Weight Training Help for a Total Newbie

snickerscharlie

I'm a 60yr old woman, 5'11" tall, with a total of 100 lbs to lose who has just started on this journey a month ago. So please be kind.

My exercise right now consists of walking 10,000 + steps for a distance of over 5 miles a day, seven days a week. For me, this is a huge step in the right direction - just the fact that I've gotten off my duff and started really moving is, to me at least, a great beginning. But I'm uncertain where to go from here.

I would like to add some kind of weight training into the mix, but I have *a lot* of physical limitations and have no idea where to safely start, or even if this is something I should be considering.

My physical limitations:

- I have ankylosing spondylitis (arthritis of the spine) which I now take medication for. Without that, I would have a hard time functioning at anything higher than a pretty basic level.
- bad knees, so anything involving squatting is problematic. This is also the reason why I only walk instead of jog or cycle at this point
- tore the rotator cuff in my right shoulder. It has healed, but have bursitis there now. So things like push ups may not be advisable. When I have over-taxed that shoulder in the past, I get to a point where I literally cannot lift my arm above shoulder height. Only complete rest eventually gives me back the function in this arm.
- I broke my left ankle which now has a plate and pins (permanent)
- I broke my right leg (tib/fib fracture) which has a plate and screws (also permanent)

Yikes! Seeing my reality all written out like that is rather daunting! LOL!

I do get great chiropractic care which helps keep everything aligned and working as best it can.

I also need to mention that I do not have access to a gym, and any exercises that you might think I could safely attempt needs to be done from home with no equipment, unless it's something reasonably affordable.

Is there any hope for me?

Thanks in advance.

lishie_rebooted

With all of your physical limitations, your best (and safest) bet would to see a physiotherapist or physical therapist so they can access you and discuss appropriate action.

With that many limitations, it'll be difficult for anyone on the board to give you much help.

I know a good bodyweight routine you can do at home but it's got squats, lunges, pushups. And you also didn't give much help in the way of "bad knees" - that can mean a lot of things and some "bad knees" can be fixed by a physio or PT, mine were.

snickerscharlie

I'm afraid my knees are beyond physio or PT help, lishie, and I'm looking at either a partial or full replacement. In the meantime, I'm trying to get into better shape without doing more damage. The weight loss will obviously reduce the strain on my knees, which can only be a bonus.

mochapygmy

Sounds like a resistance program might be best to ease you into more exercise and then you can assess where to go next.

Is there a pool close by? A community pool would be most affordable. Some community pools you can sign up for various aqua classes and just pay for the class and if you are very lucky you can go on your non class days for the duration of the class. The support of the water should ease some of the strain on your body.

lishie_rebooted

ooo yeah bad knees then haha

There's another user around her, a bit older than you and had to lose about the same so she could get her knees replaced. She swam. it might be your best bet. It'll offer resistance but be easier on your knees and potentially shoulder (don't do front stroke lol)

Since you've got dodgy joints, definitely avoid the weight machines and stick to cable towers & free weights. The machines are pretty bad for one without dodgy joints and I know that half of the leg machines just angered my knee more. Leg press is definitely safe though.

ETA: reading fail. forgot the no gym thing. is it possible for you to get access to a pool though??

snickerscharlie

I'm a very lucky camper in that I have a pool in the backyard. So I will be swimming all summer long. Which, in Canada, is just never long enough. But isn't swimming considered cardio? Or is it resistance? Or both? Can you tell I'm totally clueless? LOL.

AllanMisner

I’d find a professional to assist you. But you should be able to get on a program to help build strength and retain muscle mass.

As to your question about working out in the pool You can do a bit of both in a pool. The actually swimming, or running in water is cardio. You can get water weights to provide resistance and help build strength.

lishie_rebooted

It is technically cardio but the water will provide resistance so you can "run" in the pool without impacting your dodgy joints and do other stuff
Here's an example: http://www.24hourfitness.com/classes/water/

snickerscharlie

That aqua fitness workout looks perfect, lishie. I'll have to look around and devise a routine I can do here at home. Thanks!

snickerscharlie

AllanMisner wrote: »

As to your question about working out in the pool You can do a bit of both in a pool. The actually swimming, or running in water is cardio. You can get water weights to provide resistance and help build strength.

Thanks, Allan! Where can I get the water weights?

3laine75

snickerscharlie wrote: »

I'm a very lucky camper in that I have a pool in the backyard. So I will be swimming all summer long. Which, in Canada, is just never long enough. But isn't swimming considered cardio? Or is it resistance? Or both? Can you tell I'm totally clueless? LOL.

Running in your pool will get you some resistance exercise too. We had a boxer who used to do this in the public pool where I used to work. I have never been able to bring myself to do it as it's embarrassing but hey, if it's your own pool.

snickerscharlie

Thankfully, it's also pretty private back there so I won't be the laughingstock of the neighbourhood.

Where can I find out how many calories I'd burn doing exercise like this, including treading water, lengths of breaststroke, 'running', etc.? I have a Fitbit that takes care of my step count and transfers the calories burned to MFP, but how do I measure my water efforts?

Thanks for everyone's help. This newb appreciates it.

