Being too unfit to do any form of excercise ?
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Just to add to what everyone else has said - yes exercise should always be a challenge to some degree if it is going to have an effect BUT it definitely gets easier. When I go running, I aim to get my heart rate up and to be out of breath, but being out of breath now is nowhere near as painful and uncomfortable as it was when I was unfit. It is a bit uncomfortable, but it's completely tolerable. I think it's easy sometimes for fitter people to forget what it feels like to exercise when you're really unfit. It's horrible, and it's no wonder a lot of people give up. It gets better though, I promise!
You're doing well though. I walked a lot to improve my fitness before I went anywhere near C25k, and even then, I still struggled at first, so you're doing great! Just keep that enthusiasm, but don't worry if you need to slow things down a little and build things up gradually. The main thing is getting active, and progress from there.0 -
If you want it bad enough then you will make it happen even if it hurts, there is a saying 'no pain no gain' and that is so true. If all you can do is 10 or 20 min to start then start there, you may want to look into getting a trainer or a training partner who can push you.
For me for isntance I know i am going to hurt like hell tomorow for doing this but today I am going shovel about 3 ft of snow out of my drive, walk way and deck then I am going to take my dogs and a nieghbores dog out in the field for about 30 min or so of walking then I will come in and do my usual workout simply because I have goals to reach and these things just need to be done.0 -
...until you get injured. :flowerforyou:If you want it bad enough then you will make it happen even if it hurts, there is a saying 'no pain no gain' and that is so true.0 -
Start slowly and concentrate on controlling your calorie/fat intake. You CAN lose weight without exercise IF your diet is on track. After a few weeks of losing you will have more energy to begin an exercise program. Do something you love---dancing maybe?,I swim-waterjog 4 days a week for 90 minutes I started out slowly just trying to concentrate on moving my body for increased time increments until I could maintain my 90 minute burn sessions. Good luck--you CAN do it but you have to start and keep going!!
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When I started on this journey last June I could only walk down the stairs one foot to join the other, holding tight to the rail. Since then I have been exercising and doing yoga at a class once a week. I do about an hour of medium capacity workout every day, low impact. I can't run because I used to have such dodgy knees and hips. It was even hard to tie my shoelaces or put trousers on without sitting down. Now I skip down the stairs, and have lost 35 lbs!
I would say, every little bit you can do is a great help. As you go along it will get easier and your motivation will increase. You can even exercise to increase your strength sitting down. I do foot and ankle exercises while watching TV and have been able to stop wearing orthotics and my ankles are much less swollen. Walk around in bare feet- it will feel tiring to start with, but will get better. Stretch out your arms while watching TV, do a couple of mini sit ups in bed. Don't just sit there, move something, anything. Stand on one leg while doing the washing up. I would not have believed how far all this has taken me, my life is transformed. You don't have to make like an athlete to change your life. By the way, I am 63 and am now feeling like a young woman instead of the 80 I felt before.0 -
Ride a bike! It's easier for heavy folks than some weight-bearing exercises, but you can still get your heart rate up. Plus, it's fun!0
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You can't fail at exercise, unless you quit doing it.0
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If walking works for you, then walk. You don't need to be doing an intense spinning class, 30 Day Shred or training for a marathon for it to be "real" exercise.
When I first started running, it was 15 minutes on the treadmill at 5mph. I was fine during the warm up of my first step class, but when the instructor yelled out "hamstring curl round the world!" I had the same face as that Mother of God meme. I still look like I'm melting in every Spin class. You get over it- and the small improvements- maybe running your first mile or not getting totally lost during an aerobics class make you feel great!0 -
No one is asking you to run a marathon. However, I met a lady on here who could barely walk because of weight, and her exercise was just to walk a little quicker or a little farther each day. With a cane. If she can do that, I figure you and I can push a little and feel a good burn.0
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Watch this video. I think you'll feel much better about the kind of progress that can be made through exercise.
http://youtu.be/qX9FSZJu448 0 -
a lot of people have those same results.
first off, if you go to a class or are doing a dvd, and you get winded and need to stop... then just stop!! take a break and catch your breath. pause the dvd or move to the back of the class. restart after a few minutes.
i hated running. still kinda do. but i wanted to do cardio. i found that cycling i could go further and longer then i ever could running. and i live in an area with a lot of great scenery, so i was able to enjoy it! and after a bike ride i didn't have that beat up feeling that running gave me. also, no jiggling.0 -
I heard the story of this guy who was like.....600+ pounds, he could barely do any exercise...but he didn't give up. He started out just working on his arms, then started walking across the room, then walking to the front door, then out to the mailbox, etc. He gradually built up until he could do more. IIRC he lost a ton of weight by pushing himself a little bit further each time.0
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I felt the same way about my "unfitness" & exercise. When I started on MFP last July I was only walking 20 minutes with my dog 3 times a day. I still do that but now our walks cover more ground in the 20 minutes which means we have speeded up. You could start walking at a slow pace for 3 days a week & then walk 5 days next week. Once you are comfortable with that you could try to walk everyday. Then speed up a little the next week. I'm always looking for the easier, softer way. And walking for me is the easiest exercise.
