The little-victories-of-the-physically-pitiful thread.

[renaissancesun]

I have never been one for exercising for the sake of exercising, and what it has gotten me is back trouble, lack of endurance. excess body weight and very little muscular strength. When I was young, I used to walk and hike a lot because I had places to go and I had time, but now, it is harder. I don't enjoy exercise and I am not known for a high level of self-discipline. I have to do so many other things that don't thrill me, that this has been a tough area for me to even look at.

I find that the threads where people who regularly exercise talk about what they are doing can be frustrating and overwhelming for me because I am nowhere near that level and I end up feeling discouraged and hopeless.

So, this is a thread for people who are taking baby-steps toward exercise. I will start.

I found a friend to walk with sometimes. It has been weather-permitting and somewhat erratic, but it has been a start, and much more fun than alone.

A guy who worked on my back told me to start doing however many off-the-knee push-ups I could handle, whether or not they are "complete" (meaning all the way to the ground) to build up my abs, lower back and glutes so my back won't be so unstable. I started out only being able to do three half-way push-ups and now I can do 8 (still half-way)! Yay! The big news with that one is that I have done them almost every day, at least once.

Sunny :vebo:

[renaissancesun]

:lol:

Apparently I am the only physically pitiful person here. :p

[desolationangel]

Well, my body doesn't take kindly to heavy activity. Used to, not anymore. So I'm forced to switch to low-impact stuff like light yoga. So I'll join your thread.

[misq17]

I...uhh...played basketball for half an hour today, does that count?

I fully qualify as physically pitiful. I can do about 5 pushups (but only halfway to the ground). I find the off-the-knee pushups to be more difficult, maybe I'm doing them wrong.

[Amy SF]

Alright Sunny, you ain't alone. I admit it. I don't exercise. I don't LIKE to exercise. I'm terribly out of shape. Everybody who cares about me nags at me incessantly to get some kind of exercise, do ANYTHING. I finally decided I was going to get into a walking routine. I even bought a pedometer last August, and I've yet to figure out how to work the darn thing. I don't like to admit to people when they ask that I don't exercise, because it seems like EVERYBODY does SOME kind of exercising, especially here in So. California. But I feel really guilty when I lie. And I've yet to get into that walking routine because what was going to be my first weekend at it was the Labor Day weekend, which was the hottest three days of the year and I didn't want to go walking in 90 degree heat. :sunny: And of course my motivation disappeared and I haven't tried it yet.

But I will, I promise. :yes:

[CharityAJO]

Whew! This thread is for me. If I do an hour of yoga (and trust me it hurts) I'm giddy for a month because I "exercised." Pre-purchase-of-car I was totally in shape, because I had to walk/run/bike everywhere. I can remember the endorphins and exhilaration feeling good. Now I'm like... I order delivery when the shops are literally three blocks away. I am pitiful.

I need to throw myself in the woods for a couple of weeks, get lost, and walk home. :)

[msbunnicula]

I'm so pitiful that I don't have anything to add to this thread.

[thebelovedtree]

" Pre-purchase-of-car I was totally in shape, because I had to walk/run/bike everywhere. I can remember the endorphins and exhilaration feeling good. Now I'm like... I order delivery when the shops are literally three blocks away. I am pitiful.

I need to throw myself in the woods for a couple of weeks, get lost, and walk home. :)


My car got me too, now I'm all freaked about maybe not having one again (needs 1200-1500 in repairs, I don't have 1200) A year ago I would have walked 2 hours to get somewhere in 100 or 20 degree weather no problem now i'm all upset about not having climate control where ever I go.

Anyway, my exercise is pathetic, I keep telling myself when its less cold i'm going to start running (yeah, thats totally going to happen) but right now if anyone tells me I need to exercise I tell them I waitress and thats enough. Bringing people food is exercise...right?

[tearhsong2]

This is me completely. Today I *tried* to do a Denise Austin workout tape. It was 45 minutes long. I made it through it, but I swear I am one of the most uncoordinated people on the planet. So many of the moves were just too complicated for me to do. I tried, but I probably looked like a moron doing it. :lol: It was fun, but I'm already feeling sore. Tomorrow will be fun....

