40+ Workout Challenge (October)

fitnfun1
fitnfun1 Posts: 234 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
Are you 40 and older and need a good workout regime to help lose those pesky pounds? After doing some research, I found some helpful tips that I am turning into a monthly challenge.

* 6 small meals throughout the day with lunch being the biggest meal.
This will help our metabolisms be more efficient. Of course eating healthy meals is the best way to go. Let us know what snacks and meals are working best for you and what is giving you the best energy.

*60 minutes of working out for 6 days of the week.
Mainly cardio. This can be broken down such as two 30 minute workouts, one in the morning, one in the evening. Or you can do a 40 min./20 min. schedule, etc. Any type of workout is game if you get at least 12-20 min. of being in your target heart rate zone. Bonus points to those who are doing interval intensity training which helps boost metabolism even more.

*20 minutes of strength training (ST) at least 3 times a week. ***This is during your 60 minutes*** per day, not in addition to. This means that on the days of ST, you can do 40 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of ST or do a workout that includes both at the same time such as a kettlebell, medicine ball or a resistance band cardio workout.

*Check in after each workout to stay accountable.
Let us know what kind of workout you are doing and how this schedule is working for you. We would love to hear from you if you have some success on this challenge or if you need support to get you through the challenge.

This challenge officially starts tomorrow. I hope you will join me!
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Replies

  • mspix
    mspix Posts: 153
    I'm in! Thank you for the challenge! I am hoping the challenge will help me to increase the ST on my schedule. Currently, I average 40-60 minutes a day of cardio, so my challenge will be to let go of 20 of those 'quick calorie burn' minutes so I can increase those muscles that I am sure are hiding there somewhere!

    6 small meals a day has been key for me. My diary is open, anyone who wants a look, feel free. I don't believe in deprivation, so I do the math everyday and make room for those things I really want. You may notice that I am a fan of red wine and dark chocolate (those are supplements, my friends! :tongue: )

    Looking forward to some new ideas, tips and tricks!
  • sherrillg
    sherrillg Posts: 317 Member
    I'm in too!! Love a challenge. For me the cardio is a piece of cake...just got to make myself do the ST...Now I have a REASON! :-) I usually stick to about 6 feedings a day! But i will have to work on checking in each day...sometimes it gets to be so time consuming!! LOL Feel free to friend me, then you can pester me if I miss a day!! Thanks all...it's great getting to know you!
  • guessgigi
    guessgigi Posts: 28 Member
    I'm in too! Need the challenge. Thanks!!
  • mspix
    mspix Posts: 153
    I picked up a dvd at Walmart for $3 the other day, Golds Gym 'Muffin Top Meltdown' (title made me laugh). Tried it for the first time today, it is a great, basic workout with no fancy moves but really gets the heart rate up! My thighs, glutes and abs are going to feel this one tomorrow!

    Day 1, part 1: 20 Cardio/10 ST
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
    Count me in - I've been slacking for the past 1-2 months, but really want to get back to 60 min/day of exercise - that's what I seem to need to do to lose weight. Now that the weather is finally cooler and I can go out and run, I should be able to do it - just need a little push like this challenge :-)

    So far for 8/1 - 32 min running, will get another 30 min of something later today.
  • guessgigi
    guessgigi Posts: 28 Member
    I started the Leslie Sansone 4 mile super challenge for 60 minutes to help build up my endurance. 379 calories burned for 60 minutes. I felt really good afterward for a 40 year old who hasn't exercised in a while. :wink: :happy: :flowerforyou:
  • fitnfun1
    fitnfun1 Posts: 234 Member
    It is so great to have you all with me! Today I did a 58 minute bike ride and then 10 min. of kettlebell. I did not do the 6 small meals so tomorrow I will be working on that.

    Terri - That title is a riot! It's amazing how DVD's can be found for $3 now. There literally is no real good excuses anymore.

    Guessgigi - Great start! I started with Leslie a few years back when I was out of practice for working out. She is a great starting point.

    srp2011 - Did you get your other 30 min. in?

