How much Cardio do you put in?

[Pongo]

Hi,

My gym routine is purely for keeping myself active, keeping my joints moving, losing or keeping my weight static or less and making the most of any health benefits. I'm not going for any records, and my diet is pretty decent but needs improving a bit .  I do this routine 3 / 4 times a week:

Cross Trainer 8- 10km, mid level @11kph

Treadmill 2km @10kph

I'll switch from day to day, so the next day will be:

Rowing machine 1km (not at speed) then rest for 5 min then another 1km.

Static bike 8 -10km

Treadmill 2km @ 10 kph

I have found my fitness level has reached a bit of a plateau but I am happy with it, at the age of 52 I'm never going to be a big muscled guy nor a marathon runner, but I'm aiming for a decent balance. Initially I found it really hard going, the trick was to reduce the cardio to a manageable level then build up over time. I sometimes do weights, but purely to keep some mobility and strength up.

Each session I always finish with a traditional Sauna for 30 min with a break and cold shower half way through (best part of the session for me!!).

Be interested to see what you guys do, or if you think my session might do with some adjustment which will be beneficial.

 

[Chris61]

20 minutes ago, Pongo said:

Hi,

My gym routine is purely for keeping myself active, keeping my joints moving, losing or keeping my weight static or less and making the most of any health benefits. I'm not going for any records, and my diet is pretty decent but needs improving a bit .  I do this routine 3 / 4 times a week:

Cross Trainer 8- 10km, mid level @11kph

Treadmill 2km @10kph

I'll switch from day to day, so the next day will be:

Rowing machine 1km (not at speed) then rest for 5 min then another 1km.

Static bike 8 -10km

Treadmill 2km @ 10 kph

I have found my fitness level has reached a bit of a plateau but I am happy with it, at the age of 52 I'm never going to be a big muscled guy nor a marathon runner, but I'm aiming for a decent balance. Initially I found it really hard going, the trick was to reduce the cardio to a manageable level then build up over time. I sometimes do weights, but purely to keep some mobility and strength up.

Each session I always finish with a traditional Sauna for 30 min with a break and cold shower half way through (best part of the session for me!!).

Be interested to see what you guys do, or if you think my session might do with some adjustment which will be beneficial.

honestly that sounds nice to me. Please excuse my poor English. Everyone reaches a plateau one day and if you are happy the way it is, than its fine. If you want to do a little bit better, than maybe train cardio on the basis of your heart rate and do not count km so much. If you would run, lets say 40min with 125 bpm, that would be a good start, rowing and bicycle maybe 120. If you become used to it, than, lets say, put in 1,2,3 hard minutes, in your case maybe 150, as a maximum. Which means: 7min easy (125) and 3min hard (150). Its just an example. I would not recommend a cardio workout below 40min, one hour would be fine. If you do the rowing frequently you maybe could skip the power workout in the gym. Train 5 or 6 days the week, or maybe 3 days on, 1 day off,...; with the time you will find out what is best for you. And make some adjustments at least every 3 months, because you will reach your plateau again...

[BraveNewFahrenheit]

Be nice if they opened the parks again....have not had a run in over a week.

[dj230]

On 8/2/2021 at 7:39 PM, Pongo said:

Hi,

My gym routine is purely for keeping myself active, keeping my joints moving, losing or keeping my weight static or less and making the most of any health benefits. I'm not going for any records, and my diet is pretty decent but needs improving a bit .  I do this routine 3 / 4 times a week:

Cross Trainer 8- 10km, mid level @11kph

Treadmill 2km @10kph

I'll switch from day to day, so the next day will be:

Rowing machine 1km (not at speed) then rest for 5 min then another 1km.

Static bike 8 -10km

Treadmill 2km @ 10 kph

I have found my fitness level has reached a bit of a plateau but I am happy with it, at the age of 52 I'm never going to be a big muscled guy nor a marathon runner, but I'm aiming for a decent balance. Initially I found it really hard going, the trick was to reduce the cardio to a manageable level then build up over time. I sometimes do weights, but purely to keep some mobility and strength up.

Each session I always finish with a traditional Sauna for 30 min with a break and cold shower half way through (best part of the session for me!!).

Be interested to see what you guys do, or if you think my session might do with some adjustment which will be beneficial.

If it works for you I’d keep doing it. One of the main benefits of exercise is stressing the body, so as long as you haven’t adapted to the routine become “easy”, there’s no need to change anything. 

 

[HappyExpat]

The only exercise I will do regularly is riding a pushbike. I enjoy it, and it keeps my bp, blood sugar and weight down. When I was younger I was a regular at a gym, but as I grow longer in the tooth, biking works well for me. Five days a week between 25 and 40 kilometers, averaging 14 kilometers/hour.