Mups - I’ll add to Bob’s answer. Nobody is complaining about you 
It’s not our thread Mups, it’s a place for anyone on this forum to chat and discuss their exercise plans and you are doing so. The more the merrier in here.
We’re not some kind of ‘little clique’ in here, it’s just that it may seem that way because so few people on this forum actually partake in physical exercise. You are welcome any time in here as I know you keep yourself active and fit too :hug:
Yer Mups…Wot he said…:-D:cool:
Really good questions, Mups!
Though you asked OGF, I hope you don’t me chiming in from a female perspective.
When the kids were little, I reduced my workouts and put on weight. For the first time in my life I experience back, foot, and knee pain.
Once I took up running again, all of those issues (plus a few others) disappeared. My siblings with whom I share DNA and general body type - and are not runners - have had many more problems with arthritis, going degeneration, and pain. In fact, my sister, who has spent most of her adult life at a desk is going to need knee replacement and hip surgery, and she’s three years younger than I. She has never run or exercised regularly. My mother, who wasn’t exercising at the time, needed a knee replacement at 55.
The research is showing what I have theorized for a long time; running doesn’t cause osteoarthritis. More, it helps develop long muscles that do the work so the bones and joints don’t have to - thereby protecting them. There are people who have had joint and other injuries from running, but they are likely to have been the result of years of running with poor shoes, failing to let muscles recover, skipping training, or running in poor form. All of these can be avoided with some good advice from a fitness trainer and a little research.
The clock is ensuring that I am slowly but surely falling apart, but the running isn’t to blame. All the bits and parts are feeling pretty good! 
Agreed; the more the merrier. Anytime someone proposes an idea or asks a question, it’s refreshing. This thread is like the great outdoors - there aren’t any walls and it belongs to everybody. .
Not been here before
I played golf today first time in a month god was I tired when I got home slept for two hours just got back in from walking the dog (not a euphemism0
Playing again on Monday should be better
)
Thank you all for your patience. I’ve got an active mind and like to try and understand things, that’s all. 
Vaniy! How did you do? I am sure it felt great to be out there again. Let us know how you do on Monday.
Mups, you are welcome, but there was absolutely no patience required in asking a question that is really a center of debate, research, and concern about how much and what kind of exercise is best as we get older. Trust me, a lot more patience was needed while the high school team waited for me to finish my last harrowing lap before they could start track practice today 
. Five miles at a so-so pace.
How did I do if you know about golf we play Am/Am
If this is all double dutch
We play in teams of four best two scores to count
Our team scored 91 we thought that was quite good but one of the other teams scored the same so we had to share the money
Watch this space for Monday update
That’s a great response Surfermom.
Lovely to see a newbie in here, Vaniy (I think we’ve met before somewhere?:confused2:).
Golf is new to this thread too and a sport which I haven’t really played too much (I’ve had a few small attempts years ago), so there’s plenty of walking and mostly shoulder exercises there I reckon. Good stuff
Finally I got around to the second session of my new weekly 4-part plan, the more intensive workout of the week. For good measure I even added the Session #3, my cardio work to the occasion. It wasn’t that I was raring to go or anything as although my cold has all but dried up I still have the aggravating coughing all the time which is now making me depressed. So with that in mind I got my act together and pulled out all the stops to concentrate on the thing which most keeps things off my mind, a gym workout. It went better than I thought.
For the record, this second routine features four main exercises totalling 100 reps each. The weights are set too, but with this in place and to give me a future idea of any alterations I need to make, they will be the starting weights the next time I do this particular routine (in Week 3).
This routine is predominantly for stamina, not so much strength, although it does get very strenuous toward the final reps of each set.
A late alteration to this programme is in fact an addition as the four sets went rather quickly – so I’ve added a further eight exercises. These are supplementary exercises (arm curls, pushdowns etc.) which will be done for two sets apiece, again adjusting the weight for next time.
Saturday 5/1/19 Time: 2hr. 15mins. (total for both sessions).
Week 1/Session 2: “40-30-20-10”. 4 sets – same weight, decreasing reps each set + Extras (2 sets as above).
