I'm looking to spice up my exercise routines. I'm a relative beginner and am still obese so the exercises I can do are still limited. I'm interested in gaining strength so I can do a wider range of exercises. So I wanted to ask what are your favorite exercises/routines and why?

water aerobics, biking, and various youtube walking videos (I especially like "Reps to the Rhythm")

I have been walking and biking. My leg are getting pretty strong but I noticed that my upper body was not. I decided to add in rowing and some weights for toning. My nutritionist also said the varying my exercise may help me get past my stall. It seems to be helping both the toning and the stall.

12 hours ago, AnnaTM said:

I have been walking and biking. My leg are getting pretty strong but I noticed that my upper body was not. I decided to add in rowing and some weights for toning. My nutritionist also said the varying my exercise may help me get past my stall. It seems to be helping both the toning and the stall.

That's a great point about varying exercises to not let your body get used to just one thing. I've also heard that circuit training is a huge help at preventing that plateau effect.

A mixture of straight cardio (walk, run, row, bike, ski, swim...), strength training (weight lifting) and HIIT (high-intensity interval training). I do CrossFit (started when I was at my heaviest weight), but it is expensive and takes about a month to get used to the intensity. I have never been stronger, though.

As an example, today's workout was bench press (10-8-6-4 reps at increasing weights), then what in CrossFit-speak is called an EMOM (every minute on the minute). Every 3 minutes, 15 calories on the stationary bike and 15 box jumps. Do that 5 times.

It was probably only about 40 minutes worth of actual work including a 7-minute warmup, but it's intense.

squats, running,

On 8/25/2021 at 12:57 AM, catwoman7 said:

Water aerobics, biking, and various youtube walking videos (I especially like "Reps to the Rhythm")

Thanks for the Reps to the rhythms.
Right now my favorite exercise is just walking hills on treadmill for 2 miles or rowing 2 miles. Since surgery I have only walked pretty flat on treadmill. Waiting for clearance from doc which is 2 or 6 weeks I assume

I like to bike and walk. I love lifting weights but noticed my weight comes off faster when I’m doing something aerobic. Lately I’ve gotten back into yoga.

It was always just wakling. I try to walk every morning and every evening.

I walked back then, now i run…which is my hands down fave and go-to form of exercise.

also:

- yoga (its strength training disguised stretching)

- anything dance (just plain fun)

- swimming (easy on the joints esp when one is bigger)

- stretches and mini body weight exercises when i find myself vegging too long in front of the tv (i’ll do sets of a combination of all/some of the following: dips, chest presses, pushups, squats, crunches, planks)

- and sometimes i’ll drag myself down into the basement and do pull downs on the machine and dead hangs or hold ups on the chin up bar (it’s my life long dream to do a pull up from a dead hang…but its just not happening, lol. Some day.)

Long story short: find something YOU like to do, there will be a higher chance you will stick with it.

Good Luck! ❤️

Hands down my favorite is CrossFit. I used to do lap swimming and deep water aerobics but it is too far from my house and classes don’t take place at a good time of day for my schedule. I still love yoga, I have DDP yoga and in general in just really helps with strength and flexibility. Since starting my 6mo preop phase I picked up CrossFit and have finally found an exercise I love doing and even don’t mind to get up early to do. I’m a quiet person somewhat introverted and still love it. I like it because you compete against yourself first and foremost and everyone works so hard there isn’t time to compare each other. The fittest to the slowest (me) all encourage and support. It’s a good environment and you gain strength and endurance for everyday life. It is also modifiable for every level. I didn’t believe that until I went but it’s true.

I really like cardio. I typically do 30 minutes on the treadmill, 30 minutes on the seated elliptical, and 30 minutes of dancing around the house each day to get my 10,000 steps in