Please help

Options
Colt45915
Colt45915 Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I started walking on my treadmill to lose weight but can only go about a half an hour on a good day before my calves get too cramped up. What I was wondering is could someone recommend some other form of workouts I could do in my house preferrably, or any good DVDs for beginners? Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    Options
    Walk Away the Pounds by Leslie Sansone is a great low-intensity workout for beginners. She has different videos that are different lengths.

    I'd like to point out, though, that your calorie intake is going to be a better thing to focus on for weight loss than exercise. Are you using the goal that MFP set for you when you created your account and trying to stay at or under that goal?
  • AmyWebb2
    AmyWebb2 Posts: 69 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbVhEaTzuwA

    This is an old Denise Austin walk away the pounds video. It helped me a lot when I started. It might help you too. It helps to ignore her perkiness and occasionally yell at your tv. Nobody should be that happy to walk. :wink:
    Also, what about going on the treadmill just 15 minutes a day to begin with and then add five minutes a week until you've built up stamina?
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    Options
    You will get used to it! I increased exercise slowly and definitely had a tough time at first. My max is currently 30 mins as well, but it's my ankles that bother me.

    Stretch your calves often, beforehand and take breaks to stretch during your workout. Increase the incline to work different muscles for a little while, then go back to lower. Also make sure you've got good shoes, decent shoes make all the difference some times!
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    Options
    Mine did that when I first started, so I would do several short distances and take breaks in-between. I remember one day after only 10 minutes, just under 1/2 mile, I was in serious pain in my calves, so i had to stop. For the next 2 or 3 days, I did 1/4 mile at a time and rested for 10 or 15 minutes in-between. Start slow and short and work your way up. I can do 3 miles at a time now, at a very fast walk, almost slow jogging rate on a 7% incline. :)
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    Options
    I heard pickle juice is a miracle remedy for cramping. Take a couple tablespoonful when you feel a cramp coming.

  • myaminals
    myaminals Posts: 197 Member
    Options
    i still have trouble exercising for long periods of time. i try to take breaks and get back at it. try taking a three to 10 minute break then seeing if you can do any more? it helped me. hope it helps you. i say between 3-10 because sometimes i need a little longer then a couple minutes.
  • BelleCakes2018
    BelleCakes2018 Posts: 568 Member
    Options
    Don't worry too much about exercise in the initial stages.. focus on your food and get some weight off and hopefully your joints will be under less strain and you can go longer than half hour (mind you that't not bad you know!) Hula hooping (if you don't think that's too girly!) is good if you have limited space but want to get out of breath a little.. walking up and down stairs.. even chair workouts.. or you could just try and get a bit more flexible and up your strength with a gentle workout such as learning Tai-Chi or something like that? I saw a (very small) study not long ago where they compared a family working out at the gym to a family that decided to spring clean the house.. they were pretty much on par with the spring cleaning coming slightly first.. that's food for thought!!
  • chulipa
    chulipa Posts: 650 Member
    Options
    How fast are you going maybe you could walk longer if you slowed your speed down a little
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Options
    Keep it up. When I started I managed only about 5 minutes on an elliptical before my asthma would kick in and I'd turn beet red and sometimes blue. When I started running I had similar cramps and shin splints. I went from that to 1/2 marathons and 20-25km trail runs through the mountains. My cardio has settled into around the 5km range, but trust me, just keep doing what you're doing and give it time. The only way you fail is if you stop.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    Options
    I was horrible at walking it first, but I slowly ramped my way up to walking longer distances, and when it got easy to walk at a certain pace, I slowly increased the pace. Just do the best you can at first because you can do cardio videos, but that won't necessarily help with your calves (good for overall cardio fitness though!).

    For ankle and calf exercises try ankle circles (or spelling the alphabet with your toes), and calf raises (lift yourself up slowly to the balls of your feet, and slowly back down - I have to steady myself on something for balance)
  • Colt45915
    Colt45915 Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    Thanks everyone for the advice! @chulipa my current treadmill speed is 2.3mph
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    Options
    I highly recommend taking a magnesium supplement for the cramps. The best absorbed forms are magnesium chloride, magnesium glycinate or any other form that ends in "ate".
    Don't bother with magnesium oxide, which is also the most common form you find on drug store shelves. The absorption is just too low to really help.
  • mespreeman
    mespreeman Posts: 70 Member
    Options
    Keep it up!
    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    The only way you fail is if you stop.

  • KrysGettinFit
    KrysGettinFit Posts: 131 Member
    Options
    A half hour is a great starting point! Your body will slowly start to adjust and you will find yourself going longer and longer. Can you walk outside too? I know that helped me with distance too!
  • jaynee7283
    jaynee7283 Posts: 160 Member
    edited April 2016
    Options
    Colt45915 wrote: »
    So I started walking on my treadmill to lose weight but can only go about a half an hour on a good day before my calves get too cramped up. What I was wondering is could someone recommend some other form of workouts I could do in my house preferrably, or any good DVDs for beginners? Thanks in advance!

    Consider doing stretches before you hop on the treadmill, to loosen up the muscles in preparation for your 30 minute session.

    View this video - the stretches I do are the first few - I don't do the last one, the quadriceps partner stretch. But the other ones are great and helpful for me.
    https://youtu.be/Tc-dMZZvFU0
  • SkinnyGirlCarrie
    SkinnyGirlCarrie Posts: 259 Member
    Options
    i second making sure you stretch, especially afterwards!

    if you are looking for alternatives (or good stretching videos) check out fitnessblender.com - all of their workouts are free and you can search them for low impact, try filtering on levels 1 and 2 if you are looking for beginner! they have a youtube channel and app as well, but the website is the easiest to search for particular types of workouts.
  • chulipa
    chulipa Posts: 650 Member
    Options
    Colt45915 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for the advice! @chulipa my current treadmill speed is 2.3mph

    Well thats not to fast judt take it slow and 1 day at a time
  • phyllis731
    phyllis731 Posts: 58 Member
    Options
    I'm into Leslie Sansone and Richard Simmons.

Categories