Being too unfit to do any form of excercise ?
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I started exercising by doing the 30DS tape. At level one, following the 'modified' beginners, I still had trouble - and for some moves I had to put down the handweights (which were the lightest ones to begin with). And I was covered in sweat. The tape suggests you spend 10 days at level 1. I spent 19. And it took me 51 days to finish the 30 day program.
Don't give up. Because one thing is true: failure only happens when you give up.
You are trying to make a big change, but you seem to be putting the pressure on your performance on day 1. Don't. Instead focus on honoring your commitment. That means you keep going. If you had a friend who wanted to make the very same changes you do, you would never tell her "Wow, sounds like you are having trouble. You should just quit, yeah just give up." -- So give yourself the encouragement you need, be your own best friend. And remember it's a journey, and every step, no matter how small, will get you closer.0 -
NEVER too unfit!! There are so many ways to exercise. First things first....do not think of it as excersise!! Think of it as moving. And there are soooo many ways to add the extra "moves" to your day. Simple things....
Start small....park as far away from the door as possible. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make small goals for yourself and work your way up.
But pleeeeeease!! Do not give up on yourself!! You can do it. Don't expect to run a marathon tomorrow....0 -
Start slow! It is good to sweat, need water, be short of breath, etc. You should be working your body in a way that you are challenging your fitness and strength. Keep adding a minute or even 30 seconds a day. Don't let your weight define you and your capabilities. The only way to make changes is to keep changing yourself, change your mentality, change your life and mold it the way you want to live it. You can do this. Keep pushing forward.0
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Just start by walking and slowly increase your time and intensity. Then add some body weight exercises. You can find tons of information on the internet. nerdfitness.com beginner workout is a good place to start. You need not be athletic to exercise. If you have power 90 just restart it and do what you can do.0
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Honestly, you can do this. When my work out partner (who is amazing!) and I started, we were out of shape and overweight. We started by doing 20 minutes on the elliptical three days a week. We gradually progressed and started trying new classes to mix things up. The first time we went to a Group Strength Training class we were dying just trying to keep up at the beginning of the class, then the instructor said, "O.K., thats the warm up!" We thought we were going to die. We never left a class, we did what we could and now we work out 10 - 12 hours a week! It is possible! :laugh:0
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You can definitely do this!!
Like many people on here have already said, the first time you try anything, it will be very hard, but I promise you that it gets easier (and you get better and better at doing it!)
I am currently 96 kgs (211 lbs) and today, I ran my first ever mile without any breaks (5 months after having my ACL completely reconstructed). It was hard, but once I got over the initial mindset that I could not do it, the thought of actually accomplishing this was such a great motivator (and a huge boost in my self esteem once I did). Long story short, at the age of 23, being 60 lbs overweight, this was possible, but did take a lot of effort of working hard, getting stronger and trying to push myself a little bit more each day. You can definitely do this! The first run that I had after my surgery...I ran about 1 minute, walked the next and did that for about 15 minutes and I was ready to give up. The next day I felt so sore and tired, that I did not run for another 2 weeks and then slowly ran once a week and then eventually twice a week!
You can do this too! Definitely start with a lower form of training. Perhaps try going to the gym for 20 minutes and working on something easier or lower impact rather than trying to jump into a fairly intensive exercise program! Doing a little bit each week will definitely make you better and better, and you will be able to do more and more!
You can do this, don't give up!
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Hello! I just wanted to say that ANY movement is positive movement. If it means walking down your driveway 2 times, that's 2 times more than yesterday, right? Don't feel like you have to conquer this alone and don't feel like there is anyone else's "score" you have to live up to. Instead of saying to yourself, "This was hard", start saying to yourself, "This wasn't easy". I know that sounds silly, but the more POSITIVE words your mind hears, the more you are reinforcing the activity! Crazy the way our brains work, right? LOL
Next, do you have some sort of supplemental shake, nutrition pack or protein drink you're using? Making sure you're on the right path to nutrition and wellness is really important. Don't just diet. Make your eating COUNT. Remember that you reflect on the outside whatever you put on the inside. So, not only are potato chips bad because they're empty calories, but iceberg lettuce is bad because you're literally getting NOTHING from it.
