Beginners work outs

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amberrosegonzo
amberrosegonzo Posts: 2 Member
edited April 2019 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everybody I'm looking for some suggestions for exercises to include in my daily workout. Super beginner level. At home. I have super week wrists and no upper body strength and issues in my knees from my weight. I have about 150 pounds to lose and want to make the change without hurting myself and getting discouraged like in the past.

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  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited April 2019
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    I would start out with walking. Pick 3 days (e.g., Mon/Wed/Fri) and walk for 10-15 minutes. Next week add 2-5 minutes to your walk. Continue adding a few minutes each week or, when you are up to it, add another day of walking. Aim to get to the point where you're walking for 30-45 minutes. If you can only walk inside your house, just walk through the rooms (I sometimes do this now, much to the confusion of my dogs.)

    I followed did what I described above (started out with short walks, added to them slowly) and nearly always suggest it for people show are completely and utterly out of shape. Baby steps are great. Once you're up and moving more, you will feel better and will naturally feel like getting up and moving more. At some point you will want to add resistance exercise, which will help to retain muscle and keep your bones strong, but at the point where you are now, simply walking is a great way to go.
  • JaimeJaimeM
    JaimeJaimeM Posts: 63 Member
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    Swimming is a really great low-impact cardio activity.
  • margaritaada
    margaritaada Posts: 4 Member
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    I am also a beginner and carry excess weight. I like the idea of swimming, but fear it does not burn many calories.
  • JaimeJaimeM
    JaimeJaimeM Posts: 63 Member
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    margaritaada wrote: »
    I am also a beginner and carry excess weight. I like the idea of swimming, but fear it does not burn many calories.

    You'd be surprised! Depending on your weight you can easily burn close to 1000 calories an hour. Swimming laps is no joke - I consider myself to be in pretty decent shape and for lifeguard testing one of the things we had to do was swim a 300meter without stopping. That was one of the hardest tests I've ever taken in my life.

    https://www.active.com/triathlon/articles/how-many-calories-does-swimming-burn

  • vollkornbloedchen
    vollkornbloedchen Posts: 2,243 Member
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    Swimming, walking, cycling ...
    Start with low intensity and increase the levels slowly when muscles and joints get used to the "new" tasks:
    Basic rule for beginners: If it hurts while working out: Have a break ... If it hurts the day after: It was an effective workout ...
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,645 Member
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    vollkornbloedchen wrote: »
    Swimming, walking, cycling ...
    Start with low intensity and increase the levels slowly when muscles and joints get used to the "new" tasks:
    Basic rule for beginners: If it hurts while working out: Have a break ... If it hurts the day after: It was an effective workout ...

    Generalized achy muscles? Maybe. But it's optional, not required.

    Localized sharp or intermittent pain? NopeNopeNope.

    (I know you know this. But it's a beginner thread. "Super beginner", as stated, even. :flowerforyou: ).
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    amberrosegonzo wrote: »
    Hey everybody I'm looking for some suggestions for exercises to include in my daily workout. Super beginner level. At home. I have super week wrists and no upper body strength and issues in my knees from my weight. I have about 150 pounds to lose and want to make the change without hurting myself and getting discouraged like in the past.

    Walking is a great place to start for someone not accustomed to moving their body. That's what I started with and just increased the time, pace, and number of days. I still don't do any crazy workouts...most of my exercise is just recreational activity to keep active. I mostly cycle and walk my dog...a little rock climbing and hiking here and there. I only do what I'd consider a "workout" twice per week when I lift weights in the gym...otherwise I'm just out there having fun on my bike, though I do ride at what would be considered a vigorous pace.

    The only exception to that would be when I'm training for an event and following a training plan...then it's more of a "workout"
  • vollkornbloedchen
    vollkornbloedchen Posts: 2,243 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    vollkornbloedchen wrote: »
    Swimming, walking, cycling ...
    Start with low intensity and increase the levels slowly when muscles and joints get used to the "new" tasks:
    Basic rule for beginners: If it hurts while working out: Have a break ... If it hurts the day after: It was an effective workout ...

    Generalized achy muscles? Maybe. But it's optional, not required.

    Localized sharp or intermittent pain? NopeNopeNope.

    (I know you know this. But it's a beginner thread. "Super beginner", as stated, even. :flowerforyou: ).

    Thanks for clarification.
  • jguldi11
    jguldi11 Posts: 201 Member
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    In addition to walking, at-home exercises I enjoy include following along with YouTube videos (there are lots of free videos for all fitness levels - yoga, Zumba, etc.), playing workout games on the Wii-Fit, or using an aerobic step while watching tv. To increase intensity, carry small hand weights (even a bottle of water or other small object will do). The most important thing is finding something you enjoy so that you'll want to keep doing it. Good luck!!

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