exercise
May 26, 2011 10:48 PM Subscribe
Overweight and out of shape, looking for something that's an intense full body workout that isn't injury prone
I actually am having some issues with fatigue, so it's tough to get going, and am in the worst shape and weight in about ten+ years, I really need to do something to get back in shape. I tend to get bored easily, what are some ideas? Being out of shape I seem prone to injury, and want to avoid that, since I'd have to take time out to heal.
I actually am having some issues with fatigue, so it's tough to get going, and am in the worst shape and weight in about ten+ years, I really need to do something to get back in shape. I tend to get bored easily, what are some ideas? Being out of shape I seem prone to injury, and want to avoid that, since I'd have to take time out to heal.
I hear water aerobics/dance can be a LOT of work but is easy on the body.
posted by small_ruminant at 10:58 PM on May 26, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by small_ruminant at 10:58 PM on May 26, 2011 [5 favorites]
Walking is a great way to start getting some stamina and lung capacity. Obviously the more vigorous the better, but you don't have to really push it. Start with a brisk walk and concentrate on keeping your breathing in pace with your steps: Inhale for four paces, exhale for four paces, repeat. If you feel comfortable, then every few minutes, interrupt your walk with some muscle exercises: a few pushups (from the knees if regular ones are too difficult), or a few squats.
Don't overwhelm yourself; in fact, I'm going to stop here because you just need the first steps for now.
posted by holterbarbour at 11:00 PM on May 26, 2011
Don't overwhelm yourself; in fact, I'm going to stop here because you just need the first steps for now.
posted by holterbarbour at 11:00 PM on May 26, 2011
Walking, for reals. Start with 30 min every day for a week. As you feel your fitness increase (and you will!), increase the time and pace.
posted by emd3737 at 11:09 PM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by emd3737 at 11:09 PM on May 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
n'thing walking- get some good music and walk somewhere with interesting scenery to fight boredom. Some people will tell you that "walking is not working out", but it CAN help you lose weight and get in better shape! so don't listen to those people.
Swimming is great. And it's hard to get injured on an elliptical machine (unless there's something I don't know about). Actually a lot of the different cardio machines at the gym are pretty low-risk in terms of injuries., i would think, since you are standing or sitting in place and can adjust speed and level.
How about a dance class? Slight more risk of injury perhaps but they can be more interesting that monotonous excercises.
posted by bearette at 11:16 PM on May 26, 2011
Swimming is great. And it's hard to get injured on an elliptical machine (unless there's something I don't know about). Actually a lot of the different cardio machines at the gym are pretty low-risk in terms of injuries., i would think, since you are standing or sitting in place and can adjust speed and level.
How about a dance class? Slight more risk of injury perhaps but they can be more interesting that monotonous excercises.
posted by bearette at 11:16 PM on May 26, 2011
I'm currently so fat I can't walk more than 50 metres without hurting my already-damaged Achilles tendons. Luckily the switch in my head has finally flipped back to "lose!" instead of "meh!", which has made it possible to commit seriously to treating sugars, grains and potatoes as non-foods; I'm 6kg less fat than I was two weeks ago and can once again get my own socks on without needing to sit down.
For the last month or so I've been spending half an hour every other day working up a sweat on an exercise bike. Watching stuff downloaded from ABC iView as I pedal deals with the boredom factor, and it's been making my tendons feel better too.
Once the tendons are a bit better I'll get back into swimming (kicking against the water currently hurts too much) and 5BX. In six months I expect to be down another 25kg and no longer likely to snap spokes every time I sit on my real bike, and I'll start using that instead of the car to the greatest extent practicable. That's what I did twenty years ago, which was the last time I dropped 60kg. It worked.
posted by flabdablet at 11:17 PM on May 26, 2011
For the last month or so I've been spending half an hour every other day working up a sweat on an exercise bike. Watching stuff downloaded from ABC iView as I pedal deals with the boredom factor, and it's been making my tendons feel better too.
Once the tendons are a bit better I'll get back into swimming (kicking against the water currently hurts too much) and 5BX. In six months I expect to be down another 25kg and no longer likely to snap spokes every time I sit on my real bike, and I'll start using that instead of the car to the greatest extent practicable. That's what I did twenty years ago, which was the last time I dropped 60kg. It worked.
posted by flabdablet at 11:17 PM on May 26, 2011
In addition to the walks other people are suggesting, little things during your day can help too. For example, walk to the post office, taking the stairs, pretending your dictionary is a barbell, dancing around while you vacuum/mop, etc. If you are easily anxious or nervous, pace around!