I'm using beachbody's program right now and I am drinking their protein shake (shakeology). They have a weight loss "guide" called Michi's Ladder (google it!) where they separate foods into 5 tiers. If you eat mostly from tiers 1 and 2, you're pretty much guaranteed to lose weight. When you drop to tiers 3 and 4 you start getting into trouble. Tier 5 is just plain unhealthy!
Let me know how you're doing (like my page on FB and we can message - facebook.com/jeni4health) or message me on here! I'll help cheer you on! Good luck in whatever you do!
Jeni0 -
Go for a walk. Don't worry if you're going slow or cant go far...just do it. And tomorrow...do it again. Keep doing it. And it wont be long before you're walking faster and longer and enjoying it more....and ready to add something else! Everyone starts somewhere, a year ago there was no way I could have done the workout I did this morning. You start where you are and build from there. Don't lose heart just because you're not an elite athlete right off the bat....no one is! You CAN do this!0
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I know what your feeling. Before I came to MFP I tried 30 day shred. I made it 8 minutes. I have exercise induced asthma so I struggle with huffing & puffing through my exercise. I decided I could walk indoors to Walk Away the pounds.I burn quite a few calories per my HRM. I now have started strength training and some of my other more challenging DVDs. It is a process to lose weight. Just keep on keepin on...you'll get there.0
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Start off small and grow like an exercise acorn.</cheesey>
Even if you walk just 20 minutes a day, soon you'll be able to stroll, then jog, then run. Or for cardio at home, well, I'm sure you could dance to your favourite tunes? Then do that for a while, then do it a bit longer or speed up and start jogging on the spot...0 -
As everyone else has said....Walk! Even if it's to the mailbox and back...it may seem futile, but you need to keep at it and be consistent. Try to "beat" what you did the day before. Also, focus on your diet, and you should start seeing results.0
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I have failed at every exercise I have attempted in the recent past!
I am committing to lose weight and reach a healthy BMI this year . I attempted Power 90 a while back , I huffed and puffed on day 1 !! really couldn continue any longer . I then attempted zumba , I I could just do it for ten minutes . Yesterday I tried day 1 of the c25k , could do it with great difficulty only about 20 minutes . But these 20 minutes were a such a pain . I was winded all the time!! Walking was ok , but the running was horrible ! I kept begging for it to end !!. Finally I gave up after 20 minutes .
I always make these big plans to exercise and am always let down by my body .
Please help me ... tips for exercise for an obese girl ??
I think you are trying to do too much too soon. You aren't all that big, really. Your BMI comes out to 34.7. My current BMI is 38.7 and I started out at 43.8. I started with walking. I walked on my breaks and lunches at work and sometimes before work. Almost all of my current weight loss was done while walking over the course of last year.
Walk at a pace that is comfortable enough to keep up with for 15 or 20 or 30 minutes or pick a route and walk it. Try to walk just a little faster next time and a little faster the next time, etc. When I started, 3 mph at a 3% incline or outdoors was kind of hard (and I have long legs). Just today I was walking at 4.0-4.2 mph with a 5-7% incline. Yesterday I was walking at various speeds 3.5-4.0 mph w/ various inclines up to 12%. I can walk outside 1/2 mile uphill and 1/2 mile back down in about 16 minutes. It didn't happen overnight, but it did happen. I just recently started back with trying to run and before I got sick was finally up to being able to run for 20 minutes straight, but that's after about 8 months of conditioning myself with walking and pushing myself to go a little bit further or harder each time.
