Exercise is the bane of my existence

tenathequeena · March 2014

I am 100 pounds overweight and need to exercise. I LOVE to be outdoors and live in a climate where I can be outside every morning. Problem is, after about 15 min of walking, my foot starts to fall asleep (I have new shoes and they aren't even tied). My shins start to tighten up and I tried shin exercises on the stairs to stretch out those muscles, but zippo. I also tried taking Aleve before my walk, no dice. So that puts me in the gym. With all the gym bunnies and the trainers who have seen me start a program a thousand times only to abandon it 3 weeks later. Because I hate going to the gym. I hate getting on a machine like a hamster on a wheel desperate for it to cure me of my fattyness. No Zumba at 180 bpm where I can't even get the basic steps down because it's so fast. The rest of the classes are geared toward higher levels of fitness and fat people are discouraged from participating (or rather encouraged to focus on an individual fitness plan same diff). I have read other posts about this subject and have gleaned the following: 1. You have to hate fat more than you do exercise. 2.Everyone hates to workout but eventually loves it. 3.Finding something you like to do will make it better. 4. No one in the gym is judging you. 5. Working out is a necessary evil. Any ideas on how I can turn this frown upside down?

JoRocka · March 2014

I don't really hate exercising- there are days I really have no interest in it- but all in all- I've never been so badly out of shape it was such an awful experience- I grew being active- so I'm bias.

BUT. Everyone has good days and bad days.

And you have all the pieces to the puzzle- except one.

You're diet will play the biggest factor in weight loss. Exercising will go a long way to helping- but ultimately the diet makes the difference.

if you can only walk around the block for 15 minutes- walk around the block for 15 minutes.something is miles ahead of nothing.

If you can stand getting into a pool- that's a great low impact way to get exercise in as well- I know that's a toughie because of the whole swim suit issue- but you can go at off peak hrs and its pretty quiet.

But make sure you get that calorie deficit bit nailed down- it'll go a long way to pushing that 100 lbs off you!

You have the pieces- now you just have to do it and stick to it. it can be done- I promise you!

laurie04427 · March 2014

I find weight training more fun than cardio personally. Could try that to see if you like it. Just a thought.

Edit: but yeah I think for the first month when I was trying to nail my diet down I didn't do a thing to work out. Was overwhelming enough just to pull myself together eating wise. Poster above gives good advice.

kristie874 · March 2014

Go to a good shoe store in your area. If your foot is falling asleep and you get shin splints your shoes (even if they are new) can be the problem. Some stores will watch you walk and determine what kind of shoe you need. When I did this, it was like a whole new experience in my shoes! If the numb foot problem doesn't go away, visit your doctor. You could be pinching a nerve and the doctor could see if there is some sort of insert or exercise that could help this. Don't let this stop you!

btsinmd · March 2014

I hate the gym, too, for many reasons. No need to force yourself there if you hate it. Okay, you can walk for 15 minutes. Do that. Every morning, without fail, get out there for your 15 minute walk. It's only 15 minutes and it will start your day off right. Then add a second, third, and fourth 15 minute walk to your days; before lunch, before dinner, and before bedtime (or whenever).

Come up with something for your arms. I was ridiculously out of shape, so I started with arm circles, small and large, clock-wise and counter clock-wise. Just stick your arms out and circle them 20 or 30 times for all four of these ways, maybe when you're walking, maybe when you're sitting, whenever you remember until it's easy.

Other things you can just put into your day:
Squats. Can't do a squat? Just stand up and sit down from a chair. Now, try to do it and almost, but not quite touch the chair, rather than really sitting, hold it, then stand up. Repeat. Many times.
Wall pushups --> counter pushups --> desk pushups --> stair pushups --> on the ground pushups
Get "You are your own gym" and see how many of those exercises you can do.
Interspurse your walks with various exercises as you see opportunities.

You're exercising! As you improve I bet that you'll find it a lot more fun than you think.

Kenazwa · March 2014

You definitely need to find a shoe that fits your foot properly. I've tried other less expensive brands in the past, but I've come to the conclusion that I have a Nike foot. You might have an Adidas foot (or some other brand).

Otherwise, can you try biking outside? Also, if you can only walk 15 minutes before discomfort, walk 15 minutes. The day will come when you can walk 16, then 17 ............

Above all, log your food, watch your calories, and don't give up.

tnicmorris · March 2014

I have been where you are right now. I hated working out. Truth be told, I don't find it that fun now. Also, I used to get severe pain in my left ankle and in my lower back after walking for about 12 minutes. I was always able to do the stationary bike with no pain minus a little foot numbness around the 15 minute mark, but I always got bored on the bike.

I did two things to help myself get past that. First, I took the calorie deficit eating seriously before I even started working out. Dropping a few pounds just by the deficit made working out a little easier and less painful. The second thing I did was cardio activities that I found fun. I played tennis and did dancing Wii games like Zumba, Just Dance, and Michael Jackson. I've even tried belly dancing and once rounded up my family for a game of kickball. I still use tennis and the Wii games as my cardio workouts to this day. I can now walk for long distances without pain and my back and ankle are much stronger.

My advice would be to start off with something you enjoy in small increments and build your endurance over time. Pretty soon, the weight loss and exercise strength become a cycle--they feed off of each other.

Exercise is the bane of my existence

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