(All weights in kilogrammes)
Fly delt dec:
40x65, 30x65, 20x65, 10x65
*Just about right with the weight on this. I’ll keep it at 65kg for next time.
Arm curl, both arms (machine version):
40x25, 30x25, 20x25, 10x25
*This was a killer! I didn’t forward-plan how many reps on the biceps at this weight I could manage and my arms were giving it all they had. I did complete the series of sets but only just and I didn’t want the rest of the day’s session to be cut short in future, so I’ve decided to decrease the weight on this by 5kg for next time.
Single DB press:
40x40, 30x40, 20x40, 10x40
*Without thinking, and as I started these reps I suddenly realised that the bench was on a 15° incline. This is correct for the DB presses I do in other routines but with a heavy weight like this I need a fully flat bench so that I can swing myself back up again from lying down to a seated position without dropping the weight in my hands. It also makes the reps much more difficult as you’re going “against the angle” as you lift up. (The incline setting is more suited for the chest than the triceps btw). But with difficulty I did manage the whole 100 reps, though next time I’ll remember to place the bench flat. To compensate though, I’ll be using a slightly heavier 42kg dumbbell next time.
E-Z curl, seated preacher bench:
40x18, 30x18, 20x18, 10x18
*My favourite exercise. A very light weight on this but it needed to be so I could complete all of the reps, which of course get harder to perform as I go along. However, it worked a treat as the biceps were sticking out like cricket balls by the time I’d done the (very slow) final 10 reps. Weight staying as it is for session #3.
EXTRAS (2 sets)
Triceps bar, standing:
10x30, 10x30
Rope pushdowns:
15x20, 15x20
*Increase to 25kg next time.
Arm curl, alt (machine):
12x20, 12x20
*Same machine as exercise No.2 above but using alternate arms, not both together. Able to add 5kgs next time I’m sure.
Pinwheel curl, standing, alt.:
6x15, 6x15
Bicep curls, standing, alt.:
6x16, 6x16
DB curl, seated, preacher bench, alt.:
6x16, 6x16
High-pull bicep cable curls:
12x20, 12x20
Sled leg press:
25x150, 25x150
*All of the above five sets will remain with the weight the same for next time, which will see this workout transform into Session #3 in two weeks’ time.
NB. The sled press will be done every session just as a “top-up” until my full legs session takes place (#4) as the final routine each week.
Week 1/Session 3: Cardio. 45mins.
On with the cardio as an add-on to today’s events. I was feeling rather “worked out” after all the weights and wasn’t particularly looking forward to doing any cardio but it had to be done as yesterday’s plans went out of the window, having to stay in and wait for the doctor to ring (it was only at 5pm that she finally called!:mad:).
There was no way on earth I was about to slog my guts out trying to beat any previous distances though - that would have finished me off, so instead I took a semi-leisurely pace instead and surprisingly came quite close to last week’s targets.
Rower:
Time: 10mins / Distance: 2.15km
(Personal best time: 2.40km)
*I really didn’t need this extra arm pulling but swapping over form overarm to underarm each minute or two relieved some of the stress from the weights. Plus, it’s good for stretching too.
Treadmill:
Time: 25mins / Distance: 2.70km
(Personal best time: 2.74km)
*Plodding along whilst watching “Top Gear” on the big TV in front of me took my mind off the banality of this machine. Seemed like an age until 25 minutes was finally done.
Bike:
Time: 10mins / Distance: 5.36km
(Personal best time: 5.56km)
*I enjoyed the bike much more as I could go pretty much flat out, my legs unaffected by today’s earlier session. Going very fast racked up my distance too, which is normally achieved by the resistance being set much harder.
So with my personal best distances on the cardio remaining in place and still to beat, that’s three out of my four sessions completed. Legs tomorrow.
Thanks for reading
Happy New Year all. I just took the plunge and joined a Gym that’s easier to get to, and they are very high tech. They give you a slot-in keyfob that you log in with when you enter the gym, and then plug it in to each machine you use. It records what you do, so you can look it up on a terminal in the Gym and also download an app to record it on your phone. All cunning stuff!
