Aibu to say I have no idea about exercising

[Glittered]

So I've decided I want to/ need to tone up.
I'm 36. Don't feel like I need to lose weight but I'm not toned whatsoever.
I've not focused on myself for a long time. I've been busy having children and working but they are now 6 and 2.
I've never been a sporty person. I don't have the money really for gym membership and my free time is very limited.
I look fine with clothes on I weigh 9stone but I'm just not toned at all. I'm naturally petite with a small frame but feel it's time I started looking after myself
I just have no idea where to start? And I don't know who to ask.
Running is not my thing.
Someone said I should try the squat challenge
I used to go to yoga a lot and loved it but I haven't been for about 3 yrs
I work nights as a nurse in a busy a&e department. If a patient has a dislocated shoulder I have to provide the counter traction for the Dr and I find it so hard. So i need to get stronger.
I just feel silly asking where to start? I have no clue
I'm slim but my arms wobble 😔
I need motivation
I'll have 1 morning free a week when school starts again and there's a Pilates class locally I could go to.
But 1 class a week is not enough. What can I do at home?
I'm not looking to become a body builder lol I just want to tone up and get stronger and feel better about myself
I need your motivation and stories of inspiration please!

I exercise at home because I don’t like gyms.

I have a bike, kettle bells and use Instagram for exercises I can do.

I’ve surprised myself with my discipline and work out 5 mornings for 30 -35 minutes.

Weights for strengthening and toning are my top tip.

YouTube Hiit videos are great. They're short & really well demonstrated. There are different levels too so you can increase the intensity as your fitness grows.

I do a Pilates class once a week, then do a small selection of the exercises each day at home. It takes just 5 minutes. Core exercises and a few daily squats will make a huge difference. I was a very achey, wobbly 50+ year old until 18 months ago. There are lots of YouTube videos offering advice. Don't go mad, just choose a few exercises then it's easier to stick to.

The Body Coach has loads of great HIIT workouts on his YouTube channel. All anywhere from 10-30 mins and all can be done from home. His DVD is great too because it has different levels so you can build yourself up as slowly or quickly as you like. My main advice is don't over exert yourself to begin with. Don't try and copy whoever you're watching, just keep going at a pace that's comfortable for you. I'd invest in some adjustable dumbbells once you feel fit enough to start adding weights in.

What do you want to achieve?

Thanks everyone
What size weights do you suggest?
I want to look and feel toned and get stronger.
I'll admit although I'm not over weight my eating is terrible
I either barely eat as I'm rushing to sort kids and don't take time to eat properly or I get hungry and grab a packet of crisps!
I drink a lot of coke. Not enough water and I think on the whole working nights is bad for eating habits.
I come home starving in the morning and get a bacon roll from Greggs
This needs to stop.
I've just bought an egg poacher. I think poached eggs on toast on toast would be better to go to bed on.
The crisps sweets chocolate etc needs to stop.

Some people at work eat salad at 3am
I don't fancy that but may be some rice with something. I'm usually eating a chocolate bar at that time as a quick fix to get me through the last 4 hours of the shift. But I end up with wind pains and feeling sluggish

It's an oldie but a goodie - Jillian Michaels 30 day shred will get you toned up and stronger.

I'm going to look at that one.
I've taken some pics this morning to give myself motivation. I have a fat back!
And a saggy bum. I'm hoping to see a change in myself not happy with how I look right now
Time to focus on myself a bit now

I second 30 Day Shred, and it's only 20 mins a day

It really depends what appeals to you. YouTube has endless fitness videos, Pilates, yoga, ballet, aerobics, weights, etc. for all levels. I do 30 mins of Pilates a day. It’s a short amount of time so I can fit it in and I can alternate between sessions at different difficulty levels depending on how I feel on each day.

Marking my place - had never thought of Yourube for Hiit videos [old]

Eat lots more protein ; eggs, meat etc.

I eat lots of eggs, Greek yogurt, berries fish and salad. When it gets cooler I’m going to make lots of soup . I have stopped eating pasta, bread and rice and feel terrific.

I started with 8lb kettle bells and worked up to heavier ones, I also plank.

I’m toning up and am happy

Stupid question but when you say 8kg do you mean 4kg each?

One bell weighs 8lb, I use one and alternate each arm exercise and swing.

Once a week pilates will be good to get you into a routine and learning what your muscles do.

Switch white bread/rice/pasta for brown/wholewheat versions. Ditch the Coke entirely and swap chocolate for nuts and bananas.

You can use a tin of soup at home for weights, no need to buy any new equipment at first.

The first few weeks are the hardest, getting into a routine and changing habits. Use the stairs instead of lifts where possible, squat rather than lean over to pick things up (which is better for your back anyway) and walk short distances rather than drive.

Good luck.

Fitness blender. They're great, the programs are cheap and they take max 30 minutes a day. Minimal equipment, maybe a yoga mat and some dumbbells. You can get an 8 week program for a tenner. Very good value.

I 3rd the 30 day shred. 22 minutes and it really changes your shape.

4th the 30 day shred. Start with very light weights though, 0.5 0r 1kg max.

If you want to get stronger and tone up you will need to frequently increase the weights you use so for that reason I would use a gym if possible. If you want to start at home there are some great suggestions here though, 30 day shred is good if you're short on time. Make sure you eat lots of protein to build muscle.

Get ankle and wrist weights, the ones that strap on. You can wear them while doing stuff around the house and you could probably wear the ankle ones at work under your uniform. They typically come in 1, 2, 3 or 4 pound sizes and they really work.

Keep in mind that you will never out train a shit diet. You REALLY need to sort out what you eat, op. Your diet is appalling and as a nurse you should know better!

Oh I know awful eating habits.
It's more to do with me be shattered and putting everyone else first
You'd be surprised the amount of nurses and drs who smoke too

I 4th the shred. It's 25 mins a day with 1 rest day a week. I use 1.5kg weights due to clicky shoulders but you can use heavier weights of course. The workout consists of 3 mins strength exercises 2 mins cardio and 1min abdominal in 3 circuits. It gets you very sweaty and you really feel you have had a good workout

Ashtanga yoga will make you very strong, very toned and very flexible. You could do one class a week and then ideally practice at home five other days per week (but I only ever did three and saw huge benefits).

Google Kino McGregor to get an idea of an Ashtanga physique.

You can modify and take this practice into your old age (as I have). All you need to buy is a good yoga mat (I recommend Manduka mats).

I think that Pilates and yoga are excellent for increasing core strength and flexibility, but I also think that you need lessons to do it properly, so your positions can be corrected by the teacher if necessary. At least until you are familiar with various moves and positions.

I also do Booty Barre which is based on ballet moves and really tones up the posterior. I do a mix of cardio, circuits, HIIT too and Zumba. We often use a yoga band for arm exercises and you can really feel it afterwards. And Zumba is just fun!