Advice: Best workout program for starting out and obese

lauragibson888

Would like some advice... I’d want to start working out but I’m so out of shape and overweight. I have bad knees and don’t want to start out so tough that I don’t stick with it.
Any advice or specific program you started out with? Walking can be painful for long periods so C25K isn’t an option.
I’ve never tried yoga....
Trying to start slow and work my way up.

flippy1234

I would walk. Lots of walking. I have bad knees too but walking seems to be fine for me.

bethann51774

Even if you can’t do it for a long time, you might want to still start with walking. Three 10 minute walks a day are just as good as a half hour walk. Leslie Sansone has some walking workouts on DVD or Amazon Prime that are great for beginners.

Or you could do some walking in water, which would really take the impact off your knees! Good luck!

WholeFoods4Lyfe

I think that walking is a great beginner exercise. Just getting the body moving, even if you have to break it out in to several short walks during the day, is still going to be beneficial. My first two months back, I only walked. It's just within the last 2 weeks that I've started adding additional workouts at the gym. I'm still taking it slow. I signed up for Pilates to help with my core strength and am just starting to add some resistance training as well. Give yourself some time, doing too much too soon can lead to injury.

Chieflrg

I would recommend the novice strength program from Barbell medicine that has cardio built in to the template.

You will reap the benefits of not only getting stronger, but retaining muscle as you lose weight instead of losing muscle along with building your cardiovascular system.

k8eekins

lauragibson888 wrote: »

Would like some advice ... I’d want to start working out but I’m so out of shape and overweight. I have bad knees and don’t want to start out so tough that I don’t stick with it.
Any advice or specific program you started out with? Walking can be painful for long periods so C25K isn’t an option.
I’ve never tried yoga....
Trying to start slow and work my way up.

Start out responsibly, and consider wearing:

• Ankle support
• Knee support
• Lower back support

In my case, I only needed the ankle and knee support, which I didn't have ready with me to start, but quickly discovered was necessary.

I walked. First phase was when I weighed-in at 859 lbs early 2012. The second phase was when I first entered myfitnesspal, weighing 387 lbs, in November 2012.

emagee77

I've been having a lot of success with the elliptical! It doesn't feel like I'm hurting anything when I'm doing it, and it's definitely increased my resistance. Instead of getting winded after 5 minutes, now I can comfortably keep going and don't get that feeling until 15 minutes in. It burns more calories for me than running, and isn't as uncomfortable on my body.

a_candler

Start off slow and DON'T over do it! I think a lot of people go all in, get too sore or injure themselves, then they give up.
There are a ton of "walking" videos on YouTube, or get outside and do a short brisk walk. As you build up you can add small hand weights, or ankle weights.

leggup

Get a membership to a YMCA/community pool! Youtube has tons of pool exercises, but just power-walking laps is a fannnntastic workout that is not rough on the knees. In my area there are aquatic fitness classes, but you can create your own checklist program. Pick 3-5 "moves" to work on like. "Today I will jog in the pool for 15 minutes, then I will lean on the wall and bicycle my legs for 5 min, then I will do underwater bicep curls for 10 min. Rest, repeat!"

whmscll

Yes, if you have access to a gym with a pool, some sort of aquasize or pool exercises are a great way to get moving without putting stress on joints. Walking is also good, but a bit harder if you live somewhere hot (you have to have the discipline to do it early when it’s still cool).