newbie...and i HATE exercising! please help!

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tutti_foodie
tutti_foodie Posts: 6
in Introduce Yourself
hi all, my name is lisa and i just turned 35 last sunday (yikes!!!)

after an entire weekend with amazing family/friends/loved ones and FOOD, i woke up on tuesday (hey, party time was from
sat-mon hehe) feeling squishy, tired and bloated...not exactly a great way to ring in another year of life :P

so here i am, with the goal of not only losing some weight, but gaining muscle, losing inches and most importantly,
changing my lifestyle to a healthier, more active one :)

however, i HATE to exercise! the cool bollywood aerobics class i signed up for last night? yeah, i only made it til the break, then i left after feeling light headed and nauseous :( so far, here is what i can tolerate:

--dancing (i LOVE salsa, line-dancing and bhangra)
--yoga
--walking/jogging (but only in brief spurts, i have wimpy knees)

that's about it :P i'd love to try some workout videos geared towards beginners, but i'm also on a tight budget. i hear youtube and netflix have some good ones?

thank you so much for your support, i really hope to stick with this and make some inspiring friends along the way!

cheers,
lisa

ps: does anyone from this community ever get together to socialize/work out/give encouragement/feedback? even though i consider myself an introvert, i still appreciate connecting with people (ideally those who are inspiring/kind) ;) if so, i'd love to check it out...or maybe start my own group? hhhmmmm...but if no one shows up, that would be kinda sad hahaha!

Replies

  • daisymae850
    daisymae850 Posts: 127 Member
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    Since you like dancing and salsa...have you considered Zumba? You can take classes in many local gym's and the also have it for the Wii and the XBOX 360, you'd have to check into other systems or dvd's though. I have the one for the 360 and its fun, hard work but fun.
  • justifit
    justifit Posts: 26
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    Hello,

    Good for you and your journey to a healthier lifestyle. Its hard but attainable. I am on a journey myself and it's no walk in the park. You are young so making healthy moves now is a great start. Hope you continue to share as I like to hear success stories. Good luck!
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
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    I never was fond of exercise until I decided I'd see whether I could change my mind through trying something new (neutral; no bad experiences connected to it), since they say it is supposed to be so good for you. As long as you keep telling yourself you hate it, you will keep hating every minute of it though.

    ETA
    Salsa is exercise in case you didn't know.
  • sr_erick
    sr_erick Posts: 25
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    Exercise is only a tiny part of the equation of losing weight / fat, about 20%. If you want to lose fat right now, look at what you're eating and keep track of it. Use this website to do that. When keeping to a strict and healthy diet you will see results even without exercise.

    However; I strongly encourage exercise, as it helps with overall health. It will get easier with time.
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
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    I'd start with walking and perhaps some light exercises like ab crunches, stretching, maybe a few push-ups. Very low cost :bigsmile:

    To make it more enjoyable you might try walking with an iPod/MP3 player. The time flies by if you listen to a podcast on a topic you enjoy, or you can download an audiobook. It takes you to another world and you don't even realize that you just walked for an hour! Also, music can be really motivating as you exercise--usually something with a faster tempo to get you moving (dance music). If you can find a route that's safe and scenic that's best. Then do the same route each time so you don't have to navigate and you can just let your mind relax and enjoy what you are listening to or just day-dream. An hour of walking will get you 400-500 calories!

    You will find that it becomes a habit and before long you will miss it if you don't.
  • tutti_foodie
    tutti_foodie Posts: 6
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    wow, so many people responding so quickly! thank you everyone for your thoughts, i really appreciate it.

    i actually love listening to punjabi music when doing my wimpy girl workouts--the music is so upbeat and exciting to me!
    i look forward to expanding my playlist repertoire :)
  • yaseyuku
    yaseyuku Posts: 871 Member
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    I used to hate exercise. The idea of exercise, actually doing it, before it, during it, after it....

    Somehow I found things that I love doing and it clicked. Now I love it. I love the endorphins, I love feeling like I'm getting stronger and doing better and seeing progress. I love moving and being active.

    Now you can't get me to stop exercising. I exercise not to lose weight but because it's fun. The key is to find something you truly enjoy and go with it. Try everything until you find it.

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