Exercise for the EXTREMELY unfit?

DrunkInAGolfCart
DrunkInAGolfCart Posts: 57 Member
edited November 20 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm very active in my day to day life. I'm a musician and I'm constantly carrying around heavy gear. My apartment is also up six flights of stairs (no lift) and my least favourite part of the days is carrying my heavy amp, mic stand and guitar/case.

So I feel like I'm quite strong but in terms of cardio I'm hopeless. I can barely get through 10 minutes of the thirty day shred. I'm puffed after just running for the bus. I'm female, 28 years old I started 3 months ago at 260+lbs. I'm not weighing myself yet (until I'm sure I like the number) but I've gone down a couple of sizes in my clothes. I'm also a smoker which doesn't help. Plus, I'm way too poor to join a gym!

I feel like I need to start upping the ante for exercise but it sort of scares me! Any suggestions on where to start?

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Leslie Sansone Walk at Home videos
    Fitnessblender.com
    Couch 2 5k phone app
    Youtube videos

    I started with just walking and slowly increased from there.
  • flamingblades
    flamingblades Posts: 311 Member
    Walk at least 15 to 20 minutes every day. a little bit of something is better than a whole lot of nothing. That's how I started. 6 flights of stairs??? Leave your gear in the house /apartment and just cruise the stairs. By the way, I am around the same weight.
  • fishcat123
    fishcat123 Posts: 74 Member
    Even walking a bit - power walking fast enough that your heart rate goes up for ~30-60 minutes 3-4 times a week, would a good place to start. Other possibilities are walking stairs at a stadium or hiking, if you live somewhere with hiking trails with hills, or taking some sort of dancey community classes (social dancing like swing dancing or line dancing, or more exercise focused classes like zumba), which can be pretty cheap (check groupon).

    Something else you could try is the couch to 5k program. I don't have any experience with it, but I've heard a lot of good things, and there should be a lot of other people who know more about it here.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,982 Member
    Start with walking. As you get better walk faster. Trying to do 30 day shred as an unfit beginner would be like a someone getting introduced to an instrument and expected to be able to play Symphony no. 5 in C minor right away.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • NH_1970
    NH_1970 Posts: 544 Member
    You Tube videos - Denise Austin Xtra Lite work out.
    David Dorian Ross - Tai chi AM or PM work outs.
    Dolphina the Goddess bellydance work outs
    Yoga - on you tube
    Walking at a pace you can handle for as long as you can handle you'll build more endurance over time.
  • evildead87
    evildead87 Posts: 1 Member
    I am a unfit musician myself. I'm finding that walking is helping my metabolism speed up, and I work a full time job on top of it which varies in activity. I would agree with everyone else who says to start walking. Another cool trick is to do reps with your equipment. You know that 75 lbs amp? Put it to good use and start doing some reps with it, if it has a handle ;). Don't do to much to tear yourself up, but that's what I do with my nice Ampeg amp. Yeah it weighs a ton, but I find myself picking it up and curling it every now and again :)
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Walking, for sure.
  • diane1223
    diane1223 Posts: 43 Member
    Invest in a fitbit or similar device. Try to work toward getting 10,000 steps per day. You don't have to start with that, but work toward that goal. It motivated me to be more active.
  • nikkysw
    nikkysw Posts: 1 Member
    You can also choose a fitness partner to get yourself motivated to do some exercises daily. I've written an article here about this and its appreciated by some of my readers as well. Do check this Benefits of having a Workout Partner
  • fstfrd00
    fstfrd00 Posts: 33 Member
    Start small such as walking 15 minutes, increase from there when it seems easy
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    First, if you can carry musical gear up six flights of steps, you are NOT "extremely unfit"!

    Go for a walk, go for a run, can be done most anywhere at anytime for zero cost.
  • annekka
    annekka Posts: 517 Member
    I agree with those that say start with walking. Walk to the corner and walk back. Next time try to do it faster or add on a second block. YOu can probably do more than a block at a time, but you get the idea.

