Please inspire me. How unfit were you before you started exercising?

[mameulah]

How fit are you now?

And, what did you do/are you doing?

tia

I was very unfit and tried couch to 5k. I've hurt my ankle due to weight /not used to running!!

Not sure of next step. Something non weight bearing. Gym maybe.

At the beginning of the year I couldn't run to the end of the road. I tried couch to 5k with a friend, but we weren't very consistent and I struggled to do the 2 minutes run, 1 minute walk.

I joined a gym in June and something just clicked with my motivation. The gym suits me much better than road running. I now aim to go 5 times a week (but find 4 times more realistic) and I usually run a minimum of 3k each time, but the furthest I've run is 7.5k. I can also lift heavier weights than when I started.

I'm currently being coerced into signing up for a local half marathon (13 miles) in March. I could NEVER have imagined doing that even 2 months ago. To be honest, I can hardly imagine it now!

On the whole though, I feel so much fitter already and more positive about my body image too, and I realise it's still early days for me.

Very unfit - started a few weeks ago when dd was 7 wks (after being signed off by docs) after a pregnancy which was pretty much exercise free, now on w3 of couch25k and really enjoying it, lovely to get some fresh air first thing in the morning!

twas sounds painful - maybe swimming would be a good bet? Hope you recover soon.

Last oct I was recovering from my second c section in two years. I hadn't exercised for such a long time due to complications in pregnancy.

I got a personal trainer 2 x a week. Pilates once a week and then added Zumba into the mix.

By Christmas I had lost 11kg and felt fit!

After Christmas we stopped with the pt, but started insanity on DVD.

Once the weather got warmer I tried to run, totally shocked myself but doing 3k the very first attempt. So. Zero fitness in oct and running 5k by feb.

We have moved countries and I haven't been as active as before. However my place running for the miscarriage association in the next London marathon has prompted me to get fit again.

I start Monday with a 16 week marathon training programme.

You will get fitter by doing a variation of things. Pilates really helped with my core which in turn helped with weights etc.

Wow, good luck barbie!

Unfit asthmatic about 2 stone overweight last summer. Started at the gym my DH goes to and ended up running many races including the London Marathon this year!
DH lost 8 stone in the year before our wedding and did an Ultra Marathon this June (Carlisle to Newcastle).

english care to share any tips...I'm petrified ill let everyone down

DH lost the weight through cardio and weights in classes on top of running training. He also did Slimming World green days mostly as that worked well with his shifts.
I do cardio and strength classes (Hatton Academy Boxing and Kettlebell classes area favourites) alongside an hour's PT.
It helps that our gym is really friendly. I have more friends from the gym than from work

How do you all fit so much exercise in with children?

There's quite a lot on at local gym I'm interested in (including swimming) although I am anxious about further harm, so shouldn't go in all or nothing and do too much!

There's a Pilates class, the gym, salsa class, and swimming all look good, but realistically I can probably only manage 2 evenings away,possibly a weekend visit as well but that is usually family time all together. . .

Very unfit before I started last September at the gym, do the gym twice a week for 1 hour a mix of cardio and weights do kettlercise twice a week which is agony for the 1st few weeks but it does get easier.

I feel better can see definition in my muscles and clothes fit and look better.

There's a sign in the gym that says

It takes 4 weeks for you notice a difference
It takes 8 weeks for family and friends to notice a difference
It takes 12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice a difference
Keep going!

I started c25k and couldn't run the first minute. I've now run a marathon.
I've just kept running, done the 30 day shred and joined a running club.

I'm TTC #1 so don't have to fit kids in yet. I am responsible for 26 year 10s (11s when we go back) but that MOSTLY (not always) ends at the end of the school day.
I know I'm in a fortunate position as we happen to have two sets of retired in-laws nearby that will support us and DH works shifts so will be able to arrange.
Running is the best 'fitting in' exercise as you can do it any time/place. Nell McAndrew writes about this for Women's Running magazine which has loads of tips and suggestions for fitting running in. And the website has loads of freely accessible stuff!
www.womensrunninguk.co.uk

Couldn't run for a bus last October. Now I'm working up to my first 10k. C25k works like a charm for unfit people. I have so much more energy and skinnier thighs now.

waves to English I was a teacher too, just thinking about returning!

I'd love to run, it really is the easiest so it will be a goal for me to get fit enough to try without injury!

I'd definitely recommend the couch to 5 k and the forums on here. I got to week 4 before hurting myself. Going onto a gym will be more time intensive!

My husband is happy for me to go out two evenings so it should work.

Mameula - why do you ask? Are you unfit and thinking of starting exercising? I'm in a similar position if so!

And I'm very inspired by the running stories above!

And the 12week comment. I've got an initial 12week exercise referal scheme programme when I do it, so hopefully it will make some difference and they'll be able to advise what's safe.

Very unfit and a good three stone overweight, if not more.

I was a fairly strong swimmer but useless runner - and am very heavy which makes running hard.

Two months ago I started swimming more and on a whim put on some trainers and headed out of the house.

I can now swim 40 lengths then later that day run 1.5 miles.

honestly, keep it up. You will be utterly astonished how quickly you improve.

I've not done C25K or anything btw - just headed out one sunny evening!

Twasbillig - love your name by the way.
I love, love, love my job. My DH moans about only being able to take expensive holidays and me bringing my work home but there we go.
I go to more classes in the school holidays and even though my gym doesn't I know many gyms also have crèches.

Very unfit until 10 years ago when I decided I'd had enough. Joined a gym, lost weight and developed some muscle, started running and ran my first marathon less than a year later. I had to stop exercising two years ago when going through cancer treatment but returned to gentle workouts at the first opportunity, ran the London maratho six months later and now go to the

Rgym several times a week, exercise classes, running and walking.

Returning to exercise stopped me sliding into depression and meant I didn't have to take medication for this. I'm convinced that being fit and healthy going into my treatment helped me recover more quickly ( although it was still a slow and painful process!). Huge advocate of exercise and bore people on a regular basis about it :)

15 1/2 stone last August and started classes in September, I couldn't even do the sprints in Metafit, lift more than 2kg on a bar and couldn't do a boxing/circuits class without turning a bright shade of red and gaspingor air.
Now I am 11 stone 13 and took part in a filmed class on saturday for an instructors assesment where we started with 10 clean and presses with a row and added another 10 moves each time we had finished (think burpees, weighted squats, walking planks and the likes) untill we were doing 10 x 10!
I am also nail bitingly close to taking part in Tough Mudder Scotland next weekend!

Thanks everyone, and well done! You have inspired me! my exercise dvd is still in it's box though

I love the gym sign wineandchoccy

McPie - hope you enjoy Tough Mudder, I'm doing a Spartan in September.