Exercises for the very unfit?

SteampunkSongbird

I'm in a bit of a vicious circle, I need to exercise to get fit, but I'm not fit enough to exercise!
I can happily walk for a fairly long time at a leisurely or moderate pace (this has been the majority of my exercising so far) but as soon as I step up the intensity, I quickly become exhausted. I attempted jogging on the spot at home, managed a minute and a half before I had to stop, I also attempted jumping jacks because I know those are great calorie burners, I was shattered after one minute! I do live a fairly sedentary lifestyle and have done for several years but since joining mfp I've been increasing my activity with going out walking way more. Doing that and eating at a calorie defecit has lost me some weight but I want to increase the intensity of my exercise to really see better results, I want to eventually be fit enough to do more heavy-duty toning work on my body.

I just don't know what to do in the mean time that won't leave me dead on my feet within minutes. I don't have access to a gym. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

rivka_m

What about c25k or similar? That starts out with jogging in one-minute intervals with walking in between, because that's what most people can do when they start out. Or make your own routine that alternates jogging/jumping jacks/whatever with lower intensity things? Then as you improve you increase the time on the higher intensity stuff.

Personally I'm taking an aerobics class twice a week at the local rec center (I signed up for the one labeled "perfect for beginners!"), you might see if you have anything similar nearby.

christinebryant80

I was the same as you 3 months ago, then I went on youtube to find some easy exercises. What I found that I just LOVE now and even addicted to it, is Zumba. At the begainning I could only do 2-5 minutes but now I can do 20 mins and everyday getting better. Theres lots of videos on it, they even have begainner videos. It doesnt even feel like exercise just dancing around, I even turn down the music and put on my own, Im more motivated that way. And if thats not for you, Im very sure you will find something that you will enjoy on youtube. Good luck on your journey!

LazSommer

If you keep doing it, it will get easier.

SunofaBeach14

Keep walking. Just add short burst of running into your walks. Also start adding a bodyweight routine to increase your strength. Check out Convict Conditioning or any of the other myriad of routines out there. Just start slowly and work your way into it.

SteampunkSongbird

Thanks guys, I unfortunately have no means to afford joining a class or anything similar, but I'll look on youtube for something. Dancing about makes me feel a bit silly but it's probably more enjoyable than just jogging on the spot, lol. I'll keep at it and maybe try to incorporate a short bit of jogging into my walks. :-)

alfiedn

You can jog for 90 seconds! Awesome! So, do something that will allow you to do shorter bursts of higher intensity with low. Just as was stated earlier. Everyone starts somewhere and you have been walking, which is exactly perfect! As you do more high intensity, you may find you can do it longer.

I also think couch to 5k might be perfect for you. Like you said, you can jog for a whole 90 seconds! Even if you can't do the whole workout as set out at first, doing something is ALWAYS better than doing nothing. If you keep at it, you'll be able to do the whole thing after a bit.

These people have given you some great advice.

EllaIsNotEnchanted

I love what you are doing already!
Here's what you do:
walk and increase distance at the pace you are comfortable at.
Now and then break free of that pace and be like today is the day I'm going to go a little farther before at a faster pace.
Each week add more distance to your fast days and more distance to your slow days.

The same kind of attitude can be used for jumping jacks.
today I did a minute. Tomorrow, I'm going for a minute and 10 seconds. I OWN THESE JUMPING JACKS. JUMPING JACKS ALL DAY!

There are also plenty of youtube videos and exercise videos you can use at home. If you cannot afford any of the popular video session then check out your local library and get yourself some exercise videos.

You sound like you have the right attitude. Go for it!

_Zardoz_

Walking. Everyone can walk just increase your pace and distance over time

Ninkyou

Walking.

Yoshirio

Just keep walking. Add more distance or a faster pace to it as time goes on.

guardianwill

Greets, hope your doing well. Congrats on doing a minute or so of Jogging and the things your doing! Every little bit of exercise counts. If you can break up some of these exercises instead of stressing out about longevity then I think you will feel ultimately better about yourself and you will see results and longer times coming around your corner soon. So, you can press yourself to jog for example 1.5 minutes that is great for someone whom didn't exercise very much at one time. Can you try to do this 1.5 minutes three times a day? Once when you awaken which also helps awaken your metabolism and if your not hungry will help spurt you to eat breakfast which also gets that met burner going for the day/ Then at lunch and at dinner. I also recommend to buy or have someone give you an exercise ball. There are a lot of exercises for such no impact exercises that still can work you out and get your heart rate up a little. You will find ample videos on youtube for the disabled, elderly, ect and before long you will be adding to it I promise. Lets first build your stamina and courage and allow you to feel successful and happy to exercise. Exercise should be fun and not a drudging chore.

Hope this helps and have a great day....

lewispwest

I was insanely unfit when I started but I just walked for a month then worked up to finishing with a jog, then I did walk/jog/walk jog and now I'm up to jogging a good distance.

