Fitness Apps

[Andy in Germany]

I'm trying to find a way to improve my general physique, in particular the post 40 stomach that seems to be developing with enthusiasm. It's not particularly big, but then neither am I, so it tends to show.

I'm trying to eat as little as possible, and keep what I do eat healthy; I'm constantly moving at work and rarely sit all day, and have to walk back and forth across a fairly large building several times a day, and then several more to retrieve what I've forgotten., but this fat won't burn.

I don't want to be ripped or anything, but it would be feel most unfair to have a beer belly, even a small one, when I don't drink beer. Also, some more upper body strength will help when lugging bicycles and unscrewing bottom brackets and pedal cranks. My upper body isn't bad for my size (168cm) but there's room for improvement.

I don't want to go to a gym, partly because of cost and also because eww, people, and I recently saw an app that offered to help set goals and then give a daily set of exercises which didn't require weights for a month to try and achieve those goals. Only problem was, it crashed on day 2.

Does anyone have a recommendation for an app that:

• Helps me set realistic goals and a timescale,
• Doesn't require equipment,
• can be done at home,
• Starts with a few minutes a day and builds up.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Slick]

Welcome to middle age mate.

 

[gzoom]

Welcome to middle age mate.

A middle age pregnancy can be avoided with some effort .

Part of the reason I use the Peloton app so much (4-5 times a week). No need for the gym, just some weights bought from Argos and making 20-30 minutes of time.

At 41, my bodies muscle to fat ratio is the best ever. Not quite there yet but a proper 6 pack for the summer holidays this year is the aim!

 

[PaulSB]

I'm trying to find a way to improve my general physique, in particular the post 40 stomach that seems to be developing with enthusiasm. It's not particularly big, but then neither am I, so it tends to show.

I'm trying to eat as little as possible, and keep what I do eat healthy; I'm constantly moving at work and rarely sit all day, and have to walk back and forth across a fairly large building several times a day, and then several more to retrieve what I've forgotten., but this fat won't burn.

I don't want to be ripped or anything, but it would be feel most unfair to have a beer belly, even a small one, when I don't drink beer. Also, some more upper body strength will help when lugging bicycles and unscrewing bottom brackets and pedal cranks. My upper body isn't bad for my size (168cm) but there's room for improvement.

I don't want to go to a gym, partly because of cost and also because eww, people, and I recently saw an app that offered to help set goals and then give a daily set of exercises which didn't require weights for a month to try and achieve those goals. Only problem was, it crashed on day 2.

Does anyone have a recommendation for an app that:

• Helps me set realistic goals and a timescale,
• Doesn't require equipment,
• can be done at home,
• Starts with a few minutes a day and builds up.

Many thanks in advance.

I tackled this problem during lockdown for different reasons, it is very achievable but the number one thing is you do not need an app! What you do need is a set of stretches, exercises and moves which will help you achieve your targets. A gym is completely unnecessary and if you're anything like me it would take longer to get to and from the gym than actually do the exercise at home. I have a routine which takes between 25-45 minutes each day depending on how I feel and how busy I am. It does include weights, and I have some, but initially there is no reason why you can't substitute those weights with household items. To begin with it's not so much about the weight but about the control lifting a weight forces on your movement. Use a couple of 400g tins of soup, find a couple of one litre plastic bottles, fill with water and you have a set of 1Kg weights!

The only app needed is you, a set of scales and some motivation. I find timing each move on my phone useful as I'm poor at counting out the seconds.

I suggest spending time looking for an app is just prevarication

"Trying to eat as little as possible" will not help you lose weight. What will help is cutting out the things which are packed with calories which don't actually benefit your body. Diet isn't about reducing what you eat but about making sure you eat the right things to fuel your daily activities.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I tackled this problem during lockdown for different reasons, it is very achievable but the number one thing is you do not need an app! What you do need is a set of stretches, exercises and moves which will help you achieve your targets. A gym is completely unnecessary and if you're anything like me it would take longer to get to and from the gym than actually do the exercise at home. I have a routine which takes between 25-45 minutes each day depending on how I feel and how busy I am. It does include weights, and I have some, but initially there is no reason why you can't substitute those weights with household items. To begin with it's not so much about the weight but about the control lifting a weight forces on your movement. Use a couple of 400g tins of soup, find a couple of one litre plastic bottles, fill with water and you have a set of 1Kg weights!

The only app needed is you, a set of scales and some motivation. I find timing each move on my phone useful as I'm poor at counting out the seconds.

I suggest spending time looking for an app is just prevarication

"Trying to eat as little as possible" will not help you lose weight. What will help is cutting out the things which are packed with calories which don't actually benefit your body. Diet isn't about reducing what you eat but about making sure you eat the right things to fuel your daily activities.

The problem is I've tried this a dozen times but without a goal (or a long commute) I lose motivation pretty quickly. I liked the app because it ran in 28 day modules and seemed to have some science behind it and because it used my own body weight, rather than requiring me to clutter up my already tiny apartment with more stuff. I actually started but lost motivation when I didn't have a direction any more. Saying "do x amount of this a day" doesn't seem to work.

As to eating, I try and eat healthily but I'm also somewhat inexpert on this. I'm trying to get the balance between "eating healthily" and having an energy crash at the end of the day, or falling asleep in meetings. I think a lot of diets are drawn up for people who drive to work and sit in an office, not people who cycle to work and then work standing or walking about.

As to weights, I lug bikes up and down stairs all the time.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I'm very, very far from an expert so ......

so it tends to show.

I'm pretty sure that some of us just have what I term a "cuddly" outline. I dropped a lot of weight for a while but retained my "cuddly" belly.
Experts say that there is no way to target weight loss in particular areas of the body - no exercises to lose a belly. The body drops the weight where it will. Targeted exercises can certainly tone areas, though.