Set small goals for yourself. We didn't get like this all at once so we can't expect to get fit all at once. Last week I added an On Demand Cable TV walking program. It's only 10 minutes & I did it 3 times. Now I'm aiming for 4 times this week. Like what was suggested here, you could also find something on youtube to follow.
Don't give up. Be proud of yourself for having the courage to ask for help.0 -
Get your mind and attitude right and the rest will fall into place!! Stay with it! We believe in you!!0
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I started out at 110kgs just under 9 months ago and now weight 73kgs. My goal was 65kgs, but that doesn't seem to be attainable (I'm not losing weight over all, but I am losing a ton of body fat). And I'm ok with this.
There is hope!
Walking is a great form of exercise to start getting you in shape (muscles, heart, lungs) until you can start doing more vigourous exercise (if that's what you want). Start small and build up- keep your expectations realistic and for the love of Pete, don't let the scale own you!
Good luck!
ETA: Three months ago, despite all my walking, I couldn't run the distance between 3 lamp posts. Last night I ran 7.2 miles in 74 minutes; I'm running a 10k race in April and a half marathon on July. If I can do it ANYONE can do it!0 -
I will tell anyone that is just starting out walking is the best I use walk away the pounds and their is so many to choose from i can get through a 5 mile walk and on top of that on some days i walk to work or i'll walk home!! I can tell a difference in how my clothes are fitting and it works. You can looks on youtube Leslie Sansone "walk away the pounds" i love her dvd's a 1 mile walk is 15 mins I also add walking weights with my walk too. Walking works!!0
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Siince you love to dance,. I suggest you get Richard Simmons Dancing to the Oldies. It has been around forever, works and is fun. Has some great old songs and makes you wanna dance. I am gonna do the exact same thing. I am a senior citizen and have a pinched nerve in my neck so I cannot do the gym for upper body. Well I can dance. My local community center has line dancing once a week it costs $3.00 check where you live and if they don't have one ask them to consider starting a line dance. It is not a class and you don't have to have a partner to dance with. Lots of fun and great exercise.0
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So....you quit because you are tired or its hard? Thats the point. You are not going to run through everything beast style the first time you do them. Its SUPPOSED to be hard, you are SUPPOSED to get winded. Push through and keep at it, and you will see results. Almost everyone on this site has experienced this, and we fight through it.0
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Before I started C25k, I made a point to walk the dog at least one mile a day. He's a Pekingese with three inch legs, and that little fluffball was dragging me. Within a month of starting C25K, I was able to run one mile straight. In two months, I could run 3 miles. In three months, I kept up with my brother who's been running for 30 years in a 4.5 mile race. That was about 2 years ago, and now I regularly run anywhere between 3 and 8 miles, three times a week.
When I first started any kind of strength training, I did EA Sports Active 2 on the Playstation with two pound dumbbells. At the end of the first 20 minute workout, I just laid on the floor, panting in a puddle of sweat. The first few weeks, everything hurt. Just squatting down to sit on the toilet made me wince. Now, I do Stronglifts 5x5 and can overhead press more than 50% of my body weight, bench 75% of my body weight and deadlift and squat 120% of my body weight.
It gets better. Maybe not easier, because you'll always want to challenge yourself more and push harder, but better.0 -
I'm the same height as you and weighed a bit more than you do when I started. I'm 23 and honestly could not tell you the last I did proper exercise (before MFP of course) then I found swimming! I started doing 20 lengths and slowly built my way up. My record is 90 lengths in 90 minutes : D I've since not been swimming as often due to moving and not being as close to a pool, however it kick started my exercise bug and I now used workout DVDs and fitnessblender. I'm by no means mega fit but I have noticed a huge change in stamina and I'm still improving. Start slowly and go at your own pace 0
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Hello All ,
I have a big update for you all .
Ok little background first . I have always felt like a big loser when it came to weight loss . No i did not loose anything . Just that I couldn keep up with anything . Whenever I spoke to anyone , they also made me feel more like a loser !
I was in 2 serious relationships and both the guys broke up with me cos I was fat . They also made me feel like such a loser .
This is the first time ever that I have shared my problem of finding exercise too hard and found so much motivation and love ... ! for the first time ever , reading all your replies I felt wanted and like someone was out there who has been through what I am going through ! Oh my god , I had tears in my eyes , reading all the replies !! The whole week I was sneaking off the MFP in office and reading and reading and reading all the replies over and over again .
I cant tell you how good I felt .
I want THANK all of you !!!!! I love you all ! Thank u thank u thank u thank u thank u !!!!!
Ok , so now I want to tell you what effect your words have had on me .
Today I completed one workout completely . I am sore , I am shivering , but it feels great to have done something and completed it till the end .
ok and the workout was " JM 30 day shred day 1 level 1 " !! I did it with 2.5 kg hand weights . I did the half push ups that Anita does! I wont say that I did 100 % justice to it . I can say I was 65 % on track !
