Will start to exercise next week. Advice please!

Do you have a bike? I've been riding mine recently and it is nice because it gets you out of the house.

I'm also 43 and just started back exercising. Start slow and build up. I started at 20 minutes on the treadmill. I now do 30 min plus 10 on the elliptical. I also do strength training before cardio. Just don't try to kill yourself at first or you will
be too sore to keep at it.

I say start slowly. You have the rest of your life to do more. I think if you start out doing too much you get so much sorer and you are likely to burn out. Start out by just moving. Find out what you enjoy doing. I was so out of shape that I started by standing in my living room and raising my knees. Then I moved to walking down the block, and increased til I can walk now walk 10 miles, etc. So just move something and you'll know when you can do more. Also there're plenty of cheap workout dvd's that you can get. Good luck!

Hi there!

I am not an expert but I have learned that interval training is the best way to get the most out of your workouts. For instance, this is the eliptical interval program recommended by the YMCA:

Warm up: Speed- 55, Resistance-4 Do this for 3 minutes
Then increase your speed to 70 and your resistance to 8. Do this for 2 minutes.
Then recover. Decrease your speed to 55 and your resistance to 4. Do this for 2 minutes
Once again, increase speed to 60 and your resistance to 12. Do this for 2 minutes.
Recover: speed 55, resistance 4. 2 minutes
Up your speed to 70, resistance 10. do this for 2 minutes
Recover: speed 55, resistance 4. Again, for 2 minutes
Up your speed to 60, resistance between 13-15. for 2 minutes
Reccover: speed 55, resistance 4. for 2 min
For the last two minutes, go as fast as you would like with minimal resistance.
COOLDOWN: Speed 50, resistance 2, for 3 minutes.

You can obviously tweak the speed and the resistance to fit your own abilities. Remember to drink plenty of water and to stretch before beginning any physical activity. It is okay to pace yourself and start out with walking or lighter activity but dont be afraid to push your body. You should break a sweat.

Also, you may feel a little tired, weak, winded etc, when you start working out again. Just remember to listen to your body. If you dont feel well, take a break, drink some water, stretch. You dont have to kill yourself!

Good luck!!

Start slowly and do something FUN. Just commit to 20 min at first- you can do more if you feel like it. In terms of your ability to exercise- i was near 200 lbs when I started running back in 2007, this Sunday is my 3rd half marathon. If I can do I, i'm certain that you can too (get fitted for shoes then just run!). In terms of the classes, I'd say at least TRY one that sounds fun. then if you don't like it, try something else. Trust me, everyone is so concerned about not looking silly that they will be too busy to look at you. Spinning is a good indoor class that burns TONS of calories (like 600-900 in an hour) and no one will watch you because watching someone on a bike is boring. I also do yoga classes because they make me feel so good. Whatever you do make sure you enjoy it! The treadmill with a steep (5+ incline) at a moderate pace (like 3.5 mph) is also a great place to start. Have fun.

(get fitted for shoes then just run!).: sigh... if it was just that simple. I suck at running. Always did. Even when I was a rather fit teenager. But I'll give it a try. One minute at a time.
Hope you enjoy your marathon on Sunday!!!

YOU CAN DO IT!!! running sucked for me for the first 3 months that I was starting...you should have seen the faces I made when finishing races! maybe I'll post some race photos just for laughs. Anyways...make sure you have appropriately fitting shoes then just go outside and start to run. When it hurts, slow your breathing and look for a bench/sign/tree/whatever a bit in front of you and PUSH yourself to run to that point. Then stop and take a short break. Start running again... Once you can run for several minutes go by 5 min run/ 1 min walk or whatever. Just ask if you have specific questions. Running is such a great form of exercise...just wait until you get a runners high....THAT should be illegal!

runners world.com also has great suggestions. Signing up for a race is honestly a great motivator to have a schedule/plan/goal. And again if you are insecure about spectators, no one is watching you when you are running. IF someone happens to say something about how silly you look or whatever (this has NEVER EVER EVER happened to me btw...sometime lawn crews honk when I run in a sports bra but thats about the closest thing)...you can always rebut by saying, "at least I'm running" or "I bet i could run longer/faster than you"...in no time you'll consider yourself a "runner" and your worries will be about chafing, PRs, and running playlists.

Happy Running!

Start out slowly, do what you can do, don't over do it. Do something that makes you feel good, something you enjoy. I like the ellipical...I also like walking. I have a bad ankle so I use the elliptical more than walking. It has no impact, very fluid movement. It makes me feel good, less pain in my ankle. Ellipticals are good to your joints.

I have been walking on the treadmill for 30 min 3 times a week (3.5 mph with a 5+ incline). I recently began running for 1 minute increments during that 30 minutes. I am not a runner! I was able to do it though and I plan on working my way up to 2, 3, 4 minutes etc. What ever you do, make your goal realistic and allow yourself to start at whatever pace feels good for you. You can do it!