ChristinWrites

Walking is great. Maybe look for different local trails or things you can visit to keep it interesting, add some hills, anything that just challenges you a bit more every day. Couch to 5k is good too. I ran two miles straight for the first time ever a few weeks ago - in January I got winded just running up one flight of stairs. I started off like you - walking for longer distances, increased pace etc. Can you get a set of dumbbells? or resistance bands? sometimes you can find things like this super cheap at yard sales or rummage sales. You can also do squats, lunges, pushups, dips etc. all with no need for equipment. This will help you get some strength. I started off with 5 squats, then 10, then 20 and eventually they were easy enough I started holding weights when doing them, then modifying them. Do what you can do and then add on a bit each time. If you are consistent, you will surprise yourself with what you can do in a shorter time than you think.

Awesomers

I don't know how unfit you are, but I started out in the same boat. I was overcoming pneumonia and severe asthma when I started, so extended exercise was absolutely not an option. My first goal was to exercise 23 minutes a day, five days a week. I couldn't even make it through the warm-up portion of any exercise video. So, I worked on doing the warm-ups. I went walking (slowly, but it counts!). Over time, I built up my endurance (physical and mental). Now, my goal is to exercise 60 minutes a day, five days a week and I regularly surpass that goal. Don't use your limited movement as an excuse to give up - you will feel like quitting and like it's no use, but you're working toward a much larger goal. You WILL get there!

Lose_It_Dude

It ok to put on some fun music and and just have fun with it. Just close the blind so nobody can see you going wild and crazy

knra_grl

Keep walking. Just add short burst of running into your walks. Also start adding a bodyweight routine to increase your strength. Check out Convict Conditioning or any of the other myriad of routines out there. Just start slowly and work your way into it.

This I also find that adding routes with lots of hills or a good hiking trail will help to increase your stamina. I started out at an indoor track because it was very cold this winter but as soon as I could walk outside the change in terrain helped a lot.

magneticreikipaul

get yourself over to now loss dot com Adrian bryants website it's got some great ides for working out at home as well as lots of useful information
also the nerd nerd fitness site is great too best of luck

stickersticker

try doing step up aerobics with a small step

establishingaplace

Try Couch-to-5k. The first week you jog 1 minute, walk 90 seconds. If you're jogging at a very slow pace because that's what's comfortable, that's ok.

Do some bodyweight exercises at home. Squats, lunges, push-ups (against a wall, or on an incline like against some stairs, whatever is comfortable), etc. You might want to look up bodyweight circuit training; some contain advanced moves that you might find difficult, but you can always find an easier substitute to ease yourself in.

Whatever you do, start with what you can do, and each time push yourself a little more.

PennyVonDread

Short bursts of exercise. Some days I'll log 50 minutes of cardio, which I did, but the truth is that I walked or ran or danced, Pilates, whatever, only in 5-10 minute intervals at a time throughout the day. As long as it gets your heart rate up, you're building cardio endurance and revving your metabolism. Until you can do a set of continual moderate intensity exercise, do short intervals of exercise when you feel up to it. A 10 minute walk before or after each meal or on breaks at work or something can be a start, and that's 30 minutes of light exercise per day to start

sus49

I've said it before and I will say it again. KEEP WALKING... WALK EVERYWHERE!!! A lumpy looking fellow I know retired and he started walking. He walked to the grocery store. He walked to friends' houses. He walked just to pass the time. Well three years later he was BUFF and I MEAN BUFF I could not believe my eyes! And he did it by walking! And he did it in his mid late sixties!

The thing that >I< (and I think most of us on here) have come to learn is that getting thin and fit is not a quick process. It is a slow process and it is a lifelong process. Fast diets might work for awhile, but they do NOT work for long, they mess up your metabolism and they do not work at all as you age. Also people who lose weight quickly tend to gain it back.

As you lose weight, more intense activity becomes easier. So slowly and gently increase the intensity as you are able.

They have found that you can get a full cardio workout by running on the spot as fast as you can for 20 seconds/minute for three minutes. That means you do 40 seconds light jog then 20 seconds fast as you can and then repeat that 2 times in a total of 3 minutes.

So be VERY PATIENT and PERSISTENT. Keep tracking, keep walking and keep loosing that 1 lb a week, because in a year that is 52 lbs!!! And in three years that is 156 lbs!

SteampunkSongbird

The same kind of attitude can be used for jumping jacks.
today I did a minute. Tomorrow, I'm going for a minute and 10 seconds. I OWN THESE JUMPING JACKS. JUMPING JACKS ALL DAY!

Hahaha, brilliant. XD

Thanks so much for the advice everyone, I love this community. I'll definitely increase my walks as much as possible, and I think I really do need to stop beating myself up over what seems like a tiny achievement considering how inactive I was up until very recently; a minute and a half of jogging may not be much, but it's more than I used to be able to do. I could possibly rustle up a fairly cheap set of simple weights to use in the house too. I'll try my hardest to put all this great advice to good use.

I'm definitely not going to give up. I've tried and failed diets and plans several times, and this time feels different, it's not just a new diet, it's a better way of eating altogether, and with joining this site and logging everything carefully, I've actually lost some pounds for the first time. I'm determined to make my life better.