Seriously unfit - your help please!

greenbee

Find a pilates class to build up your core strength, which will then allow you to develop your fitness. Given that you have had back surgery, this will help protect your investment!

DomRavioli

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

Start walking.

Buy yourself a Fitbit or similar and get your steps in. You can even make a track through your house and/or garden for the times you can't get out. Just about everyone I know has a walking circuit through their house!

Three weeks of hitting 10K steps a day (which is pretty easy for most) and you'll start feeling really good.

It will also help you balance your calories.

I'm up to around 3000 steps a day, and trying to increase by 500 a week. I was laid up for around 7 months without being able to go anywhere apart from the bathroom or to get a drink, on full bed rest.

DomRavioli

greenbee wrote: »

Find a pilates class to build up your core strength, which will then allow you to develop your fitness. Given that you have had back surgery, this will help protect your investment!

I always had the idea that pilates was bad for backs - I guess I was completely wrong! Thank you for the reply and I will have a look to see if there are any local ones.

tiger_eyes

DomRavioli wrote: »

I hadn't considered it to be honest, we have the room as well. I will have to have a look, is there anything I need to look for (I've never done this before)?

I don't think there's anything in particular. I bought a basic, cheap model from Argos that came in a self-assembly pack. It did the job fine and I put a ton of miles on it. The only drawback was that the maximum resistance wasn't very high since I had to physically set the tension by hand during assembly - I have a more expensive model now with much higher resistance settings. But you probably won't need high resistance.

Angry_Bear wrote: »

Back when I was seriously unfit, I started off with the Wii fit (I'm not sure how it compares to a Wii U Fit) and I used to spend about 45 minutes stepping on and off the balance board.
You may notice that 45 minutes is about the length of one episode of a typical box-set type TV program when seen without the adverts .

If the program was really good and I wanted to watch another one, then I had to step for the next 45 minutes

The grumpy bear speaks the truth. A really good television series is the perfect entertainment during steady-paced exercise and entices you to get back on the bike every day.

DomRavioli

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

I'm preaching to the converted - well done!

I remember thinking 1000 steps was a major milestone after my (less than yours) back injury and you're way ahead of me! :T

I've been doing it for a couple of weeks now, and it is literally killing me! I feel like I've run a marathon every day, everything is so exhausting at the moment. The surgery had major complications so what should have been a 6 week recovery turned into 7 months of bed rest.

I am super grateful for your reply, nice to know I'm doing the right thing - i've always been pretty fit and this has just knocked me for six. Thank you for the encouragement, it really does mean a lot to me on this massive journey

Ballard

DomRavioli wrote: »

I always had the idea that pilates was bad for backs - I guess I was completely wrong! Thank you for the reply and I will have a look to see if there are any local ones.

A couple of doctors advised me to take up Pilates to help my dodgy back and it's fantastic. I've been doing it for a few years now and it really helps. My back isn't perfect and never will be but it's far better than it was.

A good teacher will speak to you about your issues before you start and before each class. Once you've got the hang of it you would be able to do some at home between classes if you have the motivation.

shannonhill

Since, high intense exercise is out of the question, I'd suggest simple walking and swimming. Swimming is a LOT of exercise, but since you're in water, it doesn't affect the body detrimentally in any way.

Like Saveallmymoney said above, why don't you get a dog and just start walking?

DomRavioli

shannonhill wrote: »

Since, high intense exercise is out of the question, I'd suggest simple walking and swimming. Swimming is a LOT of exercise, but since you're in water, it doesn't affect the body detrimentally in any way.

Like Saveallmymoney said above, why don't you get a dog and just start walking?

As previously stated, I cannot get to the pool (can't drive due to being legally partially sighted so no licence, and can't use public transport for the same reason - can't see where to get off), and nobody to take me due to work and family commitments. I have a full gym membership sat there and I can't use it.

And I'm very very allergic to pet dander, especially dog and cat, so this is completely out of the question.

I wanted an alternative to walking (as it is becoming more of a frustration, not a pleasure because I am still constantly out of breath and very unfit, to the point where walking two houses down leaves me a little bit dizzy). But thanks for your input I guess.

moneyistooshorttomention

Whew! That's bad - the two houses and dizziness.

You say you have a large garden. How large is it? Say 160' length walked up and down a few times within the safety of your own home would be a start - 320' walked to go both ways (with a garden bench halfway for a rest if need be). Then gradually increase how many times you do that "walking up and down".

I've only got a small garden - but if I did a walk "up and down" I could make up 160' in total. 10 times of "walk up and down" and I'd have got to 1600' feet walked.

So - 5,280 feet in a mile. That would mean a garden of 160' in length would need to be walked up and back again about 17 times (with the 17th time just going as far as the bench halfway up the garden length) to make up a mile. In my garden I'd have to walk up and down 33 times to get to a mile in total for instance. When you've got to walking a mile by going up and down your garden the requisite number of times - then you could graduate to a "walk round the block" in the immediate neighbourhood. If there's a nearby bus-stop and somewhere attractive with a coffeeshop nearby - then catch a bus to there and do a "walk round the block" with a cup of coffee en route at that coffeeshop perhaps.

When your fitness has gone up a bit - then maybe add in a bit of running on the spot slowly and so on.

greenbee

DomRavioli wrote: »

I always had the idea that pilates was bad for backs - I guess I was completely wrong! Thank you for the reply and I will have a look to see if there are any local ones.

I've got a couple of slipped discs which I've had for a couple of decades now. Pilates is the key to my mobility and strength. You have to start with the basics, and if you have a break, go back to them. I started again 2.5 years ago after a three year break from all exercise/fitness due to other health issues and was very frustrated by going back to beginners exercises but am now able to do things I've never done before. It helps with the breathing too.

Keep persevering with the walking. It's going to take time, and you can't risk overdoing it. I would also ask your gym whether they would suspend your membership on medical grounds till you are fit enough to walk there. Mine actually refunded me for the period before I realised I could ask this.

Do you know anyone else local to you who uses your gym and could give you a lift occasionally. Even a weekly session in the pool (not swimming to begin its, just using it for hydrotherapy to help you get mobile) would help. And maybe it would help with the frustration and boredom too. I remember what that was like!