    Sherrilg - How'd you do today?

    Thanks everyone for joining me. This is going to be fun!
  • fitnfun1
    fitnfun1 Posts: 234 Member
    My posts are not updating on the friend section. I will check in each day though. :O)
  • sherrillg
    sherrillg Posts: 317 Member
    Meals were not my friend today. Too many things to do and the twins wanted pizza...I didn't eat. Will do better there tomorrow.

    Exercise - about 90 mins of walking but not enough to get my heart rate up - back to the Y tomorrow (actually...i'm going to go swing my kettlebell while watching tv for a bit :-))

    Water - easy peasy! LOVE water!

    Good luck everyone!
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
    Didn't quite get to 60 minutes today, but did add another 10 minutes of walking, plus 50 squats, 30 lunges, and 25 pushups on top of the 5K this morning. Did pretty well on food today - I don't do 6 official meals, but I kind of 'graze' with snacks throughout the day (some days healthier than others :-) ).
  • mspix
    mspix Posts: 153
    GuessGiGi: Great start! I have heard good things about Leslie Sansone.

    FitnFun: Nice ride. Bicycling is something I am interested in picking up again. It has been YEARS since I rode.

    Sherrillg: Some days are just more challenging, eh? One day at a time. 90 minutes of walking, is still great, regardless of your heart rate. You are still moving more than those that never got off their couch ;)

    srp: Sounds like a great day, to me! I am impressed with the squats/lunges. Those two things are mine sworn enemies, lol.

    For myself, I did not add additional 'official workouts', however I spent 2 hours scrubbing walls, so I did count it as I worked up a pretty good sweat. My daughter challenged me to a 'Wii-off' last night, which induced some sweating, too. The wall ball game is a lot of fun!
    Sunday is typically my day off, so probably won't log exercise but will be mindful of my menu choices!
  • fitnfun1
    fitnfun1 Posts: 234 Member
    Checking in for Day 2. I did a 20 min. kettlebell workout, 10 min. of walking and 30 min. of cardio resistance band workout. I'm exhausted, but happy. I only made it to 5 meals today so I definitely need to remember to fit in another meal.

    How did you do today?
  • mspix
    mspix Posts: 153
    Started the week with my favorite, Turbo Jam! The workout I chose has 40 minutes of cardio, 5 minutes of band work. My plan will be to do an additional 15 minutes of ST this evening.
  • guessgigi
    guessgigi Posts: 28 Member
    I did my 60 minute work out again with Leslie Sansome but I divided it up in 2miles. One in am and one in pm. She uses the band during the 2 mile walk for ST. As far as food goes I think I did pretty good. Tuesday, Here I come!! :wink:
  • fitnfun1
    fitnfun1 Posts: 234 Member
    I forgot to post last night. I ended up doing 20 min. Turbo Jam/20 min. Kettlebell and then 20 min. of ST. I ended up with 5 meals instead of 6 so I need to fit one more in and possible make one meal smaller. I did feel hungry in the afternoon, which I normally don't so the smaller meals does change your appetite. I hope this is a good sign.

    guessgigi - Doing well!

    Terri - I hope you were able to do your extra ST. It has been challenging to stick it in since I too love cardio, but I am finding some ST DVD's that make it more fun. Or simply watching tv while doing some weights works too.

    srp - How are you doing?
  • mspix
    mspix Posts: 153
    I did not get in my extra ST yesterday, too many people/distractions at home in the evenings. I really have to try to get my workouts in the morning as that is when I have the house mostly to myself. With the days getting shorter, it is going to become more challenging to sneak in a walk or run in the evenings, too. I *did* get 20 minutes in today, though! I used my 10 minute solution dvd, using resistance bands. Added to the 20 minute TJ, and 5 minutes of hula hooping (THAT will make you sweat, holy COW!) I think today looks good. I am going to try for another 10-20 minutes of cardio this evening.

    Gigi: Congrats on getting in your workouts!

