Unfit and exercising at home

[BrightSkyPurple]

Hi

I’m really unfit. Hated sport at school and have never really done any exercise since. I’ve managed to keep myself a size 10 through diet but I am flabby. I get out of breath very quickly and can’t do things like push ups.

I would like to:

• get fitter
• tone up
• build muscle (as I’m heading to 40)
• lose around 3kg (but accept this might be more off a diet thing)

I’m thinking about getting a PT but also interested in recommendations for home workouts. How do I find something that I don’t give up on because it’s too difficult but also not something I give up on because I’m not seeing results within say 6 weeks? Any recommendations for online programs/youtube or should I just get on with getting a PT? Thanks!

FIIT is a brilliant app - if you're on o2, you can get a 3 month free trial. They have programmes you can follow, and/or scheduled classes each day.

A really nice starter to exercise is get fit with rick he's on YouTube and I find it really good to hit my 10k steps when I'm down at the end of the day

I am in pretty much the same situation.

I lost just under 2 stone myself through walking lots each day and reducing my calories to a manageable, but much reduced quantity compared to before. I’m now a size 8, but flabby.

I do lots of home workouts, but it’s not really shifting the flab at all.

I’ve had enough, so I’m having a meeting with an online coach this morning. I know I need to be lifting heavier weights, but I have no idea where to start. I can update you later to see if I think it is something that might be worth pursuing?

@Mummyto4WM thanks will check those out

@FourForYouGlenCoco1 my fear is that id just give up if it wasn’t effective. Would love to see how you find having a coach.

Buy some hand weights and find some YouTube videos - there’s a brilliant lady called Diane (?) offering 15/20 min sessions

Caroline Girvan is unbelievable. Ive seen changes within 4 weeks doing her iron series. I can only manage 3kg at the moment but i cannot believe the difference in fitness (and wobliness) that I am experiencing.

Apple fitness of you have an.iphone/ipad/apple watch.
There's different types of work outs (strength, yoga, core, Pilates etc) and start at beginner level

I am interested in this too. I am old and unfit, also losing flexibility and gaining lots of aches and pains. I would be interested in something unchallenging to start with, and cannot do any form of jumping, running etc

@Jilltee I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for her on here but would her workouts be suitable for an unfit beginner? I saw a HIIT one which involved lots of burpees and I thought I can’t see myself being able to do those right now.

If you are really unfit (no judgement I am as well) then quite a lot of the hiit videos can be too much to start with. Even 15-20 minutes.

I like Lucy Wyndham Reeds videos as she gives low impact versions and they build up the difficulty. She has plans you can follow as well. https://lwrfitness.com/get-back-to-exercise-28-day-fitness-challenge/

I LOVE Betty Rocker. She had a free 30 day workout, each about 15-20 mins which really kick started my fitness. I really felt she was there in the room with me cheering me on. Really friendly, positive and natural character. I’ve since bought several of her programmes.

Ps Betty Rocker has an easier version of each exercise and you could just do fewer rounds if it were too much.

Honestly@BrightSkyPurple i used the lightest weights (1kg) and did her beginner series. I had never lifted weights and was thin but unfit. Im 55 and managed but did push myself.

Look at w8 gym in a box. It's great to do at home. Videos on you tube. Also get fit with rick for basic walking videos with great music.

Pilates is amazing for core strength and flexibility. Find a proper trained teacher.

I was in your situation - realised I was most likely to exercise if I needed no equipment and didn't have to go anywhere.

I can't recommend Team Bodyproject highly enough. Properly encouraging, actually know what 'low impact' means so you can get fit without injuring yourself.

Have gone from only being able to do 10 minutes before having a lie down to proper workouts with 4kg weights.

I found Pilates really really hard and boring to start with. It's better now but I needed to be fitter in general to get anything out of it.

Would not say CG for a beginner, I've been lifting for over ten years and still find her 20mins workouts a challenge!

I recommend Bodyfit by Amy on YouTube. She has SO many different workouts, she uploads three a week, there is really something for everyone. I do her workouts with 8kg dumbells and a 12kg kettle bell, but you can do it with 1kg if you like. It will still make a difference.

Also there are some PMA fitness workouts on YouTube that I did every morning during lockdown #1 which really kept me ripped.

Also you can't go wrong with Joe Wicks.

@AnnaMagnani @Droolylabradors Thanks. I like the look of Team BodyProject and Bodyfit by Amy so will give them a go. There are so many videos so how did you choose where to start?

@BrightSkyPurple i found bodyfit by amy when I was looking for a TRX workout, and then I realised she had so much more to offer. I've been doing at least two of her workouts every week since 2020.

If you sign up you get alerts for new ones. She always does at live one at 9am California time on a saturday, so at 6pm UK time. She is very kind, not an influencer type, always makes modifications.

You mention wanting results and the likelihood of you giving up if the program is not effective. Results are not linear and can take many different forms at different times. I find a good PT is able to point to progress when I myself can't see it. I am a total data nerd but even so I sometimes struggle to be objective about my own progress. If you do it on your own I would certainly recommend tracking as many things as you can be bothered with to help you look objectively at progress before you throw in the towel on a particular program.

It can also be difficult to work out how to achieve your goal, even with all the of resources available online. As an example, I really wanted to be able to do push ups. I knew everything there was to know about push up form, progressions etc but even after trying for years, and achieving a very decent level of basic fitness, I could not do the push up. After hiring a coach it still took six months, but he was able to see where my weaknesses were and devise a program that did not feel like it was addressing push ups directly but actually was.

I love Bumps and Burpees online platform. It's technically pre and post natal fitness, which may not be relevant for you, but it has a Club section with workouts suitable for anyone - I'm stronger and fitter now than I was pre baby thanks to these classes. I pay £12 a month which is great value for how much I use it. In lockdown, I used them body project at home which I also liked but I now prefer the bumps and Burpees classes.

@Cranarc You’re right. There are so many resources online but I don’t really know where to start and what will be best to get me the results I want. I am considering a PT but obviously it’s a big cost!

@BrightSkyPurple Bodyproject has levels, I started with one on Youtube, liked it enough to sign up and started with level 1.
The Real Start series is good and starts v low. Do not be fooled by the v overweight guy in the background - I thought if he can do it so can I. Quickly realised he had seriously put the hours in on his fitness.

I had a PT in the past but TBH I prefer just going to the spare room and doing a video in bra and knickers.

Annie Deadman is great - loads of workouts on YouTube plus she does regular programmes. Subscribe to her weekly newsletter and you’ll get a feel for what she’s about!

Tried a body project beginners workout today and enjoyed it

I’m still a little unsure about what exercises will be best. Is this correct:

overall fitness: cardio
weight loss: cardio
healthy aging: strength training/weights
toning arms and tummy: ?

thanks

This is just me personally but at the beginning any exercise was cardio as I was just so unfit.

When I could do a lunge without falling over, pilates became achievable. And I started with tiny 1kg weights- initially I couldn't do a strength workout with any weights.