I have no idea what I'm doing...

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ShelbyTheCutiePie1997
ShelbyTheCutiePie1997 Posts: 2 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I don't even know where to start!

I'm a tiny girl already but very out of shape. I heard just running is enough? What would be a good regime for just toning? Any tips? Thanks xo

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  • kimothy38
    kimothy38 Posts: 840 Member
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    Do what you enjoy and you'll be motivated to keep doing it. I enjoy weights to build muscle, strength training intervals for all over body workout, pilates for mobility and a zumba class cause it's fun.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
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    'enough' for what? being 'in shape' means different things to different people, so a little clarity there might help people to give you feedback.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
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    I literally walked into a fitness store I was going past and told them I was looking to strengthen muscle while losing weight. (I'd already been doing cardio: long walks and fitness glider, but lurking in the forums told me that wouldn't be enough). They offered me a choice between fitness tubes and dumb bells. And what it came down to was:

    I was a 45-minute walk from home and wasn't sure how well I'd be able to carry dumb bells without feeling a strain In retrospect, I should have asked questions like 'How many should I start with and at what weights?,' instead of assuming that I'd be walking out carrying 40 lbs plus worth of dumbbells.

    Fitness tubes are cheap and lightweight.

    I picked the tubes. Turned out to be a good choice for a different reason: I'm visiting my parents in a different city right now. I took the train to get there. And the train has a policy that you can't bring more baggage than a 40-lb bag plus a carry on. (40-50 lbs, you pay a surcharge. More than 50 and they don't accept it.) Dumbbells would put me over, since I packed enough clothes for 2 weeks. Tubes? No issues whatsoever.

    For cardio, really, even walking is enough. My initial goal was 25 minutes every day at a leisurely pace. As I got into it, it became 'either 1 hour minimum for a walk or 50 minutes on a fitness glider'. Sometimes it's even both. Agree with the poster above me: find something you enjoy and keep at it.
  • pamfgil
    pamfgil Posts: 449 Member
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    How out of shape, are you really heavy, or just a little overweight?, how much walking can you do before you need a break, 10 min, 1/2 hr, or indefinitely on a flat surface, can you climb a flight of stairs without puffing out? Is it easy to stand up from a chair. What you want to do is aim for a level up from where you are.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    ShelbyTheCutiePie1997 wrote: »
    I don't even know where to start!

    I'm a tiny girl already but very out of shape. I heard just running is enough? What would be a good regime for just toning? Any tips? Thanks xo

    I recommend strength training. It's pretty amazing...
  • JohnRoderick
    JohnRoderick Posts: 19 Member
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    I recommend strength training. It's pretty amazing...[/quote]

    X2

    Lift CutiePie Lift!!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    A programme that includes strength/resistance training and some cardio would be ideal... other than that it's finding out what you enjoy.

    If you want to run, do c25k.
  • limabeanzz
    limabeanzz Posts: 5 Member
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    If you want to stay fit and enjoy doing it, then swimming is the best answer. It not only helps in keeping the body fit, it has a lot of other benefits as well ( http://www.soldapools.com/blog/swimming/7-health-benefits-swimming/ ) like improving flexibility and bone density. Swimming is also a great stress buster.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    What does "toning" mean to you? Because it's not really a thing. If you want definition, have a decent amount of muscle, and a bit of fat-you have to lose the fat through calorie deficit and preserve the muscle with weight training. If you are quite slim and don't have fat to lose, but you want definition, you need to strength train around maintenance calories to build a bit of muscle.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Funny how their are more people who use the word "toning" than there are those who claim it isn't a thing.
  • JustDoIt987
    JustDoIt987 Posts: 120 Member
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    Pilates is great for toning!

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