    FitnFun: Good for you on getting in the ST! Smaller meals will change your appetite (at least it has mine), you are basically re-training your system on when it is hungry.
  • sherrillg
    sherrillg Posts: 317 Member
    Oh, my! Told you checking in would be a challenge for me!

    Sunday: ST - 50min; walk/run intervals - 30min; Kettlebell - 10min; hulahoop - 15min
    Monday: very brisk walk - 40min; kettlebell - 10min; hulahoop - 20min
    Tuesday: hulahoop - 20min; kettlebell - 10min (missed my walk because work was way crazy! it happens)

    Meals are going well. Sometimes feel like I'm grazing! But it seems to work for me! :happy:

    I promise to try to be better at checking in! (it's hard to go back and recap what I did...maybe that will be incentive!)

    Looks like everyone is doing GREAT! Keep it up!!
  • mspix
    mspix Posts: 153
    Good job, Sherrill! I am loving the hula hoop. So much fun! Are you doing a program of some sort, or just hula-ing?

    Today I did 40 minutes of Turbo Jam (love that workout, it doesn't feel like a workout!) and 20 minutes of The Muffin Top Meltdown *giggle*. That workout is actually pretty intense (as well as a great deal at $3!) and I definitely feel it, especially in the abs and legs! Jennifer Galardi is a lot of fun (she leads one of the workouts) so I may look into more by her.
  • guessgigi
    guessgigi Posts: 28 Member
    hi everyone!! Yesterday was not so great for me. I was feeling like I was coming down with a cold and overate a little. ugh! Took vitamin c and went to bed. Amazingly today I woke up feeling really good. Came home and did Leslie Sansones 5 mile walk which includes ST. Have some calories left over and so feel pretty good about that. Now excited for tomorrow. I will have to look into some other workout so I don't get bored. Sounds like you guys have some good ones! Have a great Thursday everyone!!
  • balston2010
    balston2010 Posts: 62 Member
    can i still join?
  • mspix
    mspix Posts: 153
    guessgigi: sounds like a good day, even with a pesky cold! Good job! I agree on mixing up the work outs.

    balston: I think you can jump right in! Welcome :flowerforyou:


    My day is going to be a challenge due to the dreaded out of town lunch meeting :huh: Only had time for 30 minutes this morning, and probably won't get any more in for the day, unfortunately. I will have to try to make up for it during the rest of the week!

    Have a great day everyone!
  • fitnfun1
    fitnfun1 Posts: 234 Member
    Balston - Welcome! You can join at any time.

    So, on Monday, I did my first 30 min. workout which was a Cardio Resistance Band workout, and then I hurt my foot. I don't know how, but I did. This was the foot I broke last year. I think I landed on in funny. It didn't feel so good, so instead of forcing myself through the pain, I decided to take the rest of that day and the next day off. After dealing with that foot for over a year, I do not want to completely re-injure it.

    I will be back today doing low impact, and I will probably be low impact the rest of the week. No jumping around for me. The good news, I can still get a decent cardio without jumping around if I exaggerate my moves. There is a lady in one of my DVD's that is does the low impact and she is a great example of how to get into the moves to make them more effective. It takes more concentration and focus on the moves, but I'll do what I have to.

    I have been able to do 5 small meals so far. I really need to be disciplined to stop work and get another snack in. I have been feeling hungry these days due to the shift. I hope this is a good sign.

    Terri - I love Jennifer! I think I have 3 of her workouts. I'll need to keep my eye out for that workout.

    Gigi - Feel better and if you need DVD's, have you looked on the Collage Video site? They have video clips of almost every workout. http://www.collagevideo.com


    Sherrill - Another hula hooper? Maybe I do need to try this again, especially since it is low impact. Are there dvd's out there for hoola hoop?

    I'll check back in this evening to be accountable, but I wanted to let you know what happened. I'm still with you!
  • fitnfun1
    fitnfun1 Posts: 234 Member
    I gave it a try working out later since that is the only time I had today. I did 30 min. Kettlebell and 15 min. Resistance band. So 45 min., 15 min. shy. For meals, I didn't do so well too. I have some deadlines this week, but I guess that is an excuse. Maybe I need to set the alarm so I get up to get a snack. The good news is I did something, and I drank my water and took my supplements.

