15 min of exercise… thought I was going to die. Advice?
csontos
Posts: 76 Member
Well, today I tried to work out for the first time in probably months based on my doctor telling me that being obese isn't an option. She recommended that I do 15 minutes 4-6 days a week to start off. I did fifteen minutes today and seriously thought I was going to die. Maybe it's because I'm like 80+ lbs overweight. I did 3 minutes of cardio, 3 minutes of abs, 3 minutes of butt, 3 minutes of cardio, 3 minutes of arms using Blogilates. With about 1-2 minute breaks in between all of those.
I spent about next the ten minutes coughing and then the next five chugging water. I felt like death.
Because I moved around for fifteen minutes.
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WELL, needless to say, I'm already dreading exercising ever again based on that. So, what should I do? Start at less than 15 minutes? Turn part of that into something easier? Try something completely different? I literally did all beginner videos.
Haaaaalp.
I spent about next the ten minutes coughing and then the next five chugging water. I felt like death.
Because I moved around for fifteen minutes.
…
WELL, needless to say, I'm already dreading exercising ever again based on that. So, what should I do? Start at less than 15 minutes? Turn part of that into something easier? Try something completely different? I literally did all beginner videos.
Haaaaalp.
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Replies
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Well, today I tried to work out for the first time in probably months based on my doctor telling me that being obese isn't an option. She recommended that I do 15 minutes 4-6 days a week to start off. I did fifteen minutes today and seriously thought I was going to die. Maybe it's because I'm like 80+ lbs overweight. I did 3 minutes of cardio, 3 minutes of abs, 3 minutes of butt, 3 minutes of cardio, 3 minutes of arms using Blogilates. With about 1-2 minute breaks in between all of those.
I spent about next the ten minutes coughing and then the next five chugging water. I felt like death.
Because I moved around for fifteen minutes.
…
WELL, needless to say, I'm already dreading exercising ever again based on that. So, what should I do? Start at less than 15 minutes? Turn part of that into something easier? Try something completely different? I literally did all beginner videos.
Haaaaalp.
Well I'm (depending on how you look at it) 120lbs overweight and I can do 2 45 minute back to back classes
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First off, kudos to you for exercising! Way too go! I think you (and your doctor) should judge how much you exercise but I would do the same thing tomorrow and the next day and the next. Do it for a week and it if isn't any easier day 7 than it was on day 1, go back to the drawing board. Best of luck(:!0
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Start of walking.Walk to the end of the driveway this week,walk half a block and back next week,walk 2 blocks in week 3...and so on...if you have access water aerobics are great for beginners.0
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Do more, it gets easier.0
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one classic beginner mistake is thinking that exercise done for purposes of burning calories has to be done at a breakneck pace. that's a recipe for burnout after a couple of weeks. all you need to do is start moving more. instead of trying to go as fast as you can on an elliptical for 15 minutes... or do as many jumping jacks in a row as possible... or jumping rope doing fancy rope tricks for 15 minutes, you can simple go for a walk or jog at a casual pace that you can sustain for much longer. a half hour or hour of walking at a casual pace can burn a surprising amount of calories for somebody who is 80lbs overweight. forget that silliness about "the ideal fat burning zone" for your heart rate. if you want to start getting that weight off, pick exercises that you can do frequently without burning yourself out doing. walking. jogging. swimming. etc.0
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Start slow try walking for 20 mins. Whatever works, just stick with it!0
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Just keep going. It'll get better each time. I know that's tough to do at first, but you have taken the first steps and now it's just a matter of keeping going. I love Blogilates and think that the workouts are great for beginners, but Fitness Blender has some great beginner and low impact options also on youtube. Definitely check out youtube. Look up "beginner cardio" and I have no doubt that there will a very long list of full length workouts to check out. But it will get better. Maybe try doing some light cardio along with strength training. Also, don't forget to stretch! I actually do a 10 minute additional stretch after each workout to keep me loose with minimal pain if it's been a tough session. There are great stretching videos on youtube as well! And if you continue to hate doing the videos, maybe consider another form of exercise. Swimming, walking, hiking, dancing, weights, hula hoop. There are so many!0
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Well, today I tried to work out for the first time in probably months based on my doctor telling me that being obese isn't an option. She recommended that I do 15 minutes 4-6 days a week to start off. I did fifteen minutes today and seriously thought I was going to die. Maybe it's because I'm like 80+ lbs overweight. I did 3 minutes of cardio, 3 minutes of abs, 3 minutes of butt, 3 minutes of cardio, 3 minutes of arms using Blogilates. With about 1-2 minute breaks in between all of those.