It also helps to tackle this from a nutritional point of view too. Restrict excessive fats, sugars, sodium. Switch out sodas with water, juice, or milk. Eat more fruits and veggies.
posted by astapasta24 at 11:26 PM on May 26, 2011
It also helps to tackle this from a nutritional point of view too. Restrict excessive fats, sugars, sodium. Switch out sodas with water, juice, or milk. Eat more fruits and veggies.
posted by astapasta24 at 11:26 PM on May 26, 2011
Swim swim swim. You won't harm yourself, (unless you're not careful and slip and fall) and you'll work every muscle. Start with basic aquatic aerobics, take a class, or watch some videos and do it yourself. You'll see a huge difference quickly.
Or walk, yes. I love going for my walks, especially now that it's warming up here in the Midwest. A brisk, 45 minute or hour walk every morning or evening will aid you in your weight loss journey. Most importantly, do something you enjoy. Monotonous indoor cardio will drive you nuts and you'll give up. Good luck and stay positive, so many people are in the same boat!
posted by JeSuisLibre at 11:33 PM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
Or walk, yes. I love going for my walks, especially now that it's warming up here in the Midwest. A brisk, 45 minute or hour walk every morning or evening will aid you in your weight loss journey. Most importantly, do something you enjoy. Monotonous indoor cardio will drive you nuts and you'll give up. Good luck and stay positive, so many people are in the same boat!
posted by JeSuisLibre at 11:33 PM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
holterbarbour: "If you feel comfortable, then every few minutes, interrupt your walk with some muscle exercises: a few pushups (from the knees if regular ones are too difficult), or a few squats. "
I'm confused. I picture a guy walking down the street and stopping to do pushups in the road. Perhaps following up the walk with the pushups would be a better idea?
posted by IndigoRain at 11:41 PM on May 26, 2011
I'm confused. I picture a guy walking down the street and stopping to do pushups in the road. Perhaps following up the walk with the pushups would be a better idea?
posted by IndigoRain at 11:41 PM on May 26, 2011
I highly suggest you read The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. It starts out with a lot of tips and advice for motivating yourself to change your lifestyle. Then he gives his techniques for weight loss, lifting, training, etc. Even if you don't try his diet or other techniques, I'd say the beginning couple of chapters make it worth it.
I find road biking to be a great way to lose weight as well. That is, if you can afford one. It's great exercise as well as a lot of fun. Especially when you can get a lot of speed. I have a friend that is using it as an outlet to get in shape and he is loving every minute of it. Going long distance is also fun once you build up the endurance. It's a nice feeling knowing that you don't have to depend on a car all the time.
posted by mungaman at 11:52 PM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
I find road biking to be a great way to lose weight as well. That is, if you can afford one. It's great exercise as well as a lot of fun. Especially when you can get a lot of speed. I have a friend that is using it as an outlet to get in shape and he is loving every minute of it. Going long distance is also fun once you build up the endurance. It's a nice feeling knowing that you don't have to depend on a car all the time.
posted by mungaman at 11:52 PM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
A couple of people mentioned walking, but it is boring with a capital B. I'd suggest that you hike up mountains or hills near your location. And don't stop until you reach the summit. The reason why this works for me is that there is a definite goal to reach: the summit. Once you've mastered this, then you can plan for bigger goals e.g. Hike the appalachian trails.
posted by lahersedor at 12:42 AM on May 27, 2011
posted by lahersedor at 12:42 AM on May 27, 2011
@ IndigoRain Well, yes, that may look a little silly. But in the local park where I jog, I and plenty others do goofier looking stuff than that. If it's not an exercise-friendly park that OP's looking at, then OP could always just wait until they find an appropriate spot for pushups/squats. Or, as you suggest, hold off until the end of the walk. Personally, I like a little checklist of things to do when I exercise. Intervals work well with that.
posted by holterbarbour at 1:22 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by holterbarbour at 1:22 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
I actually am having some issues with fatigue, so it's tough to get going
I don't think intense full body workouts are what you need right now. You have to build a base level of fitness. Swimming is a great intense, full body workout that is low impact. But it is tiring and you will likely run out of gas before you get anywhere.
