Please talk to this exercise hold-out. What do you do for exercise?

I know I should get exercise.  I have decided that it is past time and I am going to figure out something in the next week and get started.

Please talk to me about exercise.  How does it help you?  What do you do?  How much do you do?  Does it allow you to eat more?  Does it *really* help with bone strength?

And anything else you can add to motivate my lazy self to get off this couch.

Thank you so much.

~Becky

I think it depends on what you have available for use & if you're willing & able to spend money o a gym.  I don't think it's necessary for general health, but I do think for strength training that specifically helps bone health, it is better.  Now that I have joined my university's gym, I go 4 times wk & alternate doing the elliptical with 15 minutes of stretching afterwards and strength training with the life circuit with 15 minutes afterwards.  I spend about 30 - 35 minutes on the elliptical, which I frankly think should be at least 45 min, but I struggle with knee pain and vascillate on whether the added benefits of those other 10 - 15 minutes is worth the stress on my knees since I'm only 34 and have just been diagnosed in the early stages of osteoarthritis.

I spend about 45 minutes on the life circuit, getting in two repetitions per machine (of the ones I do, most of them) . . . the ones that I feel things crunching in my knees or shoulder (I have arthritis in my left shoulder also), I skip.  No need to hurt myself! 

The combination of cardio (elliptical for me) & strength training is best for overall health.  There really is conclusive research that resistance/ strength training is best for bone health.

I'm looking for someone who is a member of a gym to start going with.  I think once I get started I will be fine.

I'm hoping that some cardio will let me loose a couple of pounds.  I am going to do the strength training for my bones.

I hope I can find someone to start me going.  That first step is the hardest.

~Becky

I totally agree!!  The initial going, the first week, I think, is the hardest.  Then, you actually start feeling pretty good from it, I would argue mentally - all those endorphines pumping through your body and then you're not as sore as when you first start.  I absolutely hold back on what I think I can do those first few times b/c I hate being sore.  I don't think it's necessary to feel like you just got ran over when you can just increase your intensity in wk 2.  Let the masochist, die-hard types do that crap!

Seriously, though, Becky, once you get the first few sessions in, so long as they are within a relatively short-time period of each other, you will find a part of yourself looking forward to going to the gym.  I think it really does feel good.  For me, part of the bonus, is listening to music with my mp3 player (or iphone if you have one) that I find peppy & I can listen to it just as loud as I want.  Love it.

I've got no techie stuff for music but I am hoping to find someone who is going to a gym.  I've been sending out emails asking.
I'll take it easy..no worries.

Thanks!

~Becky

Becky, My family got a gym membership 3 months ago. We have been once! Since I have this hernia, I can't do much. I have to say though....Sex is better! lol I know...TMI! T

Well I'm glad you are enjoying yourself!!!! lol.

I found a friend who just joined the Y.  They have everything I'm interested in including personal help with the strentgh machines (need) treadmills (need) and Zumba at a really good time for me.

So I think I will bite the bullet and try this.  I've got to do something besides sit on this couch in this heat.

When do you get your hernia fixed?

~Becky

We are a member at Rex Wellness. It is very much like the Y, but no kids allowed. This is good for me, cause loud, non-well behaved kids drive me absolutely bonkers! My oldest can go, but my 16 year old can't go with us til she is 18. I want to do yoga, but haven't gotten up the nerve yet. I tried water zumba, but my tummy couldn't take it. I am planning on having surgery with Dr. Sudan doing both the hernia repair and panni removal sometime after December 1. If I maintain 100# weight loss at 1.5 years after WLS, Panni is suppose to be covered by my heath insurance. December 1 is 1.5 years. I am at 102ish pounds lost right now. I have been having the best time swimming/or should I say lounging this summer. We have a pool in our back yard. I actually fit on the float with my daughter today and my hubby yesterday with room for water on it as well. I feel so blessed! It was so much fun. My daughter 5'9" and 165 pounds kept twirling us around in circles and I felt like a little girl on the tilt-a-whirl!

OH this is so hard ! I TRY hard to swim laps once or twice a week. I have to drive 45 minutes each way to a pool to do this since I am in no mans land, so it takes planning when you add in swim time as well.

We also invested in a good recumbant bike for the house.  I love it, I need to be on it everyday though ! Sometimes I do not make it everyday.  BAD BAD me ! I  hope to change that after our upcoming travels. It is in front of the TV, in one room, although there is not much good on TV to watch. I try to watch HGTV or TLC for at least an hour while I ride, Occasionally I will pedal thru an entire movie.

I like to walk but this heat has just been too hot for that lately as you know.  If Ih ad access to a pool closerby I would swim more often as that is my passion. I can get in the water and I might as well been a fish. Last week when I swam, there was an older gal who asked how I can swim so long and how did I learn the different strokes ? LOL.... I do free style laps, breast stroke and then back stroke and rotate every lap, so I am working different muscles for toning.

Hope you have fun at the Y, I wish there was one closer us ! 

I wish you had a Y as well.  I am going in the morning to get a tour and see about signing up.

Hope you had a good weekend.  We got about 30 minutes of rain today.  Not nearly enough but we take what we can get.

~Becky