Scared To Exercise

[Shape_Shifter 83]

ok, i'm scared to exercise before i loose weight. several years ago i hired a personal trainer who came to my house a couple of days a week. i kept telling him my feet were hurting and he kept pushing me. long story....i aggrivated my plantar fasciatis so bad i ended up having surgery on both feet after over a year of severe pain in the mornings or after resting and being the dead weight on family outings (I use to be the one who was walking way ahead of everybody and them complaining they couldn't keep up).

that was 30+ lbs ago and now my feet are acting up and my knees bother me. I am scared to start any exercise program/walking, etc. until i loose 20-30 lbs and take the pressure off. i never want to go through that pain again and have a setback.

am i being unreasonable? did any of you wait?

i've often wondered on biggest loser how they do it. i know they dont show everything but ....

[notime 340]

I am not afraid of exercise but I have never had the bad experience you have. What about exercising in a pool if you have one available? Our city recreation centers offer several exercise classes. I do deep Water aerobics and there is absolutely no strain on the feet or legs. What about floor exercises and a routine at a gym designed not to put stress on your feet or legs?

My doctor has said the first months are the time when I can lose the most weight and after that the weight comes off harder and slower. Please try to find some activity that will work with your situation.

[Shape_Shifter 83]

I am not afraid of exercise but I have never had the bad experience you have. What about exercising in a pool if you have one available? Our city recreation centers offer several exercise classes. I do deep Water aerobics and there is absolutely no strain on the feet or legs. What about floor exercises and a routine at a gym designed not to put stress on your feet or legs?

My doctor has said the first months are the time when I can lose the most weight and after that the weight comes off harder and slower. Please try to find some activity that will work with your situation.

good to know. that makes me want to exercise. unfortunately with my hours "scheduled" exercise classes are not something I can do. I have a pool but in Maryland by the time I'm able to swim after surgery that will not be an option.

there's a 24hour gym but they always worry me but maybe I just need to do it. i think i will check it out on my day off.

[notime 340]

Sounds like a great idea! You can do this.

[mesaucedo 207]

I completely get where you are coming from. I have Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome, so I faint if my heart gets too revved up. It is really scary and in the past I wasn't even able to bike to/from classes.

I waited until I lost maybe 20 pounds and started out really slowly. Now I work out three - four times a week doing pretty intense stuff.

I think it is good to start out really slowly. Walking is an excellent exercise. What about arm exercises too?

I am sure once you get some more weight off it will be easier, but why wait?

My condition got so much better with regular walking just because my heart got used to it. And also less weight = less fainting goat syndrome

ok, i'm scared to exercise before i loose weight. several years ago i hired a personal trainer who came to my house a couple of days a week. i kept telling him my feet were hurting and he kept pushing me. long story....i aggrivated my plantar fasciatis so bad i ended up having surgery on both feet after over a year of severe pain in the mornings or after resting and being the dead weight on family outings (I use to be the one who was walking way ahead of everybody and them complaining they couldn't keep up).

that was 30+ lbs ago and now my feet are acting up and my knees bother me. I am scared to start any exercise program/walking, etc. until i loose 20-30 lbs and take the pressure off. i never want to go through that pain again and have a setback.

am i being unreasonable? did any of you wait?

i've often wondered on biggest loser how they do it. i know they dont show everything but ....

[Shape_Shifter 83]

"fainting goat"....too funny. glad you're doing well.

[deepoblue 1]

Have you tried a recumbent bike?

[Shape_Shifter 83]

no, i haven't tried any type of exercise in a gym due to my hours. i thought about starting with something like xbox (can't think of the name of the games that get you up and moving). Im very limited on my hours. im going to check out the 24 gym and see what they have to offer and security, etc.

[Lissa 2,631]

I started out walking up and down the hallway in my apartment and doing 10 reps with 2 pound weights for arm exercises. After a few days, I added in walking around the shorter end of my apartment building, then the longer end and adding a few reps at a time on the arm weights. At around 3 weeks out, I managed to walk around the lake in my apartment complex, about 1/4 mile. I slowly added distance and reps until I now go to the gym every day and do at least 30 minutes of cardio on either the elliptical or the recumbent bike. 3 days a week I do some kind of weight training as well, including one day where I lift weights on every machine in my gym (Planet Fitness).

I'm a firm believer in low weights, high reps, and my arms/legs are developing great definition, which tells me this is the right way for me to weight train.

You don't have to join a gym right away, so long as you start incorporating some kind of exercise into your routine and keep doing what you can, adding a little more as your ability to exercise increases. I was barely able to walk pre-surgery, had horrible health complications, and had no energy. Nowadays, I can keep up with almost anyone, can walk the length of the mall several times without feeling like I died, and my doc tells me that my new EKG is "the sexiest thing (he's) ever seen"!

I'll be 11 months post-op in a few days. I didn't join a gym until about a month and a half ago, although I did use the little mini-gym at my community center for several months for their recumbent bike and treadmill. Most of my exercise program has been done at home using 2, 5, and 8 pound weights and walking.

As for time, try adding in 5 or 10 minutes a day of exercise. Once you get used to that, add 5 more minutes. I don't care how busy you are, 5 or 10 minutes is easy to find. You're not going to work up a hard-core sweat in 5 or 10 minutes, so there's no real special preparation. Just do a few minutes a day. You'll soon find yourself adding time, a minute here, a minute there. It doesn't take a huge amount of time or a formal program to start making positive changes. You don't even have to/need to join a gym to start seeing results, both in your body and in your health. Once you start seeing those results, it's much easier to continue adding little bits of exercise to your daily routine.

Buy a cheap pedometer and use it daily with a goal of 5,000 steps each day. Add steps to that goal as the first goal gets easier. A cheap pedometer at Walmart is around $5 to $7, so not expensive.

The bonus of all these little bits of exercise is that it will make your post-op weight loss increase and it will help with your energy levels. It's as simple and as tough as "Just Do It". We're not looking to be triatheletes, especially not with the simple beginning exercise routine, but we can all get in better shape by doing just a little bit more today than we did yesterday! Doing the above has given me good muscle definition in my arms, legs, and stomach. I still have loose skin and some fat pockets (tummy), but I feel a thousand times better and the muscle is helping me drop sizes in clothes very quickly.

We can all find a reason not to exercise. I know I could find one every day if I wanted to do so. But, I find that I feel better and have more energy when I do something daily. Once I got that endorphin rush the first time from a good cardio workout, I wanted that same rush every day. It doesn't happen every day, but boy is it awesome on the days I manage to get it!!!

Good luck to both of you! I wish that endorphin rush on everyone who is just starting out! It's fantastic!!!

[Shape_Shifter 83]

Thanks. i will try harder to get in something.

[Nurseypoo 7]

I know what you mean. I have Multiple Sclerosis and anytime I get my body temp up I have symptoms occur. But I've found ways to accomadate. When its hot or humid I go to the pool at our gym and swim laps, or if I dont want to drive there I just do a workout in my home, either my kettleball workout videos, my Wii fit, my indoor exercise bike. Usually I do these early in am or pm when its cool. When it's cool out I go to the gym and use the cardio equipment.. I used to be scared to go there because I felt like ppl were watching me but this surgery has changed my way of thinking tremendously. I dont care what others think,I know Im trying. To sum it up you've gotta do what works for you. You don't have to go hogwild on a workout. Walk in place for 15 min while watching tv. Anything is better than nothing.

[New1 201]

Things do tend to slow down after the first couple of months. I started to exercise right around that slow down time and that has boosted my weight loss back up slightly. Someone else mentioned stationary biking. I have a cheap one that I bought from Walmart online several years ago and it still works great and even getting your heartrate up by 10-15 points for 20 minutes a day offers great benefits. Good luck!

[Territravel 217]

Swimming is a great exercise, and your feet and knees wont be strained. Once you loose 2-30lbs then you can start the weight bearing exercises!

[Finding MeMe 204]

Always listen to your body and try exercises that are friendly to your knees and feet. Biking, swimming and walking are good exercises. You can always use small hand wts to work your upper body while you walk also. I almost forgot you can do your own curcit training at home. Pushups, situps, lunges, small hand wts for upperbody, dips on the chair, etc. six or seven exercises will give you a good workout. Good luck to you.

[CBT 450]

there's a 24hour gym but they always worry me but maybe I just need to do it. i think i will check it out on my day off.

Maybe you want to start with a physical therapist?

life is a journey, not a destination; so, stop running -H.D. THEROUX