I am terrified!

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daniellerusbult1
daniellerusbult1 Posts: 79
in Health and Weight Loss
So, this is something that I've been wanting to do with my dad for awhile. He is 58 this year. Overweight (5'8, 240-250lbs... mostly in his belly.. it protrudes straight out, not much on the sides). Been a smoker since he was a teen (smokes at least a pack a day). He drinks diet pepsi like it's going out of style. Doesn't eat the greatest, but not the worst, either. He lives alone and about 25-30 miles away from me.

For his birthday, I told him I am buying him a 6 month pass to his local gym ($10/month), and I would buy myself the same pass (although, I belong to Anytime Fitness in my town). I made the deal with him that if he got a physical and was cleared for exercise, as well as getting a colonoscopy, then I would travel to where he lives 3-4 times/week and work out with him. I feel like this is the only way he would ever go. On the other days, he could walk the lake where he lives (very hilly.. good workout for him).

However, I am super terrified of him having a heart attack while we're working out or something like that. I need your advice or encouragement or personal experiences!

Replies

  • Pinkranger626
    Pinkranger626 Posts: 460 Member
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    If he goes to the doctor and they clear him for exercise he should be fine. The doctor may require him to have a stress test before signing off on it, or he may tell your dad that he has certain restrictions. As for when your working out, as long as he's not pushing himself too hard and he doens't have any underlying heart conditions he should be fine. Have him work with the RPE scale (you can google this and it'll pull up a bunch of charts and explanations) or if you're really worried investing in heart rate monitor can put your mind at ease. If you go the heart rate monitor route, you can look up some charts for a percentage range that will correlate with his age.
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
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    Relax. This is why you're making him go to the doctor.
  • daniellerusbult1
    daniellerusbult1 Posts: 79
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    Thanks for the feedback! The reason why i'm psyching myself out is because my ex's father went in to have a stress test done when he was about 50 and had a heart attack and died right there.... So I'm just going over that in my head a million times, but I want my dad to get healthy!
  • cl00bie
    cl00bie Posts: 25 Member
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    If he was cleared for exercise, then he should be fine. But I am much like your dad, I have all my weight in my belly and it's hard (so I'm smooshing my internal organs). If I were to have a heart attack, I'd much prefer it was exercising with my daughter (who could use a cell phone to dial 911) than at home alone.
  • beckaanne52
    beckaanne52 Posts: 35
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    I like the above comment. Here's the deal, he is killing himself slowly now. I know my dad is over 300 lbs maybe close to 400 and it hurts to watch him do this to himself. I think it is better to exercise, but take it slow with him. Even in my case, I am sedentary and weigh 230 lbs (down almost 6!) and my doctor doesn't want me doing much more then walking for at least 30 minutes and for strength training he has me doing the 200 challenges (puship, situps and squats). Very mild and low exercise for me but it is enough to go slow and stay safe.
  • mjrkearney
    mjrkearney Posts: 408 Member
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    Yes to the doctor, and try to see if you can help him with his diet. It will help the exercise go so much smoother.
  • eleanorpie
    eleanorpie Posts: 25 Member
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    The reason why i'm psyching myself out is because my ex's father went in to have a stress test done when he was about 50 and had a heart attack and died right there.... So I'm just going over that in my head a million times, but I want my dad to get healthy!

    That has seriously got to be a one-in-a-million chance. And since you know one of the million, there's no way you could know the other million.
  • 2aycocks
    2aycocks Posts: 415 Member
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    What a wonderful daughter you are!!! Beg and cry if you need to to get him to the doctor. He won't go because he doesn't want to hear what the doc will say. Typical!

    If the gym has trainers, get someone to work with him and start SLOWLY!!! If he overworks the first time or two, he will quit. Anyone would. Just slow and steady will do the trick.

    And I would certainly use the "I'm too young to lose my Daddy" thing if I needed to!
  • MorningWhispers
    MorningWhispers Posts: 182
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    Weight loss is more about the diet than it is about the exercise so you need to work with him to change his diet and then do the exercises the doctor says is good for him to start with - probably low impact aerobics at the beginning. You are a really good daughter being there encouraging and being supportive of him.

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