For me, exercise wasn’t a chore. It was the start of my day and something I looked forward to, believe it or not.
Just a few years ago, I had a pretty full routine that consisted of two yoga classes a week, at least one long hike, and four to six gym sessions. These sessions alternated between cardio and weight training, and each session lasted an hour or more.
But then the pandemic hit. I was the only one left in the gym before the lockdown. I remember my last workout so clearly, because I looked around and there was nobody there. Just me and the machine. I thought, ‘What if the gym closes?’
Lockdown began the next day, and my exercise habits have changed ever since. More than two years into the pandemic, I still rarely go to the gym. But I feel just as fit and healthy as I did before.
You may be wondering how this is possible.
Well, I didn’t really have a choice. We were in lockdown so I had no choice. I did what a lot of people do and I found a lot of workout videos on YouTube.
I bought weight training equipment and tried to maintain my previous workout methods, my yoga classes were on Zoom, and I even took walks in the park.
But inevitably, things started to change. I found myself using slightly lighter weights as YouTube workouts tended to have higher repetitions and therefore required lighter weights. I also realised that most of the sessions I was doing were only 30 minutes long, half the time I was used to.
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This was good for me because the pandemic was a very busy time for me. While most actors couldn’t work at all, I was doing a lot of voiceover work, mostly documentaries. I was able to do this from home and I produced 40 documentaries during the first lockdown period alone. Also, Ageless by Glynis Barber website
I started a website 10 years ago to share health, beauty and pro-aging tips because I was frequently asked on social media what my secrets were. Ageless YouTube Channel Similarly, Ageless on Instagram.
At the end of the pandemic, I Hollyoaks And so began my weekly commute to Liverpool.
I was waking up early and working late most weeks, filming five days a week, making training nearly impossible, and my already modest daily routine all but disappeared.
I worked out on the weekends and tried to squeeze in mornings off during the week, but I was exhausted. The commute, filming, writing for Ageless, making YouTube videos, recording voiceovers, etc., was exhausting. I felt like I had three full-time jobs and I had to sacrifice something.
Pushing myself too hard
I have always been someone who pushes myself and tries to tackle everything that is thrown at me, but it was all too much.
At this point, I felt a real shift in my mindset. I decided to give myself some pampering. For the first time in my adult life, I was giving myself permission to not exercise and not feel guilty about it.
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I did it whenever I could and whenever I felt like it. On filming days, I would wake up 10 minutes early and do 10 minutes of yoga. It was amazing how this short routine really helped me to feel stretched and ready for the day.
Listen to your body
Even on my days off, I would feel so drained from my demanding schedule that exercising just didn’t feel right for me. In those cases, I would take my dog for a walk instead. This made me feel better and encouraged me to really listen to my body and what it needed.
My training now depends on my free time and mood. Watching YouTube videos at home is so convenient that I wonder where I ever found the time to drive to the gym and do those long workouts.
I go to the gym every now and then, but my busy schedule has not allowed me to attend regularly. Hollyoaks Once filming is over, I plan to make an effort and go at least once a week, but I’ve found that a 30-minute session at home works for me and I don’t think I need longer sessions anymore.
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Evidence of
Research suggests I’m right. Don’t get me wrong: We all need exercise, but new research shows it doesn’t have to be for long or intense periods of time. In fact, research shows that in the pursuit of health and wellness, many of us overdo it.
Dr. James O’Keefe, a cardiologist at MidAmerica Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas, who published a meta-analysis on the subject with three co-authors, said the first 20 minutes of exercise are the most effective.
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His systematic review showed that a gradual shift from a sedentary lifestyle to physical activity reduces many chronic diseases and mortality.
In other words, the benefits of exercise are enormous. But on the flip side, researchers also found that people who do high volumes of intense exercise start to lose those benefits.
But, he goes on to say, moderate exercise, loosely defined as being able to hold a conversation while exercising, is not too much.
He classifies many regular everyday activities as moderate exercise, such as gardening, walking, swimming, and housework. These moderate activities have more health benefits than vigorous exercise.
Exercise for people over 45
He stresses that after age 45, exercise should be fun and stress-relieving rather than competitive, and while strength training is important for building muscle mass, which we lose as we age, 20 to 40 minutes two to three times a week for exercise should suffice, which he calls the sweet spot for longevity.
The lesson to be learned from all this is that excessive exercise can be counterproductive, being sedentary is bad, and gentle or moderate exercise is good for us.
My Weight Loss Method
This is why my abbreviated program and 30-minute sessions work so well, and it also explains why walking was often more beneficial for me than training when I was super busy in the past few years.
In fact, Dr. O’Keefe talks about the many benefits of spending time in nature, something I’ve talked about often on Ageless: Being surrounded by greenery can lower blood pressure and improve your mood, it can also reduce anxiety, boost your immune system, and improve the quality of your sleep.
Walking through a park or tree-lined avenue is great exercise in every sense of the word, and walking is one of the best forms of exercise.
This new, gentle way of exercising feels right for me now. I look back with awe at my old habits. They were impressive, sure, but they were long ago and they’re no longer. The thing is, I’m still very active and exercise in some form whenever I can, but I’ve stopped putting pressure on myself and I feel better.