Start with walking. Do a couple laps in the pool. Get a bike and zoom around town.
Build up to jogging, swimming a mile, and biking trips.
The trick is making fitness a routine like eating and sleeping. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it regularly and enjoy it.
posted by munchingzombie at 2:30 AM on May 27, 2011
I don't think intense full body workouts are what you need right now. You have to build a base level of fitness. Swimming is a great intense, full body workout that is low impact. But it is tiring and you will likely run out of gas before you get anywhere.
Start with walking. Do a couple laps in the pool. Get a bike and zoom around town.
Build up to jogging, swimming a mile, and biking trips.
The trick is making fitness a routine like eating and sleeping. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it regularly and enjoy it.
posted by munchingzombie at 2:30 AM on May 27, 2011
I third, fourth, eighth, enthusiastically nth swimming for lots of reasons:
It's so. much. fun. to be in the water. You can go as slow or as fast as you like. You can glide like a porpoise or lay on your back and putter along like an otter.
It's non-weight-bearing, so if you're having trouble with your feet and knees (and lots of us fat folks do) this will make a world of difference.
You won't get hot and sweaty and miserable because, hey, you're in the water.
Because you need to be very aware of your breathing when you're swimming, you have a very keen sense of when you're working hard, or too hard, or not enough. When I started swimming (about 4 years and 50 lbs ago) I would swim one length crawl, then one length backstroke, til I figured out exactly the pace I would need to swim to keep doing the crawl. This meant a very, very slow pace, but it worked--worked great in fact--and was a hugely positive lesson in body awareness and acceptance of my abilities and limitations. This might be important for you too.
Swimming is also great, about awareness and acceptance, because you need to go out in public in your bathing suit, right? Right. If you are not comfortable walking around in a swimsuit, it's worth taking up swimming just for cultivating that comfort with your body and body image, in and of itself. People of every shape and size swim, you see bodies of all types at the pool, and yours is just one of the variations, no harm, no foul, just you.
Good luck!
posted by Sublimity at 4:34 AM on May 27, 2011
It's so. much. fun. to be in the water. You can go as slow or as fast as you like. You can glide like a porpoise or lay on your back and putter along like an otter.
It's non-weight-bearing, so if you're having trouble with your feet and knees (and lots of us fat folks do) this will make a world of difference.
You won't get hot and sweaty and miserable because, hey, you're in the water.
Because you need to be very aware of your breathing when you're swimming, you have a very keen sense of when you're working hard, or too hard, or not enough. When I started swimming (about 4 years and 50 lbs ago) I would swim one length crawl, then one length backstroke, til I figured out exactly the pace I would need to swim to keep doing the crawl. This meant a very, very slow pace, but it worked--worked great in fact--and was a hugely positive lesson in body awareness and acceptance of my abilities and limitations. This might be important for you too.
Swimming is also great, about awareness and acceptance, because you need to go out in public in your bathing suit, right? Right. If you are not comfortable walking around in a swimsuit, it's worth taking up swimming just for cultivating that comfort with your body and body image, in and of itself. People of every shape and size swim, you see bodies of all types at the pool, and yours is just one of the variations, no harm, no foul, just you.
Good luck!
posted by Sublimity at 4:34 AM on May 27, 2011
Boredom - listen to podcasts, ted talks, music, news.
posted by theora55 at 4:54 AM on May 27, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 4:54 AM on May 27, 2011 [2 favorites]
I really like Vinyasa yoga.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:04 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:04 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't want to diss walking, but if you get bored easily I'm not sure that it'll be the thing to light the fire.
