Best way for very lazy out of shape person to get fit/exercise?

[ineedwine89]

I really need to get off my arse and get fit. I've never been a fan of exercise and hate the gym but I need to do something. I sit in front of a computer for 8 hours a day at work like many people and then when I come home I sit in front of my laptop surfing the net for most of the evening.

I don't like gyms, I'm pretty introverted and being around other people many of whom are very fit and motivated isn't my idea of fun. I did have a gym membership a few years ago but it was expensive and not my kind of thing. I do enjoy yoga and attended a class last year but again it was expensive. So I'd like to do something that's ideally free, doesn't involve being around other people and easy to do with good results, if that's possible!

I'm surrounded by some very fit and sporty/outdoorsy people at work and feel bad that I'm so lazy. I do have a bike and go out on it when the weather is nicer, usually for an hour or so. It's a cheap mountain bike I have, nothing fancy and I can't go very fast on it but at least it's something. But I need to do more. A friend roped me into a 5k next week and although I'm looking forward to it I'm also terrified that I won't even be able to walk round the course without getting out of breath. So I'm trying to get a bit of exercise beforehand but I'm worried I won't be able to do it.

I'm just hating waking up with stiff neck and back and feeling everything creaking as I move my joints. My muscles are so stiff and get sore easily. Also walking 5 minutes to the supermarket during my lunch hour and feeling out of breath isn't good. I try to eat reasonably healthy and don't have too much sugar or junk food but it's exercise I need. I used to be one of those people who could eat whatever she wanted and stay a size 10 but as I get older that's not happening anymore and I have quite a flabby stomach that needs attention.

Are there any exercises I could do at home, perhaps Youtube videos someone could recommend?

I know walking is good general exercise but I don't do enough of it.
There's a park I can walk to nearby but I have a fear of being attacked (no real reason, just that primal fear being a woman that someone will grab me). So while I'm ok walking short distances around town I feel a bit funny about being alone in a park just in case. It's silly really but there you go.

Any recs? Thanks!

I would definitely default to sitting on my sofa staring at screens, exercise doesn't come naturally to me. However, I do exercise regularly and now genuinely feel bad if I DON'T do something.

I think the best way (for me) of changing my mindset was over a (very) long period. So initially I was a bit like you, surrounded by people who liked to exercise, enter the odd 5k under duress and not enjoy it, blah blah.

Eventually I signed up to see a personal trainer, initially weekly, and I found out loads of things I could do at home (body weight exercises etc), and he showed me I was capable of pushing myself so much more than I could ever do myself and that the odd Zumba class was doing nothing for me. Because I knew my next session was coming up, it made me do things in between so I wasn't completely beasted in my next session. Plus he was honest and told me I was wasting my time and money seeing him if I wasn't doing stuffs in between.

So fast forward a few years, I still see him (I dropped down to fortnightly for a long time, but have gone back to weekly as I had got a bit lazy), I also have an Apple Watch which spurs me on (and I can get competitive against friends). Almost everything I do is solo, as I don't really like exercising with other people.

So, a typical week will see me seeing my PT once, going to a circuits class (my PT holds this so really I do it cos it's a great workout and it then fits in well with our training programme - if we've gone heavy on legs in circuits, we'll focus on arms during PT), a yoga class. Then because I'm a slave to my watch and have to 'close my rings' every day, I'll go for a fast walk, slow jog (both either outside, or in winter more often on the treadmill, as we have one at home), maybe do a Fitness Blender video (free online tonnes of videos by 2 personal trainers which is fantastic, you can filter to effort level, calorie burn, part of body etc etc). I 'need' to elevate my heart rate for a minimum of 30 mins a day, and burn 450 calories during elevated heart rate every day to assuage my watch. To complicate matters, my work health insurance is also linked to my activity (Vitality), and I get free stuff if I'm active.

Phew, if you got to the end of that, we'll done and best of luck on your fitness journey! The hardest part is getting started, but you'll never regret a workout!

Get a good personal trainer. They will completely change your attitude to exercise. I now enjoy the gym and go by choice after seeing a trainer for a year.

OP, I ordered an 8 kg kettlebell from Amazon and use fit by Amy w's 10 minute workout.

It's literally just 10 minutes a day and the best thing is that within 3 days you start to feel stronger. Within a week, you can feel muscle definition in your bum and thighs.

There are loads of others. Zuzska's workouts are also good. But you can do 10 mins a day.

The other thing is to just be a tiny bit more active. At work, take the stairs, or go to the sandwich shop that's further away. Even stretching and standing and walking around the office a bit every hour helps.

At home playing a secret game with yourself to be first to answer the door, the landline, get up and make tea when the ads are on. Go upstairs to talk to DC instead of calling through the house at them.

Another thing I do is when friends get in touch to say let's meet, I always suggest a walk not a coffee. That can end up being four extra walks a week instead of sitting on yoru backside drinking coffee. Catch up over a dog walk, or meet after work and go for a walk to a pretty coffee shop or pub a few miles away.

Think of it like your five a day - everyone should move for half to one hour every day. So
Walk to work/park a bit further away
Yoga with Adrienne on You Tube
Local Parkrun or This Mum Runs group if you enjoy the 5k
Look up ‘Girls that Jeff’ onFacebook for walk/run Jeff Gallowaymethod
Swim or aquaerobics
Kettlebell classes
Drive to a busier place you feel safe to walk or walk loops of the streets near you
Enjoy, you’ll feel so much better

You said you cycle, any chance you could start riding to/from work? I think the more you do it then the less bad weather worries you. Definitely wear gloves and could you get some waterproof trousers in case it's wet.
Good luck with whatever you do.

