Unfit and fat

If your money is tight? for going to Gym.
Doing simple workouts such as running, walking, swimming and playing games.
Workouts in Home such as Jumping jack, sit up, push up and planks will surely boosting your body fits.

@fizzyfood - try this to start running - it's the first of 4 sessions

Do each one for a week or so, or keep repeating 1-4 until you feel ready to venture outside. But also do Rebecca's stretches and some of Lucy's short workouts - it really helps!

My first few weeks of C25K was more of a very slow jog than a run. I was too worried about running out of steam to go faster. I was amazed at how quickly it made a difference when I finally made it to the 20 minute "run" and actually managed all 20. The following week when it was back to intervals I was confident to go faster.

OP can you ride a bike? I ask because I'm learning to ride a bike and to swim as an adult, so I never assume. If you can, it would be easier to build up cycling than jogging. No need for Lycra and skinny road bikes if you're doing it for some exercise rather than racing.

Forgot to say, started with 10 mins and did longer times as I felt comfortable.

The NHS couch to 5k is great but I couldn’t have done it straight out from the start when I started running at 30. I was unfit and fat as well, couldn’t run for more then a few secs.
What I’ve done is run / walk. Run as much as you can, slowly, 3 secs, 10 secs etc. Then walk till your breath comes back to normal. And repeat, for 10 mins.
Every other day.

I has lots of pain and stiffness but after 2 months of this I could run for 20 mins, and did about 2k. Amazing! Even in high school couldn’t have done it. In 1 year I got to 10k. Havent progressed after but I don’t want to do more.

2 keys here: regular exercise (3 times a week or every other day) + do what you can and don’t push yourself.

I think running is too much of a leap if you are ‘fat and unfit’ @Mumtothreeandadog …

can you try working out at home for a couple of months first?

try Rebecca’s stretches (see my previous post) and some of Lucy Wyndham Read’s workouts on YouTube. Lucy is calm and gentle and explains all the moves really well.

I'm 51, fat and unfit. Share walking the dog most days with DH, but still unfit. Just tried the C25K app but couldn't manage the 90 second run at the start

I'm old, fat and unfit. I've been trying to up my steps for the past few weeks and started to do yoga at home, only 20 mins a day but at least it's something

Find something you enjoy doing. This is really important.

This. Dogged persistence and the willingness to haul up and go round again wins the day, every time.

@theDudesmummy try this to increase flexibility:

I think Second Nature is excellent value although you do pay a small fee every month but you learn a lot.

Walking would be fantastic for you, just walk once a day, every day in August. Maybe do it at the same time every day? Start with 15 mins, or however much you can manage and keep upping the speed, distance and length of time.

In winter, Leslie Sansone walking videos are good too!

Cut out one meal a day. If that is too much at first, replace with a salad.

Good luck op! It may seem unachievable now but I have just lost a stone doing the above! Two more to go!

I am reading this with interest. I too am too fat and unfit, and my flexibility is deteriorating fast (late 50s, always very flexible in past, even when not fit). I have lower back ache most of the time (sit a lot, desk-based job and WFH). I plan to start walking, but has anyone any suggestions re improving flexibility? I feel like a stiff old stick these days.

As for the weight loss:

Intermittent fasting, i.e. 16:8
Lots of lean protein + vegetables
Low carb - avoid bread, rice, pasta
Don't drink calories..... no sugary drinks or alcohol
Instead drink lots of water

I agree - try Lucy Wyndham Read. She has literally hundreds of workouts on
YouTube. Most of them are only 10 minutes or so and target different areas of the body. She is very calm and non-shouty and just lovely!

Lucy also has a learning to run programmer, which would tie in nicely with your plans to start running.

Walk with rick is really good on youtube

Intermittent fasting
Daily walking
Yoga
Drinking a gallon of water per day
Cutting out sugar

If you really want to kick start and invest try cool sculpting : emsculpt neo : pressotherapy to really get the metabolism going

Good luck

I use YouTube workouts, my favourite is chloe ting, she has workouts where you don't need equipment and also shows you low impact workouts.
You can pause the workouts if you need a rest.

OP with any of these programmes you choose, don't worry if they build up too fast. It's ok to repeat a week a few times before you go to the next one

This is true - but equally, remember it's meant to be hard, and you will find it a struggle at first. When I started c25k I honestly thought I couldn't run for 2 minutes. Then 5. And 10 seemed completely out of the question. Turned out I could, if I pushed myself beyond what I thought was comfortable.

And now, when I lead c25k groups, it's not the ones who are naturally slimmest or fittest who tend to progress and stick with it; it's the ones who are prepared to push on (and then discover they can do it after all!)

Start with walking. Half an hour, or an hour if you can! Then eat salad once a day. Nothing radical. makes me feel better!

Walk. Get yourself a couple dumbbells and kettle bells. There's tons online - but be sure you start slowly. No point thinking you need to sweat it out for an hour a day - 15 minutes twice a day every other day is a good way to start. Even going up and down your stairs a few extra times a day will help.
Exercise helps with fitness but the battle of the bulge is won in the kitchen. Download MyFitnessPal and log everything you eat for a few days. Just what you normally eat. Wright it don't guess. After a few days you'll see a pattern - mine is snacking after dinner as I have it early with my daughter but I don't go to bed for another five hours so get hungry and I in effect have another meal! Breakfast and lunch are not an issue. You'll also see what you eat - maybe bread is your downfall.
Anyway look gif patterns then see what small adjustments you can make - aim to reduce your overall calories by 500 a day. That's a pound a week. Any faster you may not find it sustainable.

OP with any of these programmes you choose, don't worry if they build up too fast. It's ok to repeat a week a few times before you go to the next one. I've found that by prioritising not getting an injury or overdoing it that I've had to repeat weeks a LOT, which makes my progress slow, but I'm still going. Previously I've had to stop because something hurts and then it's impossible a nightmare to find the motivation to start again.

As an example, I've repeated some weeks 5 times! It's not what I'd hoped, my progress is very slow, but I'm not injured, and I'm still going..which is better than sitting on the sofa, feeling sorry for myself, eating a bag of crisps with an injury!

Yeah walking, also are there any Zumba classes nearby? I know that funds are short but could you afford one class per week? It is certainly a place where people who aren’t used to exercising make a start, plus it’s fun and sociable.

The Walk at Home app streams to your tv. not expensive and best money i've spent in a long while.
there are some older video's available free on youtube.