Fitness and Flexibility

[Rebel 833]

Hello,

Just looking for advice on fitness and flexibility.

Over 50 year old male, whose trying to stay fit, keep the weight down and improve my flexibility.

I do a lot of walking a bit of running and a small bit of strength and conditioning.

Nothing major but it keeps me ticking over.

I find im getting a bit stiffer in the joints and back is giving me a bit of bothere

I was thinking pilates might be good to improve my flexibility.

Anyone doing pilates, how do you find it?

Also any other recommendation om Fitness and flexibility.

Thanks and looking forward to hearing replies

[bird 9,871]

1 hour ago, Rebel said:

Hello,

Just looking for advice on fitness and flexibility.

Over 50 year old male, whose trying to stay fit, keep the weight down and improve my flexibility.

I do a lot of walking a bit of running and a small bit of strength and conditioning.

Nothing major but it keeps me ticking over.

I find im getting a bit stiffer in the joints and back is giving me a bit of bothere

I was thinking pilates might be good to improve my flexibility.

Anyone doing pilates, how do you find it?

Also any other recommendation om Fitness and flexibility.

Thanks and looking forward to hearing replies

The best thing  for overall  fitness  is swimming,  don't mean just few lengths of the pool.more like 50.lengths at good pace, you see your  stamina really  improve,  and just do few nights working out with average  weights. When.i was younger and fitter I do  3 nights  at the pool  doing  100 lengths.  And bench press and rep my own bodyweight,  I was 180lb, but reps of  235lb so  doing this every week, was strong fit. So deff recommend  swimming,  with few weights   every week  

[THE STIFFMEISTER 15,736]

2 hours ago, Rebel said:

Hello,

Just looking for advice on fitness and flexibility.

Over 50 year old male, whose trying to stay fit, keep the weight down and improve my flexibility.

I do a lot of walking a bit of running and a small bit of strength and conditioning.

Nothing major but it keeps me ticking over.

I find im getting a bit stiffer in the joints and back is giving me a bit of bothere

I was thinking pilates might be good to improve my flexibility.

Anyone doing pilates, how do you find it?

Also any other recommendation om Fitness and flexibility.

Thanks and looking forward to hearing replies

There’s a great book called (I’m not joking here ) how to be a supple leopard 

very in depth with practical stretches 

I paid lips service to stretching for years , football , army pt , all that training etc straight in the shower , slice or toast and away 

my calves are ridiculously tight now , my lunge is pretty non existant, 

I’m in the gym 20 mins now before every session , calf raises  , tip toe pointing , monkey walks , lizard crawls , walk outs and a slow steady warm up 

At 50 , you need to be looking now at quality rather than quantity , look at stretches specifically that target and assist with problem areas

[tatsblisters 9,508]

I was given an instruction sheet for exercises when I was under a physio for sciatica these exercises on it helped quite a bit without going over the top it might be worthwhile looking at an exercise sheet for sciatica. Though when I first get out of bed in a morning I feel like a sheet of bubble wrap with my bones cracking and feel better after a walk out in the morning though I know this is down to the job I do lugging parcel's about and wrapping pallets at work as my step count is never under 30 thousand. 

[mC HULL 12,263]

7 hours ago, bird said:

The best thing  for overall  fitness  is swimming,  don't mean just few lengths of the pool.more like 50.lengths at good pace, you see your  stamina really  improve,  and just do few nights working out with average  weights. When.i was younger and fitter I do  3 nights  at the pool  doing  100 lengths.  And bench press and rep my own bodyweight,  I was 180lb, but reps of  235lb so  doing this every week, was strong fit. So deff recommend  swimming,  with few weights   every week  

swimming 5 mile a week will keep you tip top lol be ready for the olympics 

[Pewit 970]

18 minutes ago, mC HULL said:

swimming 5 mile a week will keep you tip top lol be ready for the olympics 

Hull to Rotterdam for a morning dip pal?