I don't do the exercise DVDs because I always feel like a klutz and really find them rather boring, but even when I was 60 lbs less than I am now and in pretty good shape I found many of those things very difficult. I'm wanting to try Zumba because it seems like it would be fun, but I accept that it will see much harder than my current routine does if simply for the fact that I don't have any clue what I'm doing and it will take me a while to learn. If you really want to do the vidoes, just pick one that you find the most fun and keep trying every single day. You'll eventually be able to do just a little more and a little more until you're doing the whole thing and getting better every day.0 -
Consistency is key!! If you keep trying something then waiting weeks or months to try again you are losing all of the benifits.
Starts small and always progress!!
So start with something simple like walking. Do it everyday. Every time you go on a walk challenge yourself to go a little farther, walk faster, seek out hills ...
Once you have a month or so of consistent walking move up to C25k. Running is really hard when you are significantly overweight. You may have to repeat weeks on c25k and that is fine. The key is to keep moving forward, and not quitting
I agree. I am currently doing the Cto5K as well. I am 115lbs overweight (which is about 50-52 KG) I have been on week 1 for two weeks. If I can't jog anymore, I just keep walking. When I can do all the jogging/running for the day, I will do that the three days then move on to the next week and I will repeat days if I can't complete them.. Like someone else said, 20 min is better than 0. Keep it up, slow and steady. Try not to do something so strenuous at first, but build up to it. You can do it.0 -
try beach body mom on you tube,her workouts are low impact and very funx0
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Hello All ,
Good to be on MFP . I love reading the success stories here . Gives me hope that I can lose weight too
My weight s 86 kgs . I am 25 years old female . My height s 5 feet and 2 inches . . I am not a very athletic person . I do not remember having participated in any form of sports in my school life . I used to love dancing however .
I have failed at every exercise I have attempted in the recent past! I am committing to lose weight and reach a healthy BMI this year . I attempted Power 90 a while back , I huffed and puffed on day 1 !! really couldn continue any longer . I then attempted zumba , I I could just do it for ten minutes . Yesterday I tried day 1 of the c25k , could do it with great difficulty only about 20 minutes . But these 20 minutes were a such a pain . I was winded all the time!! Walking was ok , but the running was horrible ! I kept begging for it to end !!. Finally I gave up after 20 minutes .
I always make these big plans to exercise and am always let down by my body .
I want to know how to move from this stage where I can exercise easily . If I just reach that stage I am sure I will lose weight easily after that . Just how do reach that point ??
Does everyone start out this way ?? I would like to hear stories of you all , about how you struggled initially but n the end you achieved your goals beautifully ??
Please show me there is hope ? I do not want to be trapped in this boday forever . I want to lean and healthy and beautiful
Please help me ... tips for exercise for an obese girl ??
there is hope! and you're looking at this all wrong/in the wrong light. you say you've never really been active well you did 20 minutes of c25k, 10 minutes of zumba. that's being active! congratulations on accomplishing these two activities.
stop making BIG PLANS - you're just setting yourself up to fail. how about making little plans. 20 minutes of something/anything that gets you moving. you're not going to be this perfect athlete overnight and nor did you get to the point your at overnight so why do you think you can because lean and healthy in a blink of an eye. (notice i didn't include beautiful because we are all beautiful).
fyi: i'm 4' 11 3/4" and 40 years old. check out my profile pic - that's 2 years progress.
i started out slow - could barley lift 2lb weights over my head. now i'm using 10-15 lb weights. my mom told me 2 years ago you could set a coffee cup on my behind - not anymore.
just because a program tells you to run doesn't mean you HAVE to do just that - if you walk 20 minutes you've accomplished something. stop focusing on what you can't do and focus on what you can. over time you'll improve. it'll happen i promise.0 -
Just don't give up! You did 20 minutes and that's awesome! So start with 20 and work up from there....You CAN do this, you are no unfit to do any form of exercise, it's your mind that thinks you are... :flowerforyou: GOOD LUCK!0
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ha ha ha ha looks like there are 2 of us ! :P 0
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Since everyone gave great tips on walking and getting there... I will hit a different point (but really the same message)
Did you like Zumba? The biggest point of Zumba is just to move... you don't have to do all the steps exactly or even at the same impact as everyone else... Just move... get those arms up in the air, your booty shakin', and your feet movin'.... like everyone else said you will get there.
