Exercise ideas for an obese person

margaretclare

I agree with all those who recommend aqua-aerobics. This is about the only kind of exercise that I can do, apart from - very short periods - using hand-held weights (1 kg dumbells). It's also possible to do stretches and push-ups against a wall.

Where I go there are ladies who'd make 2 of me weight-wise, and also at least a decade older. They all get in there and do 45 minutes of exercise. The rationale is that water both supports you and provides resistance. You can exercise by just walking round in the pool.

You mention snacking. This is the very devil, and a habit which has only appeared in the last 20 years or so. Those of us who grew up in a time of rationing did NOT have the habit of snacking, also we had few sweets.

kwmlondon

Look at your daily routine. Do you drive? If so, park a bit further from where you need to be and have a 5 minute walk to and from your destination - just going to the other end of the car park will be a good start! Do you take lifts at all? Get off one floor early and walk up a flight of stairs.

This is a start, a way to begin moving more and getting used to it.

Good luck!

lindens

Thanks everyone for all the replies - it's nice to know there are others in the same place as me.

I already do the supermarket car park thing where I park as far away from the doors as possible. I have found sitting down zumba on youtube, so I have got some of those which last 30 mins or 1 hour if I repeat, I did that last night and tonight, that's doable 5 days a week for starters. I am moving jobs to the other side of the city soon and there is an Olympic pool 2 minutes away from work with really long opening hours - I am determined to try and go 2 mornings before work. swimming is the only exercise I really enjoy to be honest, I'm not very good just breast stroke I'm afraid but I don't have bad knees ( as mentioned above) so I will go for that.
You have all made me determined that even 10 mins exercise is better than none so I will stop procrastinating and just do it!

lindens

GDVS wrote: »

I'm down from around 32 stone to around 23 this year and in January I got out of breath walking around the supermarket. Start slow, try and walk 30 minutes. Once you can do that up the speed, once you're walking as fast as you can add inclines. Once you can do 30 minutes at your max walking pace on inclines it's time to start running, took about 5 months for me to get to the point of starting C25k but I'm now able to run 15 minutes solid and close to the point of completing the final week 5 workout (20 minute run).

Don't stop, don't give up, and don't push too hard too soon but don't let it ever get easy.

That's amazing! very well done and keep it up. What an inspiration!

Its a bit hilly in my immediate area but there's nothing wrong in going 1/2 a mile in the car to a flat bit until I can manage that with no trouble, and then try the incline as you suggest.

lindens

tibawo wrote: »

When we break up for the hols this Friday I have set myself a challenge to lose one stone in the hols. I know I have a lt more to lose but have such a big mountain to climb I think I would fail otherwise.
I noticed how unfit I was was I tried to play wing at netball the other week. After two centre passes I'd had it and still had 12 mins before end of quarter. I was embarrassed to say the least.
I intend to start small and walk to town and/or park. Both have an incline but about tens mins each way. See how I am the first week and then go from there.

Good luck with your challenge and Fosterdog too-we will have to spur each other on!

ceecee1

I've been following Leslie Sansome's walking at home programme. There are loads on youtube but this is the first for a mile in 15 minutes. Easy to follow and not too arduous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df2gn6-w0dE

mr97

I second the "Leslie Sansome" walking dvds. When you a carrying a lot of weight, gentle regular exercise will burn a tremendous amount of calories. Easy does but do it! You will naturally want to up the effort as you lose weight and gain fitness. Good luck.
PS this isn't my opinion, its my experience as I started-out using the L Sansone, walking dvds when I weight over 30st.

kwmlondon

lindens wrote: »

Thanks everyone for all the replies - it's nice to know there are others in the same place as me.

I already do the supermarket car park thing where I park as far away from the doors as possible. I have found sitting down zumba on youtube, so I have got some of those which last 30 mins or 1 hour if I repeat, I did that last night and tonight, that's doable 5 days a week for starters. I am moving jobs to the other side of the city soon and there is an Olympic pool 2 minutes away from work with really long opening hours - I am determined to try and go 2 mornings before work. swimming is the only exercise I really enjoy to be honest, I'm not very good just breast stroke I'm afraid but I don't have bad knees ( as mentioned above) so I will go for that.
You have all made me determined that even 10 mins exercise is better than none so I will stop procrastinating and just do it!

Just remember this - now matter how bad you're feeling about yourself, how low, if you do even a 10 minute exercise you can't put yourself down about that. You've done it. I find that when I'm feeling low I can somehow rubbish all my own achievements to myself and feel like a failure, but when I've done some exercise I can go "yes, I did that - I covered xxx distance or did xx minutes - I've achieved something" and I feel better.

Start with 10 minute sections and then try to do 2 x 8 minute exercises with a 5 minute break between. Get used to it and the next week up it to 2 x 10 minute bursts.

It's all about being gentle but progressing bit by bit.

Good luck!

tesuhoha

Try having a look at the 5:2 thread on here. This way of eating helps you to adjust your appetite and cut down on snacking. Just have a read and see what you think.

Jennifer_Jane

Came to this thread a bit late, but I would also recommend the swimming, and in my pool we have some huge, lovely ladies. I have had knee problems (dislocated at a rugby dance when I was 21 and its now arthritic. I only do breast stroke and I find it helps my knees, but I also know that doctors would not agree). The pool is also quite social, surprisingly, and we do talk to each other.

I'm another one who would recommend the 5:2 diet and have been following the thread on this board. It's the diet that Dr Michael Mosley went on, and is now on holding his weight - he did a Horizon programme on it, and on the thread are links to the 5:2 website, where there is a calculator to count what your totally calorie intake should be (mine is just over 1200 calories). The diet then should be a quarter of that on two days a week. But most people just do 500 calories for women and 600 for men. I have and have lost weight, even though I don't have that much to lose: just want to get down to what doc has asked me to.

Also, if you have very little self-discipline (if I buy a cake I will eat the whole lot, and I'm not talking fairy cake here), what I do is try to go as little as possible to the supermarket. If I am drooling over something in the supermarket, I talk to myself to say that I wouldn't be tempted if I hadn't chanced to go in the supermarket at that time, and I never buy anything 'naughty' unless it's on special offer and really cheap. I have a very, very thin sister, and was surprised when she told me that she looks longingly at these things, but walks on by. She says she never brings anything that's bad for her into the house.