(I can't believe I'm in the exercise forum! I'm actually nervous and my hands are getting clammy at the thought of it. )

I am completely and utterly out of shape. My life is as sedentary as it can be. But now that I've lost over 75 pounds I do have more mobility than before and I want to change.

Would walking be enough to get started? I think Bob Arnot says you need a higher intensity workout to have any effect. Walking would be the easiest though.

I saw the sticky on getting started and it seems to focus on joining a gym. I am a graduate student at a large university and I know that I can use the gym but then I wouldn't have the advantage of a trainer. And I have no idea how to use any of those machines. Maybe I could hire a student cheap? Advertise in the student newspaper for someone? What would I ask them to do? How would I know if they're competent?

Any advice at all will be appreciated.

Allison

Welcome to the exercise forum Allison!
Do not be nervous--we don't bite!

If you are just starting exercising walking is fine. A lot of people get GREAT results from doing a walking program and lifting too.

You should search the web for exercise sites that actually show videos on you how to do different lifting exercises. If you search the exercise forum, I know people have posted GREAT workout sites they like to visit. Check them out!!

If you feel comfortable advertising in the paper for someone to help you workout at a gym, go for it! Make sure they are qualified with some sort of personal training certification and that you meet them before hand and are comfortable with them.

You also have the option of looking into an online trainer.

Hope this helps and don't be a stranger to the exercise forum!!!

Linda

Walking is wonderful for losing weight, anything to get you moving is the first step to success!

Later you might want to add weight/strenght training, just work at your own comfortable pace.

It is currently recommended that we are physically active every day, exercising aerobically three to five times a week (e.g. brisk walking, cycling, swimming). However, begin with exercising aerobically three times a week. If you have led a sedentary lifestyle until now, leave a day or two in between your exercise days.

How long?
The most widely accepted minimum length of time you should spend exercising is 20 minutes (which does not include the warm-up and cool-down). The maximum is one hour, depending on the exercise you choose. If you are a beginner, try starting with ten minutes. It's better than nothing.

Good Luck, I love exercising so much now, that I dread having a day off.
Take care!

Thanks Linda and Chrissy. I'll start walking tomorrow. I have a history (not a recent history) of taking on very ambitious and strenuous exercise plans and then bailing out because it's too much.

Still, I like the idea of lifting weights, moving something more than my legs, but know nothing about where to begin. I'll try looking for videos as suggested - great idea! Printed instructions on how to use the calf machine don't go far when you don't know what a calf machine is.

What's an online trainer? Sounds less intimidating than a live one.

Allison

Allison-
Some personal trainers offer online training. They will email you your program for the desired number of weeks. You correspond through email and can ask them questions. Some will even send you to a site with exercise videos so you know what exercises they are talking about.

Do not underestimate the value of waterborne exercise. This will be low impact and take load off of joints (though you are probably feeling the relief already with the amount of weight you've lost). This will allow you to concentrate on muscle workout, yielding more complete body toning. When floating, you'll also be able to add some resistance training. The aerobic exercise will release fat stores in your muscles (which are glycogen), and you should not be surprised of two results. One, the glycogen will be available to the blood stream so you'll probably notice a mild rush which may in turn cause release of seretonin to balance it. Feeling of well being, calm, good sleep, and being more energetic will result. Two, it might actually initiate a plateau in weight loss, and the body will change shape more drastically during this period where there may be no weight loss at all. But, you'll be happy with the shaping results. Use as many muscle groups as possible, but not heavily. The light exercise opens the storehouse of glycogen in each area. Suggest a moderate reduction of carbs during the 8 hours following the exercise. This would be inadvisable on low fat high carb diets, but LCers that have fully established ketosis are immune.

Fern - Thanks for the explanation of online training. It might be just the right thing for someone like me who needs basic information on where to start but isn't so hard-core as to require a regular trainer. I'll look into it.

LCer - Interesting information. Light resistance sounds like a good idea. I'm definitely a different shape than the last time I was this weight - last time I did it with lots of exercise and was much firmer all over. Your suggestion,

"Suggest a moderate reduction of carbs during the 8 hours following the exercise."

makes sense in the context of what you said. Everything I've ever read about sports nutrition says the opposite, but of course we're working on a whole different principal.

Thanks,

Allison

Hello all!!!
Wow am I ever glad I found this forum website. My name is Sharon and I 'm a newbie lo carber and a recent re-introduction to exercising, weight training. Ages ago I used to work out 5-6 days a week with a variety of activities and of course, fell off the bandwagon, once nursing school and work got to be too time consuming. Mistake. Needless to say, many pounds heavier and years later I've finally gotten myself back into the swing of things. The one thing I've discovered is that I forgot how much fun working out can be. I love the feeling you get after a great session and I love seeing the subtle (but in my mind big) changes your body goes through when working out. Maybe it's because I'm older, or even wiser, but I feel more relaxed now with working out. I used to be so self conscious at the gym (being of course one of the heaviest there, all the time it seemed) but now I'm just proud of myself.. Too many years spent hating myself has really been non productive. I was an oncology nurse for 2.5 years (just left to work for the VNA) and spent many hours with women my age, and older who were dying from all sorts of gynecological cancers (mostly ovarian) and I guess the most valuable lesson I learned is that we have one life and one body and we deserve and owe it to ourselves to love it and respect it and treat it as best we can.


