so, i've been walking 2 miles a day for like 6 weeks now. i barely break a sweat anymore. i'm walking a 15 min mile & if i walk any faster, i would be jogging, which i dont want to do due to bad knees & ankles. i love this time because i walk 1 mile to the park w/ my 3yr old & 1 mile back- we play at the park for 15-20 mins every morning. so, essentially, i'm "killing 2 birds w/ one stone" by getting some exercize, which is way more than i used to- and spending more quality time with my son. i know this is better than nothing, but i feel like it's not enough. weight lifting is SoOoO boring to me. although, my other 1/2 has expressed an interest in weight lifting, so, maybe we could do it together at night after the kiddos are in bed. maybe it wouldnt be so bad if we did it together? but thats going to take a monetary investment i cant make right now anyways. so, what CAN i do thats fun & vigorous, but not strenuous in the interim i guess? i tried some tapes and some stuff on fitTv, but yawn. tia!

1. Uh humm Sex with the hubby comes to mind

2. There are a lot of good weight lifting routines that can be done with Dumbells. Dumbells usually sell for .50 cents a pound.

omg your so funny! and so right. man, i SO appreciate your bluntness. haha we've dwindled in that department since the birth of our 2nd child in january- i'll have to work on that

you're advice is always stellar man, i love it

If you do not want to lift weights, how about some Taebo tapes, they are a great workout and use all your muscles as well. You can get them on ebay for a good price. I would however suggest getting some 5,8,10 lb handweights and working with those, you will see much better results.

even on your walk, if you want to add some stress you can wear a backpack - if the toys are not enough weight - add some bags of rice or beans or big books like dictionaries. If you walk quickly enough (are you pushing a stroller or is the 3yo keeping up?) wearing weight you'll get a good workout. or carry the 3yo piggy-back both ways <g>

at home for cardio - tapes are good, skipping rope is good, old-fashioned calisthenics are good as are body weight exercises: pushups, sit ups, burpees, deep knee-bends (aka full squats) etc. picking up heavy things and putting them down again is the essence of weight training- anything from a backpack full of books to dog food bags to gallon water bottles in both hands to doing squats with the 3 yo on your back -

I fill bottles that have handles with water to use as weights; easy enough to add water when the first weight gets easy.

lisa- i usually push my son in a stroller on the way there & he runs back. i tried carrying my 4 month old in a snuggli a few times- like your backpack idea- only snugglis go on the front... it KILLED my back, tho. even with conciously making sure i was standing properly with good posture, etc.

i could get some leg weights, tho- huh? and maybe some wrist weights for when my hands are free on the walk home.

great ideas! thank you

I just like weights centered on the body rather than on limbs (arms, legs)

Do you have a bike? You could get a seat attached for your little one, and travel further afield. I love biking because it doesn't seem like exercise.

do u burn more cals biking vs walking? and my "little one" is almost 40 pounds- is there a limit on those seats? i mostly see smaller kiddos on those things. i've been trying to teach him to ride a bike, so, maybe by summers end (or middle if i'm lucky) we can ride together

Or maybe you could get one of those trailer things? I see them at second hand sports stores all the time.

Walking or cycling are good - what's more important is your level of exertion. You can make both of these activities a good workout.

You can buy bands at Wal-Mart for about $10.00. That is what I did 6 months ago. I finaly snapped them 2 weeks ago. Then I went out to Wal-Mart again and bought what they call a door gym. Which is bands that fasten to the door and give you more differant types of exercise and a little more resistanc.
What I find dissappointing about exercise is when I do a hard work out and the next day I have actually gained weight. I have to walk 3 miles at 4 mph in the morning just to work off the 2 mugs of coffee I drink for breakfast.

i thought about those bands- they might be funner for me- but are they *as* good as freeweights? and i wonder if i can tie them to things- ie- a jungle gym to do different exercizes? if i get some, i'll have to remember to get new ones at 6 months cuz i would freak out if one snapped on me. ack. its like that popping balloon syndrome and is it better to get one with or without handles? the flat bands or the round ones? does it matter?

oh- i cant wait to go to walmart now- u guys got me pumped- thank you so much. im gonna get some arm & leg weights & try those bands too... hopefully that will get me started toward a weight training regimen.

i dont really care about the origional weight gain because i know ultimately, i will lose the fat weight after gaining the lean muscle weight.

now i now its better to do aerobic exercize early in the am b4 breakfast- is it the same for anaerobic exercize? or r u supposed to eat 1st? i think in atleast 1 book i read, it says to eat 1 hr b4 u "lift", but this is impossible for me as i exercize 1st thing in the morning at like 6-7ish and usually dont eat "breakfast" til 11am.

thank you all for your support and comments and advice!

Good for you, Crystal. Sounds like you have a great attitude.

My friend walks many miles and does the bands for resistance training. She looks great and is happy with her routine. You can do a lot of different exercises with the bands.

The consensus seems to be to do any form of cardio on an empty stomach to maximize fat burning. But you will get a better performance and recovery with weights by taking in some nutrients around lifting.

I often have an apple or similar "sugar" hit before working out and find I can push myself harder. I'm closer to maintenance though, so you will have to play with this and see what your carb level can handle. Afterwards, I try to have a protein shake to refuel quickly.

Good luck!

thank you! and i wonder if i should do aerobic & anaerobic exercize together in the am or say aerobic in the am & anerobic in the evening perhaps? i wish i had my own office and didn't have to share so i could bang out some reps at work LoL i was just looking under my desk to see if i had anything i could tie a band to and do some curls