I spent about next the ten minutes coughing and then the next five chugging water. I felt like death.
Because I moved around for fifteen minutes.
…
WELL, needless to say, I'm already dreading exercising ever again based on that. So, what should I do? Start at less than 15 minutes? Turn part of that into something easier? Try something completely different? I literally did all beginner videos.
Haaaaalp.
Well you did accomplish that first 15 and I am wondering if you felt a sense of accomplishment (after you caught your breath)?
I mean, you did a great job.0 -
I agree with the others about walking. When you get to where you can walk for 15 minutes without feeling like you will die, add another 5 minutes or a few minutes of something else. Don't go straight to high intensity stuff. As you get healthier/fitter, find new things to add in.0
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The good news is you didn't die.
Don't stop. You'll improve more and more each time.0 -
Congrats on your first day!!!! You're one step closer to a healthier you! Pace yourself. Every journey begins with a first step. Congrats on taking your first step today! You can do it!0
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walk - walk at a pace you can manage - if you walk for 15 mins and feel ok - keep walking a bit faster
once you can walk briskly for a hour - if you are on a treadmill start to increase the incline - if you are outside find some hills to walk up and down or stairs0 -
I had the same experience!! I do a 20 minute video and when I first started one of my 7yo's asked me if he needed to call someone. lmao All I could think was that I was sooooo out of shape - I had no idea. My word.
I just did the modified version as best I could - which was not perfect by any means. I just kept going and it has been about 6 weeks and I'm still at it. I'm still not *good* and still do the modified versions but I am getting a little better and my blood pressure was down when it was checked so I'm happy. My knees are killing me though. I'm not sure if that will go away or if I'm doing something wrong or what.0 -
Congrats on your start, but you may have over done it for your first session. Start out walking 15 minutes and add an additional 5 minutes each week. I was in the same shape when I started and I can easily do 60-90 minutes of exercise now! You can do it! Just don't stop..you will be amazed at what a difference you will feel walking every day! 0
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Start slow try walking for 20 mins. Whatever works, just stick with it!
^ This.
If it helps... a year ago I was pretty much in the same boat as you. I was horribly out of shape, and to make it worse i had leg/back injury which made it impossible to even walk a full block.
But i found i could bicycle.... So i started biking. I had great results and in a few weeks I was up to biking for half an hour a day. I still had difficulty walking a block, but the weight was falling off. I then started with water aerobics a few times a week, then to walking.
Long story short.... I followed the advice to keep in slow and steady. I picked exercises that I could do and keep at (biking, walking, swimming, yoga, etc). I have lost over 60 lbs since last July. My health stats are all normal now (except i am still overweight). And I have recently added strength training, and I am training for my first 5K in many a year!
So keep at.... start slow, but steady. If walking works for you... do that. With MFP (counting calories) and walking (or biking, swimming, etc) you can lose the weight!0 -
Don't stop! I started slower than you, and that may be something you need to talk to your doctor about. I started at 291 pounds and hadn't been very active, but despite being morbidly obese, I didn't have any major health concerns. I made my starting goal 3x/week, 20 minutes a day, and all I did was the treadmill on about 2.0-2.5 mph. I got used to it for a few weeks, bumped it to 30 minutes and then gradually built up my speed. Next I added elliptical and alternated between the two, working on increasing speed, resistance, and incline.
So, you totally don't need to jump in 4-6 days a week full bore. You may burn out and not make it a habit. Small, sustainable, forward-moving steps.
It took me a few more months before I was ready to do yoga or strength training and almost a year before I moved from machines to free weights. Now I do a lot of workout.
My whole me me me point --- start small, build up, don't do too much out the gate. I just wanted to give you an example so you saw what someone else had done too
You've got this!0 -
Here's another vote for walking. I have about the same amount to lose as you do, but I've been taking a 3 mile walk every day for several years now l so I'm actually pretty fit for my size (it's the portion distortion that gets me). It's amazing what a difference walking makes. It's the perfect place to start if you haven't done much exercise. From there you can build on other exercises and work your way up to more challenging activities. Take it slow - if you push yourself too much at first then you're more likely to give up. Good luck!0
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Adding my name to the list of those suggesting walking. That's pretty much the only thing I'm doing right now & it gets me sweating & my heart rate up. I was actually kind of surprised at how serious walking can be when you walk at a faster pace for 15+ minutes. I did a half hour at 3.5 mph tonight & was dying by the end of it, but you could easily do the same amount of time at 2.5 mph, or do less time and less speed, or less speed and an incline, or something like that. I like walking because it's easy but I still feel great like I do after any other workout.
