Never exercised in my life!

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josarahm
josarahm Posts: 48
in Introduce Yourself
i am interested in hearing from people who were new to exercise. I am 46 and have never really exercised. Every bone in my body hurts so I know I need to change. I am scaring myself because I am getting so unhealthy but the exercise is hard. Does it get better. I am only doing walks and bike riding right now. They describe a 3mph wak as "walking a dog"It feels like a run to me!
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  • Bubblevixen
    Bubblevixen Posts: 78 Member
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    I HATED exercise up until 5 weeks ago. I figured I had to change or carrying on feeling crappy. My story is on my profile anyways hunny if you're interested in my backstory :P Yes, It does get easier. I started with Tony Horton's ten minute trainer, completed my 4 week accelerated results program and damn i hurt for the first week or so, but it sure as heck gets easier! :D I've just completed my first week of P90 and I've never felt as good as i do right now. Seem to feel better each day that passes :)

    Read this the first week i was here :
    "Nobody ever regretted working out...people always regret NOT working out."

    It's pretty much shaped my attitude. :D Sent you a friend request hun :)
  • mfrieler324
    mfrieler324 Posts: 2
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    "Do today what others will not, so you can do tomorrow what others cannot."

    Keep working out! You will gradually notice that those walks will get easier and easier. It's all about the mindset! You shouldn't feel pleasant while working out, but you should get a high off knowing you are conditioning your body for survival!
  • heidihunt357
    heidihunt357 Posts: 17 Member
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    Hi, Working out is hard. I have to always tell myself I am going to do it. Sadly, I admit it doesnt always work for me. But today I found out that gardening counting as working out and so does me going up and down my stairs. (I do not go up and down my stairs since i do not have to.) In general though, yes, it hurts, yes it can be annoying and you will feel like crude for a while. But lets be honest, though you hurt and said you felt like you ran, didnt you feel better knowing at least you did it? That is how I feel.
    Best of luck!
  • outlandish30
    outlandish30 Posts: 21 Member
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    I was scared at first too. I just started small and now I can do things I never thought I could. Like be on the elliptical for 45 minutes straight! Just start small and you can work your way up in no time! :)
  • M______
    M______ Posts: 288 Member
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    It does get easier. What seemed to get easier for me was my willingness to push through when it started to get tough. I couldn't do that at the start.

    2 months ago 10 minutes of squash left me exhausted.
    3 days ago I played for an hour and a half and didn't want to leave.

    You don't need to start with anything crazy at all. Just making the effort for what suits you will be what works for you. It gets easier :)
  • royvor
    royvor Posts: 271
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    Hi, It will get better. I used to be 273 lbs and very inactive. Wow when I say I could not do much walking. Start off small. You will be amazed how much stronger your body will get as time goes by our bodies can adapt to anything. I really like this quote that hopefully fosters motivation that this tough period of pain while exercising is short lived. " Tough times never last tough people do. " Best of luck on your journey don't ever give up.
  • godsgrl33
    godsgrl33 Posts: 307 Member
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    Sometimes, when you walk a dog, it can feel like the dog walks you! And, don't say that it is "just walking". Walking can be hard, especially when you are not used to it. Cut yourself some slack. The important thing is that you don't quit, and you'll make it.
  • LJCannon
    LJCannon Posts: 3,636 Member
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    :drinker: I hated Exercise until I joined Curves in 2009. I found an "Exercise" that I actually ENJOYED :noway: And I looked forward to going in every day.
    If you don't like what you are doing right now, keep trying new things until you find something you LOVE!! Then it won't feel like "Work". And don't be afraid to try something that you "Think" you will Hate!! I tried Heavy Lifting and I LOVE it!! My Husband is in Shock!!
  • Wildbran
    Wildbran Posts: 19 Member
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    I never exercised, at all. When I started this about a month and a half ago i started walking, slow enough at first so my legs didn't hurt too bad. Then i bumped up the speed a little, my legs still kill me when i walk fast but i'm hoping it will get better with practice. I can't even do 2 sit-ups. I've been trying to do a couple minutes of stretching and trying to do sit-ups, or v-sit ups. Even just laying on my bed holding my legs out straight and pulling them up, it's hard, it hurts, and i can't even breath while i'm doing it. i have to hold it for 10 seconds and then breath for a few. I hate that i've let myself get this way, but it's nobody's fault but my own.