[bird 9,871]

11 hours ago, THE STIFFMEISTER said:

There’s a great book called (I’m not joking here ) how to be a supple leopard 

very in depth with practical stretches 

I paid lips service to stretching for years , football , army pt , all that training etc straight in the shower , slice or toast and away 

my calves are ridiculously tight now , my lunge is pretty non existant, 

I’m in the gym 20 mins now before every session , calf raises  , tip toe pointing , monkey walks , lizard crawls , walk outs and a slow steady warm up 

At 50 , you need to be looking now at quality rather than quantity , look at stretches specifically that target and assist with problem areas

Good job stiff  you been strong fit lad most of your life, because once you stop your fooked, it like playing  the guitar  or the use, you only got stop practicing  for couple day's,  you got do extra 1 hour just to catch  up, and I feck know  I still crap, and don't get much better  with the  bloody things haha.

[bird 9,871]

7 hours ago, tatsblisters said:

I was given an instruction sheet for exercises when I was under a physio for sciatica these exercises on it helped quite a bit without going over the top it might be worthwhile looking at an exercise sheet for sciatica. Though when I first get out of bed in a morning I feel like a sheet of bubble wrap with my bones cracking and feel better after a walk out in the morning though I know this is down to the job I do lugging parcel's about and wrapping pallets at work as my step count is never under 30 thousand. 

100% mate deff. As you know from my posts over the years. I suffered with lower  back prob= sciatica  for 40 years, and do exercises  every day for 1 hour. That lower back, and band resistance  exercises  to help  shoulders  arms etc. Now your prob doing this one for sciatica,  it's real good one, lay on your back, legs out straight,  then bring up  slowly,  one  leg at a time straight  in the air  then the other leg, 5 reps per leg.then bring up with knee bent, right up to your chest, hold count 10, then slowly  put  leg down, then repete. On the other leg do 3 sets. These really will help sciatica,  because your opening  your your  number 4 and 5 discs   up a bit  it these in general  that press the sciatica  nerve,  I know this from doctor at hospital, so really read this  it will  help.the most important  thing with lower back probs is (posture)  really is very important. Me I am just under 6ft and 80kg that very good healthy weight, more so for a bloke 72.but I some times slouch about  and don't hold my self up straight, and it give me back in very short time, it like jolt in my mind to decking stand up straight lol, so  mate  please do these things  it deff will help long term.

[Aled 476]

Apparently supplements like Turmeric, Glucosamine, and Cod Live oil can help with joint stiffness. 

[bird 9,871]

3 minutes ago, Aled said:

Apparently supplements like Turmeric, Glucosamine, and Cod Live oil can help with joint stiffness. 

yep did take for years, but stopped now, just do what I wrote and they deff help have look.

[Pewit 970]

Try having sex in a hammock, stood up.

[tatsblisters 9,508]

5 hours ago, Pewit said:

Try having sex in a hammock, stood up.

Be like stood in a pair of roller skates.  

[Takairtas 4]

Regarding fitness and flexibility, I think it’s all about finding what works best for you. Everyone’s different, so what might be perfect for one person might not be for another. I’ve found that combining strength training and yoga helps keep me balanced. CrossFit, for instance, is fantastic for building both strength and flexibility. If you’re involved in a CrossFit box, having the right tools can make all the difference in managing everything smoothly. Something like the best CrossFit box management software can help keep things organized, from scheduling classes to tracking progress. It’s all about creating a routine that fits your lifestyle and keeps you motivated.

Edited August 27 by Takairtas

[oxo 441]

Have a look at Tom Morrison on YouTube, very good mobility coach. I paid for his course, Simple mobility method and it's helping a lot with the effects of age, arthritis etc

[Borr 5,821]

I stretch in the pool as I find it easier, even working on sitting straight in a bath tub with legs relatively straight will stretch you back and glutes a bit , after a long period of shoulder injury I'm trying to get more flexibility, knee is problematic currently due to job and overweight. Maybe the swimming has aggravated it I don't know more likely kneeling and ladders and mostly stood up all day at a bench for 20 years. Did a extremely short weight session which was demoralising, found I couldn't curl due to elbow and definitely couldn't start a squat due to knee , so sauna bit of swim and stretch and repeat and keep chipping away at my weight , 18 stone seems hard to escape now , but see what a couple of weeks off work brings I'm hoping lots of water activity knocks a bit off.

Edited August 22 by Borr