Exercise help please (God this is tough)

justjambo
justjambo Posts: 20 Member
in Getting Started
HI,

I am trying to incorporate some exercise into my day now and finding it incredibly difficult because of the health issues I have. However, I am not going to allow that to be an excuse not to do anything.

I have done some 'work' on wii fit which tracks time and calories used - alternating one aerobic to one balance, I've not attempted any weight / strength etc there yet.

I have seen people talking about a 30 day shred and so googled it and saw that I could view this on you tube, which I did last night. I have just attempted the Jillian Michaels level 1 shred today and kinda possibly maybe managed a bit of it, in as much as I altered a lot so that I was able to go along with it.

Some I was just plain unable to do, partly due to the recent hip replacement, such as jumping jacks, or kicking back onto your butt. For the first, I stepped in line at a decent pace and swung my arms., for the second I stepped slowly from foot to foot kicking my heel back onto my butt as asked, but without the skip / jump.

I have to say having a large bust does not help !! A) it was painful when I tried to jump and B) bloody awkward, at risk of knocking myself out!

For the skipping / jump rope exercise I stood on my toes and bounced quickly but lightly down onto my heels (toe heels toe heels) whilst doing the correct arm movement.

I was unable to do a good few of the strength exercises, but was able to do the abdo crunches, arm crosses etc.

My problem is knowing how many calories I will have used up. I definitely brought up a sweat and was tired at the end, when I was unable to do an exercise I walked on the spot, except for one moment when I had a drink from my bottle.

I have never been into exercise in my life, in this manner anyhow. I enjoyed skiing, tennis, swimming, badminton and the such like when I was fit and thin, but I am finding this a killer.

However, the one thing that this site has that I have not seen elsewhere, is a success page, and I see that these people have not only lost weight but also flab, very few have huge amounts of excess skin floating around spoiling their good work. It is purely because of these success stories that I feel so motivated, feel that I want to do the same, and having seen some weight come off me this past week I am even more keen. For the first time in forever.

I am now at my lowest weight for at least 10 - 15 years and I cannot tell you how delighted I am with this.

Clearly I have to be careful, but I have to balance that out with giving my body the best chance to continue beating cancer. I am currently clear of it, I need to stay like this. I want to live. I am checked every three months for reccurenc and I know know know that the healthier I am, the better chance I have of helping to keep it at bay.

If you know of a good workout 'shred' that I could do I'd be grateful, or should I stick with this one and continue to modify it so that I can do what I am able to at any given time? I quite liked it I have to say - I liked her attitude.

(What am I saying ?? I quite liked a workout dvd? I MUST be ill !)

Finally, I am not positive I will be able to do it daily due to my health, will that matter a great deal ? I put down that I burned 150 calories today, based on an average from wii fit. I think it was probably more, but I'd rather underestimate than over.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate it.

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Look at fitnessblender.com they have lots of workouts similar to 30Day shred.

    Jillian Michaels also has other videos that can be purchased for under 10$ at most big box stores or online.
  • wyattj99
    wyattj99 Posts: 454 Member
    Tiffany Rothe is on you tube and free

    I working on Fitness blender now :)
  • kellytime
    kellytime Posts: 23 Member
    I too have battled cancer. I have had major surgery as a result also. What I have done is incorporated yoga. I started with Sadie Nardini's 20 minute weight loss yoga. While it is quite slow compared to what I was used to before I got sick, it gets my heart pumping and has been surprisingly good for strengthening. My friends have told me that they saw more change in my body from yoga than any other thing I have done. (Besides diet. ) I would alternate yoga days with cardio days. On cardio days I did an exercise bike routine, jogged (super slow) , fast walked, or did a youtube routine. I have been cancer free for 3 years now and still pretty much follow this routine. I have found that when I push too hard and stop doing yoga I feel super tight and painful in the areas where I have had surgery. Consistency and listening to my body has been key. Modifications are good. There are hard core workouts I can not do anymore, but that's ok. I am alive and well. Strong. Keep fighting and enjoying every day.
    God Bless!
    Kelly
    I also use fitness blender. Just start with their low impact routines. :) I also saw that you battled bowel cancer , so I am assuming you had major abdominal surgery. My surgery affected that area as well. Yoga was the only exercise in the beginning that worked the core without being dangerous for me. I saw great results also. Just a friendly reminder to be careful. ;) You have been through a lot!
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    I think I have understood your issues. True it is good to exercise but going into distress in never good. Be honest with yourself about the level of activity you currently have and what is comfortable for you. Build on this making small changes as you feel able. Some UK research on elderly men in sheltered housing showed their health improved when they changed their activity level. Even when that change was from sitting to standing more instead..

    I wish you well with your ongoing tests, every three months is a pain. I, it was a different one, had 6 months for a while then 12. Living in recovery takes strength too. It was a wake up call.