Lift weights. There are hundreds of different ways to do it, lots of interesting sub-cultures, good people. You never stop learning about your body, nutrition, different ways of approaching the same thing.
posted by unixrat at 6:06 AM on May 27, 2011
Lift weights. There are hundreds of different ways to do it, lots of interesting sub-cultures, good people. You never stop learning about your body, nutrition, different ways of approaching the same thing.
posted by unixrat at 6:06 AM on May 27, 2011
This could have been my AskMe. Every exercise I've ever tried I was bored stupid and I couldn't keep it up. Except biking. You might think you're too fat or a bike is too expensive but I bought a $225 bike off bikesdirect.com that is great for me and I ride a few times a week. I have a long way to go but I've lost 25 lbs. and you have to be so alert (city riding) and there's so much going on around you, that it's just not boring at all. I was able to do 15 mile trips pretty quickly, ymmv, but the best part is you can literally go as slowly as you want to, but your inclination is to push yourself to go faster all the time, because it just feels more fun to go that fast. And so you gradually work harder, with no pounding of joints.
Don't think you're too huge to ride a bike, I was 295/6'4" had to walk my bike up some hills at first. I saw improvement really quickly though. PS I am 50yo. (And still 6'4")
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 6:12 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Don't think you're too huge to ride a bike, I was 295/6'4" had to walk my bike up some hills at first. I saw improvement really quickly though. PS I am 50yo. (And still 6'4")
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 6:12 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
I solved my boredom problem with walking by making it part of my commute. If it's too far to walk the whole way and you take a train or bus to/from work, get off one stop early. Build that up so that you're more and more comfortable with it.
Ditto if you're going to the library, the movies, etc.
If it's a habit, "just what you do", then it will be something you keep up.
FWIW, I'm also using HealthMonth to track my progress and remind me to meet my goals. There's a MetaFilter team
posted by Mad_Carew at 6:13 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Ditto if you're going to the library, the movies, etc.
If it's a habit, "just what you do", then it will be something you keep up.
FWIW, I'm also using HealthMonth to track my progress and remind me to meet my goals. There's a MetaFilter team
posted by Mad_Carew at 6:13 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Walking, water jogging/aerobics, exercise bike. 80-90% of weight loss is diet, so focus on that above all else. Cut out the sugars, cut out the grains, go easy on the fruit, watch the weight drop.
posted by Anonymous at 6:41 AM on May 27, 2011
posted by Anonymous at 6:41 AM on May 27, 2011
I'm confused. I picture a guy walking down the street and stopping to do pushups in the road.
As one of the goofier folks that holterbarbour mentions, after a run I usually do a block or so of alternating walking lunges and pushups. I do this on a decidedly non-excercise-y residential street in the middle of Philadelphia.
Putting some resistance/strength training right into the cardio routine is an excellent idea - keeps up your heart rate, believe me, and, you know, increases strength.
posted by Pax at 7:03 AM on May 27, 2011
As one of the goofier folks that holterbarbour mentions, after a run I usually do a block or so of alternating walking lunges and pushups. I do this on a decidedly non-excercise-y residential street in the middle of Philadelphia.
Putting some resistance/strength training right into the cardio routine is an excellent idea - keeps up your heart rate, believe me, and, you know, increases strength.
posted by Pax at 7:03 AM on May 27, 2011
Also, when I used to use the 2.5 miles each way walk to work as exercise, I went through a couple of books on CD (before iPODs, but you can do e-books) a week. Win-win!
posted by Pax at 7:05 AM on May 27, 2011
posted by Pax at 7:05 AM on May 27, 2011
meetup.com
just get out there and meeting people and going on walks.
maybe find a pickup Dodge Ball league in your area.
posted by zombieApoc at 7:24 AM on May 27, 2011
just get out there and meeting people and going on walks.
maybe find a pickup Dodge Ball league in your area.
posted by zombieApoc at 7:24 AM on May 27, 2011
How out of shape, how overweight? If either or both answers would be "very" then I agree that walking is the best start. Walking 45 minutes or so on a daily or almost daily basis will get you into pretty good shape and form the foundation for more intense workouts if you desire those later. Whatever you do the key to avoiding injury is to start slowly and don't push your progress too quickly. Pain is a signal. Muscle pain from mere fatigue is probably OK, probably just a sign of a good workout, but it should subside in a day or so. Pain in your joints is always a sign to back off and take things more slowly.
posted by caddis at 7:25 AM on May 27, 2011
posted by caddis at 7:25 AM on May 27, 2011
I agree with dancing! I have Just Dance 2 for my Wii, and it has three fitness settings (mild to intense). I love it.
posted by torisaur at 7:37 AM on May 27, 2011
posted by torisaur at 7:37 AM on May 27, 2011
n'thing walking and/or swimming as well.
