Fitness Thread

[MattSantos 806]

3 hours ago, Niels said:

Hi Bob, how are you?

I did a lap around the park running tonight. First exercise since lockdown apart from press ups.

Last time I ran I sprained ligaments, on holiday in Turkey, so I have to avoid hard surfaces. It took ages to recover also. So not sure if I should do this regular?

Do you,  or anyone have any knowledge about running and injuries? 

 

 

Personally, i think running is one of the worst things we can do to keep fit if you're not good at running. Bad mechanics and or support are a recipe for further injury / in-balance.

Better options - If you can, swim. Buy a kettlebell. Shadow box. Burpees. Body weight circuits. Lunge. Buy a bike. 

 

[Bob8 6,506]

7 hours ago, Niels said:

Hi Bob, how are you?

I did a lap around the park running tonight. First exercise since lockdown apart from press ups.

Last time I ran I sprained ligaments, on holiday in Turkey, so I have to avoid hard surfaces. It took ages to recover also. So not sure if I should do this regular?

Do you,  or anyone have any knowledge about running and injuries?

I think @tim2 might be able to advise (though hard surfaces are a killer, I know that).

[Bob8 6,506]

4 hours ago, MattSantos said:

Personally, i think running is one of the worst things we can do to keep fit if you're not good at running. Bad mechanics and or support are a recipe for further injury / in-balance.

Better options - If you can, swim. Buy a kettlebell. Shadow box. Burpees. Body weight circuits. Lunge. Buy a bike.

Balance in all things perhaps. All of the exercises are also bad if there are too many or in bad form.

[gingerjon 13,330]

6 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

Balance in all things perhaps. All of the exercises are also bad if there are too many or in bad form.

Following The Pain last year, I'm pretty much convinced that most running injuries come from running whilst already injured. But I'd get an actual Expert to confirm that,

Anyway, passed 500k running for the year this week. Pleased with that.

[tim2 2,423]

39 minutes ago, Bob8 said:

I think @tim2 might be able to advise (though hard surfaces are a killer, I know that).

I'm not an expert, but in my experience of a couple of ankle injuries, uneven surfaces are worse than hard surfaces. My physio did tell me that if you have a weakness in the ankle you have to do the strengthening exercises even after the healing has finished.

My ankle injuries weren't from running - one was tennis and the other was football. Both a long time ago (15-20 years) - my running problems are a tendency to ITB inflammation on the outside of the knee and calf strains. Bothe would be better if I actually CBA to do the exercises to strengthen the muscles but I'm lazy. 

[bobbruce 2,563]

34 minutes ago, tim2 said:

I'm not an expert, but in my experience of a couple of ankle injuries, uneven surfaces are worse than hard surfaces. My physio did tell me that if you have a weakness in the ankle you have to do the strengthening exercises even after the healing has finished.

My ankle injuries weren't from running - one was tennis and the other was football. Both a long time ago (15-20 years) - my running problems are a tendency to ITB inflammation on the outside of the knee and calf strains. Bothe would be better if I actually CBA to do the exercises to strengthen the muscles but I'm lazy. 

I used to get a lot of calf pulls as I got older drinking more water has pretty much stopped them.

[Niels 1,244]

9 hours ago, Saint 1 said:

What ligaments was it? Ankle I take it?

Thanks for replying. It was the back of the heel. 

[Saint 1 1,670]

2 hours ago, bobbruce said:

I used to get a lot of calf pulls as I got older drinking more water has pretty much stopped them.

The two aren't particularly related, muscle pulls are a question of load exceeding a muscle's capacity.

2 minutes ago, Niels said:

Thanks for replying. It was the back of the heel. 

https://www.pogophysio.com.au/blog/the-3-key-stages-for-achilles-tendinopathy-exercises/ Start with isometric holds and progress as mentioned in the link - there's videos for each section. To be honest the isometrics alone would probably be sufficient depending on the end goal. One other thing I found beneficial was sleeping with my feet off the edge of the bed (if you sleep on your front). In theory because you sleep with your Achilles in a shortened position, that could be contributing to it.