    Take care
  • FitMe758
    FitMe758 Posts: 177 Member
    30DS is hard. The first day I did it I almost threw and I felt sick for like an hour after. I'm halfway done and it still sucksssss (in the best of ways, of course)

    You definitely need a good bra if you plan to keep doing that workout, it will help your back. Unfortunately, the good ones (in larger cup sizes) are very pricey. But Enell, Moving Comfort Juno and Under Armour High Impact are all good.

    I've had great results with 30DS, Jillian keeps me motivated. I also have Shred it with Weights. But I am determined to finish 30DS program.
    It is hard (maybe not for people that are not sedentary)but it is hard for me, however I am building endurance and strength faster than I thought possible,

    Another tip that makes 30ds more bearable is good shoes. Since it has a lot of impact, good shoes make a difference on your joints.

    Don't feel bad about modifying. You are doing great!
  • FitMe758
    FitMe758 Posts: 177 Member
    30DS is hard. The first day I did it I almost threw and I felt sick for like an hour after. I'm halfway done and it still sucksssss (in the best of ways, of course)

    You definitely need a good bra if you plan to keep doing that workout, it will help your back. Unfortunately, the good ones (in larger cup sizes) are very pricey. But Enell, Moving Comfort Juno and Under Armour High Impact are all good.

    I've had great results with 30DS, Jillian keeps me motivated. I also have Shred it with Weights. But I am determined to finish 30DS program.
    It is hard (maybe not for people that are not sedentary)but it is hard for me, however I am building endurance and strength faster than I thought possible,

    Another tip that makes 30ds more bearable is good shoes. Since it has a lot of impact, good shoes make a difference on your joints.

    Don't feel bad about modifying. You are doing great!

    I forgot to add, the only way to get a close estimate of calories burned is through a heart rate monitor. I got from Amazon and it wasn't super expensive.
    I think of it as an investment. It helps keep me on track on motivated.

    Best of luck with your journey :)
  • gmove
    gmove Posts: 81 Member
    HIT THE POOL! if you can get access to a pool, it would be great for you. you'd benefit from less stress/weight on you hip replacement/recovery and on your body overall, the resistance from the water burns more calories and depending on the exercises you're doing could be strength training, and it's just plain fun to frolic in the water, especially if you join an aerbic or water zumba class.
  • knitapeace
    knitapeace Posts: 1,013 Member
    Don't feel bad about modifying. You are doing great!

    Gotta second this. Get familiar enough with your body and your limits that you can push yourself without injury. You only improve when you push yourself to the threshold once in a while, but you don't want to twist an ankle or worse. Plenty of people get excellent results without doing one single minute of high impact. So modify, modify, modify until you are ready to up the intensity.

    I also recommend Fitness Blender--I'm doing one of their 8 week programs now--but I modify a lot on the days when Daniel is the instructor. And on HIIT days, like today.
  • justjambo
    justjambo Posts: 20 Member
    Thank you all for your replies, great information in there ! I am so definitely going to have to go in for a better bra, I stupidly used a sports one (she says with a laugh) I think it must be the first time I have ever worn one. Perhaps when I am smaller :o)

    My partner is looking up fitnessblender as I type this, too many recommendations to ignore the advice ! I am having hydrotherapy at the moment and love the feeling of being able to move in the water without the same effort as one land. I dream of owning a small pool one day (in the UK, so would be cold outside!). We will definitely be taking up the suggestion of going to the swimming pool, as you say, just having fun in it burns some calories.

    I am so surprised by how happy and enthused I am this time around. So many times I have tried to lose weight and stagnated, had very slow loss even at the start. I think I was probably not eating sufficient.

    I'm fortunate that my partner is also on the same journey as me although not with the same amount of weight to be lost. We had hip surgery within two weeks and so both have the same limitations which again is useful as we will progress at the same sort of level.

    I have to wonder why I have never felt exited about losing weight and 'working out' before. I've always run in the opposite direction at the very hint of exercise (contradiction of terms there lol)

    Again thank you for your advice, I will work on it.
  • suppakana
    suppakana Posts: 307 Member
    Finally, I am not positive I will be able to do it daily due to my health, will that matter a great deal ? I put down that I burned 150 calories today, based on an average from wii fit. I think it was probably more, but I'd rather underestimate than over.

    From reading your OP, I think that if you do the 30DS once a week, you'll make great progress! My favorite fitness related quote is from Tony Horton (of Beachbody's P90X): "Do your best, forget the rest." Keeping that in my mind has made everything 10x easier.

    And I feel your pain on the bossom problem! I don't know exactly how large you are, but the two bras that I've tried and truly enjoyed are the Enell and Panache sports bra. Both are available on Amazon, or, (since you used the word "bloody" casually, I'm going to assume you're in the UK :wink: ) most of the larger specialty lingerie stores. As a 30GG, I'm super jealous of the UK bra availability.

