Getting fit with little time to run?

Aspiring

Hi,

Basically I'm a guy who is usually quite fit but a lazy winter has left me quite unfit. It's not the same type of unfitness (made up word?) as I usually get. I'm getting a lot of muscle fatigue, which has never happened before. It seems as though my legs are giving out before my lungs are, which feels completely new to me. I think this has happened because over the winter I was doing heavy squats, so I think I may have lost my endurance in my legs. However my cardiovascular fitness is somewhat poor also.

However I have a predicament, I am doing the leaving cert and realistically I can only run twice a week. I was thinking of using HIIT to build up my fitness, as I used it last year and it was a lot more rewarding than just jogging.

To give you an idea of how unfit I am in comparison with my best fitness, at the peak of my fitness I scored level 15 on the beep test, now I'd say I'd get 10 at best.

How can I get my fitness back (quickly if possible), and is HIIT alone enough or should I incorporate some steady state running too? Also how should I address the muscle fatigue issue? I understand it's somewhat ridiculous to hope to get fit with just training twice a week but I thought I might as well ask.

Thanks.

Aspiring

Does anybody have any input? Thanks

SeaDaily

Aspiring wrote: »

However I have a predicament, I am doing the leaving cert and realistically I can only run twice a week.

You can definitely run more often than twice a week regardless of whether you are doing the leaving or not. Just manage your time effectively and you can run every day if you want to. If you want to feel like you are learning something while running record some notes on your ipod and listen while you run.

stefanovich

SeaDaily wrote: »

You can definitely run more often than twice a week regardless of whether you are doing the leaving or not. Just manage your time effectively and you can run every day if you want to. If you want to feel like you are learning something while running record some notes on your ipod and listen while you run.

Wake up at 7am and run. That way you are mentally refreshed when you start your day.

Disclaimer: I have never run a day in my life. 32 years of age and life is starting to catch up. I think my idea sounds good in theory at least though.

Aspiring

With the long evenings coming in I suppose almost every evening is an opportunity, still would you not end up over training if you ran every day?

7am wouldn't be early enough I'd say with school and as much as I love getting for I don't think I can sacrifice any more sleep to get up early

Stench Blossoms

Aspiring wrote: »

With the long evenings coming in I suppose almost every evening is an opportunity, still would you not end up over training if you ran every day?

7am wouldn't be early enough I'd say with school and as much as I love getting for I don't think I can sacrifice any more sleep to get up early

All I hear is excuses.

If you really want to get fit you'll make the time.

Alf Veedersane

Aspiring wrote: »

With the long evenings coming in I suppose almost every evening is an opportunity, still would you not end up over training if you ran every day?

7am wouldn't be early enough I'd say with school and as much as I love getting for I don't think I can sacrifice any more sleep to get up early

Over a prolonged period of time, you would be at risk of overtraining if you ran 7 days a week.

You don't have to run 7 days a week.

2 sessions of interval running and 3 sessions of lower intensity steady state running is more than manageable without overtraining.

You're only trying to find 30-45 mins a day to fit in some running.

Get up earlier and fit in your sessions

Aspiring

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

All I hear is excuses.

If you really want to get fit you'll make the time.

I can see where you're coming from but I'm not making excuses.

I've acknowledged that once the long evenings are here there's no reason I can't run then. I was simply saying mornings aren't ideal as I have a sleep issue which results in me getting asleep at 2am at the the earliest each night which means I get 5 hours sleep, so getting up any earlier than I currently do would be quite detrimental to my health I'd imagine.

Blacktie.

Aspiring wrote: »

I've acknowledged that once the long evenings are here there's no reason I can't run then.

I don't understand this. What's stopping you from running when it's dark out?

generic2012

Aspiring wrote: »

I've acknowledged that once the long evenings are here there's no reason I can't run then. I was simply saying mornings aren't ideal as I have a sleep issue which results in me getting asleep at 2am at the the earliest each night which means I get 5 hours sleep, so getting up any earlier than I currently do would be quite detrimental to my health I'd imagine.

Lack of sleep is a far bigger issue for your leaving results than a bit of jogging. Exercise is good for the brain (cardio looks like it is good specifically for the frontal cortex, the long term memory part) where as lack of sleep is detrimental to cognitive performance (lack of sleep is correlated with depression, memory loss and impairments in attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving).

I hate to be a cynic but I have a feeling your 'sleep issue' might be self inflicted, could you expand on it a bit?

BKWDR

Aspiring wrote: »

I can see where you're coming from but I'm not making excuses.

I've acknowledged that once the long evenings are here there's no reason I can't run then. I was simply saying mornings aren't ideal as I have a sleep issue which results in me getting asleep at 2am at the the earliest each night which means I get 5 hours sleep, so getting up any earlier than I currently do would be quite detrimental to my health I'd imagine.

If i was you, like said above i would defo try and manage my time better. That doesn't mean being regimental but maybe setting yourself goals such as 'by 7.30pm il have my study / homework done, then by 9.30 i will have done a 30 min / 5k run and have had my dinner' etc. You will feel much better for having done it and then throw in your LC Study in an hours block somewhere along the way.

Sidenote: What is your sleep issue? Is it that you can't actually get asleep? Exercise will definitely help with this, relieve stress or anxiety about exams etc. Also i would suggest if you have phone / laptop etc to make sure you turn them off at a certain hour and leave them off, let your brain rest too. I found that i could easily be scrolling on my tablet or phone till 1/2am and not notice it, its just a pattern you need to break.

FTA69

I found the gym an invaluable outlet while I was doing my leaving, I was even going on the night before exams. Constantly barraging yourself with information isn't necessarily beneficial like. Realistically you can make time for training if you want and going for a 30 minute run will do you the world of good when it comes to study.

Aspiring

About the sleep issue it's not self inflicted I have cut out anything that could be causing it, and before anyone asks I have not gone to the doctor about it so I know I shouldn't be complaining.

I do work out already but just wanted to throw a bit of cardio in, and I will.

Rower2

it is recommended to exercise during exams, helps you to recharge. never did me any harm, felt I was a lot more alert and taking more in than other people who studied constantly