Home workouts, but with limitations?

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Kimegatron
Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi!

My work recently closed the gym, which was going to be my plan for walking (treadmill) during the Winter when I cannot walk outside. So now I have to do home workouts. I only do walking, and that is the only exercise I have ever actually enjoyed. Now that I can't utilize the treadmill, I need to do something during the cold snowy months. The thing is that I have super painful feet, so jumping/running, that kind of stuff is too painful until they get better(one day soon I hope, it's been over a year and a half). I also have carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists, and tendonitis in both elbows. The tendonitis doesn't really bother me, but I type all day long at work, so I can't do anything that will effect my work with my hands. Things I'm referring to are like pullups(never done one, just including that in here), pushups, just anything where I have to put my body weight onto my hands. I can use my elbows, but... I'm just so lost. This is really discouraging. I do have 5lb weights, but no idea what to do with them. Use them as a door stop, or wave them around my head uncontrollably? Haaaalp, I'm not an exercise enthusiast. Before anyone mentions it, I cannot afford a gym.
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Replies

  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
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    I highly recommend that you do this with your 5lb weights.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=-AuIURhCoAA

    (kidding)
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    Assuming it's something funny, big bummer, because I can't watch youtube at work :(
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
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    Save it for later? I'm sorry that your work is so draconian.
  • wrenak
    wrenak Posts: 144 Member
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    Have you ever tried Leslie Sansone's walking videos? It's basically just walking in place, but it's to music and encouragement. I found those to be of great help when I couldn't go for an actual walk.
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    BecomingBane wrote: »
    Save it for later? I'm sorry that your work is so draconian.

    Heyyyy they at least let me be on MFP, ha ha!
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    I was going to suggest the Leslie Sansone stuff too. A lot of her videos are on youtube, so just do a search for her.
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    wrenak wrote: »
    Have you ever tried Leslie Sansone's walking videos? It's basically just walking in place, but it's to music and encouragement. I found those to be of great help when I couldn't go for an actual walk.

    I would have to try to get over feeling silly marching in place. Or my husband watching me and wondering why I'm walking in place while watching someone walk in place. I'll have to check it out, I had no idea something like that existed! I'm not sure how well I would do keeping this up 6 days a week, but it's worth a shot!
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    PeachyCarol wrote: »
    I was going to suggest the Leslie Sansone stuff too. A lot of her videos are on youtube, so just do a search for her.

    Will do, for sure! Free is for me!
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    Leslie Sansone enthusiast here. She's got lots of workout DVDs to choose from, all levels of fitness. She has workouts that use resistance bands, light weights, floor exercises, body weight etc.

    Some find her banter a bit too perky, but it works for me. These DVDs got me back into working out after a back injury so I will always sing her praises.

    Don't worry about feeling silly. I invited my bicycling-maniac husband to join me with one of LS 4 mile workouts and it wore him out. They're great workouts!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Stationary bike! Love mine. I binge watched so much Netflix on it...

    Also, you don't even need to do a walking video, honestly. Just walk fast in place in front of the TV.
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    Man, I wish we had room in the house for a stationary bike, or even a treadmill. I'd put it in the garage, but it's an unattached garage with no temp control. Would really cold weather effect equipment like that, if it needs to plug into a wall? I like the digital stuff, so that I can see the burns on there if I need to reference it. That and the miles. If it would do fine in cold weather, I could try a swapper site on FB to get it
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,238 Member
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    Is the problem with your feet Plantar Fasciitis?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Kimegatron wrote: »
    Man, I wish we had room in the house for a stationary bike, or even a treadmill. I'd put it in the garage, but it's an unattached garage with no temp control. Would really cold weather effect equipment like that, if it needs to plug into a wall? I like the digital stuff, so that I can see the burns on there if I need to reference it. That and the miles. If it would do fine in cold weather, I could try a swapper site on FB to get it

    Our bike is small and foldable too. We paid $100 on Amazon for it. Didn't think we'd have the room either but it takes as much room as a chair, pretty much.
  • MarcyKirkton
    MarcyKirkton Posts: 507 Member
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    I used to do workout tapes at home when I worked long hours. Surely those are still around.
  • purpleflux
    purpleflux Posts: 22 Member
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    Kimegatron wrote: »
    Man, I wish we had room in the house for a stationary bike

    Look for the DeskCycle on Amazon, it should be the first one that pops up, $159. It's basically a stationary cycle but without the seat - you sit in a chair or on the sofa and pedal. There are cheaper ones, but that one has 8 resistance levels that should keep you going for a long while. I've been using one for a couple months, and I'm sweating and huffing on level 4 now. The bonus is that it's pretty easy to store out of the way.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Sorry but as a fellow sufferer of chronic tendon problems I think you should get a membership at a gym with 1) a pool 2) a cable machine and 3) a range of low impact cardio equipment including a bike.

    Repeating the same motions every day is the opposite of what you should be doing. You can try to get creative, but most home solutions will need to involve your hands. For resistance, high rep bodyweight is the last thing you should do. You need to switch things up and give every part a break.

    See if your local YMCA or community center have sponsorship programs for low income residents.

    **because odds are you'll pick a new injury up if you do the same thing all the time.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited November 2015
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    (Pool isn't for swimming, it's for aquafit etc. That equipment will maybe let you get a decent & non injurious workout, if you get some help with it.)
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Leslie Sansone walking DVD's are great can be low impact as needed.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    Kimegatron wrote: »
    Man, I wish we had room in the house for a stationary bike, or even a treadmill. I'd put it in the garage, but it's an unattached garage with no temp control. Would really cold weather effect equipment like that, if it needs to plug into a wall? I like the digital stuff, so that I can see the burns on there if I need to reference it. That and the miles. If it would do fine in cold weather, I could try a swapper site on FB to get it

    If it really matters to you, you'll MAKE room for it. I'm not just talking out of my butt here. I have a treadmill in the living room of the 864sqft apartment I live in. And it's enormous and ugly and I've had to cram the tv and stuff up against one wall and my 2 year old's stuff up against the kitchen counter (Practically under it), but you know it's 150% worth it and I highly recommend it. Like you, walking/jogging is a huge thing for me. I couldn't do without it. And all the darn treadmills in the complex are broken and have been so for 7 months. This was the only option. If money is an issue, plan to spend some evenings on craigslist waiting for that gem to come along (like my poor a** did) where someone who just doesn't/never used theirs gives up trying to get money for it and just posts they want it gone. Or maybe you've got $100 and you can do better. If it matters to you, you'll make the room.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    The YMCA does discounted (sometimes free) memberships, especially if your doctor has suggested you need to use the facilities. You should look into that! They usually have pools, too, which are generally kept warm for the older people who have joint issues. I don't know if your wrists let you swim, but maybe tread water?

    Can you dance around the house? I do so much house dancing, lol, so I always recommend that. I just heard that Zumba has some kind of Zumba for old people called Zumba Gold or something like that. I'm going to get it if I can find it cheap on eBay. Lots of workout discs are cheap on eBay, just don't buy from one of those outfits with gazillions of sales (they're very iffy on delivery, lol.)

    That sucks about your gym. I hope you find something that works for you.

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