Just starting out

Amarie295

This is a really hard post for me to make because I am currently so ashamed of my current weight/fitness level. I am 21 years old and have been overweight for most of my life. I grew up in a very unhealthy family and now that I am on my own it has been a struggle to try and live the healthy life that I was never accustomed to. I have started to slowly adjust my diet towards healthier foods, but exercising is a whole other battle. As embarrassing as it is to say, I have hardly ever exercised in my life. Never played sports, never really used exercise equipment. I am a 100% beginner.

The first thing I tried was doing P90, the way less hardcore version of 90x. It was a little bit challenging for me, but I was able to complete the workouts. Trouble is, I just really don't enjoy doing them. It's not that I expect to be 100% in love with any exercise, but there was just something about exercising in my living room and then going right back to sitting down and never even leaving my apartment that made me feel like I wasn't even exercising.

So I decided that I would try using the gym that is offered at the apartment complex that I live in. Today was my first day doing that, and I definitely preferred it to the exercise videos. But the trouble is that I have no idea where to start, having rarely used exercise equipment in my life. I figured the treadmill was a safe bet. I set the incline to about 6 and the speed about 4. And despite that seeming like such a wimpy level, it really kicked my *kitten*. I couldn't keep going for more than 10 minutes with how sweaty and out of breath I was.

And the problem is that it's just really hard to stay confident and power through it. After a really difficult year I am at the heaviest weight I have ever been at, and having trouble exercising at a speed that I feel like ANYONE should be able to accomplish just has my self esteem in shreds and makes me very hesitant to try again. So there begins the pattern of attempting to exercise, and then becoming so emotionally and physically destroyed in the process that the thought of trying again tomorrow makes me feel sick.

TL;DR: And so I am in desperate need of advice. How can I start exercising in a way that doesn't exhaust me so quickly or make me want to break down in tears at the gym? I want exercise to make me feel GOOD, not overly exhausted and an emotional mess. Maybe I need to start slower? And if so, how should I do that? Different speeds on the treadmill, or a different exercise method entirely? Anything that can help me start getting into shape and that I can really stick with, I'm game.

I really really appreciate any suggestions.

rainbowbow

You need to start on a beginner's program.

I would recommend you start with body weight resistance exercises, slowly start increasing your cardiovascular endurance, work on your flexibility, and workout a full-body routine.

jemhh

Stop worrying about what seems like a wimpy level. Set the treadmill to 2. Walk for a few minutes. Feel okay? Kick it up to 2.3. Up it again in a few minutes if you feel good. Level 4 is most likely 4 mph, which is not a beginner level speed for walkers. Many many people who walk a lot don't even sustain that speed for any long period of time.

And don't even mess around with incline at this point. You are a complete beginner. It is completely normal to start out at beginner levels with exercise. This is where people psych themselves out about going to the gym; they think that they need to show up acting like a seasoned veteran when that's just not true. Go to the gym, use the treadmill a bit. Talk to somebody in the office and ask for an orientation to the other machines, noting that you are a complete beginner. It is perfectly okay to do that.

ptipton520

Visit a local rec center and work with a personal trainer to set up a routine for you. Or, You Tube as some good beginner workouts. Since you are new at all this I would go with the personal trainer to get you started.

ptipton520

http://skinnyms.com/category/fitness/beginner-workouts/ this is one site you can try. will at least give you some ideas. or eldergym.com has an e-book is very good. The last few pages have an actual four week step by step routine. You aren't an elder like me but with additional weights and reps it will work for anyone.

Philtex

jemhh wrote: »

And don't even mess around with incline at this point. You are a complete beginner.

Agree! I've been running on a treadmill for 4 years now and have never used any incline. Walk for a while and if 4 mph is too fast for you then slow down. Once you are comfortable walking for 30 minutes or so you might consider a beginning running program. Couch to 5K (C25K) is a great program that many people here have used. It will truly take you from being a couch potato to having the ability to run a 5K (3.1 miles).

You can do this! Good luck!

Amarie295

Thank you so much for the responses. Knowing the incline wasn't a good idea makes me feel a little bit less hopeless, haha. I am going to try again tomorrow without the incline and just work my way up in speed. A lot of times I feel like I need to start out at the highest level I can stand if I really want to achieve any results, but I guess that's really not the right way to start out. Anyway, super grateful for the advice!

psuLemon

There are a plethora of beginner programs available; body weight, dumbbell, barbell and more. If you want to incorporate some resistance training, much like the P90 series, you can also look at the below thread. It has a variety of programs and skill sizes that can help address your goals. Personally, a good 3 day full body routine, combined with cardio will be highly beneficial.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1?new=1

pzarnosky

Try bodybuilding.com
You can enter your stats and they will offer complete workout and eating plans for you. There's also an exercise database with short videos so you can see proper form for almost every lift.

ChrissyGoto

Philtex wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

And don't even mess around with incline at this point. You are a complete beginner.

Agree! I've been running on a treadmill for 4 years now and have never used any incline. Walk for a while and if 4 mph is too fast for you then slow down. Once you are comfortable walking for 30 minutes or so you might consider a beginning running program. Couch to 5K (C25K) is a great program that many people here have used. It will truly take you from being a couch potato to having the ability to run a 5K (3.1 miles).

You can do this! Good luck!

C25K maybe too challenging for someone who has never worked out and/or not use to running. You could download the app or one similar and cut the run times in half allowing yourself to work up to them without it feeling like you are going to drop dead. Because if you overdo it, you will not want to continue. Start small and build on it.

Philtex

ChrissyGoto wrote: »

C25K maybe too challenging for someone who has never worked out and/or not use to running. You could download the app or one similar and cut the run times in half allowing yourself to work up to them without it feeling like you are going to drop dead. Because if you overdo it, you will not want to continue. Start small and build on it.

Chrissy, starting small and building on it is exactly what C25K does. You start running a couple of minutes, then walking a few minutes. It is a 9-week program that ramps up as you go. It is flexible enough that you can repeat a day or a week if you need/ want to. It is designed for people who have never worked out or run before.

taburbey

@Amarie295, be patient with yourself. It can be so overwhelming at first, find something you truly enjoy doing that makes you feel happy and not like you are punishing yourself I love doing Zumba in a class setting, but absolutely despise stationery bikes, to me that is a punishment. You got this!

newereveryday

Also give yourself a ton of credit for being able to do P90 as a total beginner! I haven't tried it, but I'm doubtful that anything from the BeachBody folks is easy even if it's geared to beginners so that's an accomplishment in an of itself!