    Try running up those stairs as fast as you can as many times as you can. You'd be surprised.

    Your smoking probably is affecting your lung function somewhat. But you can presumably work around it. I'd recommend quitting the habit if you can for better lung function in general but that's your decision to make and not ours.
  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
    Walking as always good, as everyone else has stated. But I also say keep doing the 30 day shred, just do it at your own pace. If you have to take breaks, fine. If you have to make the moves easier, that's okay too. Eventually it will get easier and that's how you know you're getting fitter! Also, quit smoking. I'm a smoker too and I've realized I need to quit if I ever want to run a marathon.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    I started running years before I quit smoking. I even won my age group at some local races and was in the top 25% of finishers in every race. I did eventually quit smoking but smoking didn't stop me from being active and fit.

    I haven't smoked now for 22 years.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Walking or swimming. The advantage to swimming is that you are doing strengthening at the same time. I was extremely unfit when I started (couldn't get up a flight of stairs without stopping once or twice) and I started out with a water aerobics class.
  • Melwillbehealthy
    Melwillbehealthy Posts: 894 Member
    just walk
  • beachhouse758
    beachhouse758 Posts: 371 Member
    Jillian Michael's Beginner Shred!!!!! It is so much easier than 30 DS and it will get you ready for that video!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    Walking or swimming. The advantage to swimming is that you are doing strengthening at the same time. I was extremely unfit when I started (couldn't get up a flight of stairs without stopping once or twice) and I started out with a water aerobics class.

    This was going to be my answer as well. Walking or swimming. Water aerobics if you can find a class you can afford.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    You are fit; you just don't have a lot of cardiovascular capacity. If you were doing six flights of stairs with your equipment, you are quite strong. I remember trying to move when I was 260 lbs, and that's a LOT of weight to be carrying around. No wonder you tire easily.

    To improve your cardiovascular health, ditch the smoking habit. Then do a C25K eight week program. It starts with short bursts of speed followed by walking, and then slowly extending the speed.

    I think you could do some great running exercises on those stairs of yours.

    Cardiovascular capacity improves very quickly. You might really surprise yourself.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited June 2015
    I second Leslie Sansone "walking" videos.

    www.youtube.com/user/walkathomemedia

    There is no choreography so you can go at your own pace. JessicaSmithTV has several similar videos on YouTube.

    www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jessica+smith+walking+workouts
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    DrunkInAGolfCart wrote: »
    Any suggestions on where to start?

    Quit smoking. I'm guessing it is the biggest impediment to your progress right now.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    For starters, work on quitting smoking. When I got started back into fitness I was a 2-3 PAD smoker...I used an e-cig to help me quit...getting off the cigs, even though I was vaping really opened up my lungs and I could breath again. When I started vaping I made the commitment to not smoke any cigarettes...I vaped for about 9 months all the while cutting my nicotine down to zero (as I always intended to get off the vape as well). One day my battery just died and since I had been at zero nicotine for awhile, I just chucked them and didn't buy anymore...at that point, it was just letting go of the habit of sticking something in my mouth. Truth be told, I still do vape on occasion, but not all day long...I might have a couple puffs with a cocktail or something and that's it.

    Beyond that, I started out just walking...once I was to the point of walking at a moderate clip for an hour 7 days per week I started doing a C25K program and started running a bit...signed up for a couple 5Ks and some mud runs...then decided I wanted train for a sprint triathlon (months later mind you)...injured myself and never did get to do the triathlon, but fell in love with my bike along the way and I'm now an avid cyclist and I ride roughly 80 miles per week on average.

    Bottom line is start out slow...baby steps...I'm right around 3 years into this good livin' and I can tell you that while I'm pretty fit now, it didn't come overnight...it's been a work in progress for 3 good years.
  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
    beemerphile1 wrote: »
    I started running years before I quit smoking. I even won my age group at some local races and was in the top 25% of finishers in every race. I did eventually quit smoking but smoking didn't stop me from being active and fit.