I’m same as you. Never enjoyed PE at school, not interested in sports, definetly not interested in team things (the pressure!). All that. Also not got the beans for classes, gym memberships or personal trainers. I’m on week three of Couch to 5K though and can call it loud and proud - it’s doable and I’m enjoying it. Shelled out for some shoes at Decathlon but that’s it.

Can you get away from your desk at lunchtime? Maybe make yourself take some trainers and walk for 30 minutes as fast as is comfortable. If you only allow yourself one day off a week, that will help get you started.

Would running in the evenings be an option? It's free.

If you look up the pop sugar videos on YouTube there's a good range of beginners cardio ones, aim for doing those a couple of times a week. (Maybe get up 20 minutes earlier and do the 20 min beginners cardio one before your shower.)

WALK. Seriously. It's so underrated but is such a brilliant exercise and can be done with no equipment and not much willpower (although you still need some).

If you have a lunch hour, take your trainers and just get out and walk, even for half an hour. You'll then find you might want to do more on an evening and weekend.

A PP also said Kettlebells, which are brilliant and versatile. There's thousands of good videos on YouTube to follow.

30 day shred ! I will bump the thread

Since you have a laptop and access to the internet, I recommend you look up Lucy Wyndham-Read on Youtube. She is a personal trainer that puts together easy to follow exercise videos for all fitness levels that you can complete at home with little to no equipment!

Whilst Pilates won't make you fit, in my case it helps me with the aches from my stationary job. When my back doesn't hurt, my shoulders don't ache, I feel much happier. And then I listen to podcasts and walk. 30 mins goes quite fast.

I'm not fit. But I'm trying to move more

I hated exercise and love eating and drinking. I've just lost 3 stone, and am not starving, but have upped my exercise gradually.
Tits too big for anything bouncy, and broken leg a few years back means I can't do impact stuff. Oh, and I hate getting sweaty.
So.... I do a power walk each day, have an exercise bike and do 5 miles a couple of times a week, I play badminton for an hour a week (doubles, so dh does all the running about) and I do Rosemary Conley's dvd 2-3 tines a week. I've worked up to his gradually, but it's enough to have maintained a steady 1.5lb weight loss average over 8 months or so.

If I can do it, anyone can.

I would start off with a Fitbit and walking. I've tried personal trainers and they are so super fit they just don't understand in my opinion and experience how hard it is if you are unfit. Plus it's all so over the top - massive ropes thrashing about, bear crawls, box jumps.

How do you get to and from work? Could you fit some walking I ? I fit an hour's walking into my commute, no way would I do it otherwise. You could get a fit bit if you think that would be good for you, I have colleagues this really helped. Maybe you could get a exercise bike? Or is swimming appealing?

Thanks everyone for the replies! :)

I don't have spare £ for a PT sadly. I like the Youtube video channel recs, I just did a 5 minute cardio vid from the Amy channel, got the heart pumping a bit faster! I'll check out the others, thanks so much. I walked round to my parents' house tonight (10 mins away) and although I kept a good pace for most of the way I ended up with pain down the side of one leg, it was fine once I got there and rested a bit. I reckon I'll sleep better tonight with the cycling and walking I did so I'm feeling a bit better about myself already.

I don't have kids (or stairs for that matter!) so that's out. I do help out with a volunteer group with kids and was doing that yesterday so I get some exercise doing that too but after about two minutes of jumping up and down on the spot I needed to rest, eek. Work is a 30 minute drive away, there's no public transport I could take and I dread to think how long it would take me to cycle there. Probably about 3 hours haha.

I hated PE at school but was always one of the skinniest girls in the class even in high school, I remember them measuring my body fat with one of those arm pinching instruments and feeling really self conscious because mine was so much lower than the majority. I used to hate my skinny arms when I was younger, then liked them but now I'm finding a lot of tops are tight round the arms and I don't like it. I bought a couple of new bras recently (online) and was contemplating sending them back because I'm struggling to close the clasps due to back fat. But perhaps I could try to lose the weight instead? I know it's my sedentary lifestyle that's causing this so hopefully with some exercise I'll get back to how I was before (or close enough).

I might try going for a proper walk at lunchtime, some people go to the gym nearby (dunno how they fit in classes at lunchtime) or for a run or cycle but like I said they're all very fit (competing in cycling races and the odd marathon). But I think there's some nice walks around the place, I'll have a look online and find out.

Thanks again for all the recs! I have a fitbit also so I'll charge that up and use it :)

Park a mile from work and walk
Park 1.5 miles from work and walk
Park 2 miles from work and walk
Park 3 miles from work and cycle, put bike on rack on car
Park 4 miles from work...

It will become habit, save you money and probably save you time as no going to somewhere to exercise- it fits in your day

I just swap shoes

Get a dog

How do you get to work? If you take public transport, try getting on a station further than your normal one and/or getting off a stop or two earlier. If you take a train then a tube, try walking the tube section instead.

Our family default is any journey up to a kilometer is walked.

Highly recommend fitness blender. Have a look at the website and you can access the videos on you tube. Non cheesy American couple who reply know what they are talking about. Hundreds of free videos if varying lengths, difficulty and styles. It's really good

*really know

Really glad you tried the Amy video. I really like her style. She just gets on with it. Those workouts are focused but not so challenging that you give up. And her body is inspirational.

Michael Mosley has shown HIIT to be really effective at shifting weight and getting fit. You don't need hours of it - ideally 10 - 20 minutes - tons of it on youtube - try Shelley Dose or Joe Wicks.

30 day shred

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