I would also suggest a Fitbit or something similar to motivate you to walk! I didn't start doing extra walking until after I got a Fitbit Flex, & now I live to reach my step goal & see all the fancy graphs!0 -
First of all, forget about "exercising". Right now, you are just "mobilizing". That means you are just getting your body moving. Intensity is irrelevant. Pick something easy, comfortable, and within your capabilities. You only have to work a little harder than you are right now. If that means walking 2 mph, or even less, that's fine.
If all you can do is five minutes of walking, then walk 5 min. Rest a minute or two and try to walk 5 more.
You will increase your endurance before you know. Once you feel comfortable walking 15-20 min non stop, then you can think about increasing the speed.
For now, I would just stick with the lower-level cardio. Don't bother with the other stuff. You can add that in a couple of week.
Set yourself up for success, not failure, by being good to yourself and taking baby steps.
You'll be fine. Congrats on taking the first step.0 -
Wow! You really went at it full tilt. Don't! Exercise should make you feel like you have done something good, even if it was a challenge. Feeling like death, hating it and never wanting to do it again isn't the way to go as you can see.
I'm in with the walking suggestion. Start there for your 15 minutes. Increase it as you can, even if its only by a minute at a time. When that starts to feel comfortable (not necessarily easy but something you have a handle on) then add something else like the Biolates. Play around with different things until you find something you enjoy. Anything that gets you up and moving is perfect for now. Good for you for doing this!0 -
Regardless of wt and whether you are capable of something you have to choose things which you at least can face doing again. I hate cardio so chose wt machines, mini trampoline at home and lots of walking - I still lost the wt and improved my shape and didn'thave to turn blue or vomit to do it.
My approach after 30yrs of feast/famine eating is this......I don't care what the gold standard/best thing/rolls royce is because it's worth nothing if I hate it and put off doing it. Bad enough that this then still leaves a person overweight but far worse is the head messer it leaves with you and generally adds to all the other head messers which got us overweight anyway! No one needs more feelings of failure to add to the heap!0 -
Exercise should be fun! Like so many others before said, starting out too fast will burn you out. I was 120lbs overweight and was in your shoes. Take inventory of what will keep you active that you like. You don't necessarily have to kill yourself to be active. I will try, literally, anything! I think I have exercise ADD. My timeline went like this:
Walking and being sore
Walking and being okay
Walking and loving it, so I added GRADUALLY:
Jogging Couch to 5k program
Running
Yoga
Biking
Dancing and Zumba. Didnt like Zumba
Pilates
Weights
Did my first 5k
More biking
Loving my new active lifestyle and I added bike races
More 5ks
Swimming
The more I did, the better I felt
A triathlon, joined a tri club
Hooked at this point
More swim, bike, run....cant get enough
More triathlons
More bike races- "criteriums"
A half marathon
More weights
Mountain biking added
First and only mountain bike race where I realized I need more work on the mtb
A hip injury sidelined my running, but I wanted to stay active
Joined a beginners developmental rowing team
Rowing races in novice category
Loving being on the water and the team atmosphere
Progressed from the beginners team to a competitive womens team
Will be shooting for a spot at nationals with my team in August
This has been over the course of four years in the making.
You see, I am not tooting my horn here. I just want you to see where it can lead if you slow down and allow yourself to develop your interests. Get your mobility up and the rest will come. This is a process. :-) we are cheering for you!0 -
You're not alone! When I first started, I did 10 minutes on a rowing machine and then had to lie down for half an hour to recover. Now I can do 45 minutes and recover really quickly. Just build up slowly, don't be in a rush, push yourself a little more each time, and your fitness will improve.
I second the idea of getting a fitbit and walking. When I got my fitbit one I was shocked at how little I moved during the day - no wonder I was so out of shape! It really motivates me to stay active, even if just moving around more.
