Thirty day fitness programme

[annedonnelly]

I'm on day 25 of a 30-day core fitness programme - it was suggested in an e-mail from Vitality who do our company health plan. Basically it's leg lifts & sit ups and the numbers are increasing by 2 each day...

But there's no mention of what to do on day 31. Obviously if I stop doing anything I'll quickly lose all the benefit. Should I continue repeating day 30 for ever? Could I get away with doing day 20 instead or day 30 every couple of days instead of every day?

Is a bit of variety better than repeating the same thing every time?

 

[vickster]

Add other exercises in? Glute bridges, planks, squats, lunges (but make sure you get the form right), clamshells?

Add an ankle weight to the leg lifts? Do them on your back and side for variety

Need to work all your muscles to avoid imbalance. Add a foam roller for some self torture too

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

You missed out the small print in the plan?

On day 31 they take your soul

 

[Dayvo]

Try (if you're not doing them already) Swiss ball exercises:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/multimedia/core-strength/sls-20076330

I'm sure there are better videos, but I don't know your standard or general fitness.

Otherwise just look on youtube for suitable exercises.

 

[Citius]

Did 'Vitality' explain what the expected benefit of this programme would be? Or why you should be doing it in the first place?

 

[Mrs M]

Swiss ball excercises are great for core strength.
I spent months at physio doing useless excercises after my "wee accident".
Young lad at local gym gave me a programme of Swiss ball and weights and that did the trick, saw massive improvement in only 3 weeks.
(Physio was on hols for 3 weeks so had to find something else). His services were no longer required after that .

 

[Citius]

Yes, but why is your company suggesting you do this? For what purpose?

 

[vickster]

Presumably to engender a fitter, healthier workforce?
Isn't vitality the awful PruHealth...I hope you don't have to claim...maybe that's their reasoning

 

[Citius]

Presumably to engender a fitter, healthier workforce?

Presumably - which is why I don't get the focus on core exercises, which are relatively useless in reference to long term health gains. Better off getting people quitting smoking, eating healthily, or walking, running, cycling, etc, I would have thought.

 

[vickster]

Maybe it's so they get less backache while working long hours at a desk with few breaks?

It's probably just some box ticking management initiative to make their staff think they care?

 

[Citius]

probably

 

[annedonnelly]

Yes, but why is your company suggesting you do this? For what purpose?

They aren't. The company provides the healthcare scheme through Pruhealth. I chose to read the e-mail from Vitality and act on it. I could easily have chosen a plan suggested in one of the Sunday supplements, touted on the internet or even from a tabloid newspaper

Presumably to engender a fitter, healthier workforce?
Isn't vitality the awful PruHealth...I hope you don't have to claim...maybe that's their reasoning

Yes, our company does promote fitness - schemes to encourage walking, etc. free fruit (as well as tea, coffee & biscuits).

Yep, claiming from Pruhealth is a pain, but possibly worth it. One of my colleagues is currently having his knee operation done privately - quicker than he could even get a referral to a specialist on the NHS.

I don't know about the general reasoning but certainly my aim is to stay as healthy as possible so that I don't need to claim

 

[PhilDawson8270]

free fruit (as well as tea, coffee & biscuits).

Where do I send my CV?

 

[vickster]

I just had an absolute nightmare with them try to get a specific surgery to fix a knee damaged in a fall from bike!
Insurance companies are agreeable up to a point as long as something doesn't become chronic

 

[annedonnelly]

I just had an absolute nightmare with them try to get a specific surgery to fix a knee damaged in a fall from bike!
Insurance companies are agreeable up to a point as long as something doesn't become chronic

The trouble with all insurance companies is that you only know how good/bad they are when you need to claim. As long as they're taking your money there's not much can go wrong