Never really exercised...how much/what should i be doing?

riacassandra
riacassandra Posts: 6 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've never really exercised (even when I was slim) but now I really want to loose weight after having a baby but have no idea how much exercise or what exercise I should be doing to loose weight? And is it better to start off light and gradually increase or go straight into a lot of exercise??

Replies

  • daniellemm1
    daniellemm1 Posts: 465 Member
    Yes! Start with what you can manage so that you don't injure yourself. Anything more than you are doing now is a plus!!

    I started in Jan walking 15 min daily then gradually increased my time up to an hour, then I gradually increased my incline and finally I did the C25K app and now I am jogging three times a week in addition to walking at an incline the other days and strength training.

    Just do a little more each day and you will soon see and feel the changes. Good luck :)
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Lift weights, cardio is highly overrated. Get on a starting strength program, eat correct macros (not MFP macros), and eat at a caloric deficit.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Weight loss is all about diet. It is much more efficient to create a weight loss calorie deficit in your diet...if you're using MFP the way it is intended then you already have a calorie goal that has a built in deficit for weight loss. You simply achieve that goal and lose weight. Exercise is an extremely inefficient way of building a calorie deficit for weight loss.

    That said, exercise is necessary for overall health, well being and fitness. My advice would be to sit down and ponder so specific fitness goals you would like to achieve...i.e. run a 5K or 10K or whatever...train for that...having specific fitness goals and training to meet those goals will dictate how much/what you should be doing fitness wise. Also, you have to start slow...you don't go from Couch to Ultra-marathon overnight. It takes a long time to build up your fitness level...going too fast will only lead to injury. Also, resistance training should start immediately...it is an essential component of pretty much any well balanced fitness regimen.

    Diet for weight control;exercise for fitness.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    You will lose weight by changing what and how much you eat....but exercise is important for women for many other reasons. My suggestion is to start with something easy, and most imporantly, find something you enjoy! It should be something you wouldn't mind doing year round for the rest of your life...whether its walking, running, biking, etc...and some kind of strength training!
  • riacassandra
    riacassandra Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks everyone very helpful info! :)

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