Too big to exercise?

bateslin

cannot advocate water aerobics enough to you. I had a horrible car accident 3 years ago where I flipped my car vertically. I still suffer from muscle trauma to my back and shoulder. Water aerobics allows you to work everything without the strain you have on land. I would say if you have access to a gym that offers a pool and water program try it out. I started 3 weeks ago and can already tell a huge difference.

veugeniced

Try water aerobics. It's a lot safer on your joints and it works!

skankamaggot

Start now! I was 268 when I started. You can walk, you can climb stairs, you can swim, you can move your body. It might be uncomfortable, but it gets easier. I completed the 30 day shred when I was around 240lbs. It wasn't pretty, but I was in my own house doing it and who cares. Even if you can't do a full crunch, a half crunch is better than no crunch. Are things going to jiggle around when you're doing jumping jacks? Yup. But you're not going to die. Start slow, and work your way through it. Do what you can and eventually it will become easier.

Havhope

I started at 254lbs, and started with walking. You will be surprised how good you feel just doing that. Then slowly start adding. I started by doing a few crunches, then wall push ups. My arms were too weak & my body too heavy to do real ones, even the girly ones. But I can do them now! Not very many, but it is a huge improvement for me. Start slow, and go from there. Just keep moving. Do baby steps. I have found it is a life change for me, so I just have to keep moving everyday. :happy:

Hbazzell

Walking is the best start. It will really start to make a difference for you. Walk for as long as you can and add walking hills in after you start getting more comfortable. You don't have to compare yourself to the heavy lifters and marathon runners on here, you need to do what is best for you. Once you start walking regularly you will see a change and eventually you will be able to walk hills, then jog/walk, then full jog, then run! Around the Jog/walk time I would start doing some resistance band work to build muscle then later on get into a lifting program. For now, walking is building your muscles even if you don't see it right away. Atleast 30 minutes a day of walking is what I would strive for. Congrats on coming to MFP and best of luck!

Krissy366

I'm 5'6 so i guess my body fat would've been lower, but I started off at 220. That was 8 weeks after my 2nd baby had been born.

I did a bit of exercise in pregnancy, and I was going for walks right up until my daughter was born, and she was 12 days overdue, so I guess I never lost my fitness properly, although I did put on a LOT of weight. Maybe i'm lucky but I never hurt from exercise even then.

So I went right back to working with a personal trainer doing strength and weight training as well as lots of cardio. Obviously I started off gently but it didn't take me long to build up fitness.

You are young (I was 33 then) so you should be fine. Just build up to it slowly. Maybe try swimming and aqua aerobics and lots of walking. You could also try aerobics. My instructor always shows low impact alternatives for people with knee problems or whatever.

As for people judging you....seriously, no-one cares. I mean that in a nice way. I went to the gym a lot on my first pregnancy and I don't think anyone looked at me! To begin with I probably just looked bigger rather than pregnant!

Quoting you just because I wanted to say I LOVE the dress you're wearing in your pic.

OP - I agree with all the others. You'd be amazed how different you will feel in a month with something just as basic as walking. When I started I just added 1/2 hour lunchtime walks to my daily routine. A month later I was doing zumba and (mostly) keeping up with the skinnier girls in my office. I haven't lost anything in a while because I backed off a bit from my routine, but I've maintained my 35 pound loss from last year (I started at 260 and I'm 5'5"). I just bought my first bike since junior high and I'm looking forward to getting out there. Don't stress about the how, just get out there and move!

Mezzie1024

Everyone's saying it, but just in case you need one more push -- WALK. It's great exercise, and it will help you prepare your body for more intense things down the road.

Besides, it's fun. I love taking long walks through my city's streets, parks, beach, and nature reserve, and I love taking shorter walks through my neighborhood and local parks with my puppy.

If you need some inspiration, check out the Success Stories posts. That'll be you in the future.

trhjrh06

Go to youtube and search Leslie Sanson. It's a 1, 2, 3 or more mile walking video. It definitely gets your heart rate up but it's not too strenuous. I like the program a lot. And there is a 1mile walking one a 2 mile, 3 mile and 4mile maybe more. But I just bring it up on my laptop and do it. It's fun and I also add some hand weights too.