AllanMisner

snickerscharlie wrote: »

AllanMisner wrote: »

As to your question about working out in the pool You can do a bit of both in a pool. The actually swimming, or running in water is cardio. You can get water weights to provide resistance and help build strength.

Thanks, Allan! Where can I get the water weights?

I’m sure you can get them online (Amazon has everything here in the US). The gym that has a pool and holds water aerobic classes almost aways has some of these.

snickerscharlie

Yeah, Amazon in Canada has lots of stuff, too. I'll check there. And maybe Walmart. I'm usually surprised at what they both carry.

tekkiechikk

Someone recently posted about how much they like doing Aqua Zumba... I'd never heard of it so Googled it. Here is a link to some basic info, I'm sure you could adapt these programs to do in your own pool. The one pic shows water 'weights' that they use, too.

http://www.swimming.org/go/get-started/aqua-fitness/

Like others have said, maybe you should meet with a physical therapist and get some exercises from them. They can assess your situation and give you plans that won't hurt you. Lots of plans on the Internet, but some labeled 'beginner' are tough even for me, and I don't really have any physical problems.

Hope you enjoy MFP, lots of really helpful, experienced people here. Just keep moving the best you can and don't give up, every little bit of exercise you do today is more than you did yesterday (I read that somewhere and think it's brilliant)

snickerscharlie

Thanks, tekkie, that's exactly the approach I'm taking!

I'm very motivated, and am the type of person that once I set my mind to something, it's all over but the screams. I'm also patient and willing to go slow over the long haul. In my condition, there's really no other safe option, anyway. I didn't get in this shape overnight, so a quick fix just isn't in the cards, either.

I can't wait to open the pool this year!

3laine75

I think even a float or some kids armbands would give you something to use as a 'weight', pushing them down in the water etc.

neaneacc

My sister used to teach a class and they used old milk jugs for both weights and resistance. If they needed weight they put in water, or kept them empty for resistance as they are plastic and buoyant.

CarlydogsMom

I second the one-gallon plastic milk jugs. Empty and sealed tightly they provide some pretty good resistance if you try to push them down in the water to get some decent arm resistance. You could tie two together leaving a couple feet of rope in between them, and put your foot in the middle of the rope and try to push the two into the water to get some leg resistance. I'm sure there are a ton of different aqua exercise programs you can find on YouTube or through Google. Good luck, you sound really upbeat and excited to start on a new journey!

snickerscharlie

Great idea about the milk jugs! I'll definitely be saving a couple. We don't have them for milk here in Canada, but they do exist for things like juice.

snickerscharlie

I really appreciate everyone's help! I had a question earlier that I still need help with, if anyone can point me in the right direction:

snickerscharlie wrote: »

Where can I find out how many calories I'd burn doing exercise like this, including treading water, lengths of breaststroke, 'running', etc.? I have a Fitbit that takes care of my step count and transfers the calories burned to MFP, but how do I measure my water efforts?

Thanks again!

AllanMisner

Any tool or guide you get is going to be an estimate. There are so many variables in calorie burn that no tool or guide is going to work for everybody. And even a small difference, say 10 calories per day, would add up to an additional pound per year.

My advice is to just use a reasonable estimate based on your perceived level of effort. Go with that for a few weeks and see how you’re going. Tweak the estimate if you need to. As your fitness improves (a level 9 effort today might be your level 4 effort three months from now), you'll find yourself tweaking it from time to time to get the results you want.

snickerscharlie

Thank, Allan!

meganmickmeow

Hi snickerscharlie!

Fellow Canadian and I have AS too! I have it from my SI joints all the way up to my cervical spine. It can really be a pain in butt, and neck! Hahah. I also have arthritis in other parts, it all seems to travel together, doesn't it?

I agree with others about going to a physical therapist. They deal with a lot of people who have the same kind of problems. I don't think you are beyond their help! They usually can help with pain too, I've had physical therapists use heat, tens therapy, ultra sound and massage as part of my session. Really helped me loosen up and do more of the exercises.

Also, do you get your spine adjusted? I thought that was a big no no for people with AS, since our spines fuse.

I hope you find some great ways to exercise! Swimming and water aerobics are so easy on the joints. Something I've really been wanting to get into myself.

I'm glad it sounds like your medication is working. I'm currently on Humira and naproxen. I find the Humira works, maybe not as well as I'd like, but with each time I inject, it hurts more! Maybe I am just being a wuss Haha.

snickerscharlie wrote: »

I really appreciate everyone's help! I had a question earlier that I still need help with, if anyone can point me in the right direction:

snickerscharlie wrote: »

Where can I find out how many calories I'd burn doing exercise like this, including treading water, lengths of breaststroke, 'running', etc.? I have a Fitbit that takes care of my step count and transfers the calories burned to MFP, but how do I measure my water efforts?

Thanks again!

snickerscharlie

Thanks for the reply!

I've been on Celebrex for over 2 years now, and it has been a game changer. I wouldn't want to get out of bed in the morning without it.

My chiropractor is wonderful with adjusting me within my limitations. He also uses heat, tens therapy, ultra sound and has an RM as part of his practice. So it's kind of one-stop shopping, and I owe my current level of mobility on him.

My doctor has Humira on the back burner for me down the road, if needed. Naproxen is not an option for me - it makes me extremely itchy, but I use Tramadol for breakthrough pain, especially at night.