morbid obesity...

It really depends on your fitness level. Mine was basically none... so I started out doing walking and some fitness stuff on the Wii. I'm hoping to run/walk (or just run) a 5K sometime this year... but I know there are some out there with more weight to lose than I have left who have been running for a while now.

as above. depends on you.

I was walking 3+kms a day. now i do 3kms a day on the treadmill. but i try to run in there too. Start off easy with walking and see if anything else appeals to you. - I do strength training once a week with a personal trainer at my gym too.

I would *definitely* start with walking! I have quite a bit to lose, too, and when I started walking regularly, coupled with drinking *only* water (and a lot of it) & a couple glasses of skim milk each day, I started feeling better, lost a couple pounds... it's slow going at first, but you have to start somewhere! Also, try to mix it up after you walk regularly for a couple of weeks... get into the routine of walking at least 30 minutes a day, & then maybe add hand weights & do arm extensions while walking, or take mini breaks to stretch & do a couple of jumping jacks. I sometimes (try to) do lunges from lightpole to lightpole... they're miserable, but it helps change things up because while walking is a great place to start it can't be the only thing you do after a while. Your body will get used to it and you'll plateau. Best to you! You can do it!

Walk, walk in the morning, walk at night, walk. Park waaaaay far away from the door to the store every time you go. Passengers may grumble but its an easy way to get some more walking in. Walk slow or walk fast, but walk. Once you've got that down you can begin to pick up speed. The benefits of walking cannot be overstated in my opinion.

agreed. and work in some resistance training when you can, even with super light weights. you'll burn more and more fat as you build muscle. it's a good thing

When I first started, over 100 pounds ago, all I could manage was some light walking for maybe 15 minutes. I had feet that were so sore all the time, from my weight, and it was pretty hard to make myself accomplish that, plus getting winded easily. I just plugged at it day after day, month after month, and as I "felt" I could walk longer, I would. Slowly but surely my stamina increased and I would walk longer and longer and five months into it, and about 32ish pounds gone, I began to ride a bike. From there stamina just got better and better.

I myself use the ellipitical machine . Usually only about 20 minutes a day. I have heard from a doctor that it is better on the knees, legs and back then a treadmill or bicycle. With using this and watching what I eat i went down 20 pounds in 35 days. Hope all goes well for you. Good luck

When I first started, over 100 pounds ago, all I could manage was some light walking for maybe 15 minutes. I had feet that were so sore all the time, from my weight, and it was pretty hard to make myself accomplish that, plus getting winded easily. I just plugged at it day after day, month after month, and as I "felt" I could walk longer, I would. Slowly but surely my stamina increased and I would walk longer and longer and five months into it, and about 32ish pounds gone, I began to ride a bike. From there stamina just got better and better.

I agree with you, just build up over time and it gets easier

Really I don't think you can beat swimming if you're looking for something low impact. But speaking as someone who started out with about 120 lbs. to lose (now only 99), I will tell you that you'd be surprised what you can actually do if you try... try whatever exercise you think will be fun and do as much as you can, and next time you'll be able to do a little more, and then a little more... that's how it goes.

Agreed too....Swimming is FANTASTIC! You will be surprised what the water can do for you!

Hi oconor,

I'm a personal trainer, and as such I want you to know that it's ok to work hard, even when morbidly obese. There's no need to limit yourself to low intensity exercise. As long as you don't feel pain, or nausea, dizziness, or some other type of unusual feeling besides fatigue and shortness of breath, it's fine. Please note, I have nothing against walking, but generally, unless you have an injury or medical condition that doesn't allow you to do more than that, I feel that walking should only be a stepping stone to more challenging activity.

I'll caveat this by saying, when ever you are at a physical extreme (like being morbidly obese), you should always have a full diagnostic checkup with a medical professional before beginning a rigorous exercise program. And make sure they know that exercise is a goal. They may want to give you a physical stress test and some other flexibility type testing to check what levels you can achieve.

I would also recommend at least 1 or 2 sessions with a trainer to better equip you with the knowledge and understanding you need to be fully aware of what your limitations are. Most people who are out of shape don't realize what they can do because of fear to push their body. I'm here to tell you, it's ok to push yourself, as long as you are safe about it.

feel free to PM me if you have questions.

Please note, I'm not recommending any specific exercise modality or intensity level, I would never do that without having received a doctors approval first, I'm just telling you it's ok to work hard as long as you take the necessary steps to ensure you do it in a healthy way.

-Banks