What’s really great is that it’s the perfect gym to “upgrade” to, as they have exactly the same machinery as they do at Age UK, with the bonus of all the more strenuous techy machines as well as free weights. I can warm up on the machines I’m used to and then have a go on the heavier machinery. How great is that! Another advantage is that it is open in the evenings and at weekends. Just had the induction session and will start recording data next week - as long as I keep remembering to plug the keyfob in! 
Tachyon, that’s great and a happy new year to you buddy
I love the sound of that new gym. Is it much further away for you?
That ID card idea with the figures stored in the machines is a great idea. As you work out you’ll be able to check on your previous best efforts and that can only make you work harder. Love it!
The bus drops me off about 300 yards away, which is great. The other “big gym” I used was about a 20 minute walk to get there and another to get back to the bus stop. My legs are much better but after a gym session they feel the aches a bit and the walk back was not fun.
Just downloaded the MyWellness app which links to the machines at the gym. I’ll be ready to record automatically next week. You can set up training regimes and planned goals on it too. If only I remember to log in and out! Also, the older non-techy machines obviously can’t have data recorded, so I might have to use them purely as warm-ups now. The wonders of technology, eh… I remember when all you needed to do is count the reps and note the weights you were using, and now the keyfob does it all for you.
Sounds good mate
Can you automatically send your training reports to this forum? That would be good
I’m still using pen and paper in the gym. Suits me fine as I don’t see how my write-up would work on an app.
Question for Floyd:
If a person is seriously ill, not likely to ever get better, would you advise then to try to exercise anyway, (like walking for instance). Do you think it would help them have an easier time?
Surfermom, my apologies, I have only just seen your reply, and thankyou for explaining. 
I have some foot problems so running would not be for me.
I have been doing Yoga for abot 8 years now and this has kept me flexible, but doesn’t get your heart pumping much, so I feel I need a different kind of exercise as well as the Yoga.
I am not a swimmer, so that wouldn’t work for me either.
I think they key to doing well is it has to be something you enjoy doing. It won’t work if you hate every minute of it and have to force yourself.
I will get searching now Christmas is out the way. Maybe I will re-join the gym I left last year.
Thanks for everyone’s thoughts, it is interesting hearing how you all get on, and what a nice friendly thread this is - unlike some of the others lately. 
No idea, Floydy. It would be interesting if that worked though. At least with these machines I can see the Kg weights, too. Once I get the hang of it I’ll see what can be done.
Well, speaking personally from my own experience, I’d rather have strong legs that were painful than weak legs that were painful. In my case the exercise can cause no tissue or bone damage because it’s inflammation caused by my over-active immune system. My new medication, Methotrexate, is suppressing my immune system and the legs have improved a bit, but all illnesses are different. My strategy might not help someone else. It might make things worse.
Hiya Bluey:cool:
It would depend on their type of illness for a start. I can’t say. If you were more specific, i.e. is it physical or mental? Has the person lost any limbs? Does the person have cancer or some other serious illness?
I would only suggest that if a person with an illness that doesn’t affect too much immobility can at least go for a walk, then yes, that would certainly improve their quality of life. Much better than vegetating in an armchair until the end of days.
But as I say, you need to clarify the actual issue 
Hi Mups, forgive me for highlighting part of your text destined for Surfermom to answer, but I’ll butt in if I may…
Your first quote there reminds me of the so-called “New Year Fatties” who join gyms or start to go for a jog every January 1st with the best intentions to lose the weight they have put on over Christmas. It never works.
Whilst they are commendable for trying, it is only the people who actually want to exercise who will enjoy it as you say and stay the course. Those who need to lose weight will invariably falter and drift away from it within a month or so. It’s like anything - it has to be inbuilt in your psyche, i.e. it’s like a hobby. You have to be interested to begin with or you’ll stop doing it.
It’s a lovely thread, Mups. We all get along famously. Yes, I know I have some set-to’s on a few of the other threads but that’s because I am the type of person who can not sit on the fence. I speak my mind and it’s tough if others don’t like it. At least I’m being honest.