I have problems with my left knee and was doing Jillian Michaels for awhile, but it just isn't good on my knee so I tried this and I have no knee problems.

Also walking is good too, try different speeds to see what works for you

Jonnad24

I started at 239 lbs. I am 5'7" but it was very hard at first and yes the fat gets in the way. The harder cardio is possible if you just keep moving and do what you can and as much as you can. Walking is good and a lot of fun if you find a walking buddy. There are also a lot of excerise vidoes out there and they have lots that will show you modifications that you can do until you reach the fitness level you are comfortable to do more. The one piece of advice I can give you is just keep moving. It will come in time. Just don't give up. Anything is possible if you believe you can do it. I am down to 149 now and I feel great.

SoViLicious

I started walking at 296. You can do it!

RauRita

I think walking is a good start. If you feel too embarrased at first to walk out in public, you can walk around your basement. I've done that when the weather wasn't up to par. Just start out slowly and then build it up as you go. Even a few times around your apartment, just keep going and then turn around and walk the opposite way for a while. Before you know it, you will want to walk at the mall and then gradually you'll want to walk outside, like at a Zoo or museum. Someplace that can take your mind off of what you're doing. Look at what time you started and before you know it, you will have walked 1/2 hour. ps. i'm no expert either.

oh_em_gee

Walk,do arm circles with weights, swim, jump rope, jog, whatever you can do. I'm a bit taller, but our high weights are pretty similar. I suck at exercise. It hurts, I get winded, I get tired, etc. But, I've seen people twice my size on here push themselves to just walk down the hall, and that was their start, so I feel I have no excuse for not at least getting out there and trying. You can do it!

TylerJ76

Last year I did my first 5k at 380lbs
I did my first 10k at 350lbs
I did my first triathlon at 340lbs

You're not too big at all..Just get out there and do it...

deb3129

I don't think that it is so much about how much you weigh as it is about your fitness level. When I started out, I was 338 pounds and could barely walk a mile. i strarted out with just walking a mile, and still laid in bed every night with my knees aching. But now I am at 220, and I am taking long hikes (8 or 9 Miles), riding a bike, doing yoga etc. and am completely pain free. So even though you and i weigh the same thing, our fitness levels are different because i have been at this for a year now.

Just start out doing whatever you can. I lost the biggest part of my weight 'just walking'. Some people don't think that it is exercise, or that it accomplishes much, but it does. There is likely to be some discomfort or achiness at first, and some of that is normal. Just listen to your body and do not push youself too much. Oh, I am also 42 years old, so I am not a spring chicken anymore!

meglynne1987

Walking, swimming, yard work, biggest loser workout DVD' s

Start slow and build up to more.

I started out doing the above mentioned and some Wii games and now i use more equipment and have more stamina built up.

Good luck!

thecakelocker

I'm 223 and 8 months pregnant and I squat/deadlift all the time. Not sure how everyone's belly is "getting in their way".:huh:

ndj1979

i will just go with my experience, and share it with you.

Learn compound lifts - deadlifts, squats, over head press, pull ups, chin ups, bench press...once you have these moves down develop a program where you are doing three total body workouts per week and then cardio two to three other days a week with at least one rest day per week. If you are not sure about these then join a gym and get a trainer to teach you these moves, if that is not an option then you can always look up "strong lifts" or "new rules for lifting for woman".

Make sure that you are logging everything and eating in calorie deficit.

with the cardio you can start off by mapping out a mile walk and then slow jogging it to start, then when you get to tired walk, then run some more..pretty soon you will be running the entire one mile stretch and you can bump it out to two miles, three miles etc.

Good Luck to you ...

rides4sanity

Thank you to EVERYBODY for all your encouragement and support. I will definitely be looking up Leslie Sansones when I get home!! I purchased a 30 Day Shred DVD a while back ( Actually now that I think about it... it was a year ago ) And I never even took it out of the plastic because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to do it, and didn't want to feel like crap because I wouldn't be able to keep up. But after all your posts and positive reinforcement I will slip it in to my DVD player and give it a try after a couple of weeks. c: Thank you all again, I will remember you when I'm making MY Success thread.

