Aibu to think there must be some exercise I can do?

[Stressedgiraffe]

I need to lose weight. I have a terrible buddy belly. So need to find a cheap/free exercise I can do.
I have a knackered ankle so can't stand on it. Can only walk for about 30 mins without using a stick and needing to sit down.
Swimming is out as I can't see without my glasses- can only see about a ft in front of me. Would need to get prescription goggles.
I've tried yoga but don't have the balance anymore.
What can I do that is free/cheap?

Could you swim with your head out of the water? I don't wear glasses so sorry if that's a stupid answer.

30 minutes walking is better than nothing. There are also chair based exercises, either live or online, which might help.

This! Loads of people do it at my pool

Have a look at this woman on YouTube- https://youtube.com/@gosimpli?si=BwO5EP-xJzPO1iSR She has some seated workouts. She has osteoporosis, so doesn’t make you do anything that crunches too hard

Qi Gong? Tai Chi?
Weights at your local gym?
Walking as much as you can.

Bear in mind that exercise is great for health but not amazing for losing weight. For that you need to look at your diet too as that will make the most difference.

Can you afford the prescription goggles?

If so get them as swimming would be great for you .

Also don’t push yourself for the full half hour of walking, shorter more frequent walks would be better if you can’t manage for 30 mins.

You say your balance isn’t great but that’s the whole point of Pilates and yoga - they improve core strength and balance.

Try some very very very beginners sessions, have you got YouTube? There’s loads on there.

Look for ways around the issues or alternatives. Even tiny bits of excercise make a difference, you just need to stay motivated.

If you can walk for 30 mins I'd do that. Is your ankle fixable? And maybe stick with the yoga, starting with an easy level. It should improve your balance. Weight loss is almost entirely about what you eat, anyway. You have to do a really serious amount of exercise to make much difference to weight loss.

Hey Op, I swim with my glasses on- brestroke or backstroke and aqua robics. Again I wear glasses.

I'll post a link to a glasses band/tie.

Contact lenses are cheaper than prescription goggles and you can wear normal plastic goggles over the top. Also, my own vision is horrific (-5) but I can swim without glasses.
You can use resistance bands, you can do yoga on the floor/chair. Balance will improve with exercise.
As well as that, a major part of weight loss is diet. But it is still important to incorporate daily movement to maintain strength and mobility.

You tube pilates work out

Thanks. Seated exercises sound ideal.
I'm starting a diet but need to exercise to make it work.
I do walk 30 mins a day with the dogs but wfh so am sat all day.

Would you feel comfortable in the pool without your glasses OP? If so swimming is prob good but I understand if you don’t want to if you can’t see. I can’t see without glasses and I hate going to the pool on my own because if anyone speaks to me I can’t see their face properly and it’s really awkward!

What about cycling? Not free to buy the bike but it might save you money if you can use it sometimes instead of a car/other transport?

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You can buy goggles with a prescription online that don’t cost much. They aren’t your precise prescription but they come in increments that ensure you will be able to see well enough to swim.

Do you live in a house with stairs? You could use those a few times a day.

If weight loss is your goal you’ll be aware that calories in is the main issue. You have to do a LOT of exercise to create a calorie deficit on an unhealthy diet so I’d keep a food diary and then address food and drink intake.

Is anyone looking into your ankle? That shouldn’t just be left for you to live with without doing everything possible to improve its function.

Walk for shorter periods more frequently.

Unfortunately ankle is fucked. I've been to physiotherapy but they can't fix it. It needs a ankle replacement but I can't afford private and I'm too young for the NHS to do it.

You need to diet to lose weight, exercise is great but it's a separate thing.

I am the same, I walk for as long as I can, do chair yoga and chair exercises , there are loads on YouTube 😊

Probably the best thing you can do is walk 30 mins a day, which will build strength in the muscle systems in your legs and feet. The weakness will be a part of the problem- any physio would get you using it, not using a stick. Have you seen a physio or other specialist about getting it sorted?

Any kind of strength training will help your entire body too. You can sit and use weights, do things on all fours like planks that don’t require any balancing. Focus on building your strength first and you’ll see that your ability to do everything (including balancing) will improve.

I got my swim goggles from Decathlon, link below. Sorry about your ankle, that’s awful.

Decathlon

And yes, weight loss is 80% down to what you eat - you can’t outrun your fork

As you’ve said you WFH can you afford a stand up desk and under desk walking pad? Mine has been a game changer.

Appreciate these things are pricey so if not, try and take little breaks from your desk for quick bursts of excercise instead if your schedule allows it.

Walking is absolutely great, and will strengthen your ankle. The Workout for Women app has a variety of walking workouts you can do at home.

Had you thought about cycling? It would take the stress off your ankle. You can pick up cheap bikes at car bootsales.

Also, look at YouTube workouts for low impact/beginners or even seated ones. There's a variety on there and I'm sure some may be suitable.

Best of luck!

Can you buy some cheap weights for a home workout?

I have a family member who uses a wheelchair, she went from 200lb to 140lb with strict intermittent fasting and a 90 min daily workout with weights. YouTube for the exercise routines.

Building muscle helps you to burn more calories but diet is the main thing.

My DH has a weak ankle where he broke it. He does Joe Wickes low impact HIIT 20 min videos at lunch.

When I broke my ankle I did armchair based cardio from you tube. You could do strength training too