Currently my workout routine is this. About 5 days a week. I do 30-40 minutes of cardio to start (love the recumbent bike and the treadmill) then about 30 minutes of weight training. I use mostly free weights, for arms (I have no upper body strength, this I have discovered) and I do the leg press, the hamstring machine (it works each leg seperately so you can't cheat if you have a weaker leg!) and another machine that has you squat horzontally with weights. I had a few sessions with a personal trainer and he emphasizes stretching, stretching, stretching. I do ab work (my abs have gotten so weak!!) and lowerback exercises. I finish up with another 20 minutes of cardio after I've stretched. I vary my body parts for strength training. I do arms one night, legs the next and I always do abs. I'd love some suggestions from anyone, really, advice is a great thing.

wow, I just wrote a novella!!
I

My best wishes to everyone out there. Remember, when it gets tough, you are giving yourself a wonderful gift, the gift of better health!!!

Sharon

Hi Sharon,

I'm going to copy your notes on stretching into a new thread here. Incidentally, one of our mentors, Heather (liddle) is training towards being a nurse, and has an interest in oncology. There is also another new member who has (or had) breast cancer. She was talking about a specific drug, and asking if anyone here had knowledge or experience of it. Will try and find her post, if you are interested.

Andy

Hi Andy,

I'd love to chat with the people you talked about. Is Heather just plain old Heather as her handle??

Chat with you soon!!!

Sharon

Sharon,

This link will take you to the journal of the new member, asking about the drug Tomoxifin, and the one below it takes you to Heather's journal. In both cases, you may have to scroll back up to find the appropriate message a post or two back.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...3716#post253716


http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...1164#post261164

Best wishes,

Andy

Hi Allison. I am Gwen. I am really! new here. Just pokeing around when I get time.
I am also a walking freek! I love it! last year in January I started walking everyday that I could. usually 6 days a week and before I knew it I was up to 5 miles. I was 233 lbs. I lost 45 lbs. and I ate pretty good. It really! makes a difference. I am still walking every chance I get and when I can't go out I have th Leslie Sansone walking in place vidio's those are terrific!
Nothing beats fresh air though. I love walking by myself too cause i can listen to music which is a big! help. and It is my alone time where I can think,day dream and get myself all pumped up. Once you get used to it,you will get addicted. I also would like to join a gym one day. Goodluck.

I think walking is a great begining. If you can stick out doing any kind of exercise for at least 3 weeks then you will probably still be exercising in a year. Just remember not to over do it. I have found that I am a lot more likely to drop out of any kind of exercise program if I hurt myself or get too sore.

I just started up my exercise program this last month. I would have prefered to walk but I hate the cold so I bought the power 90 program. They try to sell you the supplements and all that but since I have lost 50 pounds with Atkins I wanted to stick with what was working so I am only doing the exercises.

I was so out of shape that I had to start out at only 4 reps or less of each set. I tried to do more and wound up hurt and having to wait another week to get started again. If it hadn't been for my daughter goading me on I don't think I would have restarted it.

What I like about it is that I alternate weights and cardio workout so that my muscles get a chance to rest. And since I also don't know how to use weights or machines its a great alternative for me. I am also more likely to do my workout if I don't have to go out anywhere special to do it. I had tried a gym several times and never went more than three times each try. It was just too much trouble, too time consuming and I hate seeing all those fit people when I am still so flabby and out of shape and lumpy.

Take care,

Allison,

Go to your gym at school and just look at the weight machines. The ones at the gym I go to all have self explanatory Pictures right on them. They tell you how to do them correctly and also have drawings of the front and back of a body with the muscles that are targeted shown in color.

People at gyms are usually very friendly and if you have questions about the machines, you can ask someone who is working out nearby. They are usually more than willing to help you. You can also make new friends this way. I find that when I am riding the recumbant bike there is often someone on the one beside me and if I strike up a conversation, they will chat for as long as we are both there. It makes the time really speed by, and it also can keep you moving at a nice pace.

Just start the weights at the lowest weight and do 2-3 sets of 10 reps. You will know if it is enough. If you use the same weight for several times and feel comfortable with it, then just add more weight. Remember that it may not hurt while you are doing it, but it could make you sore the next day. Just take it easy at first so that you don't get discouraged and quit.

Good luck and have fun.

Carol

Thanks for the replies. Since I wrote this six weeks ago, though, I've graduated from walking to doing HIIT on an elliptical and resistance training with Pilates.

Browsing through the older posts, I have found three excellent threads on walking, all started by Fern. If you're interested in walking for your workout, you should read these!

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...=&threadid=6645

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=16229

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...&threadid=19785

Allison