What Exercises Work For You???
Posted by Meikmeika on Jul 21, 2007 · Member since Jul 2007 · 121 posts
Hello Everyone!!!!
I'm trying to lose some weight and was wondering if you guys had any suggestions for exercising. I have knee problems so I can't run or do heavy aerobics.
Do you guys lift weights?
Any Yoga Video suggestions? I've heard you should not try a Yoga video until you've attended a couple classes but I can't afford that right now.
Any Suggestions?
Thanks,
Meikmeika
Swimming is a great cardio workout & very gentle too.
Denise Austin has a great yoga/Pilate's video that is for beginners. Its pretty good not too too hard but a little challenging...Yoga is great butdo it slowly. Put on some calming music and just start to stretch a little...your body will tell you what you can handle if you take it slowly enough...the Idea is not to dominate your body but to come into partnership with it..if that makes sense...I love yoga, but Im not a yogi ;)
otherwise, SWIMing!! (I said that with a sing song voice cause swimming equals happy.) very low impact but really a good cardio. Great for injured joints...
I definately agree with the swimming - there's no impact on the joints, and it's great for cardiovascular health.
Also, depending on the severity of your knee problems, I think an elliptical/cross trainer is good machine.
I lift weights. I'm all for women lifting weights. There's no fear of getting "bulky" or "manly" - which seems to be the main reason why women steer clear of them.
You should try to combine cardio & some sort of weights routine (sit ups, push ups, walking lunges) to help boost your metabolism. I also think variety is key, that and possibly trying to find an exercise partner a few days a week. Others mentioned swimming, that is really good if you have access to a pool or lake. Sounds like you probably don't have a gym membership. Just taking walks will do wonders if you re consistent & walk at a brisk pace. Also biking is good, rollerblading is fun, gardening. Are you sure you can't run? Sometimes just finding the right pair of sneakers makes a big difference (Running is my fav) Just try a few different things & see what YOU like best because ultimately that is what you will stick with.
Lifting weights is GREAT for all people: old, young, male, female. The only way you'll get BIG bulky muscles is by: 1) eating a TON of protein, and 2) working out regularly with heavy weights. When you work out and repeat motions with with heavy weights, you actually are putting microscopic tears in your muscle fibers which then will grow back bigger and stronger to compensate for the damage. This is how the muscle tissue grows bigger and stronger. Lifting the lighter to moderate weights with a higher repetition will tone without tearing the muscle tissue down so much that it will grow back bigger. Sculpting, in other words. :) And if you're not eating a TON (as in supplements and/or LOTS of extra food with it throughout the day) of protein, you aren't going to get real big/bulky either. Muscle uses protein to rebuild itself, so it's still important to make sure you are getting a good supply.
It's also really important to work your core muscles a lot! Those are your muscles that keep your torso strong-- abs, back, etc-- and you use them in almost every type of motion and exercise you do throughout your day. If your core isn't strong, you will have to overcompensate with smaller muscle groups and will wind up injuring yourself.
Hi, Meikmeika! For any kind of exercise suggestions, particularly videos/DVDs, I highly recommend www.videofitness.com . There is a tremendous wealth of info on this site, and the people on the forum are friendly and helpful. Lots of people have knee issues. Swimming, walking, lifting weights, yoga, pilates--they're all good with proper instruction. As far as the yoga goes, yes, a class is definitely recommended. There are lots of great beginner videos, though, and it depends also on what type of yoga you're looking to try (Again, please check the above website and do a search. You may want to check into something like the Yoga Zone DVDs, which state if they're beginner, intermediate, etc). As with any type of exercise, make sure that you start off slowly and easily and only do what you can.
My dog and I go for a good long walk every morning (good for both of us) and I do weight training 3 times a week.
Denise Austin's "Fit and Lite" show on Lifetime combines yoga, low-impact aerobics, and toning, making for a nice exercise program. Unfortunately it's only on Tuesday's and Thursday's (Daily Wrkout is on M-W-F). I also recommend "Inhale" on Oxygen, the morning yoga show. That show has done wonders for my arm strength!
I like mixing yoga, aerobics, DDR, and walking throughout the week. Those activities keep me at a reasonable weight - I'm not super skinny but not overweight either, and a lot of my bulk comes from muscle. Yoga and light aerobics are probably the best for low-impact weight loss, maybe aerobics 3x a week, and yoga 2x a week.
Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease! http://www.aerobicstriptease.com/store/customer/index.php
Especially DVD #2 - Fit to Strip
I have toned up my legs and derriere so much in the past year using these tapes. I have much better results with these than I do the gym.
!!!! that sounds awesome. i tried to watch the preview, but it would just open up the main page again. i wonder if this will be a 'classic' aerobics style like suzanne summers and that thigh master.
Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease! http://www.aerobicstriptease.com/store/customer/index.php
Especially DVD #2 - Fit to Strip
I have toned up my legs and derriere so much in the past year using these tapes. I have much better results with these than I do the gym.
Do you have the whole set? I just read the reviews on Amazon and they are very mixed. What is the lap dance one like? Is it actually teaching you how to lap dance? As in, would it be fun to learn for a BF or husband?
I haven't exercised in ages and need to start again but two people I really like are Gilad and Denise Austin. I find them both very motivating. Denise Austin's Hit the Spot series are very good and I love her arms and bust video. Using light weights, the video has three 10 minute segments that really tone. Unfortunately, I have the Hit the Spot series in video and I can't seem to find the arms and bust one in DVD. Some people find Denise too happy and irritating. I find her fun and motivational. As for Gilad, he is great looking, motivational, and doesn't make you feed like an idiot if you are somewhat uncoordinated...like me! :) As well both Denise and Gilad are the real thing. Not people trying to make a buck with an exercise video that have no idea what they are doing.
I don't really work out much at all, but I do lots of other physical activities throughout the day--which is how I'm keeping in pretty dern good shape, I must say.
I work at a dining center at my university, and just one or two short shifts provides lots of opportunities for lifting, bending, repeated muscle movements (particularly in the arms and upper body in general), and occasionally a fast-paced pseudo-cardio workout during our busiest hours.
My three apartment mates are all male, so I do quite a bit of cleaning and upkeep around the kitchen and bathroom pretty much daily.... :P
Other than that, I just walk or ride my bike pretty much everywhere (it helps living close to campus).
*ALSO* I've also found that focusing on my posture and tightening my abs while I walk is quite effective for keeping my tummy in shape.
...I find that my trouble is keeping my lower half as toned as my upper body! With as much walking and stair-climbing as I regularly do, you'd think my legs would look great, but noooo. It just seems as though my legs hold onto fat much better than my torso and arm region. any suggestions, anyone?
Its always better to hav sumone who knows whats he/she is doing to guide u along exercises. As although there are a lot of people exercising, not many really know the proper way to do so. I myself only realised my running method and some training methods are wrong recently after some guidance from ppl in the fitness industry. Thus its always good to ask and question. People who can explain to you the proper way and why that should be the way to exercise and what it does will be a good gauge for you to know if he/she knows their stuff.
Any advice with regards to exercise we can discuss together as i believe in sharing with ppl what i know. :) I have recently switched to a near to vegeterian diet and to my amazement not only do i feel less lethargic in fact i feel that i can last longer esp when im training. Most imptly i feel clear headed thru out the day. haha.... thus the fact that we all are leading a vegeterian lifestyle is already a very big step to holistic wellness and better fitness :)
Kudos to all thats here....
rgds,
minglong
Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease! http://www.aerobicstriptease.com/store/customer/index.php
Especially DVD #2 - Fit to Strip
I have toned up my legs and derriere so much in the past year using these tapes. I have much better results with these than I do the gym.
Do you have the whole set? I just read the reviews on Amazon and they are very mixed. What is the lap dance one like? Is it actually teaching you how to lap dance? As in, would it be fun to learn for a BF or husband?
I have the whole set. The other 4 DVDs are fun, but not a bust your a** workout. Yeah...my husband appreciated the lap dance routine. ;)
Just ordered the set. Thanks!
Forgot to mention this in my other post ... if you've been doing yoga for a little bit, then Rodney Yee's "Power Yoga - Total Body" is a great workout. I had been doing yoga casually for a year when I first did the DVD and it is a little tough, so I wouldn't recommend it without some prior yoga experience, but if you're an advanced beginner to intermediate, it should be okay - the hardest poses can be modified (for example, when he does back bends, I do bridge poses because I can't hold myself up for that long yet, hee hee). But it definitely gets your heart-rate up and other than some muscle soreness the next day if I've gone too long without yoga, it isn't too taxing on the body.
Thanks so much everyone!!! I don't have access to a pool but I'm sure I can do a great deal of your suggestions!!!