When I started looking to get fit and loose weight, the first thing I did was start walking to work. Admittedly, not all the way at first, but just a few bus stops down, then half-way, then most of the way and eventually I could walk to work faster than the bus took because I could take short-cuts.
After I moved closer to work (10 mins walk instead of 40) I took up swimming and gradually built that up in reps of 10 lengths until I was able to do a kilometre or more a session.
While swimming, I was looking for another exercise to do as well and decided to take up running due to the ease of entry and ability to train whenever I liked. Using the c25k program as a guide, I built up to running a mile, then 2, then 3 and got to being able to run a Parkrun every weekend.
From there, I've joined a local running club, have 2 10km races under my belt and will be running 2 more over the next month as well as a 13km section of a relay race. In addition, I'll be running every day for the whole of June as part of the Juneathon challenge.
And all of that started from walking to work.
posted by DonnChadh at 8:48 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
When I started looking to get fit and loose weight, the first thing I did was start walking to work. Admittedly, not all the way at first, but just a few bus stops down, then half-way, then most of the way and eventually I could walk to work faster than the bus took because I could take short-cuts.
After I moved closer to work (10 mins walk instead of 40) I took up swimming and gradually built that up in reps of 10 lengths until I was able to do a kilometre or more a session.
While swimming, I was looking for another exercise to do as well and decided to take up running due to the ease of entry and ability to train whenever I liked. Using the c25k program as a guide, I built up to running a mile, then 2, then 3 and got to being able to run a Parkrun every weekend.
From there, I've joined a local running club, have 2 10km races under my belt and will be running 2 more over the next month as well as a 13km section of a relay race. In addition, I'll be running every day for the whole of June as part of the Juneathon challenge.
And all of that started from walking to work.
posted by DonnChadh at 8:48 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Walking is a great place to start, but after a while it stops being enough. Yoga is fantastic for toning, strength and flexibility, but offers no cardio.
After tons of research on exercise machines, my husband and I bought a used Concept2 rowing machine. We wanted something in our home, something that would give a full-body workout, and something that we could move and store easily. We've only had it about a month, but so far, we both really like it. To stave off boredom, I watch movies on the laptop, he listens to music.
posted by Specklet at 9:49 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
After tons of research on exercise machines, my husband and I bought a used Concept2 rowing machine. We wanted something in our home, something that would give a full-body workout, and something that we could move and store easily. We've only had it about a month, but so far, we both really like it. To stave off boredom, I watch movies on the laptop, he listens to music.
posted by Specklet at 9:49 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Any kind of aquatic exercise is going to be great for you. I have a horrible back and go to a therapy pool to exercise almost every day. They keep the water at 90 degrees, and have all kinds of equipment for you to use, like jogging belts, ankle weights, ankle floats, webbed gloves, foam dumbbells in different sizes, pool noodles, kickboards, resistance paddles, etc. I get a fantastic full-body workout that I could never get on land without incurring an injury. I have a lot of fatigue, too, and find it easy to keep going for a full hour--just something about the water keeps you going. And there are so many different things to do that you'll never get bored. And although I'm building a lot of strength, endurance, and flexibility, I never get sore in the same way that I do with land-based exercise--not sure why. Plus, it's a very social way to exercise, like a floating cocktail party.
posted by HotToddy at 10:45 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by HotToddy at 10:45 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Any activity is going to be a lot less boring if you can find a workout partner. I am a fan of weightlifting and walk/run (Couch to 5k is a good beginner's program for this).
posted by beepbeepboopboop at 10:52 AM on May 27, 2011
posted by beepbeepboopboop at 10:52 AM on May 27, 2011
Best answer: mungaman: "I find road biking to be a great way to lose weight as well. That is, if you can afford one."
If you're in or near a place with a used bike market (college towns and big cities are good bets), a good bike need not cost more than $100. Don't get sucked into the whole carbon-everything Dura-Ace rabbit hole, because it goes all the way down. Go to Craigslist with someone who knows about bikes, or go to a low-end local bike shop and just get anything that's still in good shape.
