easy exercises

stephlpirozek

I am one of those people who hates working out. I dont like be hot and sweaty and to admit sometimes I am a little lazy when it comes to working out. I am a full time mom and main forms of exercise are carrying my 17 lb daughter and walking at work. My jb consists of standing minus 1hr and 25 mins due to break time so I do alot of walking then but I am not sure if it is enough walking to even count as exercise .... any hints or ideas on what I can do that is simple and will still help me maintain some mucle and reduce my chances of having excess skin in the long run??

kcaffee1

Walking at work IS exercise!!! I'm a student, with all the time issues that implies. (Sitting in class, sitting in the car driving to class, sitting at home studying, sitting down to eat with the family, ect.) Exercise is something that comes with leisure, and as a student you don't HAVE extra time. But, I get between 20 - 40 minutes walking in every day (except the weekends) minimum, because of the 5 minutes from the car to class 1, another "5" minutes from class 1 to the study area (logged that way because I'm hauling a bag full of text books, though it's really only about 2 minutes), same from the study area to class 2, and another 5 - 10 minutes from class 2 back to the car. And, that does not include the days I work. Those days I have a 4 hour shift working a register, of which I claim 2 hours as "walking" because I'm constantly shifting around to dodge the cash drawer when it opens, or I'm running like mad to get side work done between customers, or I'm actually out on the floor helping customers.

If you can remember to add all of those little time snippets up at the end of the day, you'll be surprised at how much time you've "exercised"! I know the first time I actually did, and logged it, I was amazed at how much time I'd accumulated. So, just because you don't go to the gym does not mean you are not getting exercise.

Hope this helps!

Loftearmen

Walking at work IS exercise!!! I'm a student, with all the time issues that implies. (Sitting in class, sitting in the car driving to class, sitting at home studying, sitting down to eat with the family, ect.) Exercise is something that comes with leisure, and as a student you don't HAVE extra time. But, I get between 20 - 40 minutes walking in every day (except the weekends) minimum, because of the 5 minutes from the car to class 1, another "5" minutes from class 1 to the study area (logged that way because I'm hauling a bag full of text books, though it's really only about 2 minutes), same from the study area to class 2, and another 5 - 10 minutes from class 2 back to the car. And, that does not include the days I work. Those days I have a 4 hour shift working a register, of which I claim 2 hours as "walking" because I'm constantly shifting around to dodge the cash drawer when it opens, or I'm running like mad to get side work done between customers, or I'm actually out on the floor helping customers.

If you can remember to add all of those little time snippets up at the end of the day, you'll be surprised at how much time you've "exercised"! I know the first time I actually did, and logged it, I was amazed at how much time I'd accumulated. So, just because you don't go to the gym does not mean you are not getting exercise.

Hope this helps!

Stuff that you have to do in your daily life should not be counted as exercise. You have been doing that stuff your whole life and still wound up being overweight so it obviously isn't doing anything for you. Exercise needs to be done in addition to your daily tasks even if you have the world's most physically demanding job. A guy I train with lifts weights after he gets done working 13 hours on an oil rig. Why? Because even though working on an oil rig is grueling and difficult, it's not exercise. By definition, if it is easy then it is not exercise. There's no getting around this one, it's just something that we all have to accept when we embark on our weight loss journey.

ktied

I think if the exercise is 'easy' its not really exercise. However that doesnt mean you have to hate doing it! Find an activity that you enjoy and look forward to.

quirkytizzy

Pilates! I am still doing the super, super beginning stuff (like, I think it's really more Pilates warm ups than anything else?) but it's low-impact, quiet, and really stretches and strengthens my core muscles. I'm using Pop Pilates via Youtube - this video breaks down to about 20 minutes of actual exercise. It's still kicking my *kitten*, but it feels great. And seeing as I don't have to fight through my dislike of cardio, this is A LOT easier for me to keep up on!

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

jmkmomm

I DO count any walking during the day. It does burn calories. What I don't do, or try not to do, is to eat back any calories burned. My diet is 1300 calories, I try to keep it at that. So any calories burned is just icing on the cake.

amnsetie

Carrying the kid is definitely exercise.
For the work set your profile to slightly active or active.

kcaffee1

Stuff that you have to do in your daily life should not be counted as exercise. You have been doing that stuff your whole life and still wound up being overweight so it obviously isn't doing anything for you. Exercise needs to be done in addition to your daily tasks even if you have the world's most physically demanding job. A guy I train with lifts weights after he gets done working 13 hours on an oil rig. Why? Because even though working on an oil rig is grueling and difficult, it's not exercise. By definition, if it is easy then it is not exercise. There's no getting around this one, it's just something that we all have to accept when we embark on our weight loss journey.

Well, I am adding more exercise to the day - or at least trying to. But, until I started school I was almost a complete couch potato. But, for me, it's not just the "exercise" I get, but when I get it. Setting aside a time to do exercise is a sure way for my body to rebel, and the scales to skyrocket. Been down that route before, and don't want to wind up on it again. And, with a mysterious sudden weight drop, I'm tracking everything I can think of food and exercise wise to try to figure out what on earth has changed to cause this. Some is medical, but even with that issue kicking in, I'm still dropping weight faster than I "should" be. ::Shrugs:: I guess it depends on how the metabolism kicks in. Some have to actually hit the gym after a physical day to keep the metabolism burning, others just have to stand up for a while to get things heating up. But, if you're used to a sedentary life, then even adding the extra walk from the car to the desk can be "exercise" because it's extra steps you didn't take before. One of the main reasons I said what I did earlier.

dorihinkelmann

The only thing I can do at the moment is "some" walking so I'm parking farther away from the store or building I need to be at...also I'm taking stairs instead of the elevator...at home I'm vaccuming more often and doing a load of laundry everyday instead of all the laundry in 1 day since my laundry room is downstairs...doing this has increased my daily physical activity...when I have my doctors approval to do so I will be joining the senior centers gym near me...I hope this helps you at least a little until you can find the time to do more out-of-house activity...also I have read that if you do more physical activity with your child/children you increase your exersize and family bonds...also...while I was in the military...I often did sit-ups and push-ups at my bedside just before going to sleep and immediately after getting up before making my bed...this only took a few short minutes to do...

RobinC37

Have you talked to a doctor about your rapid and sudden weight loss? It's probably not a bad thing, but when I lost a lot of weight quickly my doctor put me on a medication to prevent some kind of stones (gall or kidney) that develop from that. Congrats on getting off the couch and going to school! I'm still looking for my post-college job in a very public field, and I believe finishing and maintaining my weight loss will definitely help me find my dream job. I like to go for a walk in the evening after I do the dishes from dinner. I take the dog, but you can walk alone if you're in a safe area and have a cell phone. Just 20 minutes gets me a few last burned calories for the day and lets me clear my thoughts and sleep better! Good luck with everything.