Exercise for beginners

Don't give up you do not have to do the entire workout, Do what you can do of it. Quit when you are tired. I have had two c-sections and even a hystorectomy last year. Don't over do it. after my surgeries All i did was walk, most everything else hurt. but when I did work out I did things slow, just start with working out 10 mins and then gradually work up to more, If you life weights don't over lift. Do you have a health ryder. that was easy. treadmill or stationary bike. Squats are okay but don't over do it.. Good luck

Great job for trying to get back in shape. Lunges and squats are really hard if you are not used to them. When I first started on here in 2009 I could barely do them. I started by just going for walks everyday. I started at 0.5 miles and increased from there. I pushed a stroller and when my little one got big enough I put her in a backpack and carried her in that for some extra weight.

From walking you can work up to doing some hiking. I thinking lunges and squats are still good and try them in small number. I would also recommend getting a beginner level yoga or pilates DVD. It will help a lot with balance, poster and getting your core strength back to stabilize your muscles.

Good Luck.

I'm using the Wii Fit & it's great because I was able to do easier exercises in the beginning. It lets you know how many calories you've burned in the session so it's really easy for me to increase that every day which has become easier.
If you don't have a Wii Fit, try doing less reps & breaking your working into 2 15 mins sessions for a few days, adding an extra rep or min each day until you are able to do 30 mins at one time. There is no reason to be straining your body, working slowly towards your goal will strengthen your body without injuring it or causing you to feel frustrated.
I'm just getting started after years of not exercising due to severe autoimmune issues so I completely understand.

it's tough to get started when you haven't exercised regularly. It's nearly impossible to turn on any workout video and expect to get through, so it's kind of like a self-defeating prophecy. You want to get started, so you gather up the guts to push play, then feel miserable when you can't make it throught the first 10 minutes. Then we all kind of say to our selves "why bother". As an exercise beginner my suggestion to you is, "just keep moving". Go outside and take a daily walk. Start with a simple goal, like around the block, or to the next stop sign. Make it acheivable, then the next day go a little bit farther, until you can slowly build a little endurance. I decided to join a gym about 2 years ago. The first day I got on the treadmill I walked not far at all and my heart rate was in the unhealthy 170's. I thought to myself, certainly I am capable of getting on a treadmill and walking. Well, it didn't take me long to realize that I had to re-evaluate what I was capable of doing. Take baby steps, just keep doing it. Before you know it you will be like me. This past October I participated in the Susan G Komen 3-day walk and walked 60 miles in 3-days. You can do it!!

Other than running around in my yard I have no way to 'go walking' at this time. Vehicle issues and this neighborhood isn't all that great (putting it nicely). But we do have 5 acres so I could run around in it. Maybe I'll just do that for today but I would still like something I could do indoors. It rains here a lot. And some days are too cold for me to take baby outside with me.

Thanx for the responses.

There is a series of videos called "walk away the pounds" that works indoors. I think Leslie Sansone is the woman in them. Very popular.

Leslie's 5 mile walk is great. Start off at one mile and work your way up. I started with Leslie, still do her tapes and eventually joined the gym where I work out with weights and do the treadmill. Since I have bad knees I can't do the stair stepper or elliptical but it gets easier and easier. I bike all spring and summer. Just move a little more each day, it gets easier and you actually will enjoy it.

I'm pretty new to exercising in general, as I have weak knees so I never got into it. Well, I just started on Sunday (1/2/2011) now that we have a new fitness center in our apartment complex. I'm taking baby steps, though. I would love to walk outside, but I live in Wisconsin and right now, the ice and snow make it too dangerous and cold for any significant amount of walking (at least for beginners that aren't used to anything, let along the tundra).

The elliptical has been my focus. I do 30 minutes every day, if I can, and I choose a different pre-set program each time just to find out what works best for me. I did take one day off this week. What I like about it is It doesn't hurt my knees at all, and i can already feel my legs getting stronger. I also plan to start using the weight system for both legs and arms. Once I build up a little more strength in my legs, I will move on to more variety.

After a few weeks of this, and gradually increasing the time and resistance, I am going to follow Zuzana on Bodyrock.tv. She has some great beginner videos and is truly an inspiration to tackle the next steps. Because Bodyrock is set up like a blog as well, she basically puts her life on there ... recipes, clothing, etc, so I'll be taking away some other food pointers as well.

Hope that helps, and I know you will find something that works for you!

-Angie

Thanks y'all! I think I am going to get the Leslie Sansone workout bc it seems like a very good place to start and the kiddos will enjoy it too!

I for that I was going to see if I could find some stuff on HULU or some other online channel (we don't have cable). Thanks for reminding me Sunset

I bought a set of her vids at Walmart for under 20 bux. They came with stretch bands too which are way cool to start out with some toneing.