If you decide to take up bicycling, and I strongly recommend it for all the reasons discussed by previous answers, AskMeFi has lots of archived questions about buying used bikes, and the people at bikeforums.net will know even more. If weight is a concern, make sure you check out the "Clydesdales and Athenas" forum, which has lots of discussion of how to put really heavy people on bikes. (There are a few subtleties to watch out for, but the basic idea is that it's totally possible.)
posted by d. z. wang at 11:00 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you're in or near a place with a used bike market (college towns and big cities are good bets), a good bike need not cost more than $100. Don't get sucked into the whole carbon-everything Dura-Ace rabbit hole, because it goes all the way down. Go to Craigslist with someone who knows about bikes, or go to a low-end local bike shop and just get anything that's still in good shape.
If you decide to take up bicycling, and I strongly recommend it for all the reasons discussed by previous answers, AskMeFi has lots of archived questions about buying used bikes, and the people at bikeforums.net will know even more. If weight is a concern, make sure you check out the "Clydesdales and Athenas" forum, which has lots of discussion of how to put really heavy people on bikes. (There are a few subtleties to watch out for, but the basic idea is that it's totally possible.)
posted by d. z. wang at 11:00 AM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Lap swimming. A great workout with no pain. You'll probably get bored, I do, but it helps to play little games with yourself. How long can you go without breathing? Can you get a great beat when you're swimming? Can you think no thoughts and just use your body? Who has the best bathing suit? Who has had the most sex here?
Water aerobics is pretty fun if you like social exercise. Mostly frequented by older women who are very supportive.
posted by amodelcitizen at 12:40 PM on May 27, 2011
Water aerobics is pretty fun if you like social exercise. Mostly frequented by older women who are very supportive.
posted by amodelcitizen at 12:40 PM on May 27, 2011
Response by poster: Wow. A lot of answers!
I do already walk a fair amount (not at high speed), anywhere from 1-10 miles in a day, however I have gained weight anyway.
I think I'm going to have to up the intensity and find a way to workout in the evenings.
I've tried taking a capoeira class, I was the slowest, and worst in the class (the instructor was frustrated), but I lost three pounds. I had to drop out due to injury for a while.
posted by mbird at 12:47 PM on May 27, 2011
I do already walk a fair amount (not at high speed), anywhere from 1-10 miles in a day, however I have gained weight anyway.
I think I'm going to have to up the intensity and find a way to workout in the evenings.
I've tried taking a capoeira class, I was the slowest, and worst in the class (the instructor was frustrated), but I lost three pounds. I had to drop out due to injury for a while.
posted by mbird at 12:47 PM on May 27, 2011
Response by poster: I guess I'm looking for something fun that is easy to learn (I'm horribly uncoordinated, so capoeira is a challenge), that won't cause injury.
That class met once a week and it took a whole week to recover. I am not in good shape.
posted by mbird at 12:49 PM on May 27, 2011
That class met once a week and it took a whole week to recover. I am not in good shape.
posted by mbird at 12:49 PM on May 27, 2011
You can up the intensity of walking by wearing a weighted vest or carrying a backpack with some heavy books or water bottles. Of course, upping the speed work as well.
If your walking is spread out over hours of time (I'm guessing it might be work related?), and at a slow pace, you might not be getting aerobic exercise out of it. Plenty of people on their feet all day who gain weight in that situation. You're still healthier than if you hadn't been doing it though!
posted by yohko at 1:07 PM on May 27, 2011
If your walking is spread out over hours of time (I'm guessing it might be work related?), and at a slow pace, you might not be getting aerobic exercise out of it. Plenty of people on their feet all day who gain weight in that situation. You're still healthier than if you hadn't been doing it though!
posted by yohko at 1:07 PM on May 27, 2011
Best answer: Yoga will help you get coordinated, is easy, and reduces injury (just choose a type that's gentle) along with having a social component.
Other martial arts might be better for you: Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Ba Gua Zhang - those are considered "internal" arts that help to strengthen your body and ability to rely upon it.
nthing finding a social swimming or cycling group - those are terrific exercises to help jump-start through the fatigue stage and help you feel like you're accomplishing something without hurting yourself.
posted by batmonkey at 1:53 PM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Other martial arts might be better for you: Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Ba Gua Zhang - those are considered "internal" arts that help to strengthen your body and ability to rely upon it.
nthing finding a social swimming or cycling group - those are terrific exercises to help jump-start through the fatigue stage and help you feel like you're accomplishing something without hurting yourself.
posted by batmonkey at 1:53 PM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You're looking for an intense, full body workout? You want CrossFit. You get bored easily? You want CrossFit. Oh, you're uncoordinated and prone to injury? You still want CrossFit, but you have to be careful.
