What's an old lady to do?

Raddichio

Seriously, what should I do about exercise.

I am sixty years old, and I really don't feel like an "old lady," but I have led a pretty sedentary life for a number of years and wonder what would be considered safe and effective way to start out exercising and how to proceed to increase exercise as I go along.

I have to exercise in the home, as I have a multiply handicapped child who needs care/supervision 24/7, as well as elderly parents who are in need of lots of assistance. I work at home, too, so that I can be here for my child. I can't afford a lot of equipment, nor do I have a lot of room in my home for exercising.

Right now, I have been using the Leslie Sansone walking DVDs at least three times a week, and twice a week I've been using the "Strong Women Stay Young" DVD, which is a very basic weight lifting regimen (only using 5 pound dumbbells at this time). I realize that this is NOTHING compared to the really heavy lifting so many of you here do, but It has been good for me because I've never done any work with weights before and need something really elementary that spells out exactly how to do each movement. I would like to progress from this, eventually, and wonder what would be some other good options?

I think I need some video suggestions, since I need the demonstration and explanation of how to do the exercises (strength and aerobic) because I wouldn't know what to do on my own. What I'm looking for is what to do as I outgrow the videos I'm using now and/or want something more challenging---without trying to go too fast or getting discouraged by routines that are way too hard for me. Should I look at resistance bands? Kettleballs?

Other than lifelong asthma which I have to be careful to keep under control, I don't have any known health issues---I'm just out-of-shape, sedentary, and lacking in experience. I don't expect to become a jock, but I would like to maintain strength and balance, as well as continue to lose weight and tone.

Oh, and one more thing---I don't think I would do well with complicated choreography. Even simple aerobics can frustrate me sometimes, as I seem to always be out-of-step. I try to make myself just keep moving and not stop in order to get back in step with the video. I do want some aerobic exercise, AND I would like to keep working with weights, as it is slower paced and I can take my time to make sure I understand the movement and, hopefully, do it correctly.

Thank you for any suggestions you might have.

s1lence

From the way it sounds walking is the best thing you can start with and it's a good cardio as long as you try to challenge yourself. My dad has COPD and has lost 60 lbs just by walking and eating right. You can look up free exercise videos off of youtube.com, try to watch the videos before you decide to do them so you know what you are going to get into. If you have a stationary bike, that's another great way to get your cardio exercise in. The weights idea is wonderful. Once you get use to do any exercise without weights try adding them making it more difficult. If you need to up your weight but can't buy equipment be creative about it and use things like water bottles filled with sand or dirt, gallon milk or water jug that are full and walk and exercise with them. If you can try to find a way to go swimming, wonderful exercise and really relaxing at the same time. I hope that you find more ideas and good luck.

PLUMSGRL

Your best bet is to get a few sessions with a personal trainer. If you live near a good sized hospital, they may have a gym that gives discounts and always have trainers on site. Otherwise call around to area gyms to get price quotes on a few training sessions. You absolutely need to get your form right when working with weights (especially kettlebells), otherwise you could really hurt yourself. Walk Away The Pounds is a really good program for cardio, easy, cheap, and effective, work your way up to the 5 mph. Go up on weights only when you no longer feel the burn or winded.
Above all, don't worry about what others are doing...only what works and feels good for you, you'll enjoy it more and stay with it!
Good luck with your goals!

myjourney2

I agree with plumsgirl. You should try and get at least a couple of sessions in with a personal trainer.

The gyms around here (northern Ontario, Canada) have personal trainers that will come to your home.

Maybe that is something you could look in to.

I hired a trainer about a month ago and it is the best money I have ever spent. I too am 60 years old and I had no idea where to start. I am now working out 3 days a week and loving it!

gxm17

If you like the Leslie Sansone workouts but want to try something different, there's George Foreman's Walk It Off series. The Biggest Loser Power Walk DVD is also very good and has four 16-minute walks which is handy when you don't have a lot of time, or you can combine them when you have more time. Look for walking workouts that use "intervals" for better cardio boost.

Have you tried any yoga DVDs? You don't need a lot of space, just a mat, and IMO it's very complimentary to cardio and/or strength workouts. Sara Ivanhoe has a Yoga Workout for Dummies DVD that I wish I had when I first started practicing yoga. Also, there's Barbara Benagh's Yoga for Beginner's DVD which has routines from 10 minutes to 60 minutes. You may want to try a DVD and see if you like it. Yoga is good for strength, balance, flexibility, and relaxation. And vinyasa (or flow) yoga can provide a moderate cardio workout.

Good luck!

Raddichio

Right after posting my question, I had to take my child to the emergency room. We're back home now and my child is settled in bed. I was pleased to find all these kind responses. Thank you all for taking the time to offer some suggestions. I'd love to have some work with a personal trainer, but I don't think that's going to be possible. Thanks for the warning about the kettleball---I was quite taken by them when I saw a video online, but I can see where that could be challenging without personal instruction. I also appreciate the reminder to stop worrying about what I'm NOT doing and concentrate on what I am able to do. Right now it's pretty basic, but I'm pleased that I can already see that I'm getting better with the stuff I've been doing so far and it's getting easier. I'm glad to hear that it is possible to make a difference with just the walking videos. I'm looking forward to doing some of the harder/longer routines over time.

Thanks again for the input--I really appreciate it.