I need advice for working out

JeniF1979
JeniF1979 Posts: 18
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been going through some unwanted stress lately and I am finding that working out is a great way to take my mind off of things and re-focus. I still have a ways to go on my weight-loss journey and at first I wanted to drop more body before I really kicked up the exercises and working out so that I can keep better track of the actual fat loss (or that made sense in my mind, lol). Now, I have to do something or I will go crazy. I feel the NEED to work out to take my mind off of things.

What I want to know is...How much exercise is TOO much? I want long and lean muscle, not bulky muscle. I have/had a really sporty type figure and it would be really easy for me to gain a lot of bulky muscle and I do not want to do that. I am already going to Curves 3 or more times a week for 30 minutes a day..it is all resistance circuit training..but I am moving into an apartment complex with a gym and I plan on going more. Any suggestions?

It is still early and I hope this made sense, lol.

Replies

  • eliz405
    eliz405 Posts: 9 Member
    It's spring, get outdoors. Enjoy the weather and the trees and flowers. Walk, walk, walk. It's eady on the knees and very good for you. You can get lost in music or just listen to the birds. I find it relaxing and I get alot of thinking done.
    Hope this helps
  • staps065
    staps065 Posts: 837 Member
    If you are doing resistance training try adding cardio. You could treadmill. elliptical or even stationary bike and you can ramp up your workout as you get more fit. Once you get used to it the treadmill is a great way to burn calories and burn off some stress. I use cardio training with some great tunes on my iPhone to de-stress every day before work. It really helps and preps me for all the crap that I know will come along that day. And, I have calories in the bank even before my first real meal. (I do eat a light snack before working out).

    Hope it helps!
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    I really don't think there is such a thing as too much exercise, unless it becomes an obsession and you start losing focus on other things in your life.
    I think you can exercise everyday, but be sure to rest your different muscle groups so that they can recover in between workouts.

    As far as I know, Curves uses hydraulic equipment and cardio - so the resistance is really what you want to make it., as is the cardio (you can go low impact or balls-out high energy). And so far as getting bulky, women will not bulk up unless they are eating to bulk up or have a significant amount of progesterone in their body (PCOS sufferers tend to have a huge amount..)

    Good luck and take it at your own pace!
  • cozzy530
    cozzy530 Posts: 46
    I am doing the P90X program and it is great for stress relief. The workouts are very hard but the idea is to do YOUR best and keep doing it as time will show your improvement. It comes with a nutrition guide for eating and web support. I am in week four of the 90 days and lost 12lbs. You can catch the 30 infomercial any saturday morning on one of the sports channels. My goal is around 25 lbs which should not be hard with 63 days left. One of the guys in my group of web support buddies is over 300 lbs and he is doing it at his speed at his pace and sticking with it. You will NOT gain bulky muscle but will define your current muscles while dropping the excess body fat which hides the toned stuff under it. Remember having muscles is sexy, going nuts and working out like rocky not so much. Check out the website beachbody.com and look at the women who had completed it.
    I hope this helps
  • bjandlm
    bjandlm Posts: 75
    Hi Jenif, another good exercise for cardio is riding the bike, I like to find some good trails near me and when the weather
    is nice, get out and bike, I also have a recumbent bike at home that I use along with my treadmill, I switch back and forth
    between the two and it is a good combination for me. I need to start adding some strength training to my routine, I wanted
    to get to my goal weight before I added this regularly to my routine, I have been rather cardio heavy lately. Have a great day!!
    smiles from BJ :smile: :smile:
  • dclarsh1
    dclarsh1 Posts: 83
    It's pretty hard to overdo it on cardio, as long as you're eating and drinking enough water to replenish yourself. Just be careful with the strength training. Don't work the same muscle set two days in a row and take a few rest days during the week (you can still do cardio) to give your muscles time to heal. If they can't heal, they can't build.

    Personally, I do at least a half hour of cardio every day, and I try to get up to an hour 4-5 days a week and I strength train 3-4 days a week. I work lower body on Mondays and Thursdays and upper body on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I mix up my cardio between ice hockey, running and the elliptical, and I'm going to start adding a latin impact class that they offer at my gym.
  • JeniF1979
    JeniF1979 Posts: 18
    Thanks! So I can just go right ahead as planned. I will continue with the Curves and when I am feeling stressed I will head on over to the fitness center and get on the bike or treadmill.

    I would LOVE to go outside (which I will for another couple of weeks), but unfortunately, in coastal Mississippi, our "Spring" is about 4 weeks long, lol. Come may, it is already in the 90's and I am very sensitive to heat...I wish I was not though, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the outdoors.
  • jenwhitetattoos
    jenwhitetattoos Posts: 1 Member
    I highly recommend YOGA for long lean muscles, flexibility and most of all stress relief!
    If you have never tried it you must! At first I didn't think yoga was "real exercise" but I quickly found that it has a multitude of benefits!

    As we moved into the more difficult positions I felt my muscles shaking in an effort to hold the positions... not as strong as I thought I was!

    I became even more flexible than I already was! My balance improved tremendously.
    And stress relief, oh man! You get lost in another world. When class comes to an end I almost feel overly disappointed :(

    I have never not looked forward to a class.

    There are lots of different types of yoga.

    Yoga for burning calories, yoga for night time relaxations.

    Some gyms offer yoga classes, there are yoga centers and most cable company's have a free exercise channel that yoga comes on.

    Try it out!!
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