CrossFit is high-intensity, constantly varied, functional movement. The "high intensity" part is what gives CrossFit it's kick. Just about every workout is timed (either max work in a given time, or shortest time for a set amount of work) to goad you to "do more, faster." "Functional" means moving heavy loads long distances - exercises like presses, squats and deadlifts (no dumbbell curls, no "shaping and toning"). It also means the work you do in the gym should translate into actual performance in the real world - usable strength, not show muscles. And "constantly varied" is just what it sounds like - a different workout every day. *This* is the secret sauce that makes CrossFit so addictive. There's always something new to learn.
The beauty of CrossFit is that everything is scalable. And you, in particular, should be scaling the intensity to something manageable so as not to injure yourself. Shop around for a box with a long "on ramp" or "Lite" or "elements" program. Some boxes are a lot better about this than others. My parents (in their 70s) are doing CrossFit and loving it.
If you're really out of shape, then anything suggested here is going to work for you - if you do it. But most of it - long, slow distance; weight lifting - is dull, dull, dull. At least I find it so. I've been lifting weights off and on (mostly off) for 20 years, and running (or jogging) for 30 but I could never stick with a program for more than a month or two. I'd quit out of boredom.
CrossFit is the first thing I've found that makes me eager to work out. I love it. In almost two years of working out 5-6 times a week, I've only missed a handful of workouts, usually due to travel.
posted by zanni at 6:16 PM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
CrossFit is high-intensity, constantly varied, functional movement. The "high intensity" part is what gives CrossFit it's kick. Just about every workout is timed (either max work in a given time, or shortest time for a set amount of work) to goad you to "do more, faster." "Functional" means moving heavy loads long distances - exercises like presses, squats and deadlifts (no dumbbell curls, no "shaping and toning"). It also means the work you do in the gym should translate into actual performance in the real world - usable strength, not show muscles. And "constantly varied" is just what it sounds like - a different workout every day. *This* is the secret sauce that makes CrossFit so addictive. There's always something new to learn.
The beauty of CrossFit is that everything is scalable. And you, in particular, should be scaling the intensity to something manageable so as not to injure yourself. Shop around for a box with a long "on ramp" or "Lite" or "elements" program. Some boxes are a lot better about this than others. My parents (in their 70s) are doing CrossFit and loving it.
If you're really out of shape, then anything suggested here is going to work for you - if you do it. But most of it - long, slow distance; weight lifting - is dull, dull, dull. At least I find it so. I've been lifting weights off and on (mostly off) for 20 years, and running (or jogging) for 30 but I could never stick with a program for more than a month or two. I'd quit out of boredom.
CrossFit is the first thing I've found that makes me eager to work out. I love it. In almost two years of working out 5-6 times a week, I've only missed a handful of workouts, usually due to travel.
posted by zanni at 6:16 PM on May 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh my God, oh my God, you do NOT want Crossfit. Crossfit is a horrifically loosely regulated fitness program where anyone who pays $1000 and passes a little test can open up a gym and are encouraged to teach people to use complex barbell lifts at high weights really really fast with little prior training or mobility work for the trainee. Crossfit is notorious for the number of injuries it produces due to the lack of knowledge on part of trainers and their method of working out--throwing around barbells erratically with little knowledge of form and dismissing bad form as a product of "intensity" (i.e. if your form is good, it means you're not working hard enough). If you're prone to injury, it's basically the worst idea in the world.
Crossfit sells itself based on the strong community and pushing the idea that you're doing The Most! Intense! Fitness! Ever! and You Can Train Everything At Once, both are which blatant lies perpetuated to people who have no experience with actually strength and conditioning work. I have been heavily involved in the strength-and-conditioning community for years now, am going into physical therapy, and compete in Olympic weightlifting and strongman, so I'm not just talking out of my ass here. It makes my blood boil to see someone who labels themselves "injury prone" to be recommended to a program like this one, when what you really need is a slow ramp-up and probably some mobility assessment to figure out why you keep injuring yourself.
