Fitness and stuff

[The Basket]

I am a 39 year old male.

What level of basic fitness should I have?

I am not talking about marathons or triathlons. Just the very basics.

My main goal is to stay healthy.

[Spank86]

To stay healthy, not much really as LNG as you're slim and eat ok.

I'd say you ought to be able to run 3-5k depending on terrain but I'll confirm that for you in 9 years time.


Trouble with running is its bad for your joints. If I were you I'd take up swimming.

[DanSp]

The other problem with running is that you start with a small distance... and it just ends up getting longer and longer, then you start entering marathons and stuff....

[Spank86]

...and then your knees or back gives out.

[Winder]

The difference between doing nothing and doing a little is HUGE. If all you want to do is stay healthy just walking and having some control over what you eat will do the job. Getting a step counter is good for motivation on the walking front. Having a cheat day every 2 weeks where you can have a fry up or cake or something makes the diet bit easier too. Good luck

[Biker Biggles]

Get a dog.Or if you cant look after one borrow someone's and walk it regularly.
Apart from the walking they make you relaxed and happy which is good for blood pressure and general wellbeing.

[The Basket]

I was thinking more like how fast should I run 2k or how many press ups in a minute.

Just looking for a basic benchmark that naybe some organisation uses like the military or the police.

[Fallout]

I don't think press-ups are relevant. That's a strength based fitness which while is good for the triceps and pecs isn't doing your cardio system much good. At the end of the day health is mainly about the cardiovascular system and general metabolism. Having said that, if doing 10 press-ups gets you out of breath then it may be a good indication you're unfit.

I think you know when you're unfit. When you do an activity, jog for the bus, or do anything a bit random and find you're out of breath it's definitely time to get exercising. I can't run 5k (actually .. maybe I can, not tried in several years), but walking the dog feels like it's keeping me at a fairly decent level. I can bound up the stairs or dance around like a fool for a few minutes without collapsing in a pool of sweat and heavy breathing, so I consider that reasonable. :)

[L3nny]

I was thinking more like how fast should I run 2k or how many press ups in a minute.

Just looking for a basic benchmark that naybe some organisation uses like the military or the police.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/a/afpt.htm

According to that a 39yo male should be able to do 36 press ups, 42 sit ups and run 2 miles in 17:42

They have this up on the noticeboard of my gym, not tried it to see how I fare yet.

[Winder]

Army PFT is 1.5 miles in 11 minutes, 45 press ups in 2 mins and 55 sit ups in 2 mins if I remember right. Pretty easy unless you don't do press ups ever, 45 in 2 mins sounds easy but that's what most people fail on.

Fire Service is an absolute joke, level 8.4 on the bleep test, that's it! You don't even start to jog until level 3.

[Spank86]

I was thinking more like how fast should I run 2k or how many press ups in a minute.

Just looking for a basic benchmark that naybe some organisation uses like the military or the police.

30 press ups and 2k in under 12mins.

That's what I'd say anyway.

I seem to remember somewhere reading that the police used to have a joining requirement of 30 press ups and 100 sit ups but not sure if it still is/is true.

But again, you're 40... Sit ups will ruin your back.

[Winder]

30 press ups and 2k in under 12mins.

That's what I'd say anyway.

I seem to remember somewhere reading that the police used to have a joining requirement of 30 press ups and 100 sit ups but not sure if it still is/is true.

But again, you're 40... Sit ups will ruin your back.

Think the new requirement is you have to be fat and foreign

[Littlepeahead]

Get a dog.Or if you cant look after one borrow someone's and walk it regularly.
Apart from the walking they make you relaxed and happy which is good for blood pressure and general wellbeing.

You may want to check that relaxed and happy bit with Fallout after what his dog did to his slippers this weekend.

Saw an interesting TV show on BBC a while back about the chap who was thin on the outside and fat on the inside. In other words he wasn't over weight, looked pretty trim for his age but when they tested him he had far too much fat around the internal organs. Which probably makes me 8 1/2 stone of which 6 1/2 stone is internal build up of cheddar.

So if you are a person who hates the gym, can't run due to a dodgy achilles and have the swimming ability of a house brick what exercise would you recommend as I need to do some, but have to be careful after the foot surgery.

[Fallout]

You may want to check that relaxed and happy bit with Fallout after what his dog did to his slippers this weekend.

Yes, overall I'd say my dog has increased my fitness but also increased my stress. Don't give a monkeys about the slippers but they can be a right pain in the ****, especially when you're self employed at home and need to concentrate on really technical work. A dog crying for attention or simply needing a walk when I have a deadline makes my life difficult!

Having said that he's still young. When he gets older he'll be more chilled out. Budget for 1 year of pain and suffering and then things should even out.

[dizzyblonde]

It's what they call skinny fat.

I'm a ball of lard. I like way too many cakes. It expands in winter contracts in summer.

Get an allotment, do some digging, serious digging, throw in some heavy lifting and you are away! Works up a sweat, heart rate, works your core muscles(very important)

Or investigate working your core muscles via weight training. When I'm in that way inclined mood I get out Petes dumbbells that have 7.5kgs attached to both. I have some lifts I do, and then I do steps with them(that's a killer), occasionally other exercises whilst carrying them.



Or somebody could just poke Agy.....she's a fitness instructor type burd!

[fizzwheel]

So if you are a person who hates the gym, can't run due to a dodgy achilles and have the swimming ability of a house brick what exercise would you recommend as I need to do some, but have to be careful after the foot surgery.

Cycling, one of the lowest impact sports in terms of stress on joints etc etc there is.

[krhall]

...and then your knees or back gives out.

I run to keep my back mobile! It actually helps with my bad back!

[krhall]

8:30 min/mile is doable for most after a few weeks of geting your muscles used to running.

[Dipper]

Cycling, one of the lowest impact sports in terms of stress on joints etc etc there is.

This. If you can combine it with commuting to work saves money too:D

Can become very addictive though.....

[Winder]

You just have to work around an injury, there is a million and one exercises and anything is better than nothing.
Example, i smashed my knee in 2007 and running was out of the question so upper body circuit training and some elements of core condition was all i could do, then introduce non impact leg exercise such as cycling and rowing and then walk jog programme and then eventually back to running.
Broken collar bone in 2011 i basically done the reverse, lots of leg overload circuits and slowly intoduced upper body exercise.
If you are injury free some form of cardio twice a week and full body circuit twice a week is perfect. And i'm not talking about £50 a month gym membership here. I have a sit up mat, a chin up bar and 2 dumbells.

[Littlepeahead]

This. If you can combine it with commuting to work saves money too:D

Can become very addictive though.....

My commute is 120 mile round trip and takes 4 hours using train bus and tube so that might be a bit ambitious!

[The Basket]

The us military requiremnt of 2 miles in 18.18 minutes 38 sit ups and 34 press ups is fine.

I can do 34 pressups easy and running is only average 10.6 kph. Will work at sit ups!

These are realistic targets that are hard enough without killing myself.

[L3nny]

Best thing to do is join a gym and have a few sessions with a personal trainer, a good one will work out what's right for you.

[The Basket]

i am member of gym and as ex-military this is good.

Odd eh? When i was in my 20s such targets would be a mere afterthought but nowadays i will take it easy. But no point setting a target which is unachievable and hurting.