Any advice for someone who's never exercised before?
I had my banding surgery 5 weeks ago, and I've been walking as exercise since then. I have not been able to get up to walking in 30 minute increments yet. I still have to break it up, but I'm almost there. But as it's starting to get too hot outside to walk, I went on my lunch break today and joined a local fitness club. Mainly I just want to use the treadmills right now, but I would like to work myself up to using other equipment there. Does anyone have any advice about what kind of fitness or exercise equipment I should start out on? I'm 370 pounds (55 bmi) right now, and I've lead a very sedentary lifestyle. I'm not used to exercising AT ALL. There is staff there, but they weren't really helpful on suggestions, just telling me what each machine did. My doctor's office suggested walking, but I would like to start doing exercise as part of my regular lifestyle now. When I checked on the Internet, I couldn't really find anything specifically geared towards the super obese. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Kat
Thanks
Kat
start slow, be gentle with yourself and don't hurt yourself. Injuries will only set you back and discourage exercise.
Find something you like to do, you will be more likely to stick with it.
An activity or hobby also makes it more likely that you will stick with it. If you enjoy a walk in the park then you won't think of it as exercise.
The exercise/spin cycles in the gym are a good choice too because they are low impact.
Water aerobics if they gym has a pool. Or swimming, both of those are low impact.
Once you start getting some fitness and the exercise levels begin to increas you can move yourself onto more strenuous exercises.
Get some really good shoes. That is one of the best things you can do for yourself. I was a disbeliever until I had a shoe fitting done at a real running store. I'm not talking about foot locker or one of those mall shoe stores, but a store that specializes in running/walking.
My feet have never felt better. Yeah you are going to pay more for shoes from there, but they have been absolutely worth every penny.
Good luck
Scott
Find something you like to do, you will be more likely to stick with it.
An activity or hobby also makes it more likely that you will stick with it. If you enjoy a walk in the park then you won't think of it as exercise.
The exercise/spin cycles in the gym are a good choice too because they are low impact.
Water aerobics if they gym has a pool. Or swimming, both of those are low impact.
Once you start getting some fitness and the exercise levels begin to increas you can move yourself onto more strenuous exercises.
Get some really good shoes. That is one of the best things you can do for yourself. I was a disbeliever until I had a shoe fitting done at a real running store. I'm not talking about foot locker or one of those mall shoe stores, but a store that specializes in running/walking.
My feet have never felt better. Yeah you are going to pay more for shoes from there, but they have been absolutely worth every penny.
Good luck
Scott
The first time you do something - It's going to be a personal record!
Do they happen to have a pool there? Water aerobics are a great choice because of being no impact.
Elipticals are supposed to be low impact, but at my heaviest - 338 lbs - I couldn't really do it. It hurt my knees and I would get horrible cramps in my feet.
Sorry - I'm not very helpful.
Good luck,
Joanne
Elipticals are supposed to be low impact, but at my heaviest - 338 lbs - I couldn't really do it. It hurt my knees and I would get horrible cramps in my feet.
Sorry - I'm not very helpful.
Good luck,
Joanne
Hi Kat,
Congratulations on making this awsome step!
When I joined the gym in March I stuck with the treadmill. Slow and steady. I still don't go fast, I do not jog or run. I have found that I can go on it much longer so I now have it set on a "random" program that moves the incline up and down so that I get more of a workout in a shorter period of time. I can now also use the eliptical and have started some basic weight training.
Im a beginner myself but can offer you a few suggestions based on my own personal experiences.
Don't push yourself too too hard. If you go gangbusters you are gonna be sore, real sore and you arn't gonna want to go back!
Don't compare yourself to others at the gym, if they are going faster, longer, higher....who cares! Go at a pace that is good for you.
when you think, "thats it I'm done" push yourself to go an extra minute or two. nothing drastic but those minutes add up.
you will notice a difference in your energy level. Its awsome!
GO, even if you don't really want to go. After a while it becomes a habit and you will truly want to go and you will miss it on the days that you don't go.
I hope that I have helped a bit.
Take care,
Michelle
Congratulations on making this awsome step!
