what are the Best Expercises For Getting Back Into Shape?
 

I used to work out a ton a couple years ago.. But i am so out of shape..
I cant run..and i need something that will get my heart pumping a few times a week plus some other expercises to tone and stregnthen. I can't afford to go to a gym.. and i have asthma so it's quite hard..

any help would be greatly appriciated :)

why can't you run - is it a phyiscal limitation - what sorts of things can you do?

I've just never been a runner.. i dont know why..maybe asthma or stamina. Plus right now i have a really bad shin splint on my right leg for some reason. So it hurts even to walk.

I liked doing tae bo when i did it before but i dont know if thats too much to start out with.. and i like doing just different general exercises for various parts of the body. I need to work on all areas but more my stomach and back.. crunches i know are good but arent u supposed to wait until u lose a bit of weight before you do those?

you weigh less than I do and I do a full body free weight exercise program including abs and including HIIT for cardio, so weight per se is not the limiting factor. But you don't want to do too much too fast or you could burn out or get injured.
Start with a level you can work at and then increase the intensity as your body adapts.
If you liked Tae Bo in the past, no reason not to do it now. If you have to stop to catch your breath or modify the moves to make accomdations, then you can do that. The Tae Bo police won't be watching :)

I have always hated to run too. (I'll even admit to cheating when we had to run a mile and a half in high school! I hated running that much.)

I still don't like running all that much but is is one of the best ways to get your heartrate up. I started out on a treadmill by walking briskly for 20 minutes. After that became easier I then started a small jog every four minutes. Now I jog every two minutes for almost a minute. All you need is 20 minutes to get your metabolism going.

I'd suggest doing what you enjoy - but do it at the level you're capable of. There's no shame in listening to your body and taking it easier until you build your stamina back up again.
:hyper:
Good luck!
Kiks

I sure hear you! It is hard to be active if we have been sedentary for so long. I started exercising about three months ago and it was hard to get started.

It is important to try to do more than you are doing now. When I first started, walking to our mailboxes (across the parking lot) was about all I could do. Now I can walk over 5 miles and it has made a great difference in my weight loss and mental health.

Sometimes we feel intimidated because it seems so impossible to implement a real exercise plan. But you don't really need to do that. The important thing is to do MORE than you usually do and build up gradually. Swimming is terrific if you have physical problems. YMCAs have scholarship programs and you can pay a lower fee if you need to. All you have to do is ask them about that. Having no money shouldn't be an issue - they are terrific about the scholarship programs.

Just start slowly and it will do your body and mind a world of good!

Best of luck to you

Orchid

When I started back exercising I started out with 2 of my videos. First, Shaping up with weights for dummies. The second one was Walk Away the Pounds. I did both of those for a few weeks and built up some stamina before jumping into the routine I am now doing. It worked for me and didn't get me discouraged about being so out of shape. Good luck to you!