Exercise when you haven't done any for a LONG time????

cksmummy

HI guys, was on here a bit last year, went through personal crisis, fell off the wagon, now returning 14 pounds heavier (yes, in just 6 months!!!). My body feels very stiff and sore, I get sore ankles and knees at times (seem random) and I haven't done any REAL exercise for a long time. The thought of doing anything at the moment has my body groaning, but I know I need to get back into it, if not for weight loss, but health.

Any suggestions on what worked for you and how you worked your way up exercise wise? Where did you start and where are you at now?

Thanks guys!

myfitnessval

everytime i've "fallen off" ive jumped right back in. yes im sore. yes it sucks. but your body gets over it and soon enough it remembers all those muscles you worked on before lol. if youre not sure where to start id say ease back in with a workout DVD those usually ease in from easy-to hard levels.

Gramps251

Check out the DVDs by Leslie Sansone as a ramp up to more stressfull workouts. We have one that has four workouts. One mile, two mile, three mile and four mile.

Now I'm doing 30 day shred but when I started it would have killed me, so the lower impact walking routines got me ready.

beattie1

Walking, swimming and aquarobics are all great under-rated exercises. They're gentle on your joints and are super to start you moving again. Welcome back start doing what you can manage.

EatClean_WashUrNuts

Just moving your body through walking will help.

I hear C25K (Couch 2 5K)is a great option. Personally, I just started jogging and worked my way up to 10K "Jogs/runs"

Doing anything is greater than doing NOTHING.

lizjohnson2169

Try biking. It's low impact on your knees and ankles.

Pandorian

Swimming is great if you have a reasonably priced one nearby, $10 per drop-in gets to be a bit much if you get into it but with the water doing the supporting it's great.

Body-weight exercises may be a great place to start if the pool isn't an option. instead of the dreaded push-up start with something like a "wall pushup" or a vertical pull that will get you started on pull-ups, do what you can handle and work up from there.
there's a picture of wall pushup here
http://www.papafit.com/easy-exercises.html
but since I don't have a picture that I can claim as mine I won't hotlink to it.
It's really that easy to get started.

Don't have to spend money on tons of weight sets / equipment, a can of soup can be a great starter weight, a gallon jug of milk that you fill with water or sand will step you up to about 9 lbs before you'd look at equipment, even then craigslist, kijiji and other second hand type sites ebay and so on can get you started cheaper than the $1 /lb they want for new weights around here.

TheStephil

I started with 10 minute walks a few times a day when I first started since I had never done any serious exercise. Stationary bikes are also a great option but walking is always free and available anywhere.

VelociMama

I started by walking and getting into swimming and water aerobics. Once your body gets used to moving more again, you can start considering bumping up the intensity (jogging, adding in more load-bearing exercises, etc.)

EastFork

Try biking. It's low impact on your knees and ankles.

That.

TracyBarrett81

HI guys, was on here a bit last year, went through personal crisis, fell off the wagon, now returning 14 pounds heavier (yes, in just 6 months!!!). My body feels very stiff and sore, I get sore ankles and knees at times (seem random) and I haven't done any REAL exercise for a long time. The thought of doing anything at the moment has my body groaning, but I know I need to get back into it, if not for weight loss, but health.

Any suggestions on what worked for you and how you worked your way up exercise wise? Where did you start and where are you at now?

Thanks guys!

I was in the same boat...or rather I am still there. I work out in small amounts my goal is right now is 20 minutes twice a day. I started at 10 minutes at a time. I could quickly tell that the 10 minutes became easier and it was time to increase the times. So I guess my advice is to start small and to stick with it.

jennyrebekka

I hover around 300 lbs....and have some feet/ankle problems. I have been doing water aerobics/water weights in the pool now for a few months. I like this workout because it is easier on my body....AND it is fun......and when you start sweating you can just dunk your head underwater! Good luck.........this journey is not easy, as i am finding out.

HykerGurl

Water jogging...low/no impact and burns a ton of calories! I have been doing it since 1/6 and have lost 10 pounds. I hurt my knee when I joind a boot camp back in June last year and put on an additional 15 pounds in 6 months also, so we were riding in the same boat. I absolutely love water jogging and do it for 70 minutes a night! Good luck and have fun!

pagoubupa

I started after not exercising for a while by just walking my dogs down to the end of the road and back for just 10 minutes. After a month or so I started walking down another road which added 5 more minutes. Next I walked around the loop which takes about 30 minutes. Now I walk around the loop at least once; I prefer to walk twice. I have also added the gym 3X a week starting this week where I ride a bike for 20 minutes and do the elliptical for 10 minutes. It was a slow, gradual process. Now I enjoy exercising so much .

pholbert

I started with 10 minute walks a few times a day when I first started since I had never done any serious exercise. Stationary bikes are also a great option but walking is always free and available anywhere.

This^

eileenchristine

youtube has leslie sansone. I started with her beginning walk. Its very slow but when you have not done any exercise for years was what I needed. Now I do ab work, weights, and still Leslie, but her harder walks and I am jogging while she's walking cuz I have a goal of being able to jog 2 miles in June. I know probably a silly goal for a fat old broad but its what i want to do!

Need to just get moving. If you explore youtube pick the ones you can do. There are alot on there and some that are simply not geared towards overweight people. I got rather discouraged trying to do some of them, so now I stick with what I can do and push myself a bit more. Few weeks later move up to something more challenging.

RunDoozer

Just get back on the horse in my opinion. Yea its going to hurt for a little bit, but then youll be good to go. Also 6 months isnt that long to be off from exercising. You'll be right back to where you were before you know it.