seditary ??

:blushing: :blushing: Okay , I have been here at mfp for a minute now and I have finally become comfortable enough to ask this question. Could I please get some "beginner exercise advise from anyone out there please. I will be dismally honest.....I am pretty sedentary . I have never been very into athletics or exercise. In the past, I never had much interest or need. I did a lot of ice skating in my life........... ( more like speed skating..or hockey...never learned figure.) I used to bicycle , roller blade , and did walking and hiking. My favorite sport was volley ball. But in the last 20 plus years those activities along with my health has slowly dwindled. Does any one have any suggestions for begining light weight , minimal exercise ??? Also ( please do not let this scare you away ) I suffer from depression that breeds procrastination..ect...ect..Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for your support. :smile: :smile:

Replies

  • neome90
    neome90 Posts: 420
    :blushing: :blushing: Okay , I have been here at mfp for a minute now and I have finally become comfortable enough to ask this question. Could I please get some "beginner exercise advise from anyone out there please. I will be dismally honest.....I am pretty sedentary . I have never been very into athletics or exercise. In the past, I never had much interest or need. I did a lot of ice skating in my life........... ( more like speed skating..or hockey...never learned figure.) I used to bicycle , roller blade , and did walking and hiking. My favorite sport was volley ball. But in the last 20 plus years those activities along with my health has slowly dwindled. Does any one have any suggestions for begining light weight , minimal exercise ??? Also ( please do not let this scare you away ) I suffer from depression that breeds procrastination..ect...ect..Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for your support. :smile: :smile:
  • cnolovechild
    cnolovechild Posts: 179
    Good old fashioned walking is a great start if you're not used to doing anything...evening walks are great for getting your body used to some activity! :happy:
  • sexysona
    sexysona Posts: 3
    Well neome90...start by taking small walks around your block or ur local school. Maybe ask a friend to come along! You will see a diffrence in you feeling depressed when you excercise. Exercising release enphdorine.(i think that is how u spell it) that makes you feel happy. I have a job where is sit all day long..i have tried to walk but that wasnt for me so i gave it up. So i joined Curves and i loved it..it was slow steady excersie and it was a start. I then quit there and join Ballys were i feel i get a better workout due me being able to do cardio and weight training. You can do it. :flowerforyou:
  • GingerKid
    GingerKid Posts: 86
    I agree with the walking. Whenever you want to walk. Walk. if you have an iPod or another music thing...take that and enjoy. If not, grab a neighbor friend for a nightly walk. Even if it's slower and simple...it gets you moving.

    Good luck and WTG!!!!!:bigsmile:
  • Katy009
    Katy009 Posts: 579 Member
    Dito, dito, dito......walking is the best beginner exercise you can start with. Start with the minimum (10 minutes--around the block after dinner, etc.). and build yourself up.
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
    Bicycle! Got a bike? Get on and start to pedal. Great exercise--easy on the joints--and you can burn crazy calories! Fun, too!
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Personally, I feel like it's all about what you enjoy. If you can lose yourself in an exercise then it becomes less of an exercise and more of an event. If walking gives you enjoyment, then yeah, that's a good starter. But there are lots of other things that can also be a good starter. Off the top of my head, I can think of 3 or 4 other types of activity that take a minimum of expertise and will yield good cardiovascular results. How about re-taking up rollerblading, since you already did it, it should be pretty easy to get back in the swing. Find a nice walk near a river or a bike path always works. How about biking, that's always fun. There are plenty of beginner yoga and pilates classes out there if that intrigues you. Or swimming. Swimming is a great exercise, very beginner friendly, and will keep your mind busy so you aren't focusing on the effort. Remember, anything that's active is good, it doesn't have to be classified as "exercise" for it to BE exercise. Even saying "I'm gonna briskly walk the mall 3 times today" is good (as long as you don't stop in the food court!) :wink:

    There is, of course, the other way to go as well. I do 1 thing I LOVE and 1 thing I HATE!! I play baseball, which I love passionately, and gives me a great workout (I pitch, it's the equivalent of full body plyometrics for about an hour or 2). I also run, which I hate. Why do something you hate? Well, 2 reasons, 1 it wiil keep your mind focused, if you force yourself to do something you hate, it will sharpen your willpower skills, trust me on this. Also, because I don't like running, I try to do the most efficient work out I can in the shortest time, so I tend to raise my heart rate faster, and keep it higher so I can get in, get my work done, and get out fast. Because I'm so competitive, I don't let myself cheat, so it's a good way for me to focus on other things and keep my mind sharp.

    best of luck!

    -Banks
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    The treadmill bored me, so I use the elliptical mostly. Great machine, if you have access to a gym, and no hip or back problems.

    I was a total non-athletic lump before I started working out a year and a half ago. I started with the elliptical and some loud bumping energetic music on my mp3 player, and yoga. Yoga tones and is amazing exercise, but very low paced.

    Good luck with your journey! Find the exercise that makes you happy, that you enjoy. For me, it's all about the loud clubbing music. For others, it's the solitude of walking or running or biking. Find what suits you.
  • I also have a seditary job and life before I started getting into and motivated to lose weight. I started out with going for a walk weather around the block or on a 1 mile trail along the river. I also invested in an HRM you can find good deals on them on ebay. One thing that keeps me motivated is I eat all 1200 of my calories and then what i burn calorie wise is what i get for dinner. Also you would be amazed at how many caoroes you can burn by doing everyday chores. Mowing the lawn and basic yard work is gennerally worth 800-1200 calories for me when i do it. My weekly house cleaning gives me 2-300 calories. So have fun find thengs you enjoy and with the help of your HRM count the calories away :smile:
  • BrandNewLaura
    BrandNewLaura Posts: 1,650 Member
    I agree about walking. I am very heavy and find it difficult to do much else, but I am able to walk. It doesn't burn as many calories as a higher intensity workout would, but I am already able to walk faster and longer than I did when I started a few weeks ago. And I take medication for depression as well, so I can relate to you on that. I really can't make myself go walking unless someone comes with me, even if it's just my dog. She can't talk to me, but that company helps. If you'd like, send me a private message, and we can stay in touch daily to motivate each other. Depression definitely makes me want to stay in bed and do nothing, but I always ask myself, "If reaching my weight loss goal was dependent on me taking this one walk, would I do it?" And the answer is always yes. No, my weight loss goals aren't dependent on this walk alone, but this walk is a step in the right direction. Somehow that always gets me going.

    It's a sincere offer to be your accountability offer though...so message me and we'll keep each other motivated :)