Need Serious Fitness Advice

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

I've become terribly complacent in my old age (OK, so 29 isn't that old but I feel like an old fart) and have finally realized just how out of shape I am... just how much I DONT exercise... just how much crap I eat... and now I'm scared of where I'm headed.

I dont even know where to start. But I know that a 3 mile hike with a 1300 foot elevation gain totally kicks my butt... I have to stop a dozen times to rest. I can't run a quarter mile without a lot of discomfort. Its like I literally have zero endurance. I'm hot a heavy guy... I'm six feet tall and 185 pounds. I used to weigh 165 but I was skinny as a rail; or less even. The 185 I weigh now is, I'm guessing, due to some love handles and belly flab. I don't have any muscle to speak of. I'm pretty frail actually. At least, I feel that way.

I was also dismayed to see that I've lost so much flexibility that I can't even sit indian-style without sharp pains in the top of my thighs.

I would like to find a good, comprehensive stretching regimen to help me regain flexibility... somethign I can perhaps do every morning after waking up. I would also like to build endurance... I'd like to be able to hike more easily... run more than a quarter mile... not be so out of breath at the top of a single flight of stairs. I'm not interested in bulking up or getting a six pack; I just want to be more "in shape" so I can do things more easily and add some years to whatever shortened life I've already given myself.

I've tried googling various things related to getting in shape, but I quickly get lost in the 1000's of websites, all with different advice.... and I end up throwing my hands up in frustration. I need something like the proverbial "diamond in the rough".... is there a really good, solid website out there that I can rely on for the bulk of my how-to needs and so forth?

If I can just get a good, comprehensive routine hammered out that I don't need a degree in rocket science to follow, I'll be good. So any advice from the fitness gurus here would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[dbk]

Swimming with a sensible diet?

 

[hongkongfever]

Running is probably your best bet to build endurance while burning some of those unwanted belly fat. If you have access to a pool, running in water or swimming is less painful to the joint. Don't know your body sculpture but you probably lost a lot of flexibility to having extra blubber. A good stretch routine (sorry I don't know one) and losing some body fat will probably go a long way.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

ill vote for swimming,


going straight into long runs/jogs after not doing it for ages will knobble your knees lol! if you do go for the running....please please get a good pair of running shoes, they are vital. at least swimming will be non impact on your joints and its a great whole body work out.... core muscles, fat burning, CV work it does everything. you'll need to supplement with gym work if you wanna actually build more muscle mind, swimming will tone rather than build.

aqua jogging is also good if you cant swim too good.

could sign up to a gym and make use of the personal trainers, but in my experience they can be a little clueless. going to classes at the gym is also good.... if you want to improve flexibilty and suppleness then get to a yoga/pilates class....yes its full of women, but if you let that put you off then its your loss. exercising is so much easier when you have someone who knows what they are talking about telling you and showing you what to do and how to do it.

spinning classes are pretty good too

theres soooo many stretches you can do its unreal, you'll want to find like a database of them which id imagine google will help you with and choose a few of the easier ones to start with.

 

[silverpig]

I'd say go for a runs and take a yoga class.

So long as you feel the burn for the first week or two on the runs you'll be amazed at how quickly your cardio comes back.

 

[Skacer]

Whatever you do, don't stretch right after you wake up (great way to cause an injury). Stretch only after warming up. Dedicate one day of your week to stretching where you are more thorough than you would be after exercising.

 

[TallBill]

Can/will you join a gym and actually go? Working out with weights isn't just to "get huge". Your whole body can benefit from minimal time and lifts. Maybe alternate run/gym on every other day, and rest on Sunday. Time to start putting some effort into eating right as well. You dont have to be a health nut to be healthy. Also, check out the suggestion box here, we're trying for a health + fitness forum.

 

[GasX]

If you goal is to gain flexibility and to be able to hike several miles easily, I suggest stretching and walking...

 

[sdifox]

Get your ass over to my backyard and do all the outstanding yard work. You will be buff in no time. I never understood the concept of driving 10KM to a gym so you can run on the treadmill for an hour. Just do everyday stuff.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: TallBill
Can/will you join a gym and actually go? Working out with weights isn't just to "get huge". Your whole body can benefit from minimal time and lifts. Maybe alternate run/gym on every other day, and rest on Sunday. Time to start putting some effort into eating right as well. You dont have to be a health nut to be healthy. Also, check out the suggestion box here, we're trying for a health + fitness forum.

:thumbsup:

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: TallBill
Can/will you join a gym and actually go? Working out with weights isn't just to "get huge". Your whole body can benefit from minimal time and lifts. Maybe alternate run/gym on every other day, and rest on Sunday. Time to start putting some effort into eating right as well. You dont have to be a health nut to be healthy. Also, check out the suggestion box here, we're trying for a health + fitness forum.

