This body doesn't do exercise

I used to love to exercise when I was smaller: played basketball, loved bicycling, hiking, swimming, etc.

Now(confession )I take the car around the corner at the apartment complex to get the mail. The doctor says walking, swimming, and water aerobics are all a good way to go. And they all sound like fun, but I just cannot seem to get going. Every once in a while I get the urge to take a brief walk--especially if I drive out of the city to the mountains around here--but once is enough, and then I find that 2 months later I've not done another thing that is really exercise

Any suggestions or words of encouragement--I don't want to wake up one day and find I'm a permanent couch potato

Is there any chance of finding an excersize buddy where you live? I have found that the only thing that keeps me going when I dont feel like it is my buddy.

I have been looking for one here, I might put an ad in the local paper. I have been trying to think of other places to look too.

Holly

Have you considered video tapes? Before you buy them, you can rent them at the video store to see if it's for you or not.

Another idea is Yoga. You can do a clas one day a week and then do it everyday on your own. It's such a great workout (but not cardio). I like the Yoga for Buddah Bodies. It's just my speed!

Good Luck!

Thanks for the ideas.

I had an exercise buddy--but it seems that we both managed to get "too busy" at the same time. For some reason it does make it alot easier with someone else to push me on. I've suggested for a couple weeks now to my buddy that we go walking, but it never works out. Of course what do I do--turn on the silly TV rather than take the walk myself.

Hmmm-Yoga? I used to do a few poses as a routine once a day when I was a little smaller. I could probably still do most of them.

Exercise is always a challenge for me too. What helped me was NOT going to the gym or a Keep-fit class: two or 3 of those and I would come up with a reason why I couldn’t go next time and not only would the whole idea of exercise collapse but I would give myself a real hard time about it.

I started building it into my daily routine. 5min. immediately on waking up and building on it. Read all about it in my Exercise Journal (Gym logs). I think the Exercise logs are wonderful for focussing on what my very next step is going to be. My latest motivation is to set myself a daily MINIMUM for exercise ‘cos once I get started I actually enjoy it so much I can carry on.

Take Energetic care

Hi firespirit!

Hey, it's a lot better to do exercise voluntarily, rather than be forced into in like I am. *LOL* As part of my recovery from a herniated disk this summer, I am now using the employee's fitness centre ~ my office to strengthen my back & ab muscles.

I purposely do my workouts alone, because it would be too easy for me to "jam out" if my buddy wasn't there. This has been a problem in the past for me. To me, making the decision to exercise is similar to choosing to change your way of eating. As noted above, this decision was made for me Both are lifestyle changes that only you can control and be responsible for. I'd already lost 40 lbs b4 I started my workouts and that has made it easier.

Confession: There was no exercise program during my first 5 months of LC and first 40 lbs. I don't think my feet & joints could have stood the stress at 285. That's my excuse & I'm sticking to it! I told friends that I'd start exercising after I lost some weight, then the disk thing happened & my physiotherapist & Dr have got me going. I don't ever want to go back to the physical state I was in this summer, so I may *LOL* have a wee bit more motivation than most others to be faithful to my new regime.

Fiona has some great ideas. Read her journal and exercise log to find out some of the things she did (different, I think, but effective). I'm very fortunate in that every time I've joined the fitness centre, the regulars there are very encouraging (and I'm twice the size of most of them). Nobody puts me down for my size. So I'm very lucky.

Last minute thought: 2 yrs ago I tried to walk regularly, but wasn't successful until I decided to get my walks in as part of getting home from work. There is an excellent strip of shops (especially fresh, cheap produce) about 1 km from my home. Since I was using the bus to & from work, I'd just go shopping for veggies etc on my way home & was guaranteed a 1 km walk. Taking the bus home was optional but I could often get home faster walking than waiting for the bus.

Hope some of my ramblings help,

Ruth

Thanks Ruth,

I am trying! and I did start a "gym log" of my own. But I'm really finding it difficult to get the walking in. I only work 1 mile from my apartment. I used to walk at least 2 times a week to and from work, but lately.......