[Jes]

This is me completely. Today I *tried* to do a Denise Austin workout tape. It was 45 minutes long. I made it through it, but I swear I am one of the most uncoordinated people on the planet. So many of the moves were just too complicated for me to do. I tried, but I probably looked like a moron doing it. :lol: It was fun, but I'm already feeling sore. Tomorrow will be fun....

I probably shouldn't be posting in this thread because I'm in pretty good shape, but man, can I relate to this! I have a Tae Bo tape that makes me feel like an drunken waterbug.

[vggiegirl]

I'm so pitiful that I haven't even started my "Walk Away the Pounds" dvd that I promised myself I would start doing...three weeks ago :nana:

[pseudo_vegan]

This thread is fun :) Hats off to you, Sunny. Honestly, I try to work out on a regular basis, etc...but that doesn't mean I've not been discouraged or overwhelmed by it all. I went nearly a year paying for a gym membership that I didn't even use!

And you're right--that a lot of times working out with a partner can be a lot more fun. One keeps the other motivated, and vise versa. I owe it to a dear friend that got me back into "the swing" in the first place. And baby steps are the best way I think...how do you think all those hammies got there in the first place?

:baby: :hamster: :baby:

Have fun with your walking and whatever else you decide to pick up. You should be proud you're up and out there to begin with!

:nigel: Cheers!

[renaissancesun]

I have walked on the treadmill almost every day for at least 15 minutes-since the first day of March. Yay!

I hate it, but "yay!" anyway, because I did it!

[Amy SF]

Yay Sunny! <CLAP CLAP> Way to go!

Now, keep it up. :yes:

[LadyFaile]

it's tough to get started. my mom went through a phase where she kept buying excercise machines thinking she could start getting into a routine of using them, and now she has a stationary bike that hangs clothes nicely, a treadmill that makes a great bookshelf, and a gravity rider with 2 functions: a place to sit down and also a clothes rack.

anyway i've never been one for excercise, i barely passed gym class in elementary school and in highschool my grades were low (in gym! how do you not do well in gym! lol)
and yeah it shows, i'm soooo out of shape and weak.

so yeah good thread.
today's little victory, well i haven't done it yet but i am going to join the gym. when my bf gets off work in an hour we're going to go sign me up and get the tour etc. he's already a member but doesn't go very often, so we decided it was something we can do together to keep each other motivated and stuff. we'll see how well that works out.

[rabid_child]

:lol:

Apparently I am the only physically pitiful person here. :p

I can only do one halfway pitiful girl pushup :o Don't feel bad!!
So thats my "homework" from my trainer. One girl pushup, though i can only go down and come back up halfway right now. She didn't believe that I couldn't do a single full girl pushup. Now I have a variety of exercises to do to help remedy that, or something.

I am currently motivated to work out just sort of out of habit and guilt. I don't think it comes naturally to everyone. Sounds like you're on the right track though! :hamster:

[Starblossom]

Hmm I'm not sure if I qualify as physically pitiful. I can do 20 full pushups and have great abs but my cardio health is another story entirely. The longest I can run is 15 minutes, but I can't even run for the whole time, I have to walk, jog, run for like 2 minutes then go back to walking lol. And I am exhausted after that! I'm out of breath when I climb stairs and if I run for the train, I'm huffing and puffing for like 10 minutes once I get on; it's actually kind of embarrassing! And I LOOK like I am in great shape but nope, definately am not. My new idea (which I will likely not even follow through with) is to swim laps at the pool, since I love swimming but HATE running. Hopefully I can improve my cardio that way. I don't have time for the gym today so my little victory will be to go for a 20 minute walk outside. Hmm let's hope I actually do that!