    I couldn't walk for 10 minutes without getting winded, and have to sit and message my calves/shins. but I'm getting better, my max at 3 mph is about 25 minutes, then i have to take a break - or my feet start to go numb!

    Don't give up though, it's tough, i don't like it sometimes, but i still do it.
  • GeekAmour
    GeekAmour Posts: 262
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    Snap.

    I have always, always, always hated exercise, the idea of it, doing it, THINKING about it. Ugh. I would always walk school races, sit out any activities I could & glower.... I was crap at it (obviously because I never bothered to try) & didn't want to embarrass myself.

    I have had spurts of "exercising" in the past - very brief each time, ie: gym every day for a week, a running regime that lasted 2 days... but it was always just too hard, and pointless, I thought.

    Until now. I got a fitbit & realised my daily activity was way, waaaaaay below what I thought it was, and the only way to make my goals was to go on a dedicated walk every night. I take an audio book with me & walk after dinner. At first it was a real slog - I wasn't used to moving that much - but now I look forward to it all day, enjoy it, can walker further & faster quicker & I am starting to incorporate running spurts. I feel so much better that it's like an awesome cycle of exercise>feel good>want to exercise to feel good. I'll be incorporating resistance training shortly too, like... like... a person that likes exercise or something. What the wha? ;)

    So, my advice is to make your exercise something you enjoy & maybe make it as much like not doing exercise as possible. Try to make it your "me time" & look forward to it, and if you don't look forward to it, keep doing it anyway, because, and you have to trust that this will happen for you, because it will.... you WILL start looking forward to it eventually.
  • Amandastan
    Amandastan Posts: 30
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    It takes discipline if you are not active. It's really all will power. I live a fairly active lifestyle and usually don't mind it but some days I don't want to do it at all . thats when I force myself to exercise. Until you are used to it that's probably the only way to do it.
    The positive thing is you can eat right and not do exercise and still lose weight.

    My advice is to start out slow and work your way up to it.
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
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    i hated it. and still do. walking is boring, running is boring but quicker. workout dvds are hard. Only thing I really like is dance central for my xbox.

    But, I like how i feel after I do any of my workouts.
  • murdie
    murdie Posts: 85 Member
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    I never exercised in my life either! I am 58 years old. I started to exercise in Jan 2012. I workout every day now and I just love it! I was a very unhealthy weight...almost 300 pounds!. I now weight less than 140! I started with some DVD's. I liked Richard Simmons
    ( he is fun) and Leslie Sansone (she is easy to follow) I couldn't even do 10 minutes without dying! I was able to build strength and stamina. I feel so good now!!! I can't believe the difference! It was worth every difficult moment! The hardest thing to do is start!! You will never regret it! Go for it! Feel free to add me1 Good luck! You can do it!
  • supergirl6
    supergirl6 Posts: 224 Member
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    I started out at almost 350 and very little exercise in my past. Some, but not much. Not for a long time. It's going to hurt. It's going to be hard. It's going to suck something awful. That's just the truth that you have to face going in. But it gets easier when your body starts to get better at working out. That's the fun part!

    When I started, a 2.3 on the treadmill was rough. Eventually I built up to running at a 4.5. It took about five months and I hit the gym about 5 days a week until I hurt a tendon in my foot and had to take some time off.

    Go with what you can do, but make sure you are pushing yourself. It shouldn't feel too easy, but it shouldn't be too much too soon. Don't just do cardio, do some weight training too. Weight training will make your body stronger faster and more able to deal with what you throw at it.

    You're going to be great! You just have to believe that it will eventually. I found my turning point happened about 4 weeks after I started. When I began I could do about 3 squats using the stability ball against the wall for balance. My knees hurt every time I did them. Then one day I did 10 squats and it was no big deal. So I got rid of the ball and did ten squats again and it wasn't EASY but it wasn't impossible either. That was my turning point day. It was proof that what I was doing was working. Find something like that you can measure your success against.

