Whats thebest exercise for people who aren't in shape

Braymoor1976
Braymoor1976 Posts: 27
in Fitness and Exercise
I am looking for advice as to what you think is the best exercise for losing weight but also to increase stamina cardiovascular strength; keeping in mind that I get winded very easily and have about 70-80 lbs extra weight and no pool handy
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Replies

  • minime2b
    minime2b Posts: 168
    start off with any type of light cardio. Walking is good just increase your speed and distance gradually.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    yep. walking is great. that's all I did for a good 7-8 months when I started. still do it to this day.
  • tamraj
    tamraj Posts: 50 Member
    Walking is great. I also love Leslie Sansone workout DVDs- she has all stuff for all fitness levels and her- they are basically walk in place and add sidesteps, kicks, kick backs, knee lifts, all while adding simple arm movements (her newer ones incorporate a few different moves but nothing too tricky). I am not very coordinated so don't do well with complicated choreography. The great thing about the them is they use a lot of different muscles and get the body moving in more than one way- and it is great to pop in a DVD when the weather is yucky.

    Here is a link to Collage Video where you preview the videos.


    http://www.collagevideo.com/exercise-videos/leslie-sansone-exercise-videos-10
  • Jenn728
    Jenn728 Posts: 683 Member
    Walking!

    Just remember that ANY exercise is better than NO exercise!
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    Walking and swimming are excellent for beginners.
  • love2cycle
    love2cycle Posts: 448 Member
    I think everyone is right on with walking. I used to think it wasn't really an "exercise", but over the years have seen how much better I am at longer distances!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Agree with everyone else. Walking is the best place to start. Increase your speed, distance and incline as you can. Add other exercises when you feel ready. But you can achieve weight loss and improve cardiovascular health with walking alone.
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
    Walking was all I could do for MONTHS. I still love it, though now it tends to take the form of hiking in the mountains.

    Started walking short distances turtle pace and pushed myself to go either a little farther or a little faster each day.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Walking and swimming are great places to start when you need to build stamina.
  • jwaitman
    jwaitman Posts: 367 Member
    Depending on your health you can really start anywhere and just do at your own pace. Join a gym and start with light weights and alternate weights and cardio. Walking is also a great place to start and you can add on and increase as your fitness levels improve. There are several apps you can download if you have a smart phone too. The possibilities are endless.
  • laurasimmons
    laurasimmons Posts: 575 Member
    I would say walking and then the elliptical.
  • coolbluecris
    coolbluecris Posts: 228 Member
    I've just joined Michele Bridges 12 week body transformation. I'm a total newbie, and the round doesn't start until 1 June. For now she is sending out "warm up" and next will be "pre season" tasks. Week 3 into warm up, she asks that we complete 30 kilometres in a week, we can do any exercise we like.

    I am just under 200 lbs, so jogging is just terrible, I feel heavy and my feet hurt. I had started doing Couch to 10K, but I failed at the start of week three. I just couldn't lift my body weight for that long in a jog. I felt sad, and have not returned to exercising, even though I could do week 2.

    So I tried cycling. I'll cycle 30km in a week, surely. But oh my goodness, I was huffing and puffing and my thighs were burning, on relatively flat land !! I looked at my odometer, and gasp, after all that effort, I had managed 1 kilometre. One !!

    I'm so disappointed at myself. I want to have the get up and go I used to have, and now I seem to have lost any desire to exercise at all, and haven't done any in a few days :-(.

    Would love your thoughts. Is walking really enough to get some real weight loss results? How do other heavy set people jog without injury? Am I just a whimp?
  • wickedcricket
    wickedcricket Posts: 1,246 Member
    Stairs. climb stairs - DON'T hug the rail, trudge up them or drag yourself. Stand up straight & use your glutes, thighs & core to LIFT yourself up the stairs.
    When walking gets easy, jog & when that gets easy, do it with weights
  • BonnellCA
    BonnellCA Posts: 8
    turn on some oldies music and do the twist....you will get nice and sweaty and have fun getting some cardio while also working on your abs!
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
    Jumping jacks. Old fashioned, but still great.
  • LBachynsky
    LBachynsky Posts: 64
    Start low, but aim high.

    It's great to get moving slowly but don't forget that it's work and it's supposed to be hard. My favorite Jillian Michaels quote is "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable."