There ARE good Crossfit gyms, but the catch-22 is you generally have to be already knowledgeable in fitness and lifting to know where a good one is.
This thread has some recommendations on what to look for in a Crossfit gym if you're looking for one. Here's my answer.
If you're walking 1-10 miles a day and have gained weight, then something is wrong with your diet and no workout program in the world is going to be able to fix that. You can't outwork a bad diet--working out burns so few calories in relation to the number of calories that it's possible to take in that you're better off getting your diet under control first.
posted by Anonymous at 7:44 PM on May 27, 2011
Crossfit sells itself based on the strong community and pushing the idea that you're doing The Most! Intense! Fitness! Ever! and You Can Train Everything At Once, both are which blatant lies perpetuated to people who have no experience with actually strength and conditioning work. I have been heavily involved in the strength-and-conditioning community for years now, am going into physical therapy, and compete in Olympic weightlifting and strongman, so I'm not just talking out of my ass here. It makes my blood boil to see someone who labels themselves "injury prone" to be recommended to a program like this one, when what you really need is a slow ramp-up and probably some mobility assessment to figure out why you keep injuring yourself.
There ARE good Crossfit gyms, but the catch-22 is you generally have to be already knowledgeable in fitness and lifting to know where a good one is.
This thread has some recommendations on what to look for in a Crossfit gym if you're looking for one. Here's my answer.
If you're walking 1-10 miles a day and have gained weight, then something is wrong with your diet and no workout program in the world is going to be able to fix that. You can't outwork a bad diet--working out burns so few calories in relation to the number of calories that it's possible to take in that you're better off getting your diet under control first.
posted by Anonymous at 7:44 PM on May 27, 2011
I am not a trainer of any sort so I can only say what's worked for me, but you sound somewhat similar to me a few years ago. I have done boxing, crossfit, krav maga, and jiu-jitsu and I have to say crossfit was the most dangerous out of these (partially due to my limited flexibility and clumsiness, partially due to bad instructors who just didn't get the fact that I don't bend like they do). i wouldn't recommend any of these to somebody just getting their lungs in shape (maybe light cardio boxing). Like you, I tried capoeira a few times before noticing a lot of the moves put a lot of G's on your wrists and joints. I then noticed the instructor had to tape the hell out of his knees and wrists before every class and walked with a painful looking gait when he wasn't taped together. I stopped going after noticing that all my joints were similarly painful after class. If you have good coordination, natural flexibility, and joints in fine shape, almost any sport will be ok with a bit of training, but otherwise I'd be cautious at first.
If you are clumsy, you probably DON'T want high intensity stuff at first. I take a while to learn new movements and I hold back on intensity because I know my form will fail if I don't have the movement down cold already, and I don't want to take six months off because somebody wants me to "give 110%". Some people can instantly copy movements by watching them but that isn't me.
Start with walking and biking, move onto challenging hikes and bike climbs, do swimming, and perhaps yoga for core strength and balance development. Doing high impact/intensity stuff without strengthening your muscles, gaining flexibility, and improving your bone density (which takes months) will result in injury. There are ways to make all of the above "boring" exercises interesting (urban dicewalks, bike tours, etc.).
Once you feel that you have your balance and cardiovascular fitness up to snuff, then I would start looking at other more challenging exercises.
posted by benzenedream at 2:12 AM on May 28, 2011
If you are clumsy, you probably DON'T want high intensity stuff at first. I take a while to learn new movements and I hold back on intensity because I know my form will fail if I don't have the movement down cold already, and I don't want to take six months off because somebody wants me to "give 110%". Some people can instantly copy movements by watching them but that isn't me.
Start with walking and biking, move onto challenging hikes and bike climbs, do swimming, and perhaps yoga for core strength and balance development. Doing high impact/intensity stuff without strengthening your muscles, gaining flexibility, and improving your bone density (which takes months) will result in injury. There are ways to make all of the above "boring" exercises interesting (urban dicewalks, bike tours, etc.).
Once you feel that you have your balance and cardiovascular fitness up to snuff, then I would start looking at other more challenging exercises.
posted by benzenedream at 2:12 AM on May 28, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
Good luck.
posted by herrtodd at 10:52 PM on May 26, 2011 [2 favorites]