    I haven't smoked now for 22 years.

    That's awesome! I wish I could still have that lung capacity. I've only been smoking for 2 years and it feels like 20.
  • Maries_wine_calories
    Maries_wine_calories Posts: 152 Member
    annekka wrote: »
    Your smoking probably is affecting your lung function somewhat. But you can presumably work around it. I'd recommend quitting the habit if you can for better lung function in general but that's your decision to make and not ours.

    Start here for crying out loud- this "work around" is a ridiculous part of your equation to fitness.
  • demoiselle2014
    demoiselle2014 Posts: 474 Member
    I suspect a much larger part of your breathlessness than you'd like to think is from the smoking.

    You've gotten some good advice on how to increase your cardio capacity with walking. I find my fitbit really inspiring.

    I had a lot of success taking dance classes. I started with one class for one hour per week during a time I was very unfit after an illness. I slowly built up to (many) more. It was enjoyable enough that I hardly noticed that it was exercise. However, after about a year, I started C25K, and was surprised by how I could do it without becoming breathless. It was tiring and hard, but I wasn't winded like I expected.
  • DrunkInAGolfCart
    DrunkInAGolfCart Posts: 57 Member
    Thank you all so much for all the advice. I know the smoking is a huge problem. I literally have been smoking for more than half my life - I haven't gone a day without a cigarette since I was 14.

    Totally honest (and kinda long) explanation in regards to the smoking: ]I've started to see a psychologist recently just to sort out a lot of issues I've had with anxiety and depression. I had a pretty serious problem with painkillers for a good three years. As of now I've been 6 months off them. Cold turkey. No rehab. 100% my decision. It was a good 8 weeks of hell but slowly but surely it got easier. I was NEVER into drugs - I was ALWAYS the goody goody that said no to everything. Didn't even like pot! So it was sort of astounding that I ended up addicted to bloody painkillers. It just got really out of hand and took me ages to admit I had a serious problem. Without being too dramatic, it's amazing I'm even here now with the amounts I was taking. Anyway, I talked to my shrink about the smoking and she out rightly said I shouldn't worry about it for now... I think she sees it as not rocking the boat. I felt so utterly doomed in the last few years that it's sort of miraculous that I've finally stood up and taken action and have decided to actually LIVE. Yes, this is kind of a personal admission but I've been the sort of person who - all my life - hides any issues I have with a fake smile and joking around. I've come to a point where I'm trying not be ashamed of my past or my problems. So yeah, this is my completely honest answer in regards to why giving up smoking isn't really an option right now.

    It's still absolutely a long term goal though. In the meantime I'm going to make a rule that I only smoke downstairs which means cutting back AND getting more exercise from the trips up the stairs.

    I've been struck down with a horrible throat infection and bad flu - second one I've had in the past month and damn, it's a beauty. Trying to sing today was not fun!

    I can't tell you how much this thread has REALLY inspired me. Once I'm better I'm going to start getting up really early and going for a walk for an hour. Then I'm going to build up to running. I'll investigate the "Begginer shred" because that sounds so my sorta thing.

    The thought of being able to run is amazing to me. Even back when I was a gawky skinny teenager I was hopeless at running. I HATED gym class. Once again, thank you all for your wonderful advice. It's really made me feel like I'm potentially underestimating my own strength and fitness level.
  • HarleyQuinn34
    HarleyQuinn34 Posts: 38 Member
    edited June 2015
    I agree with everyone else. Lots of walking-

    Also quit smoking. I quit June 1, 2015 which was the day I got serious about being healthy. Every time I wanted to smoke I went for a walk instead. It really has improved my lung capacity and breathing during working out 1000%

    I still have those moments when I want to smoke...usually it's when I get stressed out at work- I still go for a walk instead.

    It's been the most difficult part of my journey to be healthy but also the most important

    Good luck!!
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