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I am trying to make health improvements every year.
I already eat healthy most of the time and I am
within 10 pounds of my ideal weight.
This year I want to focus on walking more often and coming up with
an exercise routine. I am pretty weak in my muscles so I need to start
easy and work up.
I tried to use printed out exercises with weights but it was hard to
get a routine going.
I think a DVD may motivate me to finish it each time and be easy to follow.
Any routine will not be really easy in the beginning but as your body starts responding to it, it not only gets easier but it will make you feel a lot better, too. If you make a minimum of 4-6 weeks commitment and stick to it, by the time those weeks are over you will have made enough progress to really feel the results.
Depending on your age and fitness level, a good schedule would probably be 45-60 min. every other day for the first 7-10 days and then start adding time and reps to whatever you do. After 2 weeks you should be able to do 2 days in a row before a break. Then after 3 weeks you should be able to gauge just how much you can do without pushing yourself too hard.
I have started (and stopped) exercise routines several times over the past 30 years and I find that what works best for me is stretching, followed by light-to-moderate cardio for 30 minutes and then the muscle work. I lift weights for upper body and do floor exercises for lower body. Then I end with stretching and flexibility exercises with a few yoga postures thrown in.
I'm 74 now so I can't do what a 30 year old can but over the years this is the kind of routine I have worked out that works well for me.
If you like walking, try Leslie Sansone's walking dvds. She has a website, but you can also find them in every store plus usually at least one is on On Demand if you have that. She has everything from one mile to five miles. Sometimes she is annoying, but once you get the routines down, just turn down the volume. One of the things that works for me is to do her five mile walk during the course of a day instead of doing it at once, which is about an hour. I don't always have the time to devote to it all at once. However, you will still see results.
I have been using Leslie Sansone's walking DVDs for a little over four months now. I was a former Tae-Bo user and casual gym goer. The problem I had with Tae-Bo as a stamina issue and I never ventured to workouts longer than 30 minutes. I later pulled a muscle and dropped TB altogether and that is how I started doing the LS walking DVDs.
SXMGirl is correct in saying that Leslie can be aggravatingly annoying, obnoxious, and she does not cue very well. That being said, this is the first workout plan where I could workout for a full hours on a regular basis. I was then able to transition my walking workouts to treadmills with the same success.
I am not sure your level of endurance but I think its best to start with something manageable and walking is a great exercise. Consider buying resistance cords for strength exercises. I also really like the 10 Min. Solution - Knockout Body. It consists of five 10 minute segments which you can combine as you like and play in any order. I like to do this on my light days. The KO Body is a really great workout when you combine multiple sessions.
Good luck. Most importantly, make your change a way of life and not just a means to lose those last ten pounds.
Location: Prescott Valley, Az (unfortunately still here)
2,543 posts, read 4,883,835 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kelly237
I am trying to make health improvements every year.
I already eat healthy most of the time and I am
within 10 pounds of my ideal weight.
This year I want to focus on walking more often and coming up with
an exercise routine. I am pretty weak in my muscles so I need to start
easy and work up.
I tried to use printed out exercises with weights but it was hard to
get a routine going.
I think a DVD may motivate me to finish it each time and be easy to follow.
Does anyone have a beginner routine that works
Try one of the Leslie Sansone walking DVD's. They are real easy, you can stop anytime you feel like it, and you will lose some weight with it. It's an at home walking routine that is easy to do everyday. I've been doing it 5 days in a row, for the last 2 weeks, since it got too cold for me to go jogging lately (I'm normally an avid jogger).
I love her DVD's. I have 2 of them (2-Mile Faith Walk and the 5-Mile Walking Challenge). Some of her DVD's also have weight training and Pilates in it too.
I am trying to make health improvements every year.
I already eat healthy most of the time and I am
within 10 pounds of my ideal weight.
This year I want to focus on walking more often and coming up with
an exercise routine. I am pretty weak in my muscles so I need to start
easy and work up.
I tried to use printed out exercises with weights but it was hard to
get a routine going.
I think a DVD may motivate me to finish it each time and be easy to follow.
Does anyone have a beginner routine that works
Kelly, you mentioned walking and weights for a routine so I am assuming you would like to do both. What type of weight equipment do you have access to at home?
What level of fitness are you now? Usually when people say they want to do walking they are in terrible fitness shape and really just want to get moving (which isnt really exercise) but its a start. Your weight comment indicates that you may be at a normal level of fitness so with this and the "walking" comment its tough to recommend a home fitness routine for your current level of fitness.
Basics that I think anyone needs at home for beginning level of fitness are:
Dumbbells - at least three sets of different weight. Heavy for squats, med for presses, lighter (but still somewhat heavy to be able to do no more than 15 reps) for other exercises.
Pullup bar - Perfect pullup or any doorway pullup bar.
Jump Rope
Exercise mat
These basics will allow you to do a great home workout for the beginner. Do you have these?
I know we're not supposed to plug websites, but I always buy exercise DVD's from collagevideo dot com. The DVD's are reviewed and you can watch a one-minute clip from each. They also have a search feature where you can say whether you're looking for a cardio workout, toning, mixed, etc.
What about yoga? There are lots of good yoga vids on YouTube and you will not have to waist your money buy any vids/dvds on it. The BEST yoga is free on YouTube.
Here is a good vid showing Vinyasa Sun Salutations which is my standard yoga warmup routine. I like Vinyasa because it flows so you dont usually hold any position for long - you are constantly moving. They are moving just a bit fast in this vid, but for basics, and working out with them its good.
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exercise routines several times over the past 30 years and I find that what works best for me is stretching, followed by light-to-moderate cardio for 30 minutes and then the muscle work. I lift weights for upper body and do floor exercises for lower body. Then I end with stretching and flexibility exercises with a few yoga postures thrown in.