btw: my av is me and my Zumba instructor.
hi , u have a very valid point ! Till now i used 2 feel very bad and give up if cant follow all the steps to the T . ! But you all are right ... if am doing better than yesterday ... thats a great improvement .... i will keep at it thanks 0 -
Don't try to jump in head first...start out small. Start out walking and increasing your time each day. Then try to tackle the C25K. I can just about guarantee it will be much easier if you are already used to walking for 20-30 minutes. I am starting it on Wednesday, and I have been trying to condition myself by walking faster & faster each day on my breaks at work. The first day of walking I thought I was gonna pass out because I could hardly breathe, but I noticed each day got easier. And I also broke it up....20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon. As long as you don't give up and keep pushing yourself a little more each day, I'm sure you will do great!!!
hey am repeating week 1 of c25k again from today .. will be great to share notes ! hi five , good luck 2 the two of us ! 0 -
When I first started riding my bicycle again last summer, I could barely make 1 mile. Now my average ride is closer to 10 miles. In July, I could barely walk around the block. Yesterday, I ran with my dog about half way around.
Baby steps!
great story !! thanks for the inspiration ! I CAN DO THIS !!!! 0 -
Yes - most of us start that way. My first time at step aerobics, I could only do the warm up. So I did the warm up ever day, then I'd do a side to side step-touch step-touch and watch the rest of the routine so I could learn it. I could exercise a little longer each time, and I would say it took 2-3 weeks before I could do the entire routine.
I lasted 5 minutes the first time I got on the elliptical. Now I can do an hour.
Be patient with yourself. Building fitness takes time, but the reward is worth it.0 -
I could barely walk 1 mile before I began 2 years ago. Down about 75lb since, can run 1 mile, an accomplished lifter, and a pretty good swimmer.
Sure I have 50-60 left to lose and I keep taking breaks from weight loss to build muscle, but I am getting there. It did not happen over night by ANY means and I certainly have been despondent over progress so many times.0 -
The key is to pick exercises appropriate for where you are at physically. I just started walking, then some light swimming. Now it's 50 laps of swimming, pilates, and weighlifting. Ramp up over time to keep challenging yourself, but don't feel like you have to start with the P90X Turbo Zumba Kettlebell Death Workout.0
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The first time I tried to work out I thought I was going to DIE!!! I got all out of breath and sweaty and my head was pounding and it was just awful. All I could think of was... My GOD, if there is a zombie apocolypse I am SCREWED!!! hahaha... I had to try a bunch of different things before I found something I could actually do without killing myself and settled on a work-out DVD called Hip Hop Abs. I couldn't do the whole thing, when I got too winded I would stop and just keep walking in place, but eventually got so I could do the whole thing (it took weeks, then months to move up to the more intense version). It's all dancing! Very fun & the guy is gorgeous You might try it, or maybe a video game that has dancing if you have a Wii or X-box or Playstation. We have Just Dance, 1-3 and it's REALLY fun, doesn't even feel like you are working out. Now I go to the gym and can do weights and cardio and all that good stuff, still get all out of breath and sweaty but I don't feel like a complete idiot doing it any more. Good luck!!! You can do it! Don't give up.
" My GOD, if there is a zombie apocolypse I am SCREWED!!! hahaha.. " ROFL .... ha ha i completely get what ur saying ... i am at that point these days !!
yea even i tried hip hop abs ... was SCREWED lol... but i know i must keep goin till it becomes a cake walk fr me ! 0 -
Yes - most of us start that way. My first time at step aerobics, I could only do the warm up. So I did the warm up ever day, then I'd do a side to side step-touch step-touch and watch the rest of the routine so I could learn it. I could exercise a little longer each time, and I would say it took 2-3 weeks before I could do the entire routine.
I lasted 5 minutes the first time I got on the elliptical. Now I can do an hour.
