the route, standing up and sitting down to keep those thigh muscles going, a bit of exertion for the heart and circulation? We need to enjoy what we do and fit it into our lives easily. I remember when we got a wii, I used to run around the sitting room, that got my heart rate up but I don’t do that anymore. I can’t see me emulating that toned young lady on the advert for switch.
I’m just going to stand up and get a coffee, I’ll go the long way round and jog on the spot whilst the kettle boils.?

I’m much the same as you Tanith, but think I only get to about 6k steps a day, though sometimes more. I have a pedometer app on my phone and it automatically set itself at 6k. I don’t feel like I’m doing enough exercise and wish I could motivate myself to do some yoga or tai chi! I’ll perhaps do one session and then never do it again. I find it boring, sorry to say. I have a friend who does Salute to the Sun (yoga) every morning and she feels great for it and more supple too. She’s really enthusiastic about it, but it still doesn’t motivate me! I’ve got hobbies, but they are all craft things which involve sitting. Love jigsaws, reading, watching tv. All sitting! I’ll have a square flat bottom, if I haven’t already (daren’t look).

I have great difficulty detaching myself from the couch to go out these days.
Had a walk to bring in the wheelie bin this morning and have been upstairs once.
I am going to have to make some New Year resolutions I fear.

Kandinsky’s GP is right though, walking or running is not enough on its own unfortunately. I walk a lot as I’ve got a very lively dog who could walk all day, but I don’t do much else, and I’m now finding I’m getting stiff from sitting more than I should - I’m looking at Pilates online to start in the new year as a start, and hoping that it won’t be too long before it’s fit to start gardening again.

So some of us are really moving more than the rest lol. I’ve done 10K steps today and at least that every day bar one in the last week and I’ve been trying to jig around the house or March on the spot when making tea or peeling veg. I will move more, whether it’s actually doing me any good I have no clue.

Walking has kept me sane recently. 10 miles a day, my Fitbit is showing 21000 steps already and I haven’t been to town for supplies yet. I have always believed that we should be responsible for our own health and at the moment it is even more important for me to stay healthy, manage my weight and to eat the best diet possible (no junk or processed food). From what I have read (and I may be wrong of course) many of the more severe cases of COVID have been amongst individuals who are obese. There are days when I really don’t want to walk up hills or trudge through mud and snow. But feeling great having done it is well worth rather effort. I am also lucky that I live in a tall thin 4 story house with 3 flights of steep stairs. My Fitbit is telling me that so far today I have climbed 156 floors. Though I suspect that some of those might be the hillsides on the moors!

I was given a Fitbit for Christmas. It's taken over my life. I have a target number of steps to do per hour and per day. Its addictive and has certainly got me moving. It also tells me how I slept. That's the only target I seem to meet each day though.
I'm a convert. It's definitely got me moving much more. I'm defying it today and not going out for a walk as the pavements round about are lethal with melted then refrozen ice. I do feel guilty about it

I do try and do my 6000 steps each day, which is about an hour's walk for me but the cold weather doesn't entice me out!

I used to do Zumba Gold classes but it's not the same online.

Iam64

Riverwalk - what an unpleasant comment from your doctor

Oh, it wasn't as curt as my post implies, more along the lines that I really needed to exercise other parts of the body as well, which was true.

Last year I started a dance class which of course is now on Zoom and that's also very good - particularly the warming up/down exercises which remind me that from one week to the next I hardly lift my arms above my head!

Just come back from an hour’s walk in the sunshine across the fields.
The last two days I’ve done my TaiChi too.

I brisk walk for about an hour a day 7 days a week, & was told this wasn’t enough by my GP. I need to vary my exercise apparently so I use different muscles - fair enough, but I thought I was doing really well!
I’m sure I do more than most people.

Woman's Hour was good this morning. They were talking about the benefits of exercising as we get older, amongst other things. Well worth a listen.

I’m still reading not done my walk yet today but did two yesterday. Bit anxious at Tesco this morning thankfully I didn’t need much.

where have you all gone?.......... fortunately I'm able to go for a walk twice a day and am quite fit.... but for those in pain who cannot there are sitting exercises to suit most levels on You Tube. just tap in exercises for older people

Leslie Sansone on you tube is good. walk a happy mile at home. You can sit down whenever and restart.

also if you're sitting to long remember you can flex those muscles while you sit...flex buttock ones alternately , pull tummy in and out, stretch and wiggle ankles feet legs etc etc etc. keep thing moving from time to time while you sit!

Same here Crazyhorse.
This thread has made me think though. I think I'll get back to my Wii Fit exercises.

NanKate I think someone put links on here to Qigong sessions on YouTube at the beginning of the first lockdown. I was doing them and must start again in the New Year.