How to improve fitness when you are incredibly unfit

i would say swimming
no stress on the joints

I’m another who recommends You Tube.

Jessica Smith has some excellent walking on the spot based workouts - you don’t need much space and you can start with her short more gentle ones - 15 mins.

Bodyfit by Amy also has gentle short cardio starter workouts you can do in a small space.

With both, you can then progress to all sorts of different type and different level / length workouts as you get fitter. From kettle bells to HIIT to Pilates to kick boxing. Both are qualified instructors and my personal go tos .

I also walk a lot outside and have a heavy boxing bag in a corner of the garden which has made a massive difference with my strength and fitness although I have been taught how to use it properly which is important.

I’ve been getting back into exercise after a long time not due to various health complications, I’ve been doing an online fitness videos but spacing it out, so I’d do 30secs then do something else, then come back do another 30seconds later and kept doing that over the weeks improving the time until it was minutes type thing, as others have said nice and slow and gentle progress is the way to go.

Other youtubers you might find helpful - Yoga with Adriene (includes yoga for beginners and 10 minute sessions) and Bodyfit with Amy (weights for beginners and seems aimed at mums/women in their 30s+).

Lidl and Aldi both currently have weights and resistance bands in the middle aisles.

Is there a junior parkrun near you? They take place on Sundays at 9. You can walk with a buggy or run / jog / walk with your older child. 2k rather than the 5k of standard parkrun and no pressure on speed.

If you have money to spend on getting fit, prioritise proper running trainers if you decide to try running. They'll keep you running for longer and save you money on physio bills down the line 😅

Start with walking and stretching exercises.

Practice and repetition! Just do as much as you can each time you show up at gym and it will get easier. Trust me this is what I done

Anything but just start slow

I started back with exercise after years of being allergic to it, then trialled a new drug which relieved my symptoms

First time I did 10 mins on the peloton I felt like my lungs would explode. Built it up gradually and ended up being able to do 90 mins spin clssses

Popsugar have 10 minute walking videos on YouTube, you could do those in your bedroom to start you off

I recommend Lucy Wyndham-Read on Youtube. She has a variety of workouts from 7 minutes to 20 minutes. I have been doing them for four months and feel the difference in stamina, balance and muscle tone. My husband couldn't believe the difference in my ability to walk on a recent holiday (vastly improved joint issues). Her exercises are cardio and high intensity but low impact and nearly all standing. If you felt sick after sit ups, maybe you have reflux or digestive issues.

I am a size 6/8 5ft1 and I need to add weight in the right places and get fitter because I am not.. I follow a lady called Lucy Wyndham read on YouTube she does 5-7/10-20
minure work outs all of different kinds like walking ones 5 minute abs 5 minute glutes etc and my partner said he could already see a difference after 3/4 weeks of me doing it each day. I then went and bought a step so I can do HIIT step work outs in front of my tv. I do all of this while my daughter is in bed 5 nights a week a maximum of half an hour. You could always give this a go and then venture out

As the old proverb goes "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". Just start doing something when you next have a spare ten minutes or more. Anything. Go for a walk and then try to go a little further or a little faster each time. Do a youtube exercise video in your lounge. Go swimming or cycling if you prefer. Just do something. So many people worry that they need a plan, and that they don't know how to get fit, when the biggest hurdle is just to start getting in a routine of doing anything they enjoy that gets the heart rate going on a regular basis.

Good luck though! Getting relatively fit as you go into your 40s and 50s is the best investment you can make in your future health and wellbeing.

I'm on week 6 of couch to 5k and ran for 22 minutes today! 6 weeks ago i really struggled to run for a minute at a time - it's so good, use Jo Wiley as your trainer if you do it :)

I remember reading an interview with Nadia Hussein and she said that when her children were small she put on quite a bit of weight and didn't really manage to exercise as she was looking after them all day. She started getting up early and going for a walk before everyone else woke up. Might that work - go for an hours walk before your DH leaves for work? If it does then you could focus on gradually increasing speed so that the hour doesn't change but the distance walked (and therefore effort expended) does?

Running has always been my go to. If I’m unfit and go a run again I think why on earth would I want to do this? But generally running isn’t fun, the bit that’s fun is going to parkrun on a Saturday or signing up to races either just to complete them or try to better your time. I’ve been doing some RWL online workouts at home because I just can’t commit to going to a gym but it is hard to fit it in and it often gets to after dinner time at night and I conclude that I can’t do it now as I’ve had dinner 🤣 I would give running a chance if you are able to get out the house at times. It’s never fun when you’re unfit but you can build up fitness very quickly. It’s also the best time of year to get into running when the weather is about to get better

I recently discovered Couch to Fitness. I'm currently doing their bitesize programme - 5 or 6 minutes a day.
This is an achievable amount, although I did need to psych myself up for it on Tuesday.
https://couchtofitness.com/

I am lazy af and hate all forms of exercise so I got a rowing machine. It's low impact, works out 90% of your body, acts as both cardio and weights and it doesn't require running, going outside, or pain.

OP ... just in case you need some inspiration, i have never been sporty or fit, always the fat kid at school, and had lingering injuries that at times meant I hobbled instead of walked. Honestly had just kind of written myself off physically.

Once I hit 40 I realised this is my only body, my only life. Something switched and I've been going to the gym twice a week since August last year and doing other bits and pieces here and there. I am now the strongest and fittest I've ever been and it's an incredible feeling!

Me too! The Lesley Sansone videos are really good! I’d forgotten about them since lockdown as well! Thx for reminder!

Swimming is good exercise and kind on the joints for those who are overweight or have mobility issues.

You can gradually increase how far you swim in a set time as your fitness improves.

Try the walk at home videos on YouTube by Leslie Sansone (start with an easy/ beginners one and switch up as you get fitter.) I used these daily with my class during lockdown and my fitness improved quite quickly. I find her annoying but they are quick and effective. If you watch one you will soon realise why my pupils called her the “walk, walk, walk lady”! You have inspired me to use them again as I have got out of the habit and put on weight.

Put YouTube videos of the game just dance.

I was listening to Woman's hour the other day and they had a feature on about dancing. 20 minutes of freestyle dancing every day will get you really fit. I put on my favourite music and just dance around the kitchen table, daft disco style, with nobody to see me. Maybe the DC could join in, too? I can't manage 20 mins at a stretch, so I do a few minutes whenever I have the time. Good fun!

Walking to start with definitely. If your children can’t walk far, just go to the park and do as much as you can there. Coach to 5k also very good at building fitness from a low point.

Start small. If you have stairs at home, walk up and down twice each time you need to go up. If you work at a desk, set a timer and every 30 mins get up and do 10 squats, or stretches. It will take 30 seconds. While in the kitchen waiting for pots to cook, stand on one leg and count to ten. Just add small things in everywhere you can think of. Waiting for a bus, or for kids to come out of school? Walk up and down while you wait. Just keep your body moving until it gets used to it. And then you can start looking at exercise programmes. Good luck!

Get the youngest a scooter or balance bike.