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best exercise for the very unfit over 300lbs?

2

Replies

  • LassoOfTruth
    LassoOfTruth Posts: 735 Member
    Hi!

    I started at 325 with just walking, and then added weight training. There is a big debate over whether bigger gals should do it, or not, unless they lose a ton of weight first. But, let me tell you, it HELPS. I bought $5 weights at Walmart, and just look up different stuff to do (like fitnessblender on youtube.com). The first few days are torture, but then you get into the swing of things. I am attempting to jog a little bit now (I'm 271) but it does still hurt my knees if I go too long. Just push yourself a little each day, and know your body. If it doesn't feel right, just don't do it. It's not worth the injury.

    Good luck girl! :)
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I tried aquafit last night, and it was great. There were a lot of people that were +300lbs, it was an hour long, but I didn't feel like I was dying. It did take effort, which i liked because i didn't want to just float around. Definitely worth the $8. Give it a try, it's easy on the muscles, and you can do moves that you can't do on dry land ;)
  • D_Dub
    D_Dub Posts: 11 Member
    All these are great ideas. I would add water walking while using light barbells 5- 12 lbs bicep curls, overhead press and overhead tricep press. As for being in public in a baithing suit: own it! You have just as much right to be in that pool as any skinny chick, if not more.

    At 335 lbs the fear of being fat in public kept me out of the gym and pool for years. I finally decided anyone who had a problem with it didn't matter and I was prepared to tell them so. What can they do? We're not in high school any more. The truth be told 99% of the people you will see are very supportive of people getting active and losing weight. I had to learn I was projecting my own feelings of infiriority onto what I believed total strangers were thinking about me and using that as excuse not to work out. I don't know how old you are, but I was 40 before I got my act together. Don't repeat my mistake.

    Exercise is what makes us healthy but diet is what makes lose weight. Calories in vs Calories out. It's that simple. No secrets. Everything else is hype created to seperate you from you money. Cut the junk, add the good and write it down. You know what good food is and what bad food is. You don't need to buy a book to tell you.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    Walking is great
    Lift some stuff up and down to preserve lean mass as you lose.
    Elliptical (low impact so this is nice for moving faster)
    water walking/running
    water aerobics classes
    zumba or other cardio dance

    whatever you do, have fun doing it, and don't be discouraged by others. I've been on these forums long enough to hear stories about how terrible people can be while you're in the process of improving your life, just remember that for each ugly person you come in contact with there are 2 you are inspiring by making a different decision.
  • brookielaw
    brookielaw Posts: 814 Member
    Do whatever you like that keeps you moving! My #1 recommendation is swimming.

    I actually started with swimming when I was well over 350 because everything else, even walking hurt too bad. I got more compliments and encouragement at that size than I do now....maybe people don't think I need it anymore because I OWN the pool when I'm in it ;). Do NOT worry about the bathing suit. Everyone wears them! I eventually hired an inexpensive personal trainer to do some strength training with and eventually bought a bike as my reward for losing 100 lbs. Thus far I've tried swimming (love it), walking (meh, it gets me around), biking (awesome), water aerobics (meh, if I'm in the water I'd rather be doing laps), salsa lessons (awesome!), and hiking (awesome). This weekend is kayaking and I'm training for a sprint triathlon next year. It all started with the decision to move more. You can do it!
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Walking is great exercise, and yes, if you can get comfortable, swimming is also a wonderful exercise.

    The thing is though, worry less about "best" and more about keep improving what you are doing. Pat yourself on the back and keep going!

    I will also chime in with some other posters and encourage you to do some strength/resistance training to help preserve lean body mass as you lose weight. This will help your body shed more fat and less muscle. Do your best not to be intimidated by gyms or pools or anything else for that matter. We all have to start somewhere.
  • walzllw
    walzllw Posts: 105 Member
    I say walk as much as you can. It is cheap and not hard on the body. I started walking 2 miles a day and now I can run more than 5 miles at a time. I started a year ago and it does pay off if you stick to it and push yourself everyday. I have lost 29 lbs since I joined MFP and had lost 21 lbs before that. Good luck you can do this!
  • monjacq1964
    monjacq1964 Posts: 291 Member
    Hi guys, I've started walking more. forcing myself to walk home from work (approx 2.72m), which is currently taking me about an hour. Runtastic tells me I started walking at 2mph, I'm not up to 2.5mph.

    I'm working up to swiming....or at least being seen in public in a swimsuit! and I've been advised not to run until I lose a lot more wieght because it will put stress on my joints.

    What else could I be doing? (preferably free/cheap)

    walking and swimming are both very good. Trouble is, at your weight (and believe me, i know, i started at over 300lbs) you have to be careful about machines like ellipticals and treadmills, because they can't take your level of awesomeness.

    Yoga and pilates are difficult too, because you can't fold in the right places.

    Have you tried wii fit? they have some good cardio things, that are low impact.

    And keep up with the walking. Try taking the long way home, add a few steps to your journey, and you'll see the benefits.