    I wish you the best of luck in your journey, and you're off to a great start, especially with the optimism - I wish I'd started off with that kind of attitude :heart: feel free to add me as a friend for support!
  • 2dogzrule
    2dogzrule Posts: 245 Member
    Hello, if you want an accurate calorie burn, I would suggest getting a heart rate monitor that tracks calories. I don't consider myself horribly out of shape, but I tried the 30 Day Shred and absolutely hated it, plus I pulled a back muscle that has not been right since. All I can say about that one is be careful!

    I did start using Hasfit, which I found on You Tube. They have great workouts for all levels that can also be modified from beginner to advanced moves. They actually tell you how to move too, unlike Jillian. This is one of my favorites (the low impact should be helpful to your health issues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yMkmCGkwXo) Also, they have a 30 Day Challenge: http://hasfit.com/30-day-fitness-challenge-exercise-program-workout-plan-to-get-in-shape/ I am on Day 29 today and I haven't died yet. There have been a handful of things I could not do, but just did other exercises that I learned from them instead.

    Good luck!
  • dlavato
    dlavato Posts: 22
    Glad you are starting to work out yes it is hard when you have health issues, I have knee issues so I cannot do a ton of jumping or bouncing around either. I am currently doing T25 which I like there is a modifer where she does not jump so that helps a ton. I also use a heart rate monitor which is supposed to give you a pretty accurate amount of calories burned I think i have the Polar FT4 which I do really like the band around the chest takes some time to get used to. Also if you cannot do much jumping Leslie Sansone walk at home are wonderful she does do kick backs but you can just walk in place while she does those and you can really get a good burn doing her walks she has a 1, 2, or 3 mile walk and you can find those all on YouTube so no cost at all. i am also a DVD workout person as I just do not have the time or the knowledge to use a gym :( hopefully someday I will. Good luck with your jouney and hope this helps some :) Have a wonderful day!!
  • SGTDF
    SGTDF Posts: 2 Member
    First off congrats on your weight loss success and continue the the fight against cancer.

    Second, Don't worry about everything you can't do. If you are just beginning to exercise I wouldn't recommend any of those "get ripped in 30 days" programs because a lot of the movements are moderate to advanced. If you have joint problems (you referenced a bad hip) I also would really take it easy on the dynamic/ explosive/ high intensity movements and most of the highly marketed shredding programs are just that. They are one dynamic exercise after another to give you a High intensity interval training workout (HIIT). Take it slow and if you are seeing progress in your current program then maybe its not time to end it.

    Third, Exercising is a way of life and the best recommendation I have is to find something you love to do. I love to run/ hike on the beach and in the forest with my dog. Because I enjoy it so much It lost the "I have to exercise' stigma that working out can have. What do or did you love to do that gets your heart pumping? Bike riding and swimming are two thing I would recommend for you because they are low impact (think of your joints), they are very effective forms of exercise, they are fun and the best part is your friends can join you for support.

    Finally, sorry I can ramble, Don't worry so much about how many calories you burned. Let your diet help you loose weight, let exercise improve your bodies performance. One of the major problems I have seen in people with calorie counting is they always under estimate the amount they consume and overestimate the amount they burn. Set your calories deficient to a level that will slowly cause you to lose weight. When you do exercise (you said someday you are not feeling up to it) it will be extra.

    Always remember to have fun. Life is to short to be doing something you are not enjoying.
  • SGTDF
    SGTDF Posts: 2 Member
    Okay I read you profile and outside of what I already said, try yoga. It often comes with a lot of stigma and people think its just stretching. I will tell you its not. I'm a 6 foot 3 inch 280 lbs Marine and I do yoga (stigma dead). The flexibility, muscles strength, muscle control (totally different then strength), and body intelligence you will gain will assist you in many of the medical issues you described. Just take it slow. Any one of the conditions you talked about in your profile can make a doctor not want you to strength train at all.

    I know you are on a get thin quick push for your wedding. Let your diet and cardio do that. Yoga will help with your rest of your life's journey.
  • gmove
    gmove Posts: 81 Member
    before i found a good sports bra, i two teamed it. lol. layering one mediocre sports bra over one supportive everyday type bra. it was a bit extra work, but held me together until i invested in a GREAT sports bra.
  • yolysav
    yolysav Posts: 1
    When I first started out, I worked out to Richard Simmons DVDs. I know it sounds cheesy, but it was easy enough for beginners with health issues, and you could get more out of it as you progressed. It was my jumping off point, and I'm going to use them again since I'm starting over once again. Good luck!
  • emczech5
    emczech5 Posts: 224 Member
    I would suggest looking into Leslie Sansone Walk at Home work out DVDs. They are low impact aerobic workouts, but I always feel like I get a good work out in when I do one. I like them because they are easy to follow and I can keep up. They come in various levels of intensity and some of them come with boosters, things like resistance bands that to add to the intensity, but are still great if you don't add the boosters. You can easily find her videos on youtube to give them a try

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