7 hours ago, MattSantos said:

Personally, i think running is one of the worst things we can do to keep fit if you're not good at running. Bad mechanics and or support are a recipe for further injury / in-balance.

Better options - If you can, swim. Buy a kettlebell. Shadow box. Burpees. Body weight circuits. Lunge. Buy a bike. 

 

I agree on running, but burpees are even worse and are an exercise that places loads of impact through the joints for no real benefit. Rugby league players are probably the only group where they have merit.

[JonM 2,603]

8 hours ago, MattSantos said:

Personally, i think running is one of the worst things we can do to keep fit if you're not good at running. Bad mechanics and or support are a recipe for further injury / in-balance.

Better options - If you can, swim. Buy a kettlebell. Shadow box. Burpees. Body weight circuits. Lunge. Buy a bike. 

Like anything, it depends on where you're starting from. If you're in your twenties or thirties and in decent shape,  sure, kettlebells are great. Probably not so much if you're an overweight middle aged man with back problems.

I run about 1500 miles a year, plenty of people in my running club in their sixties and seventies who're in great health. Loads of studies showing that running is good for you long-term. I think if you have an existing problem with ankles, knees etc. from some other sport, then it might not be so good. If you look at the hundreds of thousands of people who run 5k at parkrun on Saturday mornings, only a small minority are "good at running".

Burpees , on the other hand, would injure me very quickly I suspect. 

In Niels's case, I'd do the exercises saint1 suggests. Achilles tendinosis is one of those things that definitely responds to eccentric heel drops and so on and it only takes a few weeks. There's been several sports science studies showing they work, Hakan Alfredsen is the guy who originally showed this. I would be a bit wary about doing much running until any pre-existing condition definitely sorted out. Obviously you need to keep doing the exercises even when it feels better. If it was a sprained ankle rather than achilles, I'd be doing exercises for that as well. Once you've sprained your ankle once, you're at a higher risk of doing it again.

Edited May 29 by JonM

[Copa 4,377]

I really enjoyed running but after many years I developed a stubborn case of plantar faciitis that stayed with me for over a year. I now haven’t run for a few years. I get my cardio in at boot camp/HIIT sessions these days.

I went back to the gym this morning for the first time since lockdown started. Numbers are limited and we have to book online for a 55 minute session of free weights and cardio machines.

We have to clean everything after we use it, including weight plates, and a worker also walks around spraying and wiping the equipment.

The constant cleaning eats up some time but it’s great to be back. Everyone was very disciplined too as we don’t want the gym to close again.

[MattSantos 806]

16 hours ago, JonM said:

Like anything, it depends on where you're starting from. If you're in your twenties or thirties and in decent shape,  sure, kettlebells are great. Probably not so much if you're an overweight middle aged man with back problems.

I run about 1500 miles a year, plenty of people in my running club in their sixties and seventies who're in great health. Loads of studies showing that running is good for you long-term. I think if you have an existing problem with ankles, knees etc. from some other sport, then it might not be so good. If you look at the hundreds of thousands of people who run 5k at parkrun on Saturday mornings, only a small minority are "good at running".

Burpees , on the other hand, would injure me very quickly I suspect. 

In Niels's case, I'd do the exercises saint1 suggests. Achilles tendinosis is one of those things that definitely responds to eccentric heel drops and so on and it only takes a few weeks. There's been several sports science studies showing they work, Hakan Alfredsen is the guy who originally showed this. I would be a bit wary about doing much running until any pre-existing condition definitely sorted out. Obviously you need to keep doing the exercises even when it feels better. If it was a sprained ankle rather than achilles, I'd be doing exercises for that as well. Once you've sprained your ankle once, you're at a higher risk of doing it again.

A middle age man with back problems, should 100% work out with kettlebells. Done properly, they'll help strengthen the posterior chain and ultimately fix the back. 