Heck 30 day shred scares me too, so I found other things. Don't let that get to you. When I was bigger (5'1" 200lb) I used to fret over what people thought or about not being able to complete or even do some of the things in classes or videos. I thought people were staring at me waiting to see me fail. Truth is most people are just impressed that you are trying to change your life.

I'm smaller now, but I still get in my head sometimes that "Ican't" or "i'll look stupid", these are just mental blocks you have to push past to achieve what you want. It can be difficult to get the standard gym equipment set for shorties. For exercises I can't get the equipment adjusted properly I started using free weights, now I almost exclusively use them because I don't have to make them fit. When I started I didn't know enough to go to the free weights, and it took me a while to work up the nerve to ask for help, but it was so worth it. Most people at the gym (even the pretty people) haven't always looked the way they do now. They understand more than you think and are almost always willing to lend a hand if asked.

Also to prevent rubbing, and umm bouncing/jiggling during cardio...buy a good bra, one that is sized and doesn't go over your head. I actually like Champion ones that are for high impact, they have a back closure and underwire for good separation/fit/support. I also always wear a compression tank and tight thigh/capri length bottoms with a looser type t-shirt so as not to feel so exposed. It just makes me feel better, even now.

Good luck, and don't let yourself accept the excuses. Challange yourself to be bettter today than you were yesterday, and before long, those small changes will add up. It's okay to be sweaty, it's aokay to be tired, it's even okay to be sore, but you should always recover within a day (2 at most) or you are pushing too hard.

Jacwhite22

Up until now I've been raised and lived in a lifestyle where sedentary was encouraged and almost praised. Now I'm at the very unhealthy weight of 220lbs at 5'2 and only 23 years old.

I want to be healthy for a number of reasons; I like to be active and involved with out door activities, I want to have energy to keep up with my daily life, and above all I want to feel great about myself.

But I've tried looking up all kinds of exercises and routines, cardio and strength, but with the amount of body fat I have lots of poses and such almost hurt to do because of the contortions the stretches require to effect my muscle. As embarrassing as it is to say; the fat is in the way of doing a complete crunch or knee-high, or even push-ups.

Where do I start? I literally -can't- do a lot of these muscle-toning activities. Is walking/jogging/cycling really my only option for now?

For some of you "bigger" folk, or some of you that started "bigger", what did you do to shave off your initial inches?

some " toning" exercises you can start now.

squats, bench press, rows, dead lifts, over head press, pull ups ( assisted), dips ( assisted)

tinabell153

Start small and work your way up to more intense exercise! Be sure you are eating healthy and within your calorie goal if you are looking to lose weight. It takes a lot of time and patience. Good luck!

crazybookworm

Speaking from experience: Everything is going to hurt you at first! Your body is not used to exercise, so while it's adjusting, your body will hurt after workouts. If your experiencing pain in knees or back, then back off a little. I was 252 lbs and 23 years old when I finally wanted to make the change. I joined the gym, and I just started by walking on the treadmill, doing the elliptical and circuit training. Just build your body up to it! It will eventually adjust to the new you. You are 30 lbs less than I was when I started and I did it. You can definitely do this!!

Go get it!

shrinkingbrian

I started at over 400 pounds. At first, I used just walking. Walking and swimming are both low impact exercises. Some people also like water aerobics. You can lose weight just walking. It's a great exercise. Walking is great because you can do it anywhere and it's free. I also think walking is great time just to reflect and ponder. Find some nice walking paths near your house. Consider adding some music or audio books to your mp3 player. I added strength training too. You can start with lower weight and do about 10-15 reps per set. I also use compression shorts to prevent chaffing.

DocGilbs

I'm in a similar situation. At 5.5 and 220 lbs, working out can be difficult if not almost impossible. Honestly I'm just focused on my diet to start out with. Getting healthy is 80% diet and 20% exercise, so start small. I've kicked my addiction to pop/soda and fast food. I'm trying a clean/raw diet mostly with protein shakes and homemade soups. Once you start detoxing your body of preservatives and processed foods, you will immediately have more energy and drop weight like crazy. Once you have more energy and stamina, then maybe branch out into serious exercise. Being overweight, it is hard to find the right exercise routine to get into. I would suggest trying lots of different work outs. Create a cardio circuit with jumping jacks, squats, lunges, planks, etc. Kickboxing and Zumba are great too because it's about the movement, not necessarily the form.