[zoebird]

so, while i don't have an 'issue' with exercise per se, when starting something new, it's tough to get into a habit.

i just started rock climbing, which is awesome, and for basic work, i'm able to do a number of cool things: 1. free rock gym membership, 2. discounts on training workshops, and 3. free private lessons occassionally. So, that's all cool.

well, i really like rock climbing, though i find it incredibly difficult and i completely stink at it, i really want to give it a good go. people are really supportive and helpful and will give you tips on how to try things. So, i've dedicated myself to go rock climbing for two hours a day every day.

i've managed to do this for the last 5 days, though today, i'm having trouble getting there. first, my arms are sore like no-body's business. second, if i go now, i'll get there for only 1.5 hours before i have to go to work. which means, i screw up my goal.

but, i think 1.5 is better than none, right? or do i need a day off. should i only do it six days a week?

hmmmm.

[Skylark]

This is me. Totally. Last summer I would ride my bike the 2 1/2 miles to and from work. Unfortunately, since we didn't get lunch breaks, when I would work all day, I would have to eat whatever I could find that was fast. I didn't even have time to microwave leftovers, if that tells you how ridiculously rushed we were/are. So while I was getting some exercise, I was eating like crap.

Now I'm eating much better--especially since I gave up sugar for Lent--and I randomly decided to go on a walk with my mom yesterday. She often invites me. I don't know why I decided to go. But I did, and man! I tell you, I had almost forgotten what endorphines feel like. When we got home, I asked her how far we had gone, because I wasn't sure. She told me we'd gone 3 1/2 miles. Whoah!

So I decided that if I can walk 3 1/2 miles and go no particular place, I can walk 5 miles and visit some of the residents at the nursing home where I work. It's just 1 1/2 miles more, and I'd get a break in the middle. So that's what I did this afternoon!

I walked all over the place when I spent a semester in Spain, but that was over a year ago. It would be nice to get back into a walking routine again.

[Azalea]

Ooh, beautiful, a thread for slobs like me.

I don't exercise either. :o

Normally, I'd get a fair amount of walking because I'd go to the university (I go by bus, but it involves at least 30 min of walking anyway). I also used to go for walks... sometimes one hour a day or more. But nowadays I only go to the university twice a week, as opposed to the regular four or five.

And in addition to that, I’ve quit all but the purely necessary walking since I started having some health problems in early December (heart irregularities- I'm getting tested for that now. I’m wearing a portable ECK as we speak, and will continue to do so until I go see the cardiologist again on Thursday). But that’s more me being paranoid than any actual reason for not exercising, I think. So I’d like to at least take up walking again (it’s the only type of exercise that I actually can stick with for more than a short while, it seems…).

For a period of two weeks or so last summer, I ran every morning. As I said- I'd primarily like to take up walking again, but as I (hopefully)get in better shape, I would like to start running again...

[LadyFaile]

hey i did it! i actually went to the gym yesterday. i signed up for a free week pass but will likely become a member by the end of the week (i get the first 3 months free if i sign up this week so may as well)
i went with my bf, they didn't have someone available to do a walkthrough with me so he showed me the machines he uses. we warmed up on the crosstrainers, i did 8-10 reps on each machine with *cough* 5-10 pounds weight on them :rolleyes: , and then we cooled down on the bikes. it was haaaard but good. kinda fun.
and a reason i never went before was i was scared everyone else would be all buff and like "ew look at the little weak girl neh" but there was a woman there working with a trainer who was like my size so that made me feel better. the guys that were there looked really full of themselves though. like every time they put more weight on a machine they look around to see who saw lol

but yeah my shoulders are killing me, i guess i don't use those muscles much. everything else is fine so far though.

[Heather_]

I walked the super hilly way to work yesterday and the killer hill only took my breath for like two minutes! Yay! ;)

[renaissancesun]

Yay! for you people who are doing something, even if you don't like it. :)

I had a little disagreement with the treadmill (stupid machine)this AM so I didn;t get my full 15 minutes in, more like 10, but I did do something.

[blinkered]

I had a little disagreement with the treadmill (stupid machine)this AM so I didn;t get my full 15 minutes in, more like 10, but I did do something.

The vision of you remonstrating with some poor defenceless treadmill will stay with me for a while :D

[renaissancesun]

^ There was swearing involved, and one part where I almost fell on the cat, if that helps you to visualize any better. The treadmill is not defenceless. It has the ability to toss me half way across the room! :p :lol: