Advice for a true beginner

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musicmom      

No one would believe I was once on the Cross Country team in high school. They would believe that I always came in last, though! :roll:

I just turned 40 this year and have really not exercised except in little spurts for the last 15 years. I did The Firm videos a little for awhile and another time took some aerobics/step classes, but other than that it has just been walking, if anything.

Since starting SBD 3 weeks ago, I've been walking more than I have for the last 2 years. I've just been trying to get out and DO IT on a semi-regular basis without any particular goals. I know that I need to focus in more on building a good habit of exercise and I think I need some guidance.

I am not interested in doing videos again -- don't really have a space for it. Walking is the best for me right now; I may be able to try jogging again (although I hate it!) when I drop some more weight. But I am especially interested in a set of easy routines with free weights or calisthenics -- anything to work on toning and building muscle. I also want to know how frequently that should be done and how frequently I should build up to walking. Any help appreciated![/u]

Wed May 23, 2007 4:02 am 

maltby_gardner      

Hi, I see you're located on the Olympic peninsula. I'm over near Redmond/Bothell/Woodinville.

Anyway, I was a total couch potato and did not even have the benefit of ever having been active in the past. Plus, I have a little over a decade on you, but I started walking on the same day I started SB. I walked every day, starting with 30 minutes and gradually building up. Now I am doing the Couch to 5K, which is a program for beginning runners, but I just walked for almost 3 months to build up to the point where I could actually jog for a whole minute.

I would recommend some body weight exercises to start with, i.e., crunches, push-ups, dips, squats and lunges. It's hard to recommend anything specific without knowing what level you're at now. But as an example, you could do 1 set of 10 or 12 or however many repetitions of each of the exercises that you can do for a week or two, then add a second set of each exercise, etc. I would do them every other day except for the crunches; you can do those every day if you like.

Wed May 23, 2007 5:22 am 

musicmom      

Well, hey there fellow Washingtonite! Actually, Maltby does sound familiar come to think of it....

Thanks for the advice. It is good to hear from someone who is not a lifetime-exerciser that it can be done! Weight loss has been good for me so far, but it is going to be slow and I feel like I need to integrate exercise to keep it going. Plus, I'm feeling more motivated than I have for years.

A couple questions of clarification:
What's the difference between a dip and a squat?
For a lunge, you mean just putting one foot out in front of you a ways, leaning forward, then changing feet, right?

Wed May 23, 2007 3:29 pm 

A-Rod      

http://beauty.expertvillage.com/videos/leg-exercises-basic-lunge.htm

http://beauty.expertvillage.com/videos/leg-exercises-basic-squat.htm

lunges and squats ... lots of other videos there for ideas.

Wed May 23, 2007 6:34 pm 

musicmom      

Oooo! Thanks, A-Rod! That is just about my speed. With a 2yo it's hard to think of getting to a gym or something on a regular basis, but watching a video and putting together a little set of exercises I can just do every couple of days is something feasible. I like this girls' simple, informative, straight-forward style. Thanks much!

Wed May 23, 2007 10:09 pm 

A-Rod      

if you're going to be working out at home, you can invest in a few small things like a resistance band or two, some hand weights, and a stability ball. for less then $50 you've got everything you need.

Thu May 24, 2007 4:58 pm 

Krismiss      

I started using the Get Ripped videos and love love love them! I started with 3lbs weight, now I use between 5 and 8 on most sets. It's easy to follow along, and she tells you how to modify them to suit you.

Congratulations on getting started!

Thu May 24, 2007 5:48 pm 

   
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