Qui74

I am in serious health trouble. I need to lose 80 lbs. But the knees ain't having it. I have severe pain in my knees I go to therapy for. This is the major issue with my exercise. I just got a treadmill. Maybe I can start in house walking. And go from there. Where can I get a weightloss tracker.

cubsgirlinny

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TeresaWash

I weighed 432 pounds when I started exercising. I walked and did the elliptical and while it might not have been pretty... I didn't care. Elliptical was easy on my joints... worked my way up to 45 minutes in no time. Now I weigh 270. My exercise of choice is Zumba but I also do body pump and the elliptical, swim, walk. What ever strikes me at the moment. Just move... you will losen up. Although I will admit I have not tried the yoga class yet but I really want to!

Good Luck!

bmstee03

Um...I weigh more than you now and I alternate lifting heavy and running 5 days a week. Your body is capable of more than you give it credit for.

I started working out a year ago at almost 300 pounds and I did Zumba, rode an exercise bike, and started the Couch to 5K program. Unless you have some kind of medical condition you should get up and move. It won't kill you.

Michelle7897

Where do I start? I literally -can't- do a lot of these muscle-toning activities. Is walking/jogging/cycling really my only option for now?

For some of you "bigger" folk, or some of you that started "bigger", what did you do to shave off your initial inches?

I have Fibromyalgia and that makes exercise difficult and very painful. I started by walking in place slowly, then jogging in place when I could. This is the only exercise I have found that I can do every day and still be able to get out of bed the next day.

I use my Fitbit every day and I just got the InMotion Compact Elliptical from QVC for $99.96. It is supposed to be very gentle and can be used standing or you can use it sitting on the couch kind of like an exercise bike. I am hoping it will work well for me and help ease some of the stress on my joints.

You can do this, just take it slowly. Add me if you would like. Good luck!

dbrightwell1270

I haven't read all the things in here. I have read a few that say I was heavier and I ran or I went gung-ho and you get used to it. Exercise is exercise is exercise. The best exercise is the one you are comfortbale doing and will consistently do. I started at about 465 pounds. My exercise consisted of walking to/from work Monday through Friday. (That's about .6 miles each way). After a few months, I added a 15 minute walk on my lunch breaks and would walk about 2 miles on Saturday mornings. A few months later, I was walking to/from work, on my lunch breaks and was in the local park walking another 2 miles every night. Before long, that 2 miles was 4 miles and then sometimes 6 miles. A lot of times, I was still wearing business casual attire (with proper shoes for walking.) You don't have to be all ging-ho. You don't even have to do things that require workout clothing. You just need to get and keep moving.

What you eat is going to be 80+% of your weight loss anyway.

radiantsunshine40

CONGRATULATONS ON WANTING TO GET MOOOOOVING!! ((HANDCLAPPING))

IF you haven't started any EXCERCISE........Do this up to 3 times a day...........WALK and slow walk for about 10 minutes at a time. Gradually increase this maybe every other day by 5 minutes.

When you can do a FULL 30 minutes of walking with a 5 minute warm in the beginning and a 5 minute cool down in the end for about a good month.....then maybe try to walk briskly for a time period (your judgment BECAUSE YOU & ONLY KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO!)

I really like the Leslie Sansone---Total Body Slimming DVD! It has the option for a 15, 30 or 45 minute workout! She starts out slow and ENCOURAGES YOU TO WORK AT YOUR OWN PACE! You can use hand weights....thus building muscle and working the upper body!

If you can AFFORD a GYM MEMEBERSHIP w/ a PERSONAL TRAINIER than I would suggest you do this from the start at least for a month or two

---

that way you have a guide to PROPERLY INSTRUCT you.......BECAUSE the HUMAN NATURE is PRONE to OVERDO...and that REALLY HURT US IN THE LONG RUN!

I WISH YOU MUCH SUCCESS!! Please, stay focus and I hope your FAMILY will ENCOURAGE you and not DISCOURAGE you in your EFFORTS AND GOALS----YOU ARE CERTAINLY MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION! :flowerforyou: