I have to admit that I've been avoiding exercise since I got the band, but my weight loss has stopped and I think I need to exercise. The problem is that I had a double bypass 13 years ago; I have a bad heart valve; I smoke like a steam engine; I have a stomach hernia from the heart surgery, and I take care of my 86 year old mother and 7 animals. When I get home from work (I have about 120 students this semester), I just want to lie down. Also I will be 60 this year. I figure I can walk around the neighborhood with 4 dogs following me, but I can't get up the steam to do it. Can any of you talk me into walking? It will take much persuasion, but I'm open to persuasion.

Bitteroldhag,

Ok here comes hopefully some helpful persuasion. Do you like living???? You might not like hearing this but you're not helping yourself. Give up the cigarettes, go to the doctor to get on a patch or something. My mother had 5 bypass Heart surgery and I forbid her to smoke when she came home. I know it was hard but she did it cold turkey no patch or nothing. Then we started doing walks around the block. My mom was about your age then and lived to be 82. So get off that couch and go walk the pooches. And remember you are not alone in this struggle.

I am the last person to tell anyone to quit smoking- i did a yr and a half ago after over 40 yrs only because i was told smoke or die after blood clots in the lungs. I hated to do any excersize also but what got me out everyday at least a few blocks was the difference in my 4 legged baby. Excersize is really important for any dog but as much as we walk for excersize we also walk for mental stimulation. He was just plain bored and getting out everyday even for a little while helped us both. Now we are walking just over a mile a day everyday except rain ( which he hates - I can barely get him out to pee!) or ice because my knees would not handle a fall very well and jake was never programed for stroll- we power walk. So think of doing it for the babies and you will be suprised after awhile how much you really enjoy it. There are many days after work when I just don't want to go but by the the i come home, I feel much better and less stressed. Also, what helped was I bought a recumbant excersize bike- the position you ride in- leaned back- is so much easier on bad knees and backs and the seat is b

ig enough!

Most people think exercise is too hard when the truth is most people are exercising too hard for their own physical ability.

I would first get clearance from your cardiologist to make sure you are okay.

The first few times I walked I would do so without your heathen animal friends. My three dogs can wreck my walk in no time flat. Before you walk them, walk yourself, LOL.

In order for walking to be aerobic, it means that you must be able to breathe (aerobic = with oxygen). If you walk too fast you get out of breath and you are now anaerobic. You should be breathing heavy but still able to answer questions or maybe say a sentence. If you can say more than a sentence, you aren't breathing hard enough.

It takes at least 12 minutes but sometimes as long as 20 minutes for your body to realize you mean business and actually turn on the fat burning process. For aerobic activity to count as fat burning, then you have to go for a minimum of 20 minutes. For every minute over 20 minutes you are in fat burning mode, baby!

If you stop for the dogs to pee, or to talk to a neighbor, it shuts the whole process off and you kinda have to start over. Therefore, aerobics has to be continuous to have the benefit you want. See? Being a bitteroldhag is GREAT for aerobics! You can ignore your neighbors and tell them it is because of aerobics!

Sooo... in summary, you have to go at a pace that gets you a little out of breath but not so much so that you can't go for at least 20 minutes without stopping.

You CAN do it! And if you work out to where you aren't dying, you might find it is enjoyable.

Walking 3x a week decreases your risk of breast cancer 23%; walking 5x a week decreases it by 59%. Walking decreases colon cancer too. Walking helps prevent osteoporosis. Walking improves cardiovascular health. Walking improves your circulation which improves your skin. Walking decreases your risk of diabetes. Walking helps release endorphins which increase your sense of pleasure and relaxation.

If you are a super duper dog owner you can get to the point where you can train your heathens to work out with you and not stop every 2 seconds, LOL. I always go to the school that has a fenced in yard at night and let mine off lead and then we all go at our own pace. They don't run away and it is night so no one bugs me. Bring your dog poop bags though!

Good luck and happy walking!

Bitteroldhag, does the college you teach at have a gym? Many times the schools gym will have a personal trainer design an exericse program especailly for you for free. You could ask them to design a program for home or for the gym. Water aerobics are really great for people with moblity issues or simply out of shape. Whatever the way just get active!!

just for my 2 cents worth, my mother 58 and 5 strokes later had to do something! she was well over 250lbs and growing. due to strokes she is physically unable to move"fast" for the gym so she did nothing. Susan is absolutly right, you must be in arobic state, not dying. I started with a personal trainer 4 months ago, and the results are amazing, to start 7 min. on treadmill was it, now 45 because she knows what she is doing and the focus is on me alone. no gym setting to distract. So, sent my mom 3 weeks ago. she loves it she works out for 1 hr, it is 4 min on treadmill, and whatever works for her needs. She is stronger, and walks more smoothly and has more arm control. best of all, she is happier. Those 2 days a week have made great impact on the other 5 a week in just 3 weeks. not to mention the accountability- someone to call her and say, "hey, get off your butt and get here" helps too.

Best of luck to you, I promise you will be happier, stronger and more able to care for all of those people ( yes puppies too) that need you if you take this time for yourself to exercise.

I have Lupus and I'm developing a good days/bad days routine. On good days I go to the gym. On bad days, I do a routine at home that includes lots of stretching, and work out on the exercise ball. If you hate exercise, start with a good stretching and meditation/relaxation routine that feels good. You can do those while you start on the patch and need to deal with the stress of not smoking! I think quitting smoking was the hardest thing I ever did in my life! I certainly don't make light of it, but it probably does need to be top priority. I too take care of aging Mom and gobs of animals, and I know where the energy goes, what energy we have..... Start putting exercise into your daily chores. Bend and stretch to put food down for the animals. Walk with your knees slightly bent to make it harder. Think of ways to do the whole animal routine as an exercise. Think about it being YOUR time to exercise nonstop without adding time specifically for exercise. After all of that is in place and the patch is working, then start thinking about other exercise...later!

There's no point having had a lapband if you are in such bad shape that you cant head out for a simple walk and are smoking so much! You're still going to experience poor health and die early if that's the case.

Its not about losing weight, its about keeping yourself alive and having another good, fun 25 years in you yet. I"m sure you'd like to live for more than another five or six years!

You know the answer, stop smoking, start small with the walking but MAKE yourself do it.

Excercise is hard for some of us, I am an amputee, have ms and have to use a n elctric wheelcahir most of the time- exercise/activity is really tough but every little bit helps. I have found a couple of dvd that are aimed at people with physical lmitations or severly overweight-

one is "the bariatric workout"

another is "Chair Dancing around the world"

if you google the chair dancing you will find there site has modified tai chi, yoga etc etc in a series of dvd's

I am finding that I am at the lowest level on these programs but it is getting easier. I am also making sure that I spend more time in my manual wheelchair when I am at home- i figured that when I have been immobile for so long it was best to try to increase activity in small bites throughout the day. I have also thought of a couple of sessions with a personal trainer and a friend has actually recommended that I look for a rehab specialist who will understand how to address the health problems- i will do that pretty soon when my stamina has improved a bit.

it probably would be best if you spoke to you cardiac specialist before starting an excercise program on your own though- as for the smoking, giving up the smokes really should be your next priority, i know it is a tough habit to break but it is jsut so damaging

First go see your Dr., Or Sirgeon that did the Lap Band, and get a o.k. from them. I am going Monday for a Total Knee Replacement, and they

allready have me excersing the knee in bed, but,, out side of this I do chair work outs with a light set of weights. You can use soup cans!

Anything to help. Look for a program on t.v. or get a tape, but start easy,

and do what they do. Difference?? Youre sitting down. This is a start,

It will help get you into shape to go walking or what ever you choose.

Even you no you have to stop smokeing. I smoked for 20 yrs., and

it's been 25 yrs. since I had one. You gotta want to quit to do this,

I've seen what it does to people, and how they die from it. If you have

a death wish, thean you are on the rite track. Otherwise get off your ass,

and do something about it.

Your a teacher rite? I'll bet you can dish it out at your students, and you expect a change for the better. Let's see if you can take it as well.

In other words do you practice what you preach???? Shirley....