    Keep trying to do more and you'll see results faster. You'll be doing more than you thought you could in no time!
  • muwchck
    muwchck Posts: 261 Member
    Walking is the best answer I can think of, just like everyone else has. That's the majority of what I do, but I'm also pushing my growing baby in the stroller, and now that he's about 24 pounds, I'm getting lots of extra resistance added in too.
  • Dlopez678
    Dlopez678 Posts: 97
    Walking is definitely a great exercise. I also like doing Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. It's tough at first.. but the more you do it the better you get at everything. I've got a long way to go to get to my goal..129 lbs to go!
  • Tristis
    Tristis Posts: 288 Member
    Walking! :)
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    Walking! I was really out of shape too. The biggest thing is to not go into it so hard that you get discouraged. You have to do an exercise that you enjoy. Get fitted for good walking shoes, making sure there is 1/2 inch headspace above your toes. Start out slowly as if you're going for a casual walk, not working out. If you only walk 100 feet, so be it! You can go 101 feet the next day! When that gets easier add distance and when that's easier, go a little faster. If you're like me, you may encounter some problems along the way like blisters, callouses, chafing, cramping, etc. If you do, there is a cure for ALL of that. Add me as a friend on here and I'll help you. I went from walking from the couch to the frig to up to 8 miles. I don't do that daily but I usually get in at least 4 miles. My next goal is to work on incline. Hills really wind me but I'm getting better.
    If walking is too hard on your knees, feet, etc., try water jogging or some other pool exercises. Good luck!
    YOU CAN DO THIS!
  • rdy2lose
    rdy2lose Posts: 106
    Wow, I have been doing the LS waling videos with a group at work and love them. We have been doing this for a year or 2. It is great exercise and by doing it with LS you get variety and pushed beyond just walking at a slow pace. good to see someone else is doing her vidoes. There are so many and at so many different levels of difficulty.
  • sjostrich
    sjostrich Posts: 117 Member
    I'm pretty sure everyone will say this but walking!
  • rdy2lose
    rdy2lose Posts: 106
    Walking is a great place to start. You can build from there, get a walking buddy or buddies. The more people the more likely you are to keep it up.

    Also don't wait to long to add strength training. Toning muscle helps to burn more calories even while you are sitting doing nothing. Muscle burns more calories than fat.

    Good luck!
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
    Anything you fancy!

    If you are new to exercise the best exercise is one that you enjoy and fits in with your lifestyle.

    So, what do you feel like trying.

    Some ideas are:

    Walking, dog walking, rollerskating, ice skating, rock climbing, aerobics classes and DVDs, Kinect/Wii, cycling, belly dancing, pole dancing, disco dancing, press ups...

    Best wishes.
  • sherrybaby81
    sherrybaby81 Posts: 257 Member
    I agree with walking! I started using the elliptical at the gym in my apartment complex because I hate walking in the cold, and started in the winter. The treadmills were always in use, so the elliptical worked wonders for me. I started slow and it gave me a full body workout.
  • ratherbeskiing
    ratherbeskiing Posts: 847 Member
    took the words out of my mouth :glasses:
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    Walking. All you need is a good pair of shoes. Then leave your house and walk. You don't need a gym, pool or any other equipment. You'll start out slow at first and you might only make it 10-15 minutes, but over time and keeping it up you'll be up to an hour at 4.0mph in no time...trust me!

    But, you should also do strength moves too. I don't mean go to the gym and use machines. I mean things like crunches, push-ups, leg lifts, non-weighted squats. A great video to get your started is the 30 day shred from Jillian Michaels. It's hard at first, but if you do it every day for 30 days you'll be thrilled with your progress and endurance. If you don't do everything the first day, DON'T GIVE UP! It will get easier. You'll need 3-5 pound handweights but you can get those at a sporting goods store for under $10.

    Good Luck!
  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
    Walking
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    turn on some oldies music and do the twist....you will get nice and sweaty and have fun getting some cardio while also working on your abs!

    YES^^ Dancing is fun and great exercise.
  • redlion45
    redlion45 Posts: 155 Member
    My take - - - Do some kind of light workout that you actually like doing (it's more likely you will stick with it if you don't hate it). A good brisk walk is a great workout, but if you like to ride a bike, then do that.

    Almost any exercise will be helpful when you are starting from a very sedentary lifestyle. No sense trying some super turbo-ninja workout on day 1 and hurting yourself or getting so sore you can't move for a week. Whether that is weights, cardio or whatever, just get moving every day and challenge yourself a little more if you can each time. You can fine tune the workout as you go to get more aggressive when you feel like your body is up to the task.

    Just get moving doing something until your body gets used to the habit. Then you can adjust things :wink:

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