help me with exercise! :(

Hello my name is Jennifer and I really struggle with exercise. I've noticed lately that I've gotten bored and led to becoming very lazy and inactive. I have a hard time lifting my own body weight if I try pushups and I'm out of shape. I tried yoga and workouts on YouTube but I either can't follow them or I physically can't do them. I also have balance issues but Can anybody help motivate me or help me be healthier by suggesting exercising somehow at a pace and level suitable for me? Ive kinda given up a little

Replies

  • LolaKarwowski
    LolaKarwowski Posts: 217 Member
    I don't rely on my motivation. I can be motivated for a full minute and feel lazy the next. What makes me go to the gym and eat the way I do is determination. So even when you don't fee like going, still go. You'll thank yourself a few months from now if you are consistent.

    As far as workouts go you really have to find what works for you. I know when I started lifting I could not do hardly anything. It took months to work myself up to the weights I lift today (which is still not even close to what I want to be lifting). You said yoga + home workouts (YouTube) were a no go so how about you give lifting a chance? Or take up running? Keep searching until you find something you love to do. (There is such a thing out there!)
  • dljones67
    dljones67 Posts: 88 Member
    Hi Jennifer. I'm new to mfp also & my #1 advice is to read these community posts. I've learned so much from just reading what others have asked/answered . Everyone seems so helpful & knowledgeable having been were we are. I started June 1st & am down 30 lbs. Lost 8 in May b4 coming here. I started off walking then bought 5 lb dumbbells. I'd go up & down my basement stairs too. Now I go to the gym 4-5 days a week. As everyone will tell you log accurately; use a scale for ALL solid food. I just bought mine & love it. You can do this. Everyone here wants you to be successful in your weight loss/healthier living goals. Best of luck to you
  • mistycornett5
    mistycornett5 Posts: 5 Member
    When you first start exercising you start slow. Maybe you can only do 2 or 5 push ups today. If your consistent you will be able to do 7 or 10 next week. Baby steps. Same with weight lifting. You may only be able to lift a low weight... So what. Do it. You will be increasing weight in no time. Starting is better than never starting at all.
  • socalgardengal
    socalgardengal Posts: 116 Member
    Try doing Leslie Sansone "Walk at home" videos on youtube. They are basic for beginners at your level :) Good Luck
  • Slainte831
    Slainte831 Posts: 125 Member
    I started by simply walking (helps that I have a dog). Those first three weeks - ugh. I felt achy. I tried to visualise it as rust and toxins being squeezed out of my body. Once I could walk for 30+ min without problem, I decided to try running and downloaded a C25K (couch to 5K) app. I also have a bike and have rediscovered how much I love cycling!

    My next goal is doing something with weights.

    I also found buying a fitness tracker very motivating.

    It has been a process, not an overnight change :)
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
    Find something you like to do. That is most important.

    Have you ever tried aqua fit? It is good for balance, cardio, flexibility, and posture. With a little resistance work too. Because it is done in water it is also lowimpact, you can move at your own speed, and put as much energy into it as you have that day. No one can see when you go awry as you are in water.

    There is also a Zumba class called Zumba Gold, it has all the moves of regular Zumba but goes a little slower and offers alternate moves.

    Neither of these are just 'old people' classes, they are for people with mobility problems, or just starting exercising.

    Nerdfitness, Convict Conditioning, and You Are Your Own Gym all offer body weight routines that you can grow into and grow with. Start with the modified version of any exercise and you will eventually get to the full version. ( I started with push-ups against a wall)

    If you want to go to the gym, I highly recommend taking an introductory tour before joining. It gives you a better idea of what to expect and how things work.

    Shop around and find something you like.

    Cheers, h.
  • jenniferpiotrowski0
    jenniferpiotrowski0 Posts: 215 Member
    Thanks I might try a walking routine or going the rec center at the clubhouse that is in the trailer park I live in cuz I know they have a gym there that I could simply shoot hoops in the gym. Its a matter of getting off my lazy butt and doing something instead of staying at home being a couch potato lol
  • tabl_23
    tabl_23 Posts: 46 Member
    Thanks I might try a walking routine or going the rec center at the clubhouse that is in the trailer park I live in cuz I know they have a gym there that I could simply shoot hoops in the gym. Its a matter of getting off my lazy butt and doing something instead of staying at home being a couch potato lol

    It finding something you enjoy. I love to dance....not like professional or anything pretty....lol. So I put in my ear buds....jam to some good tunes and do a whole dance routines to my favorite songs on my step (just a step from Walmart). It's fun....I enjoy it and it burns tons of calories (I wear a heart rate monitor to get an accurate measurement). After 45 minutes of dancing....I do strength training for 15-30 minutes. I've tried Yoga, Zumba, HIIT, Barre, Palates, and about a million others....but I just couldn't get into them. I just like to dance..gives me a chance to let lose and enjoy myself too. :). Keep looking...you will find your nitch.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    Its a matter of getting off my lazy butt and doing something instead of staying at home being a couch potato lol

    You can lose weight through diet alone, but if you are leading a very sedentary life - literally a couch potato - one would think that changing diet and other habits are not going to come easy.

    Getting out to exercise - whatever that means to you (walking / swimming / running / hoops / going to a gym / cycling / hiking / whatever) - helps reinforce the notion that **this time it is different**. You'll feel better through exercise and that will help you with making and sticking to changes in your diet. The extra calories burned help as does changes to your metabolism thanks to exercise.

    The best motivator? Time. Get going now and you can be many pounds down by Christmas and leading a life that feels different and better before the holiday season. I started last September and that Christmas was the first I didn't gain weight over... and I'm now down 78 pounds. Frankly the first 40 pounds were fairly easy, I just had to get my *kitten* off the couch.

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,940 Member
    Hello my name is Jennifer and I really struggle with exercise. I've noticed lately that I've gotten bored and led to becoming very lazy and inactive. I have a hard time lifting my own body weight if I try pushups and I'm out of shape. I tried yoga and workouts on YouTube but I either can't follow them or I physically can't do them. I also have balance issues but Can anybody help motivate me or help me be healthier by suggesting exercising somehow at a pace and level suitable for me? Ive kinda given up a little
    Walking. It takes literally not instruction to do and no equipment except shoes. Start out a little and progress 1/4 mile each week.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • LaLa_Ventura
    LaLa_Ventura Posts: 94 Member
    Get a bicycle. It's the best thing!