I agere with the above completely - alternating cardio and weight training is probably the best bet, but be sure to give your body the appropriate time to recover. Weight training is also important for maintaining good bone health too :thumbsup:

 

[everman]

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: TallBill
Can/will you join a gym and actually go? Working out with weights isn't just to "get huge". Your whole body can benefit from minimal time and lifts. Maybe alternate run/gym on every other day, and rest on Sunday. Time to start putting some effort into eating right as well. You dont have to be a health nut to be healthy. Also, check out the suggestion box here, we're trying for a health + fitness forum.

I agere with the above completely - alternating cardio and weight training is probably the best bet, but be sure to give your body the appropriate time to recover. Weight training is also important for maintaining good bone health too :thumbsup:

It's important to add a good diet to that, which I think is the hardest part. Stop eating junk, no more sodas. fitday.com can be a good tool if you use it regularly. What you need to do to loose weight is keep a caloric deficit, but you don't want it to be too drastic. If on the other hand you really want to gain muscle then you need to eat more than what is required to sustain your current weight (called maintenance calories).

 

[NGC_604]

..

 

[cthulhu]

If you plan on running, I'd suggest you try an elliptical machine/crosstrainer. They are much easier on the joints than treadmills. I can run about 2 miles on a treadmill before the pain in my joints cause me to stop. I can "run" 5 miles on an elliptical machine with little to no pain. IMO, you should do a balance of cardio and weight lifting.

 

[TecHNooB]

I'd start by running 1 mile 5 days a week for a month. Then raise it to 2 miles once you get comfortable. Keep doing this until you can hit the magical 5 mile mark. While doing this, I suggest doing some mild lifting 2-3 times a week. Start eating a diet consisting of all natural ingredients and wheat. Eliminate simple sugars, but eat plenty of fruit. Have six meals a day, 2-3 hours apart, at around 400 calories each. If you want to have a larger meal, have that meal earlier in the day. Drink more water than you need. Oh, and stretch often. Here's a sample diet you can try:

Meal 1:
2% Milk + Kashi GoLean Crunch

Meal 2:
Plain Oatmeal
Fruits

Meal 3:
Chicken Breast/Turkey/Fish < Pick One
Brown Rice + Veggies

Meal 4:
Natural PB on Whole Wheat
Banana

Meal 5:
Chicken Breast/Turkey/Fish < Pick One
Brown Rice + Veggies

Meal 6:
Natural PB on Whole Wheat

Your meals will seem limited compared to what you're normally used to, but there are still a large variety of health foods you can eat that won't make you go hungry. You just have to look around. If you have to eat out, avoid the obvious such as fatty dressings, sodas, sugar, and cheese. Cheat once a week. It'll help you keep your sanity. Basically, save your Saturdays for eating the stuff you'll miss during the week.

 

[Randum]

I swam my whole life, and found myself slipping with shape post college-career. So Now I turned to cycling and a regulated intake of food. Eat what you want, but quantity. This has worked so far, last 3 weeks about -5lbs...Eat morning heavy, meaning, eat the most all day in the morning. BELEIVE ME THIS WAS TOUGH the first few days during the week. But a fast high calorie intake would be 2 soft boiled eggs with 2 pieces of toast under them (no butter etc) Eat a moderate lunch, not stuff yourself, but enough (sandwhich is a huge help) and then limit the dinner portion, pile on what you would normally eat, but don't eat a third of it. Eventually, you will find youre not starving at the end of the day. The theory behind this is, you need your most energy during the day, not at the end of the day. A very HIGH LEVEL extremely successful cyclist gave me this advice, and so far it is working. Now along with this diet, you need to workout. Right now I am cycling, but swimming would be a big plus for sure. Any advice with that, YOU MUST FIND A COACH OR A TEAM. You cannot push yourself to the edge unless someone from the outside can monitor you.

AND if the food thing is tough...be sure to keep a food log, plenty of these exist online. DEFINITELY reccomend this.

NOTES
-Heavy breakfast, lighten other meals
-Exercise with a coach/team
-Keep food diary

 

[TheNinja]

lift some weights. you don't want to be a skinny fat guy. also, more muscle will keep you burning more calories at a resting state. and you aren't going to "bulk up" or "get a six pack" by accident so don't worry about that.

Diet
Weights
Cardio
Rest

 

[ggnl]

Originally posted by: cthulhu
If you plan on running, I'd suggest you try an elliptical machine/crosstrainer. They are much easier on the joints than treadmills. I can run about 2 miles on a treadmill before the pain in my joints cause me to stop. I can "run" 5 miles on an elliptical machine with little to no pain. IMO, you should do a balance of cardio and weight lifting.

I agree on the joint pain thing (I can't do distance running either), but cycling might make a better alternative if he doesn't want to join a gym.

With that said, he really should join a gym. Given that he isn't that big to begin with, an all cardio routine will leave him built like a string bean if he keeps with it.

 

[blamb425]

Definitely try to find some other people to exercise with, it will boost your motivation and you can encourage each other as you go, it really helps