Exercise style

[Smug Puppies]

Last time I did LC successfully - and of course I'm trying to identify all the things I did right and duplicate them! - exercise was a huge part of my success.

I was a competitive swimmer in high school and college, and did a lot of weight lifting and running as well. I hurt my knee skiing not long before graduation - it's still a 'bad knee' - and became sedentary and started gaining weight.

It seems I have only two modes for exercise, either flat out, over-the-top intensity, or couch potato. While I was losing, I did weight training (free weights) 3x a week and HIIT cardio 3-4x a week (swimming, elliptical trainer or road biking, mostly). I also did yoga a couple times a week, and loved it.

I ended up with an injured rotator cuff from swimming and doing yoga (tabletop pose) too aggressively. It took six months physical therapy to get it back to a pain-free state.

So, now, many pounds and years later, I'm trying to get in gear again. Yes, my doc is supportive. I don't really want to join a gym, it's very intimidating for someone with ~100# to lose. I can walk and do yoga (more carefully) at home, but weight lifting and machine-based cardio options are out of my reach.

Any suggestions for jumping into an exercise program that will keep me focused and improve my metabolism, without requiring a gym or going over the top?

I really like the idea of the accountability thread you are doing here, that will be helpful. :)

Jeri

[laughingW]

Slow Burn home program would be one option.

Or, Sonnon's Flow Fit (bodyweight circuit). It's a series of 6 exercises that are cardio/strength/a little plyo, that you do for time. They take your body through all the kinds of motion (push, pull, sway, heave, surge, etc) and it's a lot of fun and infinitely challenging.

The cool thing about being 100 lbs over is that you have lots of resistance for the simple bodyweight moves. To keep from going over-the-top, just use a smaller range of motion or slow down the reps. You can do wall pushups, then back of couch, then coffee table, then floor. Same with dips. You can do ball squats first then full ones, then full and slow (ow ow ow!) I can do pull-ups by putting my legs on a fitness ball to remove most of the weight and then I have a true open chain pull up sort of.

As to gyms, there are rehab gyms that might be less intimidating? they have the best pools! (salt water and temperature and all that) Or, I have gone to the local community college gym program at 100 pounds overweight and never got any bad vibes from anyone.

[Smug Puppies]

Thanks for the great ideas! I'll take a look at those in the local bookstore.

I've been tempted to join Curves lately for access to their equipment - but that seems SO like admitting defeat. It's my own snobbery showing, I'm sure not superior to any other overweight middle aged woman out there that needs to get moving. It's just that having done serious weight training a few times in my life, I'd probably get quickly frustrated with their somewhat dilettante approach.

[Shadow]

Smug Puppies - By beginning exercise again, even if you join Curves, you are NOT admitting defeat :eek:! What you are doing is admitting that your health is now going to come first and you know what needs to be done - even if it's not up to what you used to do :). That's much different, ya know ;). To get back into it, you have got to start somewhere, after all.

As for exercise, about.com has several non-weight exercises that they demonstrate on their site. Things like lunges, pushups, tricep dips, etc that can all be done at home and use only your own body weight. As laughingW said, just take it slow and easy :).

Feel free to join us on the weekly M&S thread - we'll be happy to cheer you on :nod:!

[laughingW]

Thanks for the great ideas! I'll take a look at those in the local bookstore.

I've been tempted to join Curves lately for access to their equipment - but that seems SO like admitting defeat. It's my own snobbery showing, I'm sure not superior to any other overweight middle aged woman out there that needs to get moving. It's just that having done serious weight training a few times in my life, I'd probably get quickly frustrated with their somewhat dilettante approach.
I say, keep and celebrate your smugness! I too suspect that Curves is for people who don't want to know how or why it works.

If you want to stay smug and knowledgable and be in the top 10% athletically, what you can do even right now, is asses and acknowledge where you are. That automatically jumps you to the top.

So many people after coming off a layoff, start back at the last level they remember, not realizing how the bod has changed in the meantime.

I bet you come back fast! at least with the strength if not with the fat loss.

[gitfiddle]

Smug, I second what Shadow said. I'm not only working on the last hundred pounds (again) I'm OLD to boot! I joined a small gym populated by people who really work out. Half of them are over fifty, it seems, and there is a variety of body types and sizes. I was told our gym is better than Curves, which is a social club in this town.

That said, if you can be motivated to work regularly at home, why pay for gym fees? ;)

The Movers & Shakers thread helps with accountability. You would be very welcome.