Running is very healthy, agreed. If you're a runner, you're likely genetically predisposed to run; not too heavy etc. For those who are over weight and wanting to lose the timber, thats where it becomes a problem and should therefore be avoided.

 

[JonM 2,603]

4 hours ago, MattSantos said:

A middle age man with back problems, should 100% work out with kettlebells. Done properly, they'll help strengthen the posterior chain and ultimately fix the back. 

Running is very healthy, agreed. If you're a runner, you're likely genetically predisposed to run; not too heavy etc. For those who are over weight and wanting to lose the timber, thats where it becomes a problem and should therefore be avoided.

I reckon you'd probably want to follow the NHS advice and do the recommended stretches and exercises for a while before progressing to swinging weights about. I very much agree that they'd help once someone can move properly. (One of the best runners of my age that I know quit his job a few years ago to set up a kettlebell gym. Twice, he's taken two all-women groups of his kettlebell clients from never having rowed, to rowing across the channel. Quite impressive when you saw some of them go from pushing a buggy slowly round parkrun to being able to row for hours.) I just worry about people recommending a particular kind of exercise and dissing others without knowing about their age, health, current condition etc. 

I know someone who lost  six stone after taking up running, but I guess weight is predominantly to do with what and when you eat, with exercise (& sleep) mainly in a supporting role. As Niels is about 70kg, weight probably isn't an issue. 

[Damien 9,759]

I think what the last few posts show is that there isn't a one size fits all solution or an exercise regime that suits everyone. There are just so many variables at play and differences between people. One 80kg person could be completely different than another 80kg person. Even the experts greatly disagree on some of these topics. Personally I'm a firm believer in that a lot of conventional wisdom that gets bandied about as fact is somewhat flawed and some is based on stuff from the 70s, with small samples or flawed studies, and downright wrong. 

[Damien 9,759]

104.8kg this week

[MattSantos 806]

Really enjoying the bike - a nice hour in the sun during my dinner 'hour' is an absolute joy.

117

[Damien 9,759]

11 hours ago, MattSantos said:

Really enjoying the bike - a nice hour in the sun during my dinner 'hour' is an absolute joy.

117

I've took the kids for a few bike rides the last couple of weeks and they absolutely love it. It's probably the first time I've been on my bike for about 3 years and I've really enjoyed it too. Its great when the weather is good.

[Shadow 5,925]

		15-Apr	29-Apr	18-May	04-Jun		Week Gain/Loss	Total Gain/Loss
Shadow		87	86.8	87.7	87.3		-0.4	-0.1
Bedford Roughyed		155.1	157.1	156.6			tba	tba
Moose		69.9	69.9	69.9			tba	tba
Gingerjon		81	81	81			tba	tba
Tim2		80	81.5	81.5			tba	tba
Wiltshire Rhino		135.26	135.26	135.26			tba	tba
Bobbruce		86	87.7	87.7	89.4		1.7	-0.14
Niels		70.76	70.76	70.76			tba	tba
Matt Santos		118	118	118	117		-1	-1
Damien		106.1	105.5	105.2	104.8		-0.4	-3.15
Bob8		80.8	80.3	80	81.2		1.2	1.9
Saint 1		85	85	85			tba	tba
CanaBull		74.84	73.48	73.48	73.02		-0.46	-1.91

 

OK, I'm now back from furlough and have regular access to the server where I've saved the spreadsheet.

Running has improved during my 2 month sabbatical, I'm comfortable at 6miles and building up to 10 at weekends, the weight seems to be hovering around the High 86 to high 87 kg range, although after a 6 miler last week I weighed in at 85.3, losing over 2Kg in the course of the run. After rehydrating it was back up to a more familiar 87.5 

I'm tempted to try for another final marathon, I did London last year 20 years after my first and 18 months after my Heart treatment but my time was so poor (over 6 hours) that I want to get another one done to finish in the sub 4.30 region. Then I may knock it on the head. 