You all are so so so right . Its a mind game . !!! I convinced myself first that i wont put the dumbbells down till am done ..
And all your replies have pushed me more than ever .
You guys are in a huge way responsible for my great success today . I know its nothing ! ! Its only day 1 level 1 but but i feel great that I din give up !
Thaaaaaaank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu alllll . ! 0 -
Before I started C25k, I made a point to walk the dog at least one mile a day. He's a Pekingese with three inch legs, and that little fluffball was dragging me. Within a month of starting C25K, I was able to run one mile straight. In two months, I could run 3 miles. In three months, I kept up with my brother who's been running for 30 years in a 4.5 mile race. That was about 2 years ago, and now I regularly run anywhere between 3 and 8 miles, three times a week.
When I first started any kind of strength training, I did EA Sports Active 2 on the Playstation with two pound dumbbells. At the end of the first 20 minute workout, I just laid on the floor, panting in a puddle of sweat. The first few weeks, everything hurt. Just squatting down to sit on the toilet made me wince. Now, I do Stronglifts 5x5 and can overhead press more than 50% of my body weight, bench 75% of my body weight and deadlift and squat 120% of my body weight.
It gets better. Maybe not easier, because you'll always want to challenge yourself more and push harder, but better.
thank thank u thank u ....... i think i can do this too after reading your story !! 0 -
I havent read all the posts so this may have already been said....try zumba gold, its lower impact and they just put some gold dvds on their website.0
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Siince you love to dance,. I suggest you get Richard Simmons Dancing to the Oldies. It has been around forever, works and is fun. Has some great old songs and makes you wanna dance. I am gonna do the exact same thing. I am a senior citizen and have a pinched nerve in my neck so I cannot do the gym for upper body. Well I can dance. My local community center has line dancing once a week it costs $3.00 check where you live and if they don't have one ask them to consider starting a line dance. It is not a class and you don't have to have a partner to dance with. Lots of fun and great exercise.
hello I checked out a video of the oldies on yotube seems to be funnnn and is very very me !! 
thanks for this great tip . I am in india , asia , no way I can find a class here , but i guess i will watch youtube and follow it ! 0 -
Worry about what you CAN DO, before you worry about what you can't do.
You can probably jog at a slow pace for some distance, start there.
Within 2 weeks you will feel very different and go from there.
Good Luck.
^^This.
Walk. Just walk. Walk for 30 minutes a day, straight. At first don't worry about distance or speed. Just one foot in front of the other, 30 minutes.
When that gets easy (and it will more quickly than you think), pick up speed. Go farther. Then add a hill one day. Next maybe a flight of stairs. Enjoy feeling your body getting places under its own power. Commit to it every day.
You will be amazed at what this will do for you, physically and mentally.0 -
You gotta remember that you start out bad at everything and push yourself to get better, a little better each time. If you're bad at something and quit, you wont change your body to be able to handle it. Sucking at something is the first step to being kinda ok at something. Do it again and again, at your own pace but HONESTLY pushing yourself and not only will you get better, but you will be physically and mentally stronger. The harder you have to work, the better your results will be and.... it truly does get better. You WILL get better.0
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I can speak for myself. I work at a desk/sedentary job. When I first started working out this time around, my motto was that 1 minute was better than no minutes and 10 minutes was better than no minutes and that if I strive for 11 minutes next time, that is good. I just keep increasing till it gets better. I started about the middle of November. I had an old bellydance CD that is very beginner. About 10 minutes into it, I was winded and done. That's okay that I didn't do the whole thing. I personally like dance DVD's because it is more fun. So, I decided to order core rhythms on Amazon used. I used to want to try them out but I didn't like the infomercial/billing your credit card forever stories. I ordered a Fluidity Bar, and I started doing that as well. The beginner workout is low impact and 35 minutes or so. I couldn't finish it the first time. The second time I was able to finish it, but I stopped a lot to catch my breath. By the second week I was able to do the whole thing. Core Rhythms showed up, and I had a hard time with my hips hurting. I did about 15 minutes of it and was done. That's okay, I'll do more tomorrow. Same thing when I ordered Zumba DVD's. I took the learning one where they break down the moves into 2 or 3 minute increments. I did one section, and I was winded and out of breath. I walked away for 10 minutes and then came back and did another section, etc. Now, I can do a whole DVD.
Just work up to it and set small goals. Tell yourself that you just need to work out for 5 minutes today. Then, tomorrow 7 minutes. Then 10 minutes. Then 12 minutes. Before you know it, you will be able to go 20 or 30 minutes straight and then an hour straight. It takes time. Be gentle with yourself.0 -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5LvWBBV1eA&feature=player_detailpage ok I took bellydancing before and this looks like a blast!, have you thought about something like this? 0 -
Glad you got the kick in the *kitten* you needed and if you need another one let us know:bigsmile:0
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Hey, it helped me to read all that advice, too! Thanks to everyone!!! 0
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