    I'm hoping tomorrow will be better. How did you do today?
  • mspix
    mspix Posts: 153
    Good job on getting that workout in! I know how hard it can be to squeeze them in, especially in the evening. Not being familiar with your work space, is it possible to keep a few granola bars and maybe some low sugar hot chocolate on hand? Depending on the brands, those two items can equal 150-200 calories, which I find to be about right for a mini-meal. Just a thought :)

    Today I did 40 minutes of TJ, 10 minutes of 5lb weights, and 5 minutes of hula-hoop. I guess that leaves me 5 minutes of something left, lol. Maybe I will do some squats here at work.

    This challenge is really helping me focus on more specific goals, thank you!
  • guessgigi
    guessgigi Posts: 28 Member
    My day started out ok and was counting on working out after dinner but wasn't able to. New goal to change workouts to am to make sur and get them in everyday. Good job mspix and fit fun on your work outs!! :drinker:
  • sherrillg
    sherrillg Posts: 317 Member
    Wed - ST-25mins; ATM-10mins; Kettlebell-15mins
    Thurs - Rheum appt - Synvisc shots in both knees - no major exercise - slow walking - 60min
    Fri - (back on schedule) - ST-30mins; Wii Biggest Loser - 30mins; Kettlebell-5mins; Elliptical-10mins; walking- 80mins

    THREE weight trainings in this week!!! - I love challenges that make me do what I know I should be doing!!!

    Wk 1:
    * 6 small meals throughout the day with lunch being the biggest meal. CHECK
    * 60 minutes of working out for 6 days of the week. ONLY 4/7 this week, will improve next week!
    * 20 minutes of strength training (ST) at least 3 times a week CHECK
    * Check in after each workout to stay accountable. UMMMM...not so good...

    Good news...I have room to improve for next week!!!

    Good job everyone!
  • fitnfun1
    fitnfun1 Posts: 234 Member
    Friday was a wash. I did manage to get in 30 min. of a resistance band cardio workout. Today, I did a 40 min. kettlebell to start out right. I need to work on the 6 small meals. I have not been so good with this. At least I am not pigging out at meals.

    Terri - great job! Your last workout was very well rounded! The strength training is making a difference for me. I used to be mostly cardio too. Since adding ST, I am now back into my skinny jeans of the size I am now in. Now to get down to the next lower size! I can tell the difference in my legs mostly and my butt. It's a start!

    Sherrill - You are working it! I can't believe you did slow walking on the day of your shots. That is above and beyond amazing. And don't worry, it looks like the first week was a tough one to get started for all of us. We will all rock it next week!

    Gigi - I'm finding that I also have to get my first workout in the morning or I won't get all 60 min. in. I can only seem to do 30-45 min. at night and then I am spent. So, I need to make sure I take the break to do 20-30 min. in the morning. It is so hard when there is work to do.

    I think I am going to do some rowing later today. That's always fun since I can zone out while listening to music or watching tv. Have a great Saturday!
  • fitnfun1
    fitnfun1 Posts: 234 Member
    PS How are you guys doing on your water intake. I have to force myself to drink it sometimes. The good news is the weather warrants hot tea again, so I will be drinking tons now! :O)
  • fitnfun1
    fitnfun1 Posts: 234 Member
    My day started out ok and was counting on working out after dinner but wasn't able to. New goal to change workouts to am to make sur and get them in everyday. Good job mspix and fit fun on your work outs!! :drinker:

    I hope that is low calorie beer. Cheers!
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
    Well, I fell off the wagon this week - too many work deadlines (and I work for myself so they really are non-negotiable) and everything just fell apart, but I am recomitting myself, and I've resolved to make the healthy eating and exercising a priority this week, because I'm going to stay busy, so I just need to get used to it, and make it work. Today I got in 60 minutes of exercise (40 running, 20 walking), and did well with the eating, so now all I have to do is keep doing this :-)

    Glad to see everyone else is doing so well :-)
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