[JonM 2,603]

2 hours ago, Shadow said:

I'm tempted to try for another final marathon, I did London last year 20 years after my first and 18 months after my Heart treatment but my time was so poor (over 6 hours) that I want to get another one done to finish in the sub 4.30 region. Then I may knock it on the head. 

 

Plenty of time to train for one - can't see many mass events taking place this year. I was supposed to be doing Boston (Lincs) in April, which is postponed to October, with a possible plan of setting everybody off in small groups, at intervals. Largely rural/empty route though, so not much chance of encountering people. 

[Shadow 5,925]

4 minutes ago, JonM said:

Plenty of time to train for one - can't see many mass events taking place this year. I was supposed to be doing Boston (Lincs) in April, which is postponed to October, with a possible plan of setting everybody off in small groups, at intervals. Largely rural/empty route though, so not much chance of encountering people. 

I've been checking online today (not that busy here in the office) at European city marathons, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Munich are all looking possible for next year. No entry limits, sort of reasonable prices (compared to New York and Chicago) and easily accessible for a weekend trip. 

[JonM 2,603]

7 minutes ago, Shadow said:

I've been checking online today (not that busy here in the office) at European city marathons, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Munich are all looking possible for next year. No entry limits, sort of reasonable prices (compared to New York and Chicago) and easily accessible for a weekend trip. 

I did Barcelona a few years ago and loved it. It was the same weekend as Manchester, and it was (much) cheaper to enter, the hotel was cheaper and the flight was cheaper than train or driving to Manchester. The more carbon emission aware me of today would probably avoid the flight. What I particularly liked was going to the Nou Camp the next day, and seeing hundreds of fit blokes hobbling up the multiple flights of stairs to the top of the stand.

[CanaBull 1,612]

Still working on getting back to running, it's taking a lot longer than I'd like but trying to be objective I'm still progressing.  Walking 3-5km every other day and running up to 2km as much as I can stand.

I'm down in weight to 160lbs this week which, given the reduced activity and all the isolation I'm very happy with maintaining the 160-164 goal range.  We're starting phasing back into the office this coming week so there will be more structure coming back.  Some welcome changes.

 

[Shadow 5,925]

14 minutes ago, JonM said:

I did Barcelona a few years ago and loved it. It was the same weekend as Manchester, and it was (much) cheaper to enter, the hotel was cheaper and the flight was cheaper than train or driving to Manchester. The more carbon emission aware me of today would probably avoid the flight. What I particularly liked was going to the Nou Camp the next day, and seeing hundreds of fit blokes hobbling up the multiple flights of stairs to the top of the stand.

I've always fancied the Barcelona marathon, it's a fantastic city and Mrs Shadow's never been so it may be my farewell marathon tour.

I did Amsterdam a few years ago but had an injury going into  the event and didn't get anywhere close to the time I wanted. That said I'd be over the moon with that time now, it was around 4.25 I think. I was quite pleased that at one point I was only about 300m behind Heile Gebrasalssie, and stayed there for about 2 - 3 minutes, right up until the starting gun. 

[JonM 2,603]

51 minutes ago, Shadow said:

I've always fancied the Barcelona marathon, it's a fantastic city and Mrs Shadow's never been so it may be my farewell marathon tour.

The route takes you past a lot of the tourist sights (and is reasonably flat) and there's a lot of crowd support. I particularly remember the bands that were playing at various points. It's also relatively shaded, apart from a couple of miles along the coast. Also remember that my cheapo hotel had put on a special marathon runners breakfast at 5am Sunday morning, which they hadn't mentioned when booking - a nice touch. Definitely recommend it.

[Saint 1 1,670]

Weight is down to 84kg. Finally got a scales to measure it! Gradually gonna reduce my calories but not been restrictive yet, currently maintaining weight at around 3300 calories.

[Copa 4,377]

I’ve packed on 6kg during lockdown. The gyms were shut and I worked from home right near my fridge.

Since the gym has reopened I’ve been 10 days in a row and have lost 1.5kg.