Exercise

[Meagan Lee]

Phil,
I replied a bit more in depth on the other post you spoke in but really it is the timing of meals around your exercise and proper nutrition. With the Trim Down Club meal plans you have enough of your nutrients to support proper fat loss with minimal muscle loss.

[Meagan Lee]

Radisson,
Working with people new to exercise I prefer to start them off with less invasive forms of exercise and focus more on isolation and functional movements. When you speak of losing excess skin it is due to building muscle underneath the tissue. You can do this with several ways of exercising. I am not against using Kettle bells but there is a bigger risk of injury if not performed properly and not monitored by a professional for correct form. Also, if someone has previous injuries to shoulders, back and knees this is not the best form of exercise for them. It is based on individual needs and an assessment of their current fitness level.

[Meagan Lee]

Hilary53,
I agree with Ossie! Please see what your doctor recommends first and foremost on exercise, even if it is just walking (sometimes with degeneration walking can cause too much compaction so please ask) or using the elliptical(which is less invasive on the knees) or swimming this will be excellent for your fitness level but wont put as much pressure on your back or knees. I would suggest looking for a private fitness studio or physical therapist with professionals that are familiar with degeneration and knee surgeries to help you. It may cost a bit more but its well worth knowing that the individual that you are training with or getting guidance from has gone to school for their profession and have much experience with it.

[Meagan Lee]

I agree with Ossie but would also suggest that you actually SCHEDULE time to work out; a little “me” time. I know when my schedule is crammed I get up 30 minutes early and use my exercise bike in the house to get some cardio in. It is easier said than done but making 2-3 hours a week a priority to work out is really the only way to maintain a successful work out program.

If you don’t have a piece of cardio equipment in your home you can do a simple circuit such as this:

3 rounds of 15 each

Knee push ups or wall push ups
Jumping jacks
squats
lateral arm raises
lunges
chair tricep dips
jumping jacks
Calf raises

This wont take long but it will help with raising your heart rate to burn fat but it will also make you stronger. As you get stronger you can start doing regular push ups and add a bit more weight with dumb bells all in the comfort of your home.

[camoynn]

Hi I am also new and I like Meagan’s exercise schedule. However because of my knees cannot do squats or lunges..anyone know of a substitute

[kola]

New to this – i thought there would be some exercises on here but unable to find any – is it me or are there not any recommended exercise routines – and how to do them???

[Meagan Lee]

camoynn,
I would suggest Pilates and yoga type of leg exercises then. Lying and standing leg lifts, bridges, side leg lifts, these will not harm or make the knees hurt but will give your legs a great work out. I would do these in a bit higher repetition like 20 reps per set but make sure to really squeeze into the muscle you are working for added strength training.

[Meagan Lee]

kola,
We are working on getting a fitness section for our members. If you have any specific questions about exercises or working out until then please let me know and I will be happy to help!

[Danger]

I used to be a gym fanatic – but for a few reasons gave it up. However, after about 6 or 7 years, I’ve rejoined. It’s quite strange knowing that I used to be able to do certain things and no longer can – either due to decreased strength, stamina etc – but also after injury! Last year I suffered a couple of falls from my horse (landed both time on my feet) and suffered a bad sprain on one ankle which took AGES to heal. Then about 4 months later, I fell again, injured the opposite knee. So I ended up on crutches for a while. Add to that – I work standing all day. I’m a dog groomer and most of my job is standing/lifting/manipulating dogs on a table. I suffer for sore/tired feet often – and having an extra 30 lbs doesn’t help matters.

So – here I am, back on track with diet and exercise. I’ve rejoined the gym about a week ago. I’ve started by doing cardio week one – 30-60 minutes per day 5 days a week. This week I’ve started introducing some strength training – went to my first BP class in years – oh the pain! I did about 20 min cardio before hand. Tonight, the plan is 30 min cardio and then Pilates. In addition to that I ride my horse for usually 45+ minutes (which is not a sedentary walk – but usually fairly intensive schooling sessions where we’re both reasonably sweaty 😉 ).

So – here’s the problem I’m having.

I’ve been following the diet for nearly a month. Week one I put on 2lbs. Then the following week I lost that 2 plus another 2. Hopped on scales yesterday and I was back to my starting point. I’m getting a little disheartened and I’m not quite sure where I’m going wrong.

My goals are to:

Lose that blasted 30lbs!
Increase core strength and stability
Increase energy levels.

I have found energy levels increased just after a few days of the diet change – so that’s great. however, this week I’m feeling a bit lethargic and sluggish again – might be due to the increase of exercise? Perhaps just a monthly thing (which might also account for the weight gain?).

Help!

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, Danger. Weight numbers can sometimes be misleading in cases such as yours, in which you had periods of inactivity due to injury and then got back into physical activity. You are probably building muscle, which is heavier than fat. The route for you is to judge your “weight” by how your clothes fit and how you look and feel, and not so much the numbers.
So my question would be – how are you feeling?

[Danger]

How do I feel? Well, definitely much better energy wise. I certainly have the energy to get to the gym and do the work out – and then some house work when I get home! So that’s a BIG bonus. I forced myself to take yesterday off from the gym, I was feeling leg fatigue early in the day. By late afternoon I felt a bit better but I reckoned having a good night’s rest might be better than going for an 7th day in a row. I’m pretty gung-ho at the minute and would like to train daily. The last ten days of exercise have looked like:

Wed – cardio 40 min (first day back to gym)
Thur – cardio 50 min
Fri – off
Sat – horse 60 min – cardio 50 min
Sun – horse 60 min – cardio 45 min
Mon – horse 60 min – cardio 60 min
Tue – horse 45 min
Wed – cardio 25 min – body pump class
Thur – cardio 20 min – pilates
Friday (yesterday – off)

I probably feel slightly more comfortable in my clothing, but it’s still hard to tell. I’m going to keep going but I need to get the right combination of resistance training and cardio. 🙂

[Author]

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