Rejoined our local gym last summer and am following the gym plan they gave me with a few extras.

I'm trying most to improve my overall fitness so I can build up my muscles and be able to do more of the sports I love.

I have a few niggling old injuries to cope with. Had physio on my right wrist a couple of years ago, so I have to be very careful how much I use weights (I've recently started with small hand weights and do about 10 minutes once a week); am having sports message on my knees which is ongoing. Other problems: have problems with my calves from dancing which the calf stretch machine at the gym has largely cured (after about three months sports massage). Have a niggling problem to my left shoulder and spine caused by helping a rather large gentleman round on Hogmanay. I'm dealing with the latter injury by aerobic exercises on upper body and using the weight machines at the gym - seems to be working.

Am presently going to the gym once a week, but hope to increase up to two or three times. The second visit I'm supposed to do more cardio and leave out the weights.

Programme: 10 minutes walking followed by 20 minutes bike/cross trainer. Round of weight machines, two for upper body plus calf raise; leg press and whatever you can those machines for your outer and inner thighs.

To this I have added the knee machine and rowing. From 3 minutes, I've got up to 12. Am planning to increase the resistance of all the above rather than go for more time or speed.

Please wish me luck!

Managed to do 20 minutes aerobics today, a different routing to usual, this one was mainly leg routine - boy can I feel that on my thighs and knees!

As I got to the gym two times this week I get to do a cardio routine

Have tried to post this once already and my computer crashed on me

Keep calorie count so I can see how much energy I've used, keeps me motivated but otherwise I ignore calories

Treadmill - Manual between 9 and -3 - 25 minutes
150 calories
Rowing Machine - Resistance Level 6 (one up on normal) - 15 minutes
100 calories
Bike - Interval between 3 and 5 - 10 minutes
35 calories
Stepper - Lowest level - 5 minutes
35 calories
Laid Back Bike - Interval between 3 and 5 - 15 minutes
40 calories
Cross Trainer - Manual between 11 and 5 - 10 minutes
125 calories
Treadmill - cross country one - 10 minutes
60 calories

Grant Total - 545 calories

My order is

Treadmill - cross country especially
Cross Trainer
Laid Back Bike
Rowing Machine (used to be the worst but I've grown to like it!)
Stepper
Ordinary Bike (get very bored).

MIxture of cardio machines and resistance machines.

Cardio


Treadmill - 10 minutes - 100 calories
Rowing Machine - approx 10 - 75 calories
Cross Trainer - 15 minutes - 150 calories
Laid Back Bike - 10 minutes - 25 calores

Total calories used 350

Resistance

I'm trying to remember the names of the various machines but I've forgotten half of them, even though I purposely checked them all before leaving the gym!

1. Dual something (for arms) - 20g - 2 x 10
2. Arm Pull down - 35g - 2 x 15
3. Leg Press - 110g - 50
4. Calf Raise - 25g - 1 x 15
5. Knee - 35g - 1 x 15
6. Abductor - 70g 2 x 15
7. Adductor - 70g - 2 x 15

Only had less than one hour before massage therapy

Cardio Only

Treadmill - 10 minutes - 75 calories
Sit up Bike - 10 minutes - 35 calories
Recumbant Bike - 10 minutes - 30 calories
Rower - 10 minutes - 75 calories
Cross Trainer - 3 minutes - 25 calories (ran out of time)

Total calories 240 calories

Half an hour massage on knees; especially right knee and calf which really needed some help!

Treadmill 20 minutes - 130 cal
Rower 10 minutes - 75 cal
Recumbant Bike - 10 minutes - 30 cal
Cross Trainer - 10 minutes - 150 cal

Dual Lateral Pull - 2 x 15 at lowest weight
Lateral Pull - 2 x 15 at 37.5 + half weight
Calf Raise - 1 x 15 at lowest weight
Leg press - 100 at 110
Abductor - 2 x 15 at 70
Adductor - 2 x 15 at 70
Knee Raise - 1 x 15 at 25

Total calorie loss - 390 cals

Right knee is still giving me grief.

Cardio and Machine Weights

Cardio
Treadmill - 25 minutes - 140 cals - cross country
Rowing Machine - 15 minutes - 100 cals
Stepper - 10 minutes - 60 (approx.)
Cross Trainer - 20 minutes - 200
Treadmill again - 25 minutes - 140 cals - laps - power walking
*
Total cals 640 cals

Machines
Usual circuit (5 more knee bends, otherwise as usual)

Plus some work on the mat and with the ball

* No bikes because of right knee.

Finally got back to the gym after 10 days away nursing my cold, sore throat and cough. Took it easy and concetrated on the distance done rather than the calories used. Fairly low key stuff!

Dual Lateral Pull - 2 x 15 at lowest weight
Lateral Pull - 2 x 15 at 37.5 + half weight
Calf Raise - 1 x 15 at lowest weight
Leg press - 100 at 110
Abductor - 2 x 15 at 70
Adductor - 2 x 15 at 70
Knee Raise - 2 x 15 at 25

Cardio
Treadmill - 1 mile
Rowing Machine - 1 kilometre
Bike - 1 mile

Calories used approx. 175

Cardio
Treadmill - 2.25 miles
Rowing Machine - 1.5 kilometre
Cross Trainer - 1.25 miles

approx 500 calories

Cardio
Treadmill - 2 miles
Rowing - 1 mile (1600 meters)
Cross Trainer - 2.25 miles

Total - 5.25 miles

Resistance
Dual Lateral Pull - 2 x 15 at lowest weight
Lateral Pull - 2 x 15 at 37.5 + half weight
Calf Raise - 1 x 15 at lowest weight
Leg press - 100 at 110
Abductor - 2 x 15 at 70
Adductor - 2 x 15 at 70
Knee Raise - 2 x 15 at 25

Plus work on mat and with ball

Cardio
Treadmill - 1.25 miles
Rowing - 1 mile (1600 meters)
Laid Back Bike - 1 mile
Cross Trainer - 1.25 miles

Total - 4.5 miles

Plus ball and floor work - no resistance today

Slightly different today as I got involved in the circuit training at the gym - never tried before but it was great fun and will do it again.

Plus walking machine and rowing machine which I'd done beforehand I did
2 minutes running on the treadmill; two minutes on the cross trainer; three minutes on the rowing machine plus various other exercises and resistance work. Especially enjoyed the windmill and will try out this and the plank at home. The windmill should help my balance and the plank should help the muscles in my tummy and back.

17th
3.5 mile to and from badminton

3 games badminton

6 Scottish dances (Margaret Parker danced twice)
St. Patrick's Day; Red House; The Royal Wedding; the Royal Yacht Britannia; Margaret Parker's Strathspey

18th
Did Walk off weight video.

Gym

Cardio
Treadmill - including, 4 minutes jogging at 4.1 - 1 and a quarter miles.
Rower - .75 mile
Laid Back Bike - 2 miles
Cross Trainer - 1.25 miles

Total 5.25 miles

Resistance
Different machines to usual - arm press - 10 times; leg press - 100 times - difficult with both machines to work out the weights.

Abductor and Adductor - 70g 40 each (10 more than normal on both)
(didn't have time to do the full resistance routine)

Ball
Balancing legs; back press and hamstring press. Other balancing work (will in future just refer to this as ball work unless routine changes)

Several sit ups using special equipment.

New - weights (smallest I could find)
20 arm raises (extended sideways from body)