    Good luck, and keep at it. You can do hard things.
  • Sunshine_Kubes
    Sunshine_Kubes Posts: 37 Member
    Walking is definitely great! When I first started exercising years ago I could barely walk a mile without my back hurting, sides, etc.. Now I can walk 8 miles a day non stop.. no pain or anything.. and I weigh 285lbs right now.. I just started my weight loss journey again, long story as to why I still weigh this much.. but with MFP, I've been losing weight and I'm not stopping this time around.. Good luck!
  • Mallyycatt
    Mallyycatt Posts: 118 Member
    Walking is great
    Lift some stuff up and down to preserve lean mass as you lose.
    Elliptical (low impact so this is nice for moving faster)
    water walking/running
    water aerobics classes
    zumba or other cardio dance

    whatever you do, have fun doing it, and don't be discouraged by others. I've been on these forums long enough to hear stories about how terrible people can be while you're in the process of improving your life, just remember that for each ugly person you come in contact with there are 2 you are inspiring by making a different decision.

    This is the best advice that I find for myself.
    "Have fun doing it" .. When it seems less like something you "have" to do, and more so something that you want to do, it becomes less of a pain.

    I love zumba.. but i have just as much fun walking around the park with my headphones in dancing. :) I'm big and beautiful and if they don't like my dancing while i'm walking, then they should probably leave the park before my second lap...because then i sing and dance! :)
  • LessMe2B
    LessMe2B Posts: 316
    I don't have time to read all the prior responses, so I hope I'm not repeating for you.

    When you walk: 1) bend your arms at the elbows, 2) keep those arms at or above your waist, and 3) pump those arms!! If you use a heart rate monitor, you willl see proof that just doing that with your arms raises your heart rate exponentially!! That means a much bigger calorie burn with the same activity.

    ROCK ON GIRL!!! (I should say "walk on")

    You are doing wonderfully!!
  • jamgirl19777
    jamgirl19777 Posts: 17
    aquasize classes one hour feels like 15 mins in the water, you dont feel a thing on your joints and depending how hard you work and your weight you can burn 500-1133 calories i lost alot of inches doing that twice per week, you just have to build up your confidence to jump in a one piece bathing suit. add me to your friends list then you can brag to me how right i was.
  • SugarBaby71
    SugarBaby71 Posts: 3,630 Member
    Try to not be too afraid to get in a swimsuit and get in the water. Water fit is actually quite fun (deep water keeps you submerged up to your neck, so nobody can see you). Remember that pretty much everyone else feels the same way, so go for it. :flowerforyou:
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
    make sure you have good, supportive shoes and replace them every 300-500 mi or 3-6 months
  • Rose_bee
    Rose_bee Posts: 226 Member
    Walking is probably the best.

    It's not free/cheap, but an elliptical is also great cardio and very easy on the joints. I have bad knees no matter how much I weigh.

    Swimming & water aerobics are also good choices.
  • sumeetg37
    sumeetg37 Posts: 108 Member
    Not to sound like an infomercial but... Walk away the pounds! It probably is the best exercise you can do. It's easy, free, you can do it alone or with a friend... wait this is starting to sound like something else...


    For me I can find find the gumption to go walk for 30 minutes when I can't find it to do anything else, it's a very small pain investment, and as I mentioned in several other posts, per the ADA it helps stabilize your blood sugar as well as improve insulin use if done after a meal even in amounts as low as 15 min.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Walking outside is great! I switched it up and went with the elliptical, now I'm on a treadmill at an incline and slowly going to increase the speed.

    "Walking" inside is great too - and it's weather proof! There are DVDs by: Leslie Sansone, Denise Austin, Debbie Rocker, George Foreman, Jessica Smith, and Debra Mazda. These are actually low impact aerobics. You march in place (for awhile) do side steps (for awhile) do knee lifts (for awhile)..... just keep moving.

    The beauty of these is that you can do them at your own pace. You start with tiny knee lifts, march more slowly, keep your arms down..... then build up as you go.

    Here are youtube samples

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5SeMKN8Bus

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjduJjO1pLg&feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qD7RVbn3Nk

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0q1HpH6tJA
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    As most other have said, walking is great exercise. You might also try adding a few pushups for your upper body. I realize you probably can't do a military-style pushup right now, but you can get a good workout by doing them against a wall. Just stand back from the wall, put your arms out with hands against the wall at about shoulder height, then lean in and pushup back, keeping your body straight. Do several sets a few times a week. Once it gets easier, you can move to a table, desk or stairs. Stairs are great if you have them because you can increase intensity by dropping a step whenever it gets easy.

    Resistance bands are also something that are cheap and a great way to work your muscles.
  • 1yoyoKAT
    1yoyoKAT Posts: 206 Member
    Another walking advocate here. I could walk for maybe 5 minutes when I first started. Now I walk at least an hour every day on purposeful exercise walks and make it a point to take extra steps during the day whenever I can. That means parking far away from stores, getting up and moving around while working, etc.

    It helped me to get a fitbit because I get "credit" for every step and it makes me want to move more. I also just recently started a water exercise class. I was also ashamed to be seen in a swim suit, but believe me, no one is looking they are all busy swimming.

    Be proud of yourself, you're taking the steps you need to be the healthiest you you can be! :flowerforyou:
  • Birder150
    Birder150 Posts: 677 Member
    I love walking and my boyfriend and I frequently go for long walks on the weekends together.

    It's not free, but I'm also a huge fan of bicycling. My boyfriend just gave me his gel seat which was wider than the one that came on my bike and now I'm golden. I can bike for hours. I'm 53 and weigh 230 to give you an idea of my fitness level. :smile:
    Luckily, we have several excellent bike paths here where I'm away from traffic and it's more relaxing than biking on the road.
    We also drive to a Provincial Park close by and bike there amidst nature.
    Cycling makes me feel like a kid again.

    Sorry ... I went off there. I love cycling!

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