Well done Dex, keep it short but often. I find it’s working for me at the moment.
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Who knows. At some point I might even reignite that fat to fitness blog thing I started on here a long while ago, but with more realistic targets. At least I’ve not smoked since last October, and have lost a bit of weight, which is something eh?
As for your heart, not sure if I mentioned it but a school fri rnd of mine was diagnosed with a hole in his heart when he was a kid and told that he should never do strenuous exercise. So, he took up playing football and squash a couple of times a week. Fit as a fiddle and still going strong (although he’s dropped those particular exercises a long while ago).
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That’s brilliant about the no smoking and weight loss Dex and it’s half the battle on the way to fitness.
I remember your thread about getting fitter and perhaps running a half marathon…I thought at the time it was a tad optimistic, but I applaud you for trying. (God loves a try’er)
I was probably a bit naive at the time because I could rattle out a ten mile run every day, but now I’ve come to realise just how far a mile can be and it was a shock at the time when I was told in no uncertain terms that my heart was knackered.
Your friend is an inspiration to us all, and the doctors are not always right, they seem to think that one size fits all medical treatment, but in all fairness, they don’t have the time to get too involved with each of us.
We must recuperate, regroup, and rethink our exercise routines Dex, and be a bit more realistic…
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My neighbour kept fit and decided to go cycling with his son … his son returned home alone
Thanks for the concern LD, I have a very strong heart, my heart consultant advised me to exercise regularly, after all the heart is a muscle, I don’t exercise to the extreme, my veins apparently, are like that of a man’s…
I have known what it’s like to be overweight and lethargic, many years ago, .i hated it and felt a frump because of my size, my turning point was when I saw how toned and slim a friend was, that’s when the penny dropped for me…since exercising, and a good healthy diet, I feel like a youngster…I have regular heart check ups, …
Exercise is a big part of my life and I feel extremely comfortable going out in my gym gear, all well toned…no lardons of fat anymore,
No chocolate either,that makes me feel lethargic after eating it…
If anyone wants to start exercising, start very slowly and work your way up…
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As some of you will know, my main exercise is swimming 40-50 lengths of a 25 metre pool Monday through to Friday. I also do a good walk with the dog every day. I’m not a fan of the gym so haven’t set foot in one for over 40 years. I have a big garden complete with 3 lawns and I get a good workout doing that. AND, believe it or not the Clyde’s give me a good workout as well. 
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I do a full body top to toe stretch and exercise each morning ( when I remember!) and I lie on the end of the bed and air-cycle, have worked up to 300 forwards and 300 reverse so I’m pretty supple and strong, do a Pilates class and walk (not in this heat).
But I’ve got skinny arms since lockdown and I want to build some muscle back, so should I use weights? my friend says baked bean cans are just as good.
And when I get some time to myself I want to start regular swimming again. I was doing 25-30 lengths before lockdown…
Fill empty milk jugs with water and do repeat lifting with them. 
Forwards, backwards, sideways??
10 to the front, up and over your head, 10 to the back, reach as far back and up as you can without overbalancing, 10 to the side (like wings), up and over your head, no bending from the hips. This is for arms and shoulders only.
Please remember to keep the tops screwed on properly…
Thanks Pixie.
What about forearms?
I’ll let you know if there’s a flood!!!
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I think I will have a great deal of trouble exercising now.
The last time I exercised properly was 1999 when I engaged a personal trainer for 10 weeks.
That went very well as I ended up toned and fit.
But as with everything if one does not keep at it then things revert back to what they were.
Right now I feel that with bad ankles, bad knees, sore elbows, sore wrists, I would do myself an injury trying to exercise.
Yes, easy peasy.
Could it be that your bad ankles, bad knees, sore elbows, and sore wrists are a result of not using them Bretrick?
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I think it might be more to do with working in heavy industry since I was 15.
Plus lack of exercise and poor diet.
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You and me both Bretrick, when industry has spit you out at the end of your working life, it doesn’t leave a lot left to work with.
But even when life has dealt you some bad cards, you can still make a decent hand if you try…
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I still have 6 years until I can retire. (25 years of alcoholism saw me waste most of my wages)
I am just now thinking about trying to look after my body better than I have done previously.
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I retired at 60, some 13 years ago Bretrick, I gathered all the broken bits together and ran a few half marathons and embarked on visiting the wild places and spaces of the UK. Another heart attack in 2014 meant that half marathons were knocked on the head, but running continued every other day up to ten miles each session, until finally in 2021 my heart needed the help of a pacemaker and defibrillator. I am now content to do three miles every day come rain or shine, with a sneaky bit of running thrown in for good measure. Amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it…
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These days I still walk about 5/6km each day though at a much slower pace than I used to.
Am in foreign parts at the moment and find that the heat (high 30s) and walking means I now have to sit down more often than I used to but I am still out and about.
I consider myself lucky that I have not had a heart attack and wonder why seemingly healthy, athletic people do, is it just luck, lifestyle or is it down to genes?
Yes, it does make you wonder, genes are obviously invisible, unless you have a very powerful microscope!!!