Staying Fit
 

I know some of you will recommend this be transferred to JB but I believe it is a relevant question.....

What do Private Flying PPRuNers do to stay fit? Pilots are generally not a lazy or slothenly bunch so do we take physical health as seriously as we should?

I personally cycle five times a week after work and I believe that is enough to keep the cardiac wolf from my door.

I can't believe that the UK's reputation of burger munchers stretches into this forum..............can it?:uhoh:

How far do you cycle? I used to do 16 miles a day for many years but almost met untimely death at the hands on Voloman so many times that I was headed to be a fit but flat corpse. So I stopped while I was still extant. And though I was fitter, it didn't lose me any weight.

It amazed me that people would say how foolish and unthinking of my (then) young family I was to fly old aeroplanes since it was so dangerous, yet didn't register the real threat to my life - cycling among the **** who are ill qualified to be in charge of a wasing machine, let alone a couple of tons of rusty metal travelling at speed, when delicate human flesh and bone are in the vicinity.

SSD

1½ hours of Ju-Jitsu twice a week, and occasionally climb a few mountains when I can get away.

Not as much as I used to do, but better than nothing and good for the soul - the combination of full physical and mental attention is not unlike flying, although you end up with a few more bruises.

Interestingly my sensei flies a Yak-52, although we only met through martial arts. What that tells you I'm not sure.

G

Diet, diet and diet one week before my medical !:hmm:

Hey!!!

Another Private Flyin' Biker!!

Glad there's more than one of us M.....

R u a roady or a MTB?

TB

"When the wind blue"

never realy worried about it much. I packed up fags 4 years ago and put on a few stone but i was built like a racing snake so it want a problem.

Ive got my Class 1 at Gatwick next week, so ive been out running tonight and had a nice salad for my tea - not gonna make a jot of difference probably, but it makes me feel better!



:)

Nowt at the mo, 'cos I broke my foot 10 weeks ago:{ and now I've got to revalidate my licence (didn't quite manage the 12 hours required this year).

BUT, usually circuit training once or twice a week. Seems to be enough for the moment, works up a good sweat and gets the heart working.

Anything which gets you panting for 1/2 hour, three times a week (EVERY week that is, and not just the week before the medical) will keep the circulation in good order.

Plenty of room for interpretation there.

Convenience is a key issue - if I have to drive to the pool / gym, pay, get changed, do the stuff, shower, get changed, drive home, it adds another hour on to the 1/2 hour's panting.

Cos I live in the back of beyond, cycling or running in the local woods and paths is fave. Running is much harder work.

Result - Arnie Schwarzenegger from the waist down, everything else stick insect.

sd

Once the Summer arrives I try to cycle about 60 miles a week (building up slowly of course). In the Winter I do nowt. Generally I try to stick to vegitarian only lunches and avoid sandwiches, mayonaise and the like. Limit myself to two cups of char a day. Thus my weight fluctuates between 11.5 stone in the Summer and 12.5 in the Winter.

Also, my Class 1 renewal is late September so I am usually by that time slim, fit and healthy. Thank goodness it isn't in early April :uhoh:

I agree with Sunday Driver. If you are starting out, the thing to remember about exercise is that it is not how out of breath you are but how you are using your energy that determines how benificial it is. Cycling is superb for aerobic fat burning and cardio-vascular improving because of its lower intensisty and typically longer durations (1 hour a ride for example) and a good way to get started. Whereas running, although more tiring, actually burns more glycogen than fat due to its higher intensity and generally shorter durations (more anarobic), be careful to limit your duration when starting out. If you spend two weeks running your nuts off, you may end up in worse shape than when you started. If you have a medical soon, then this will show itself as a high resting heart rate. It is very important to build up slowly, adding to the duration each week and varying the intensity so that you don't just knacker yourself out all the time.

Dodging salads keeps me pretty fit. :}

Who needs a stairmaster? Try taxiing a Cap 10 in a crosswind. Thunder thighs guaranteed.

FNG - that confused me for a minute; I was thinking of a StairLift. :O

I walk fairly briskly round town for at least 20 minutes most lunchtimes, plus several miles evenings/weekends when I can. Once every six weeks or so I head off to the hills with a friend & walk/climb 35 - 40 miles. Ouch.

Shaggy Sheep Driver - I agree. As a seasoned commuter cyclist in London, I know about this problem all right and have excellent survival instincts on the road! (Ah dear, seems I have something in common with a Tory... :eek: ;) )

Live 7 miles from work, but not doing that at the moment due to resting up for the marathon.

I exercise because I like it, not to be thin (just as well!) or to be a better pilot, though I wish I had my cycling hours in an aeroplane instead. I'd be an ace! :rolleyes:

Yes I agree - however I hate cycling (well dont hate it, but prefer running) so what I do is a nice, slow jog (just plod along) that way I can pretty much run as far as I like without ending up like a vegetable at the end. I have always been of the opinion that it doesnt matter how FAR you go, but how LONG (in time) that you do it for. For example, rather than run for 10 mins, why not slow down and extend it to 20 ?

Does this sound good peeps?

Maz :ok:

Using that theory, why not run on the spot? You won't even have to go out of the fron door.........:}

I'm a fitness freak. I do a 2 mile run at a fast pace every day, sometimes 5 miles. I also do lots of strength training every day with my own weights (it's so much cheaper than gym membership in the long run).

Man, with my stable of dodgy, hard to start aircraft, upper body fitness is guarenteed! shifting a few tons of sound equipment around 3 or 4 times a week seems to help too...

Kingy

I find a heavier glass helps!

Aircrew medical (A1 G1 Z1 in the mob, JAR Class 1 since) held since 1966 - and fully paid up member of Athletics Anonymous. If you get the urge to commit jockstrappery, ring a mate who will talk you out of it and take you for a beer.....

I used to play football, until last summer when I:

Tore a hamstring, then

Tore a calf muscle, then

Got shin splints and

Damaged one of my achilles tendons.

So thought I'd just concentrate on swimming (1 KM, 3 times a week) and b:mad:er me if I haven't ricked my back today.:sad:

If I were a horse I'd have been put down by now:(

So I'll try tiddly winks (and red wine for the circulation)

SD

me too, today for example I had three pints of lager and a cheese and onion toastie...

:)

Didnt you ask the manager if you could come off?

Nice to see you at EGHR last week, I trust Evo ensured you were suitably fed....

Trevelyan

:)