How to Start Exercising When Obese

SaffronSunrise

Steve_ApexNC wrote: »

lewiston22 wrote: »

Thanks all. My limit walking so far is about five minutes at once. I live where it's really hilly and I can't make it up one hill so I use my treadmill instead and set the speed to 2.2 and the incline to 2.0. After five minutes I pretty much have to stop. I'll try to do those five minutes three times a day.

You have the correct approach right there - Starting where you are and doing what you can do. Over time, you can increase rate, time, or number of times on the treadmill. You don't need to overdo it...slow steady progress is far better than beating yourself into submission.

I don't now that you really need the incline - just go flat if you want.

If you find you want to go outdoors, there are lots of alternatives. Walk the outside of a local baseball field, use the local track (if there is one), walk through malls/stores, a flat parking lot of a school or store, etc, etc. Other tricks are to park a little further out when going to the store, get up and walk around the house/office a couple times an hour, take the long way to the coffee machine or bathroom. I had a buddy that worked in a store and he just took the long way to each task and walked the store during breaks. I spend a lot of time on the phone so I use my cell and go pace on my deck or in my driveway.

Be persistent and patient and you will make progress.

What Steve said. You really shouldn't be embarrassed to walk in your neighborhood, but I totally understand if you feel uncomfortable doing that. As much as I dislike taking in the groceries and try to get everything in one trip from the car, make more trips carrying in your groceries, if you have a car. If you need something from the mall, park at the opposite end of the mall than where you want to go.

Stay in a calorie deficit and start these little things and one day you'll realize that your britches (I love to say britches) are a little looser and you're feeling stronger. What used to make you winded will be the beginning of a warm-up for you.

You're doing great!!! Keep at it!!

gaelicstorm26

Like so many others have said, just keep walking. I've been at this for 28 days now. I started out needing about 25 minutes to walk a mile. Tonight I did a mile in 18 minutes. I just keep at it. I use the Map My Walk app so that I can challenge myself. It's all I can really do right now. I've added in some spurts of jogging but am having trouble with an old injury to my right knee so that's pretty limited.

I was amazed tonight that I could jog for .10 mile without sucking wind. Little by little...

Like you, I was embarrassed to go out walking in my 'hood. I still walk at nighttime because of the daytime temperatures and humidity...and because it probably wouldn't be wise to leave my 5 and 6 year old boys at home alone during the day I even wear spandex!!!!

mwyvr

lewiston22 wrote: »

I'm in awe of all of you who have made strides in getting to a healthy weight. And I am weeping at all the encouragement and good advice you are sending my way.

My limitations as far as exercise are less physical and more emotional. I'm embarrassed to go out because of my weight

Don't think like this. Fat people walk, all the time. BEEN THERE done that!

OK, I can understand the bathing suit fear because that was me too, for awhile, but you WILL see progress, quickly, I'd you apply yourself and that will encourage you to do more and yes to do things you might not have considered before, like going to the pool.

Getting out is liberating and loads more fun. Outside air is good for you too. Take advantage and get outside for your walks whenever you can.

Don't let your current shape and weight imprison you in your home!

cwolfman13

walking...

if you have reasonable access to a pool or something, water aerobics and swimming would also be good options.

KittensMaster

Cardio glide

No impact and you can go easy or hard

It was my friend 130 pounds ago

maillemaker

I am well over 100 pounds overweight. I can't exactly walk 10k in a day, let alone 1k. What can I do that will be encouraging to start? I get depressed trying to do the basics because I'm not fit. Duh.

My advice? Don't worry about exercise. Focus on diet. When you have a handle on diet, then worry about exercise. For me, it takes a lot of willpower to focus on diet. I don't have enough to conquer the discomfort of both diet and exercise. So I focus on diet for about 6 months, and when I feel confident and see results from that, then I start working in some exercise.

You are going to get a lot more bang for your weight loss effort from diet than exercise, so spend your willpower currency where it will get you the most tangible results to get motivation.

famousmel

In regards to going outside, you should read this: http://flintland.blogspot.com/2012/05/hey-fat-girl.html
There can be a very encouraging world outside your door, I know I always cheer loudest for those just starting out!!

caroldavison332

I diet and exercise, if only to see how expensive eating crap is, and learning its negative impact on my body.

ponycyndi

At 30 and only a very few lbs overweight, I couldn't walk a half mile or do 10 minutes on an elliptical without feeling like I was going to pass out and die from a heart attack.

So I did what I could. As often as I could.

In 8 months, I lost 40 lbs, and could do a 5k in 45 min without getting winded.

mwyvr

maillemaker wrote: »

My advice? Don't worry about exercise. Focus on diet. When you have a handle on diet, then worry about exercise. For me, it takes a lot of willpower to focus on diet. I don't have enough to conquer the discomfort of both diet and exercise. So I focus on diet for about 6 months, and when I feel confident and see results from that, then I start working in some exercise.

That might work for you and if so, bravo!!! Everyone has their own way of going about improving their health.

Myself, I would not discourage anyone from adding exercise into their daily routine even from day one and even when 100 pounds overweight. I could hardly discourage that - I started out 105 pounds over after all, but was probably not quite as unfit as the OP as I'd always been a walker / hiker.

The health benefits of starting out today, not six months from now, are enormous. In six months many people can totally turn around their blood pressure issues. In six months with diet and exercise someone may go from being pre-type 2 diabetes to having it under control. In six months someone can go from being unable to walk-run 1 kilometer to running 5km in a race. In six months someone can go from having zero endurance - unable to walk flights of stairs without being winded - to being able to walk 5 miles briskly and having gas in the tank for more.

In six months many people can improve their fitness so radically so as to change their lives forever and in the process greatly improve their outlook and fortitude to handle other challenges, like dieting.

We are all much stronger and more capable than we believe we are at first.