# Exercise Referral Frustration



## Deleted member 18992 (Sep 11, 2017)

$%&#


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## Copepod (Sep 11, 2017)

Very frustrating if exercise referral can be used only during traditional working hours. What did the referral offer in terms of facilities, classes etc?
However, there are other free activity options, for example, there are hundreds of parkruns throughout UK, free, timed 5km walks / jogs / runs on Saturday mornings. 9am in England & Wales; 9.30am in Scotland & Northern Ireland. There is no need to run the whole way - many people start by alternating walking, jogging and running.


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## Matt Cycle (Sep 11, 2017)

Could you take a long lunch break and go to the gym then?  We have flexi time - is there any chance of working flexible hours?


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## Chris Hobson (Sep 11, 2017)

"I do not do running or Saturday mornings!"

I'm desperately searching for a way to be tactful here. I totally agree that referrals for exercise classes that are only available while you are at work are completely worthless. However, people are suggesting solutions to your problem, free organised runs outside of working hours, and your answer is that you "do not do" that?


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## Copepod (Sep 11, 2017)

Miss Honey Pot said:


> Not meant in a malicious way, I can't run because of dodgy knees.  I am joining a gym to do evenings but my point was its daytime only for referrals.


I did explain that you can walk or jog or run at parkrun. It's pretty addictive, due to supportive community. In fact, I will have a pang of missing parkrun, when my cat and I do a mountain marathon in a few weeks. Plus, we'll miss volunteering at junior parkrun on Sunday (2km for 4 to 14 year olds).


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## Stitch147 (Sep 12, 2017)

I was lucky when my dr referred me to a 12 week weight management program as my work allowed me to work from home 1 day a week so that I could attend the sessions.


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## Copepod (Sep 12, 2017)

Hope this evening's gym visit goes well. 
Children are welcome at parkrun. If they're too young to run / jog / walk 5km, and are aged 4 - 14 years, they can do 2km junior parkrun, although there aren't as many junior events as 5km.


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## Stitch147 (Sep 12, 2017)

Miss Honey Pot said:


> I am a Mum who works full time for a successful company and I just can't do weekdays. Weekends are precious to me too.
> 
> Anyway, Stitch I hope you are enjoying your sessions. I have an appointment with my local gym this evening to sign up. Quite excited!


Hope your appointment at gym goes well. My sessions have finished now, it was useful in some respects but liked to preach on about the "wonderful" eat well plate!


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## Chris Hobson (Sep 12, 2017)

I've been fretting about my earlier post, I couldn't figure out how to word it so that it didn't look like I was having a go at you and I've been worried that you might take it the wrong way.

Anyway, I think that if you are OK financially it is just easier to fund things yourself. It seems that free stuff often involves some kind of inconvenience or jumping through hoops in order to make use of it. Years ago when I was involved with a Karate club we sometimes made use of a community minibus which was more or less free. Our named drivers had to do a driving assessment, we had to do all the oil water and screenwash checks ourselves and send it back topped up and cleaned inside and out. After a while we decided it was just easier to hire one and split the cost between the fifteen passengers. With regard to gym membership, my wife and I joined a private gym, even though it was more expensive than the local authority ones, because the opening times are better for fitting around work and they have a separate pool for the kid's swimming lessons.


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## RFS (Sep 28, 2017)

Miss Honey Pot said:


> Not meant in a malicious way, I can't run because of dodgy knees.  I am joining a gym to do evenings but my point was its daytime only for referrals.



If it helps... I have absolutely no cartilage worth a damn left in either of my knees for years of being a hurdler. When I was in New York for work I decided to walk (see I HATE walking for no purpose so I won't do it) to Central Park and back from Midtown... a good 45 mins to an hour... I could hardly move the next day!!

However what I WILL do is work on my rehab for my knees. I have specific sets of workouts from the physio that I try and do in the morning (not possible if I am on an early shift where I freelance), and then I go to the gym and use a cross trainer to warm up, building up gradually on the Couch to 5k on a Woodway Curve treadmill (not motorised so you burn a lot more calories) and then do the same in a spin bike, properly calibrated and set up for my measurements and that is by far the best rehab for my knees.

Then I swim with a pullbuoy float gripped between my knees so it is almost purely cardio with my arms pulling my body weight with the knees having to work to keep the float in place and not kick.

I 'Don't do' walking for no purpose so I get where you are coming from, but you will have to make some sacrifice and carve out time for yourself somehow for the benefits of adding exercise to your method of control.


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## HOBIE (Oct 2, 2017)

Being at work is good exercise. getting there & being active. Not sitting on your behind


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