Be patient with yourself. Building fitness takes time, but the reward is worth it.
great inspiration .. thanks !! 0 -
I could barely walk 1 mile before I began 2 years ago. Down about 75lb since, can run 1 mile, an accomplished lifter, and a pretty good swimmer.
Sure I have 50-60 left to lose and I keep taking breaks from weight loss to build muscle, but I am getting there. It did not happen over night by ANY means and I certainly have been despondent over progress so many times.
I CAN DO THIS toooo .... am feeling very good reading all your replies !! 0 -
Well said, LizL217! Everything you said is what I was thinking. Only better worded.
Enjoy the accomplishment of making the start and lasting for 10-20 minute spurts. With continued effort, you will gain increased stamina. Don't stop or you'll lose the momentum you've gained.
I would also add that any healthy movement IS exercise. Wearing a pedometer may give you a chance to see that you are moving more than you think. For a few days, I have not been feeling well enough to swim and I was devastated about it. But I found that Fitness Pal gives me credit for the light housework I am able to do. When I walk to catch a bus or train or even down the corridors of a hospital for a visit to my doctor, I count it! Seeing the calories burned motivates me to do more and gives me a sense of pride.
Walking, cleaning, stretching- - -all movement is exercise. Give yourself credit. And enjoy your healthy, exercise ready body!0 -
The key is to pick exercises appropriate for where you are at physically. I just started walking, then some light swimming. Now it's 50 laps of swimming, pilates, and weighlifting. Ramp up over time to keep challenging yourself, but don't feel like you have to start with the P90X Turbo Zumba Kettlebell Death Workout.
WOW .... you have lost a lot of weight , from wat i can see on ur ticker ! your an inspiration ! thanks a lot ! 0 -
Well said, LizL217! Everything you said is what I was thinking. Only better worded.
Enjoy the accomplishment of making the start and lasting for 10-20 minute spurts. With continued effort, you will gain increased stamina. Don't stop or you'll lose the momentum you've gained.
I would also add that any healthy movement IS exercise. Wearing a pedometer may give you a chance to see that you are moving more than you think. For a few days, I have not been feeling well enough to swim and I was devastated about it. But I found that Fitness Pal gives me credit for the light housework I am able to do. When I walk to catch a bus or train or even down the corridors of a hospital for a visit to my doctor, I count it! Seeing the calories burned motivates me to do more and gives me a sense of pride.
Walking, cleaning, stretching- - -all movement is exercise. Give yourself credit. And enjoy your healthy, exercise ready body!
hey awesome ... so my 2 hours today "wasted " on cleaning my room does really count towards excercise ... that is awesome
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Walk, walk, and walk some more. 30 minutes a day should get you there and then you gradually increase you time and/or pace and before you know it, you are much more capable and don't hate it anymore. You can do this!!
I concur. Start with walking. If you can find a nice safe place to walk (a school track for example) and put some good music on. Just walk.
Jumping into high intensity programs like the P90X and even C25K is probably not going to work because 1) your body's not prepared for it yet and 2) you'll get discouraged because you're not ready for it yet. Doesn't mean you'll never be ready for it. Just means you need to build up to it.
I tried doing 30 Day Shred and by the end of the first week and a half, I stopped. My knees hurt and my shoulder was angry with me. I'm going to do some more gentler conditioning and see about revisiting it again. I did C25K in the fall. You'd think that when I started back up with it yesterday, I could do it again, no problem. Yeah. I got about 15 minutes in to it and was was beat.
The other thing is consider taking a look at what and how you're eating. At your current level, 1200 might be a recipe for failure. If you do a search for "in place of a roadmap" that might help you figure out where you're supposed to be eating it / how much.
So OP, please continue to be motivated and focused, but consider changing your starting point so that you stick with it. There are several people on here who've had success starting with smaller steps like walking or even yoga, to help with flexibility. There are lots of free videos on youtube and on digital cable. There are so many success stories on here too. Don't give up. 0
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