You do have a point about the buddy thing--It is fun when there is someone else there--But then it is so easy to just not "do" when the buddy isn't there.

This week I've had some problems with my back/neck which have made even wallking nearly impossible. I slept wrong about 3 days ago; and today I could barely turn my neck, or by end of day hold my head up. My mom is really into chiropractic care, and she thinks I need to see somebody about it. I keep hoping I'll just wake up doing better, and rubbing liniment and tea tree oil on my shoulders and neck. I have been doing some light stretching exercises, trying to stretch out the "kinks".

Feel free to check out my gym log to see if I'm making any progress. Thanks again for the words of encouragement and advice

Owwie!

A pain in the neck is a pain in the neck. (Please don't shoot me for that). I am a believer in chiropractic, however massage therapy could be even better. In my case, a sore neck is usually caused by tight muscles, especially if I've 'slept wrong'. Get thee to a registered massage therapist. When you're not feeling well you should go easy on yourself, don't expect to live up to your exercise goals as if you were well.

That's as close as I can get to giving you a neck rub.

Take care,

Ruth

Dear Firespirit,

What about some "insensible exercise" like thin people do? When I started out, I tried to get up and get my own stuff instead of asking the kids to get it. I parked a little farther away from the door of the store. I tried to just do a little more so I wouldn't get discouraged, and It paid off in more energy almost immediately. We overeaters can tend to be overdoers in other ways too. If you're carrying 50 to 100 pounds, you are already weightlifting! Just lift it aroud the house or the office a little more often. Nowadays, I'm taking the stairs and going out to the mailbox. I even go for a walk or a bike ride occasionally.

Good luck! Aiya

aiya,

thanks! I have been parking farther away from the door, etc. and have done a little more towards regular exercise since I posted this...doing some walking around my apt. complex. Once I get moving, I even seem to enjoy it....but it remains so hard just to get moving. And I know I need to move it more

Firespirit,
I have the same problem you do - motivating to just do it. I do enjoy myself most times once I'm doing it, but it's just the getting myself to get off my duff - and, I've been pretty much exhausted when I get home from work (been off the low-carb for awhile now, and my whole system's messed up again).

One thing I've decided to do is whenever I'm alone in the house (so as not to embarass myself if my husband or daughter sees ) is turning on some music I REALLY like and just jamming around, dancing, acting the fool. It's fun, gives me the giggles, and works up a sweat. I try to do this with housework (which I detest) too...blasting the music and making it a game. I like "15-minute pickup", which is basically setting the egg timer and running around like a madwoman to clean up as much as I can within 15 minutes. We do this as a family sometimes, and make it kind of a race.

Just another couple of ideas

Sh'ra

sh'ra

Welcome aboard...I've read a few of your posts and I'm glad you are here. Every once in a while I do the "music jam dance around like a nut" thing....but not often enough. I hate cleaning, so I might try the 15 min. thing. Sometimes when I know cleaning must be done, but I don't want to do it, I have what I call the 10 rule. I get up and must get 10 things accomplished before I land again on my tush to read, watch tv, computer, etc. Kinda silly, but it gets the work done.

I have been walking semi regularly...but I am really struggling to make it daily. I think I need a secret motivation potion

Hi... get some small weights....5 pounds, 10 pounds and get those muscles rebuilt....they use up more calories than fat.... I joined Curves and have noticed a huge difference.

I have those small weights already--3lb, 5 lb, and small ones w/little removable weights. I think I last used them about a year ago.

I guess I'm just going to have to stop being sooooo lazy, or maybe soooo busy....there are just a million and one things that I can do/need to do that always come before exercise in my noggin

I'm trying to make some committed decisions about my life, and I'm using this unexpected time off work to do a lot of thinking, praying, and planning. Exercise and better physical health is one of those decisions I must make.

Maybe I'll come out of this with more focus and determination--if I don't this weight is going to kill me

if you really want prayer, I can agree with you in prayer...something I love to do and often see wonderful results with the big guy in our camp.....