Home workout for someone with weak muscle tone ?

Lukee12
Lukee12 Posts: 1 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi
I need to lose belly fat and as far as I can see most workouts suggest circuit training. However, I was born with weak muscle tone which affects my ability to do certain parts; for example I cannot do sit ups or press ups. I have a potbelly that I need to try and get rid of though, so am looking for home workouts that are friendly to someone with weak muscle tone.
At the moment the only equipment I have is an exercise bike
Thanks for any help offered! :)

Replies

  • Cheesy567
    Cheesy567 Posts: 1,186 Member
    Look up “Launchpad Stage 1 Seated Exercises for Obesity and Limited Mobility” on the Bodylastics YouTube page. It’s the easiest ones I’ve found. I have a neuromuscular muscle disease and have to take it really easy, too. Stage 1 is all seated. They also have one stage 2 that is part sitting and part standing, and a stage 3 that is standing.

    This link might work, but you might have to search more from here.
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL-3ha1N51FWNEf9VYSZZtMIAk4X4PFgPf
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    For weight loss you need to focus on a calorie deficit. Exercise is great for you, but not for losing a pot belly. But of course posture will likely help a lot.
    Have you ever worked with a physiotherapist to find exercises you can do? Hypotonia isn't muscle weakness as such, thus I do wonder if you would be able to do proper exercise. Not being able to press ups is no problem: most people can't actually do them. And sit ups are not good exercises anyway. Are you able to get stronger? That's why I recommended a physiotherapist, maybe even a trainer with additional education. Or you could try a progressive body weight training programme. Start with the easiest exercise, see if you eventually manage to get up to 8 reps, then work on the next step, etc. For press ups, you can for example use a wall, then the back of a sofa, then go even deeper. Or try negatives: get into upper press up position, and try to go down slowly. Then go back into the upper position using your knees or whatever, and then try to go down slowly again. There are lots of those workout programmes, like convict conditioning, reddit reccomended routine (I like this one as it has tons of alternative exercises), start body weight, and others.
  • yweight2020
    yweight2020 Posts: 591 Member
    Have you ever had any kind of therapy such as physical therapy and what do they recommend? If not you should look into a referral from your doctor to be on the safe side. Until then focus on nutrition deficit to lose weight, I have a big gut also I'm 41 pounds down and it's still here. But mostly gone, maybe by the time I lose 20 more pounds it will be gone , or maybe not. But fat is loss from a calorie deficit.


    Hope the suggestions help you and your stronger sooner than later.🤗
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I've found that most so-called beginner workouts assume a level of fitness that many people may not actually have.

    Can your doctor refer you to a physical therapist? They would be the best to design a workout for you.

    Meanwhile, do use your bike :)

    We also have a good thread on how to be more active in non-traditional exercise ways:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Don’t laugh, but belly dancing can be a really good intro to strengthening the abs.

    When I was just starting I had no idea how to engage all the different muscles in my abdomen, Heck I didn’t even know where they were or what they did.

    I knew I had to do something and saw a belly dancing class. It was fun, and got me in touch with all those mystery muscles, strengthened them, and improved my posture too.

    There are beginner to advanced routines on YouTube.

    Good posture helps the abs too. YouTube can help there.

    If you ever get to exercising outside the home, or have a pool, try aqua-fit. It is a good way to slowly build strength while being supported by yet working against the water.
    You can put as much effort in as you can at any point in time.

    Again, this was one of my beginner programmes (I still return to it 11yr later) and to begin with I had to take breaks, or hop instead of jump but as my endurance and strength grew so did my participation.

    Quite often pools will offer aqua fit by a specialized PT.

    Hope you find something that suits your needs.

    Cheers, h.
  • Leefitunlimited
    Leefitunlimited Posts: 4 Member
    Start by making a habit of riding your exercise bike for 20-30 minutes every day. Cardio will help you begin the process of losing your belly. You will eventually want to start doing an ab strengthening exercise routine also.
  • age_is_just_a_number
    age_is_just_a_number Posts: 631 Member
    You cannot spot reduce fat. To lose weight, you need to be at a caloric deficit.

    In terms of exercise, start slowly and build up. When I started my health and wellness journey, I started with healing yoga by Deborah Devine, Padma yoga, added extra walking to my day. Then added cardio using the BeachBody program Plyo.

    You may want to try the FitOn application. It is free. It has a variety of workouts for every fitness level.

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