When I joined the gym in March I stuck with the treadmill. Slow and steady. I still don't go fast, I do not jog or run. I have found that I can go on it much longer so I now have it set on a "random" program that moves the incline up and down so that I get more of a workout in a shorter period of time. I can now also use the eliptical and have started some basic weight training.
Im a beginner myself but can offer you a few suggestions based on my own personal experiences.
Don't push yourself too too hard. If you go gangbusters you are gonna be sore, real sore and you arn't gonna want to go back!
Don't compare yourself to others at the gym, if they are going faster, longer, higher....who cares! Go at a pace that is good for you.
when you think, "thats it I'm done" push yourself to go an extra minute or two. nothing drastic but those minutes add up.
you will notice a difference in your energy level. Its awsome!
GO, even if you don't really want to go. After a while it becomes a habit and you will truly want to go and you will miss it on the days that you don't go.
I hope that I have helped a bit.
Take care,
Michelle
Kat,
I'm not sure what kind of a pool availability you have up there but you do have some incredible lakes up there. Now I know your first reaction will probably be yeah, I'm not gonna go swimming now! You don't have to swim, but do some walking in the water -- maybe watch some water aerobic videos to give you some ideas of what to do. As it gets hot take advantage of the resources around you -- I've never seen the lake in St. Helen, but you do have Higgins and Houghton not too far from you. Nice and cool as it's getting hot out there!
--Dan
I'm not sure what kind of a pool availability you have up there but you do have some incredible lakes up there. Now I know your first reaction will probably be yeah, I'm not gonna go swimming now! You don't have to swim, but do some walking in the water -- maybe watch some water aerobic videos to give you some ideas of what to do. As it gets hot take advantage of the resources around you -- I've never seen the lake in St. Helen, but you do have Higgins and Houghton not too far from you. Nice and cool as it's getting hot out there!
--Dan
that is exactly how i started, with walking. i walked my neighborhood until it got too cold (my surgery was in late fall) then i joined the gym and hit the treadmill. I started slowly and as i got more comfortable i would slowly increase the speed and/or incline a bit at a time. i would track my heart rate as well to gauge my progress (at first just using the sensors on the TM, eventually i bought a HRM). After a couple of months, i added some other exercises such as the bike, elliptical, stairmaster, swimming and running. today, i'm running 6 miles at 8 month post-op (started at 431).
Also, you should add some light strenght exercises when cleared by your surgeon (i was cleared after my 6 week visit), this is important for a number of reasons, one of the most important being it will build your lean muscle mass which will in turn increase your metabolism.
good luck and take it slow, results will come in time if you keep up with it.
Also, you should add some light strenght exercises when cleared by your surgeon (i was cleared after my 6 week visit), this is important for a number of reasons, one of the most important being it will build your lean muscle mass which will in turn increase your metabolism.
good luck and take it slow, results will come in time if you keep up with it.
Where are we going?? And why am I in this handbasket??
right now. somewhere. somebody is working harder than you.
right now. somewhere. somebody is working harder than you.
Kat,
Go with what feels natural to you and with where your natural abilities lie. For me, I love to dance, so aerobics is where its at. I'm also flexible, and even at my heaviest, yoga was another great way for me to start back into the gym. Flexibility is not a requirement for yoga. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that yoga is just a bunch of stretching and sitting around chanting... if you get a good Power Yoga class, you will sweat! Chatarangas (yoga routines) involve a lot of large muscle activity and your instructor is trained to help you make yoga fit your body (large, small, more flexible or less flexible, etc). Yoga is such a good way to practice presence and mindfulness, and can be really thought of as a way to give back to yourself. I always leave feeling so refreshed. Give it a try!
Go with what feels natural to you and with where your natural abilities lie. For me, I love to dance, so aerobics is where its at. I'm also flexible, and even at my heaviest, yoga was another great way for me to start back into the gym. Flexibility is not a requirement for yoga. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that yoga is just a bunch of stretching and sitting around chanting... if you get a good Power Yoga class, you will sweat! Chatarangas (yoga routines) involve a lot of large muscle activity and your instructor is trained to help you make yoga fit your body (large, small, more flexible or less flexible, etc). Yoga is such a good way to practice presence and mindfulness, and can be really thought of as a way to give back to yourself. I always leave feeling so refreshed. Give it a try!
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