We walk a lot – always do at least 10,000 steps and often quite a bit more each day. We like it and are sure it’s doing us good, but we’re now doing as much as we reasonably can – we just don’t have time most days to do more.

Last night we saw the MM programme The Tuth About Fitness (It was on catch up, so not sure if it’s the same programme as shown last night.) On that he said doing the High Intensity Interval Training a couple of times a week was as good as longer gym sessions. My plan is to do that, as well as the walking.

In case you missed it, the idea is to jog on the spot for 1 minute to warm up, rest, do star jumps for 1 minute, rest, squats for 1 minute, rest, sprint on the spot for 1 minute, rest, squats, rest, star jumps. Each exercise is done as hard and fast as possible.

Hi Squidge
I’ve just this moment booked the new H I I T class at my gym tomorrow. 11.30. If we survive, we can compare notes.
Good luck xx

I survived my first session, Griannach! I’m sure you will too. Good luck!

Yes, it’ll be interesting to compare doing it at home myself with your gym sessions. Are you doing it on a bike?

Hi Squidge,
I really have no idea, it’s a new class to me. I shall tell you tomorrow if I can still lift my arms…
!

Did you survive?

I did one short session on the 8th and another today. Both very hard work at the time and I felt I’d done a workout. Definitely got my heart rate up. My husband has a heart rate monitor on his fitbit, so I’m going to try to remember to borrow that for next time.

Oh help ma boab, Squidge, only just!
I’d been but the dentist first, and so I had to do the class dribbling from the numbed side of my mouth, attractive.
It was an hour of almost constant moving, we stopped for barely long enough to get the lid off the water bottle. “Up and down” was the worst, lie down on your front on the floor, then get onto your feet, jump in the air and lie down, up again, jump again, for one whole minute! The rest was marginally less hard.’but oh did I feel great that I’d done it, and I’ll be back for more on Monday. Definitely got the heart pumping!!
Well done you for doing yours twice. The Survivors!
xx

Crikey!

That sounds more like intense circuit training rather than what I’m doing which is just the one set of 5 rapid bursts of exercise. According to some experts this gives many of the same benefits as a longer period of exercise, such as you’re doing. Yours will burn more calories of course, as you’re doing so much more.

I plan to do mine 3 or 4 times a week (every other day roughly). That will still be less than half what you’re doing. It’ll be interesting to see if we both end up feeling fitter and which seems easier to stick to.

Hi Squidge,
I admire that you can do this on your own, you have more self discipline than I do. I need a teacher yelling, and in this class we seem to be following instructions from an unseen someone over the loudspeakers too. I wonder if it’s on you tube? I’ll see, and give you a link if it is.

Having someone telling you what to do, and doing things in a group, can be very motivating.

I’ve just realised I posted this in the wrong part of the forum – wonder if I should start again in the exercise session?

Anyway, I’ve now done two weeks of three sessions. It hasn’t been hard to motivate myself to do it, or to find the time. I do it just before I would have had a shower anyway. The time taken to put on suitable clothes and trainers, do the HIIT, do some stretches to cool down and go back upstairs for my shower is less than 20 minutes.

Too early I think to tell if it’s doing much for my fitness, but it must be burning a few more calories than if I didn’t bother and I feel better emotionally for making the effort. My only other exercise is walking, which doesn’t get my heart rate up much, so I feel that doing something more intense as well must be a good thing.