Exercise novice looking for tips

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Jewels211
Jewels211 Posts: 184 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
To be honest, I HATE exercising. The whole sweating-like-a-pig, gasping-for-air thing, I HATE it! But I also hate having all this excess weight, and I know part of that is from not exercising. So. I need suggestions as to what to do.

I have a couple of physical issues, one lower leg that is set into the knee joint at a slightly weird angle, which makes fast, extended walking painful, unless it is on a perfectly flat surface. So past times of trying to walk daily for exercise ended up after a week with me barely able to walk at all. I also have fairly frequent flare-ups of hip and knee pain.

I can't afford a water aerobic class at the present, which I've been told might be a good thing to try, although I can't swim and am not super fond of being in the water. I also, because of the amount of weight I have to lose, have this phobia of exercising in front of anyone else. Past experiences have been shall we say not good. :embarassed: I tried the Gazelle, which overall was a pretty good thing, but the weird set-in leg made keeping my feel in the tracks so the toes don't get bumped by the outer framework a real problem. Again, after a few days, that leg was incredibly sore.

I guess what I need is some kind of low-impact thing I can do in the privacy of my home that won't bore me to tears, nor be so advanced or convaluted that I give up because I can't keep up. Criminently, I'm a mess! :embarassed:

Help? Please??

Replies

  • crux
    crux Posts: 454 Member
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    Turn on MTV or similar music channel and just dance.

    Everyday i'm Shuffling :)
  • rafor
    rafor Posts: 78 Member
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    After reading your question I guess I would suggest you try something like pilates. Yes, it doesn't really do much for aerobics bue it has shown that it will burn fat and improve flexibility. Of course you will need to modify some of the moves to make them comfortable to you and prevent joint/hip pain. Working on getting your leg stretched out and aligned in a low impact setting might help you move on to more high-impact activities. The main thing is start where you are and move forward from there. Jumping right into speed walking or running can cause injuries and make old issues worse.
  • Ferrea
    Ferrea Posts: 19 Member
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    For something that's super simple and easy to stick with (and can be done in the privacy of your house), you could try the Leslie Sansone Walk at Home videos. I think they're a good choice for people who don't like exercise or are uncomfortable with complicated workouts because they're so low key and simple to follow. They give you a light cardio workout, and the videos come in a variety of lengths/intensities, so you could try the 1 or 2 mile walks to start off. Then you could move up to some of the faster and longer videos if those got too easy. The website is www.walkathome.com.
  • harley0269
    harley0269 Posts: 384 Member
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    how about the swiss ball?
    i use mine with small hand weights.
    theres mant different exercises to do with & without hand weights. its great for the core muscles!
    my ball was under $10-20at walmart, & my 3lb hand weights i picked up at GoodWill for under $3
  • melsmith612
    melsmith612 Posts: 727 Member
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    Jewels211: I am also self-conscious when exercising. I typically like to workout alone and would prefer it be in the privacy of my air conditioned living room with the shades drawn (lol). While I cannot address the physical ailments/injuries, I can tell you that the best thing for my fitness-phobia has been the Wii Fit Plus. Even on days when I don't "feel" like working out but know I *should*, I can turn it on and start off with some of the exercises that are more like games and I usually end up having so much fun with them that I begin doing the more challenging stuff after to burn extra calories. A lot of the games (balance, yoga, strength training, & aerobics) are easy to start and you can unlock more difficult levels/courses. And the best part (to me anyway) is that there's only one disc and it comes with the balance board if you buy the bundle. I'm not someone who would buy the Jillian Michaels games because I don't want some skinny trainer yelling in my face... I prefer the laid back approach of the Wiit Fit Plus. It keeps track of how many calories you burn each day, how long you've worked out, what types of workouts you've done, your weight/BMI, and you can even add in the number of steps you've taken if you have a pedometer (I haven't tried this yet myself but it's tempting just because the feature's there). Overall, I wouldn't trade it for any other workout DVD/game in the world. It's been the easiest workout routine for me to stick with because of the variety of different types of workouts AND intensities.
  • Lolyballs
    Lolyballs Posts: 180 Member
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    I was the same way. I joined the Y... they had this thing here where you could go the whole month of June free, if you decided to join and did so by the end of the month, they waived the joining fee. A friend talked me into going because was afraid to go alone. I was trying desperately to lose weight and it wasn't happening! So I went. She abandoned me after the first orientation. I am mildly agoraphobic. I have a problem with going alone, but if I have an appointment or set up a meeting... I'll be there. So I set up appointments for orientation. The trainers went over my medical conditions and helped me with the machines that would be good for me. I found that nobody cared about me working out, they weren't looking at me, they were focused on their own workout. I have an emergency and have to go, but you just have to do it! the Y has scholarships... check it out. Add me if you like and we can talk more. God Bless
  • fudgebudget
    fudgebudget Posts: 198 Member
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    I hate exercising, too, but like Lolyballs said, I do SO much better if I make an appointment and have someone else holding me accountable. I got a trainer just for a couple of months so I could learn the proper ways to use the weight machines, etc., and I've really enjoyed it (I lucked out and found a trainer that only charges $20/session, though). I also pack a gym bag every weekday, because odds are if my clothes are already there and I change into them at the office, then I am less tempted to just drive by the gym instead of going in.