    Go often. Once or twice a week is going to make seeing results very slow. My doctor recommended 5 days a week, but your mileage my vary. Good luck with everything!
  • purple_power61
    purple_power61 Posts: 59 Member
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    Today was day 1 of exercise for me.... I tried the 30 day shred and got about 5 min into it and had to stop.... my muscles are sore just from the warm up exercises and jumping jacks hahaha but tomorrow is another day and I'm going to push myself a little bit further.... Just don't give up!
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
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    I am exercising at a higher level than you, but I can tell in just a few weeks of jogging more regularly my fitness has improved so much, I am sleeping much better and have MORE energy.

    Don't wait any longer, get into it and stay strong. Listen to your body and don't ever push yourself too far.
  • Scubanana7
    Scubanana7 Posts: 361 Member
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    You are so lucky to be 46 and starting this! I am 58 and wish I could get back a lost FAT decade or two. Don't give up. Exercise gets sooooo much easier. One step, one day, one pound, one inch at a time. I began at 250, couldn't walk more than 1/2 mile. Then got to 1 mile in 30 minutes. Then in 20....Now I am doing 3 miles in 45 minutes with a 'touch' of jogging....and I still weigh in pretty heavy (195). The weight is coming off sooooo slowly and I have turned into an exercise freak. and believe me, I used to hate to get off the couch to go pee! So if I can catch the exercise bug, ANYONE can! I even started swimming. I couldn't make one lap without resting a LOT after it. Today, I swam 20 laps in 38 minutes--NONSTOP.

    Take back your life! Your knees will thank you, your back will thank you and you get to ENJOY the rest of it UNFAT! Just keep moving....step by step. If the exercise program is making you so sore you want to quit, then just walk for a few weeks or months. Then add that program back in after you have gotten your body accustomed to moving. Just DON"T STOP!
  • melle1818
    melle1818 Posts: 3
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    As i young woman, i never thought i would have such a hard time with exercise. and trust me....when you sit on your butt for so long, trying to run, jog, and even walking at a fast pace feels like death!!! I absolutely dreaded going out to exercise until............. i stumbled upon this one page about how to up your endurance.
    I would love to share it with you all, because it helped me so much!! I could barely run for 2 minutes, and now i can go for much longer distances (15 min.) which i would have NEVER been able to do.

    Here goes: (Note i changed the walking times to 2 mins instead of 1 minute, due to 90min workouts compared to 20minute workouts)

    Week one: Walk fast 4 mins, walk slow 1 min
    Week two : Run 1 min, walk 3 mins
    Week three: Run 1 min , walk 3 mins
    Week four: Run 1min , walk 1 min
    Week five: Run 2 min, walk 1 min
    Week six: Run 3 mins, walk 1 min
    Week seven: Run 4 mins, walk 1 min
    Week eight: Run 6 mins , walk 1 min
    Week nine: Run 9 mins, walk 1 min
    Week ten: Run 12 mins, walk 1min
    Week eleven: Run 15 mins, walk 1 min
    Week twelve: Run 20 minutes!!!!!!!!
    All weeks are based on 20 minute workouts.

    Hope this helps someone out there! cardio, cardio, cardio!! Don't give up; it gets easier!!
  • herndonl
    herndonl Posts: 3
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    That sounds great, keep up the good work! I read a book called that Mafatone Method and that really helped me exercise too! I learned how to extend my endurance by keeping my heart rate low while I was running. It's basically the same sort of thing you are talking about. It's a great book if you are interested in going further. I eventually was able to run a half marathon, with no stopping or walking. I never knew I could exercise without hurting before! Hope your journey goes well.
  • melle1818
    melle1818 Posts: 3
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    Amazing!! thanks, i am going to actually look into that book! Crossing that finish line must have felt so amazing, congrats!!! Like you i also NEVER thought running would feel so good!

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