I'm trying to eat as little as possible, and keep what I do eat healthy

As said above, this may not be about eating as little as possible, just eating better, or getting the right exercise, and probably the two in conjunction. Timing is important too.
It is suggested that exercise first thing in the morning, before breakfast, is very beneficial and that drinking lots of water, especially before meals, helps reduce appetite and over-eating, for example.
Something that is generally overlooked in all kinds of health areas is sleep. I have learned, speaking only for myself, that sleep is a very good indicator and driver of health. Also essential to positive motivation.
Anecdotally, I know people who swear off bread, pasta and the like and are convinced it helps them lose weight.

this fat won't burn.

All fat will burn but.... but fat reserves are essential and I think we hold our fat in different places. (most definitely not an expert!)

I don't want to go to a gym,

As always when there's a problem and a solution is rejected out of hand, I'd encourage you to look again and ask why.
As someone who has avoided gyms for all my adult life, recent circumstances pushed me in that direction. I resisted and resisted, made excuses, walked up to the door - twice! - before walking away until finally I tiptoed in. Small, surprisingly cheap and very, very friendly it has become a highlight of my day. Sometimes highlights!
I'm very surprised at myself, but also very proud!
The other night I even went out for a run, in public, for the first time ever in my life! I thought I hated running! Turns out, I don't!

Some people reject cycling because of Lycra. I know how much you like your Lycra

I recently saw an app that offered to help set goals and then give a daily set of exercises which didn't require weights for a month to try and achieve those goals. Only problem was, it crashed on day 2.

Which app would help and why did it crash? Free ones can be pretty crappy. Older phones can cause problems too.

Starts with a few minutes a day and builds up.

There are a lot of goal oriented apps out there like "couch to 5 k".

But the problem seems to be....

I lose motivation pretty quickly

That's the key and only you can answer that, I'm afraid.

Google has its own Fitness app that allows you to put in your own goals such as steps per day. There are others but I know little about them.

You may want to consider a cheap sports/fitness watch. I got one in lockdown and I found it useful as a prompt to get out for a walk and to record steps. I recently bought another for similar reasons. €40. I was "walking a lot anyway, but my default style was very slow. The watch was useful for making me work hard for 20 minutes or half an hour. If you're that way inclined, most can be hooked in to Strava or the like as a familiar recording tool.

You may also find similar on YouTube. Certainly, there is no shortage of home workouts that can be seen.

Things that have worked for me, motivation wise, in the past are:
The smartwatch above. They all have their own apps, pretty basic and not terribly scientific, but they do act as a prompt and a record.
Incorporated something else into the exercise. For example, walks are also learning vocabulary or tenses in a foreign language.
Photos. This is a big one. Photos of things that I saw or achieved. I'm not the kind to try and beat my time from yesterday, but looking for a different perspective on a regular walking/biking route, especially as seasons change, can be a big incentive for me to get out.
An alarm to act as a reminder to do something, anything. That can be automatic or tailored day by day.
Mental (self) claps on the back when I do something "good" and a big dollop of forgiveness when I don't.

I read somewhere once that it takes 20-25 "repetitions" to form a habit.
So for example, if I want to go for a 10 minute brisk walk before breakfast every morning, I have to work at it, suffer it, psyche myself up for it for some of those 25 days (not all) but that after that, it's "built in", just a part of my normal day. For me, that has been a useful visualisation to help create better habits in all kinds of ways. Once a habit, it can tolerate the odd wobble without being derailed.

A "training" buddy may help some people.

In any case, Spring is Springing and longer evenings, warmer weather and more sunlight can have the effect of lifting mood, changing diet and spending more time outdoors.

Best of luck!

 

[gzoom]

The only app needed is you, a set of scales and some motivation.

That's like saying to smokers, why not just stop smoking, its easy, how about anyone a bit overweight - just eat less, use some motivation

 

[gzoom]

The problem is I've tried this a dozen times but without a goal (or a long commute) I lose motivation pretty quickly. I liked the app because it ran in 28 day modules and seemed to have some science behind it and because it used my own body weight, rather than requiring me to clutter up my already tiny apartment with more stuff. I actually started but lost motivation when I didn't have a direction any more. Saying "do x amount of this a day" doesn't seem to work.

This is why I love Peloton - actually addicted. I started with their light weight/body strength programs, and now do their more advance programs with decent weight dumbells.

The App has free 30 day trial I think, they have all kinds of programs, plenty of body weight stuff and the most equipment you need is cheap dumdbells. For me the results are amazing if you stick to their program.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Not an app, but you could get a book to help structure and give context to what you are doing.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/matt-roberts-younger-fitter-stronger-9781472964496/

 

[gzoom]

@Andy in Germany What ever you do, you need to be patient and stick with it. Eatting less is also key to avoiding middle age physic we all don't want. Strength workouts are great but the kitchen is where I personally find the hardest to focus on.

It's taken me over 18 months to get to now when am OK with my body shape, but aim is to get to 69kg and below 15% body fat.

I still use all the motivational tools I can get hold off, and do my best to not make up excuses like 'muscle is heavier than fat' stuff you can tell yourself, or the whole 'BMI doesn't apply to me because I'm built like an international rugby player'.

I go into spring just over my target weight, but am 3kg down compared to last year this time, and the trend is in the right direction.

Consumer level bioimpedence sensors aren't really accurate but I know I have body fat to drop still. I've given my self 4 months to loss about 1kg in body weight, and get consistently below 10kg of body fat.

 

[cyberknight]

this book has a section at the back for weight training for cyclists for all around fitness