    It might be worth trying a trainer session or two (call around for pricing), or at least a consultation, to talk to someone about exercises that are more feasible for your limitations. The initial investment sucks, but it does pay off in the long run. I never thought I'd actually enjoy lifting, and I never would have pursued it on my own, but my trainer is doing a great job of kicking my butt with it, and I can tell I'm getting stronger.
  • Jewels211
    Jewels211 Posts: 184 Member
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    Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions! :smile: I had heard of the walk at home video thing from someone else, too, and I think that might be the place for me to start--that maybe alternating with the pilates? I figure both will build my stamina and probably at my fitness level, do a bit of cardio, too. I do live in a house with two full sets of stairs, although because of the joint issues and also occasional dizziness b/c of medicine, I'm not exactly running up and down them, but at least I am traveling them.

    I had forgotten, but I actually have an exercise ball (that's what a Swiss ball is, I assume?)! I bought it, got scared that I'd half kill myself--I am at times not real coordinated:laugh: , tucked it away, and now don't really know where it is. But I'll dig it out. Maybe it can come 3rd, after I build a little confidence with the walk-at-home and pilates?

    The Wii Fit--again, someone, several someones, have mentioned this. I'd forgotten about it, mostly because we don't have a Wii at this point. But it might be something I decide to ask for for Christmas. I just hate spending $$$ on exercise stuff and then it gets used for so short of a time. ( Ex: the Gazelle currently serves as a supplemental clothes drying rack in the basement. :tongue: )

    Before, my joint pain went away when I got the junk out of my system and also lost about 20 lbs, so I'm hoping that happens again. If I only have one issue to worry about, exercise might be less daunting.

    Okay, so my basement is set to become a torture chamber..errr...exercise haven! Thanks again!
  • melsmith612
    melsmith612 Posts: 727 Member
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    The Wii Fit--again, someone, several someones, have mentioned this. I'd forgotten about it, mostly because we don't have a Wii at this point. But it might be something I decide to ask for for Christmas. I just hate spending $$$ on exercise stuff and then it gets used for so short of a time. ( Ex: the Gazelle currently serves as a supplemental clothes drying rack in the basement. :tongue: )

    You can pick up a pre-owned Wii for $100 or less and the Wii Fit Plus is $60-$80 new depending on if you buy online. I had the Wii already and paid under $100 for the Wii Fit Plus almost a year ago - best fitness investment I've ever made. My ab lounger is holding misc. unused linens. My treadmill is infested with spiders in my basement. My workout DVD's haven't seen the light of day in over a year. But the Wii Fit gets used 3-4x/week. And I'm like you, I *hate* exercising/being sweaty/etc. LOL
  • pholbert
    pholbert Posts: 575 Member
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    Another vote for the Wii. There are so many games and excercises you can get for it now. I use mine alot. It is a leftover from my children.
  • catmomof3
    catmomof3 Posts: 31
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    I started with Leslie Sansone 1-2 mile walk also. I got really tired of her music selection so now I made a playlist using jog.fm for songs that are 150 beats per minute and boost( got to 160 BPM) for 2 minutes out of every ten. I started at 30 minutes and now I'm up to 45-50 after a month and a half. I'm not going to go longer than 45 minutes a day pretty much ever, but I did the 30 minutes for a whole month. I have arthritis in my knees and feet.

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