6 weeks of exercise to kick start fitness & weight loss?

[vvviola]

Ok, so it's a strange question, but I need some guidance...

I'm currently a part time postgraduate student/part time SAHM. Lectures finish for the winter break in a week and a half. I then have 6 weeks off (although I have to do a lot of work on my dissertation) before the next semester starts.

So, my plan is to use the extra time I'm gaining from not having to commute in to lectures to do something about my fitness (& hopefully kick start my weight loss again), seeing as DD will still be in childcare 3 days a week.

So, what do I do? Running? I started C25k a couple of years ago & enjoyed it, but it's winter, very wet & pretty hilly around here. Or just join a gym (there's a local one with decent rates & no contract). Or something totally different.

I may not be able to regularly keep it up after the 6 weeks are up - with uni, kids & stuff it will probably drop down to once a week if I'm lucky at least until I finish studying in November (with the exception perhaps of walking with DD if she deigns to stay in her buggy)

Oh, and to make things more difficult - I'm overweight, have flexibility issues (always have done, it's not as a result of an injury or anything) and haven't exercised properly in years, although I know I really should. I won't do DvDs either - because the draw of the couch and the biscuit packet is too strong if I exercise at home

Any thoughts? or am I a lost cause?

I would get a bike and start cycling, you can get of and walk up the hills if you want at first and then as you get fitter you can ride up part way and then all the way - so at least you can see the improvements

Cycling is less stressful on joints than running and you can enjoy down hills - which is good.

I would then use a local swimming pool afterwards for a swim and stretch after the bike ride.

are you in the UK? I think not with the winter comment

running is not so easy when you are overweight but you could start with energetic walks. Could you get an exercise bike and in spring, cycle regularly?

I have a bike sitting in the garage. But honestly the hills near me are just too steep to even contemplate cycling until I have some fitness (even my "I'll cycle anywhere" Dad rejected the idea when he visited over Christmas). There isn't a local pool, but there's one about 20 minutes drive away, so that could probably be worked in once a week.

We do have an exercise bike, so I could use that. I kind of get the feeling though that I need some "out of the house" exercise to get me started - and that the exercise bike might come into it's own once I get into the habit of exercise again. Does that make sense? I'm not trying to be difficult, honest

(And no, not in the UK, in NZ)

I would go along with the walk then - walk in one direction for 15 minutes at a fairly good pace - then try to walk back in 10 minutes. Do this three times a day and you have an hour and a half of exercise in of really good fat burning exercise. As you said you have plenty of hills this will be really good walking area as not flat.

I'd do power walking - walk as fast as you can, faster than a slow jog, whilst pumping your arms - for 30-90 mins 3 times a week to start with. You can mix power walks with errands. I walk to the nearest bank (70 mins fast hilly walking round trip) or over a steep hill to pick up pet supplies from the next village.

Also highly recommend bikram (hot) yoga if it exists in your area. Great weight loss, and there's usually a very very good introductory deal for one month's unlimited use, so you could go three or four times a week.

I started lots of exercise a few weeks ago and was crippled with muscle aches in the evening but since starting hot yoga these have disappeared.

I hadn't thought of something like hot yoga - I'll look into it.

I'll definitely add a bit of power walking in too - it will be handy as a break from study sometimes, but I walk a lot as it is, so I'd be afraid I'd get bored if it was my only form of exercise.

The Shred will be your friend. So easy to do, cheap (apart from the initial outlay of dvd and weights) and takes only 20+ minutes.