You can do it! Lots of people here have been in the same situation and succeeded. Well done for getting started. 0 -
Adaptive fitness (Google it) is a real thing. You will adapt and be able to do more. When I started out (347 lbs in 2012) I had an injury and couldn't work out at all. I lost 50 lbs with diet first and then started working out (Jan. 6, 2013). At first all I could do was 15 minutes of Wii Fit. But I bought a heart rate monitor and I used it like I was training for the MF Wii Fit Olympics (if there was such a thing). Twice a day, six days a week, I got my big butt up on that Wii Fit step and did step aerobics. Within two or three weeks, I could start walking. I walked a quarter mile at first. That's it. WIthin two more weeks I started adding wrist and ankle weights. A bit after that, I added a riser to the step. Because everything got easier. The key is to keep challenging yourself. Not to the point where you're puking during a workout. But one day, what you're doing now will have you hardly breaking a sweat, and then it's time to step it up. If you can't handle the workout you're doing now, start out by just walking. I swear, if you're consistent, your body will adapt and you will get better at it. By the end of last October, my workouts consisted of kettlebells three times a week, biking three times a week, kayaking three times a week, trail running three times a week, and a long walk three times a week. My Saturday brick workouts were a 20 mile bike ride, followed by a 6 mile kayaking trip, and a four mile trail run. I'm training for my first triathlon this summer. You can do this. I promise you, because I've done it. And if I can do it? Anyone can.0
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keep at it, I'm not going to say it gets any easier either though.
But think of how your body will feel when it loses all that weight. friend me if you like.
I was over 330lbs when I started my journey and am now around 50lbs lighter.:drinker:0 -
Well, first off - well done by joining MFP and posting this. Don't become too discouraged - and as others have said, start more slowly and ease your way back into exercise. When I started on my exercise bike at the beginning of February, I could only manage 5 or 6 mins before I was out of breath and having cramp in my legs. But I persevered, and gradually increased it over the last month so that I am doing 4 x 30mins workouts on the bike daily and have also increased the calorie burn at each session as I can now put more effort into it. It will change for you, so, please - do NOT get disheartened at your first attempt - it will get easier and you can increase it when you start finding it easier.0
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Congratulations on starting your exercise program!!!
Rather than focus on high intensity at first, focus on duration. Start with something you can do for 10 or 15 minutes and then work your way up to 30 minutes. As others have mentioned walking is a great way to start. You should be able to hold a conversation while you are doing your walk. In other words, if you are totally out of breath you are pushing yourself too hard.
Once you have reached your time goal, then you can start pushing yourself in intensity. For example when I started walking I was walking at about 2.5 mph. I worked my way up to 45 minutes. Now I can do an hour at about 3.3 mph. At that pace I have times on the hills when I'm breathing hard, but for most of the walk I could talk to someone.
I also like Leslie Sansone Walk at Home DVDs as they are low impact and don't require much coordination. I also swim and do as much as I can in the water.0 -
I have not read all the responses, but here is my take:
First, you will improve. When I started I was almost throwing up because of the workout. I got through it though. The next time was not as bad. You will get better, but it takes time and keeping at it, so don't give up. Usually progress at first goes fairly quickly.
Second, walking is exercise. Get out and walk at as brisk a pace as you can which you can maintain for at least 15 minutes. Exercise, especially when you start out, does not need to be super intense. You just need to get your heart rate up and keep it there for those 15 minutes. That is the advantage of walking. Most people can do it, and it will help get you better able to do other programs, especially as you lose weight.
Third, I suspect you may have gotten too intense a program to start. I am not familiar with it, but my concerns would be the focus on specific body parts. You don't need that at this point, a good brisk walk (see my second point) would be better.
Fourth, just a word of caution. You need to lose weight, that will happen primarily from diet, not exercise. The exercise will make you healthier, but eating a moderate amount of calories less than you burn in a day will take the fat off.
You can do this. Just realize it takes time. As I said, when I started I was almost throwing up, but I went back to the workout the next time, and it was not as bad. By the next week I was doing it just fine.0 -
Start of walking.Walk to the end of the driveway this week,walk half a block and back next week,walk 2 blocks in week 3...and so on...if you have access water aerobics are great for beginners.
This..... don't make yourself hate exercise right off the bat! I remember the first time I went for a bike ride. 20 minutes tops on flat surface. I hurt my hip and didn't get back on it for a year. Started off again slowly and now you can't get me off it and I'm up to 15 miles on hills!!!!
Find something you love and you won't realize you are exercising!0 -
try walking, gradually increasing your pace and distance. Also swimming is good exercise but also gentle on you.0
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