aching like a b*tch

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mummma
mummma Posts: 402 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
so im no gym bunny. but im full of good intentions as i begin my journey to a healthier me.

im doing an hour on the treadmill monday - friday, walking at 3.5 mph for 5 minutes, then 4mph for 5 minutes then i do a 1 minute jog or run at 6mph - 7.5 mph depending on how im feeling lol. then repeat until ive done it all 6 times.

im doing 15 minutes of yoga in the mornings too.

im aching so bad that often i dont even want to exercise but i am pushing on because i have 100 lbs to lose and i wont get anywhere by doing nothing because im feeling uncomfortable.

any advice. or words of wisdom? does it just hurt because im not used to it...?

many thanks

s

x

Replies

  • GradatimFerociter
    GradatimFerociter Posts: 296 Member
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    It hurts because you're not used to it. It is almost certain that it will hurt less and less over time so you just have to persevere. Exercising consistently is the best way to relieve the symptoms.

    Good luck :)
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
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    thankyou :) x
  • embrace_the_darkside
    embrace_the_darkside Posts: 60
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    Soreness is the price you pay for getting back in shape. Over time, you'll realize that you don't feel sore when you run the same routine or, as you amp up, improve your cardio intensity.

    That said, there are a few things you can do to ensure that the soreness is from your body strengthening and not bad form:

    - Stretch and warm up before you do any intense exercise
    - Make sure you're using the right form (yes... there is a proper way to walk/run... and everyone should learn it)
    - Make sure you cool down and stretch after a work out
    - Don't overextend yourself (but don't let it be an excuse to wuss out either)
  • GillianMcK
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
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    muscles will get used to it, as long as you can tell the difference between 'this hurts' and 'I'm hurt'

    if it's 'this hurts' because you haven't exercised in a few years it's time to suck up the pain and get on with it, if you've injured yourself then you need to rest to recover from the injury.

    Why not do some changes to it, walk/jog on the treadmill every other day and increase the yoga to a hour every other day, allows the muscles to recover from the walk/jog intervals (normal recommendation for running is every other day because of the repetetive nature of it)??
    Or change it for cycling or swimming (or something else that increases the heartrate)??
  • RECowgill
    RECowgill Posts: 881 Member
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    It might be hurting because you're not used to it, it could also be that you're doing too much. You can overtrain. I've known people who work out five days a week for two hours a day and get nowhere. In fact they gain weight. Too much exercise can be bad for you. This is going to be trial and error, and you shouldn't expect to have all the answers right away. You need to learn to pay attention to what your body is telling you and listen to that. It could be that to make real and steady progress you need to do a bit less. Focus on getting proper rest and fixing your diet, assuming they need to be worked on.

    I used to be heavier but I never would have set out with a 100 pound goal. In my opinion that is too big of a number and can lead to undue pressure on yourself. My experience has also been one of setbacks, ups and downs, and difficulties. If your goal is so big that you don't achieve it as fast as you expect, you may just be setting yourself up for failure. Do smaller goals, be reasonable with your targets. And plan on spending three times longer than your longest prediction to get there.

    I would also not make losing pounds the ultimate goal. Getting healthy should be your goal, reducing weight by eliminating excess fat is a byproduct of that. If all you care about is losing weight, and doing it as fast as possible without concern for your health, you can end up doing it in a way where you lose strength, muscle, and other things your body needs to stay healthy. So I encourage you to focus on health rather than weight-loss.

    Just a disclaimer for anyone preparing their flame thrower: this is just from my own experience. It's what worked for me, it's my wisdom. Take it or leave it.
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
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    oh yeh i do agree and i have set myself smaller goals. but the reality is that im 100 lbs overweight. you cant hide from that lol.

    thanks for all your advice. x
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Give it time and keep at it. :wink:

    I still ache/get sore from my workouts....
  • jlvanderstoel
    jlvanderstoel Posts: 24
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    Why don't you spread your work outs a little bit more over the week?

    The muscles in your legs don't get any rest from monday to friday, it is adviced(certainly when you're a beginner) to have a maximum of 3 or 4 runs a week(run-restday-run). You could do another work out on your restdays(jillian michaels, grit, bodypump, insanity, have a look at fitnessblender.com).
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
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    thats a giood idea. maybe i wont use the treadmill on wednesday... x
  • livinatthegym
    livinatthegym Posts: 81 Member
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    def hurts because you are not used to it. I started this whole thing by quitting smoking (a pack...pack and a half) for about 20 years. After 7 months I started my diet and exercise, and at 330lbs, I could barely walk at 2.5 mph pace. A month and a half in I'm 287 lbs and I run/ walk up to 8 miles a day, swim, do weights, and trx as well. It comes back quick (and some days it still hurts but less and less) Stick with it and in a week or two you will be killin it :)
  • Miss_james1990
    Miss_james1990 Posts: 214 Member
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    Remember weight loss is a marathon not a sprint. If you're being so intense with working out now soon you will hit a platuea and you won't really be able to step your game up. I believe in small goals aswell ...of course ultimately you want to lose 100lbs but start off small, focus on say 20 lb at a time, that way your goal won't seem so far away. If you're just starting out you really don't want to put too much strain on your legs because you'll end up causing a injury that will mean you can't work out for a set period of time and that will be a huge set back.
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
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    i gave up smoking the day i started this journey. 76 days and counting :)

    my current goal is 7 lbs to take me into the next stone bracket :)

    thanks for all the advice. the treadmill isn't very intense, its mainly walking and i hope to jog more in the future.. leading up to maybe on day running... x
  • ash190489
    ash190489 Posts: 587 Member
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    Totes normal hun! :wink: my biggest mistake when i started this journey was doing heaps of cardio and losing muscle mass with my low calorie diet, so be careful not to lose muscle! My only suggestion would be to do some weight training as well... burns fat for the next few days afterward working out and gives your body shape rather than being "skinny fat" :) I went down another dress size when i started lifting weights :smile:
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
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    thats definitely something i have to look into! thankyou :) x
  • livinatthegym
    livinatthegym Posts: 81 Member
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    i gave up smoking the day i started this journey. 76 days and counting :)

    my current goal is 7 lbs to take me into the next stone bracket :)

    thanks for all the advice. the treadmill isn't very intense, its mainly walking and i hope to jog more in the future.. leading up to maybe on day running... x
    that's awesome! Quitting smoking is huge! Best of luck in achieving your goals!
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
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    thankyou :) i felt like i needed to commit 100% to this so that was an important part of it

    x
  • deannc1
    deannc1 Posts: 91 Member
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    so im no gym bunny. but im full of good intentions as i begin my journey to a healthier me.

    im doing an hour on the treadmill monday - friday, walking at 3.5 mph for 5 minutes, then 4mph for 5 minutes then i do a 1 minute jog or run at 6mph - 7.5 mph depending on how im feeling lol. then repeat until ive done it all 6 times.

    im doing 15 minutes of yoga in the mornings too.

    im aching so bad that often i dont even want to exercise but i am pushing on because i have 100 lbs to lose and i wont get anywhere by doing nothing because im feeling uncomfortable.

    any advice. or words of wisdom? does it just hurt because im not used to it...?

    many thanks

    s

    x

    My doc says to take 200-400mg of Ibuprofen 20 minutes before a work out for the first week or so to help prevent soreness.

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