I'm struggling to exercise because I'm too heavy.

Victœria

Hi MFP community

I'm happy to say I have managed to keep off the alcohol for 2 whole weeks and I'm starting to see some small results already :-)

I am however struggling to exercise at my current weight. What can I do that won't kill me or take too long but has good results. I have thought about weights and swimming ?

vadimknobel

weights, swimming and just walking

tiptoethruthetulips

Walking and swimming are very doable, and if you have access to an exercise bike or cross-trainer they are good to. Weights also good for strength and at least maintaining lean body mass.

Take it easy, start of slow..as your fitness improves increase your intensity or speed. It doesn't hurt to get a little out of breath or work up a sweat...but at about 200lb unless you have medical issues you should be fine.

choppie70

Your profile says you were 201 lbs. starting weight? I was 226 lbs when I started. I actually love Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. It is tough at first and I took a lot of little breaks, but I saw results fairly quick and it got better even after 1 week. I also walk a lot. I have a treadmill but I also live about 1/2 mile from downtown and the beach so I walked with my daughter to the beach at least two days a week.

healthygreek

You can also try the elliptical. It burns calories and gets your heart rate up.
Start out with 5-10 minutes and work your way up from there.
Walking is great! Start out slow and short walks and gradually build up distance and time.
Make exercise an everyday habit and soon you won't be able to do without!

karenrich77

I started walking at 370 pounds and haven't stopped since. 103 pounds down. Firstly I couldn't even make it to the end of the street, now I can do 5 mile. Take it easy to start with. I used to trail behind my family constantly, now they say they can't keep up!

snickerscharlie

Walking, and if you have access to a pool, aqua jogging. Both are low impact and burn lots of calories, especially if you're obese.

lauracups

To echo what others have said, start slow and build from that. ANY movement is good! !!

zoeysasha37

Look into a lifting program like stronglifts or nrol . I did both when I was heavier then you are.

jennifer_417

Lots of people start with just walking. Actually, that's the only exercise some people do, and it works out very well for them. You might find cycling or swimming easier, too. I always liked the elliptical, but some people report it was really hard for them at first.

kgb6days

You can walk. That's a good place to start. It is ALWAYS hard when you start. It gets easier. Don't give up. I promise you'll learn to love it. It just takes time. We've all been where you are right now. Swimming is good. Do you have a gym or YMCA around you - a lot of them have pool exercise classes.

yogacat13

Just to echo what others are saying, walk. I can't walk fast really, but I walk every single day, and it really helps.

PinkPixiexox

Congratulations on your small results

As for the exercise, don't worry too much at this point. Eating at a deficit will help you drop the pounds initially and after a while, you may feel you are physically able to introduce some small exercises.

I'll also echo every one else - Walking will definitely help

Jokersurv

Unless you have a medical condition you can do anythin you want. It will probably be uncomfortable at first but you will adjust and it will become easier. Start out slow. Don't overdue it. Like anything else it takes time and patience. Some weeks will be easier than others. I personally started running at 244lbs. I didn't get very far at first but now I'm up to 2 1/2 miles a day

Liftng4Lis

Walk, swim, or just move in general.

eileensofianmushinfine

one thing that made my walks more enjoyable is that I bought a headset to use with my phone and I downloaded a crap-load of music that I really like....

VintageFeline

Don't mistake being unfit for being unable. At 200lbs you aren't so overweight that you need to only walk if you want to do more. You just need to build your fitness levels, exercise isn't easy for anyone just starting out. I was 220lbs and did pretty intense cardio and resistance work from the outset. I'm now 189lbs and run and still do intense resistance work. I just had to be careful of my knees at first as they weren't strong enough to be too high impact at my start weight. Now I have pretty much no knee problems.

So just get started on anything, be careful, watch your form and persevere. It gets easier, I promise!

Victœria

I just came back from a short walk. 30 mins slow pace. I feel it a little bit but I could have done a bit more. So I plan to use the 5kg kettle bell and do a little workout using workout trainer by ski blue I found in the App Store

Victœria

Victœria wrote: »

I just came back from a short walk. 30 mins slow pace. I feel it a little bit but I could have done a bit more. So I plan to use the 5kg kettle bell and do a little workout using workout trainer by ski blue I found in the App Store

By SKIMBLE Not sky blue.. Auto correct ...

OldAssDude

Victœria wrote: »

Hi MFP community

I'm happy to say I have managed to keep off the alcohol for 2 whole weeks and I'm starting to see some small results already :-)

I am however struggling to exercise at my current weight. What can I do that won't kill me or take too long but has good results. I have thought about weights and swimming ?

For cardio you need to keep your heart rate in a cardio zone for a minimum of 20 minutes non stop, and a minimum of 3 times per week to get a minimum training effect.

For muscular you need to do 3 sets of each exercise, and each set you have to do until you cannot do another rep. The amount of resistance will determine the number of reps you can do per set. more weight less reps will work more toward strength, and less weight more reps will work more toward endurance.

There is really no way to shortcut these things, and you have to put in the work, but there are ways to combine things into a smaller number of activities that do more than one thing at a time.

For example, I walk and ride my bike. So I get good cardio and a good endurance workout for my legs, but I was looking for something for my upper body. I discovered that kayaking works every muscle group in the upper body and core all in a single activity. In kayaking, you are using you pulling muscles on one side and your pushing muscles on the other side, and stabilizing with your core all at the same time and with each stroke. And if you do it fast, you can get a pretty good cardio as well.

I walk every day (at least 5 miles), bike (30 to 60 minutes) 2 to 3 times per week, and kayak (30 to 60 minutes) 2 to 3 times a week. So, with just those 3 activities, I get a good full muscular and cardio workout.

yogacat13

bcalvanese wrote: »

Victœria wrote: »

Hi MFP community

I'm happy to say I have managed to keep off the alcohol for 2 whole weeks and I'm starting to see some small results already :-)

I am however struggling to exercise at my current weight. What can I do that won't kill me or take too long but has good results. I have thought about weights and swimming ?

For cardio you need to keep your heart rate in a cardio zone for a minimum of 20 minutes non stop, and a minimum of 3 times per week to get a minimum training effect.

For muscular you need to do 3 sets of each exercise, and each set you have to do until you cannot do another rep. The amount of resistance will determine the number of reps you can do per set. more weight less reps will work more toward strength, and less weight more reps will work more toward endurance.

There is really no way to shortcut these things, and you have to put in the work, but there are ways to combine things into a smaller number of activities that do more than one thing at a time.

For example, I walk and ride my bike. So I get good cardio and a good endurance workout for my legs, but I was looking for something for my upper body. I discovered that kayaking works every muscle group in the upper body and core all in a single activity. In kayaking, you are using you pulling muscles on one side and your pushing muscles on the other side, and stabilizing with your core all at the same time and with each stroke. And if you do it fast, you can get a pretty good cardio as well.

I walk every day (at least 5 miles), bike (30 to 60 minutes) 2 to 3 times per week, and kayak (30 to 60 minutes) 2 to 3 times a week. So, with just those 3 activities, I get a good full muscular and cardio workout.

That's great advice for someone who is looking to improve an existing workout routine, but for someone who is struggling, setting the bar so high from the start can be quite off-putting and may discourage them. The OP is just starting off, and making some progress. She, and indeed anyone, can lose weight and become more fit without the level of workout you describe for yourself, which is 10-20 hours a week of exercise including the walking. OP, just keep walking, a little harder and a little faster each day. You'll get there.