How to get into exercise when extremely unfit?
Hi there!
So, I'm a 19 year old girl and.... I can honestly and shamefully say that I've never done any proper exercise in my life.
I wouldn't say it's down to complete laziness (I am a bit lazy but who isn't) I just have no idea where to start. I've got an exercise bike, and I used to go on that every day for 10 minutes (it's all I could hack haha) but because I couldn't see my stamina improving I kind of just gave up with it
I'm not overweight at all, I'm average for my height so it isn't about losing weight. I just want to tone up and be fitter than I am now, as I don't feel healthy when I can barely walk up the stairs without panting. I know it's just a case of sticking at it but the motivation just isn't there because of how unfit I am already.
I don't know if the gym would be worthwhile, I've tried it before and because I can't do anything due to being so unfit I end up leaving after a solid 15 minutes.
How can I change this or become motivated, or where can I begin to improve my fitness?
So, I'm a 19 year old girl and.... I can honestly and shamefully say that I've never done any proper exercise in my life.
I wouldn't say it's down to complete laziness (I am a bit lazy but who isn't) I just have no idea where to start. I've got an exercise bike, and I used to go on that every day for 10 minutes (it's all I could hack haha) but because I couldn't see my stamina improving I kind of just gave up with it
I'm not overweight at all, I'm average for my height so it isn't about losing weight. I just want to tone up and be fitter than I am now, as I don't feel healthy when I can barely walk up the stairs without panting. I know it's just a case of sticking at it but the motivation just isn't there because of how unfit I am already.
I don't know if the gym would be worthwhile, I've tried it before and because I can't do anything due to being so unfit I end up leaving after a solid 15 minutes.
How can I change this or become motivated, or where can I begin to improve my fitness?
Simple bodyweight stuff inside your own home for muscular fitness, if you're not confident exercising in public, try walking up your stairs loads of times. If you are confident exercising in public, walk up a steep hill. I wouldn't advise running yet as your muscles, tendons and whatnot will not be used to the impact. I also wouldn't advise doing weights at the beginning, it can be intimidating sharing space with a jacked body builder and you can unknowingly incorrectly do an exercise and severely injure yourself. I am currently training for the parachute regiment in the army, so my fitness regime is more about endurance, cardiovascular fitness and power, rather than being huge, so I might be able to help you out a bit more than others on this forum.
Cycling would be best imo unless you live in some mountanous area like Yorkshire, low impact and you can take it steady
Try something like couch to 5k if you're interested in running. Takes you from running for 1 min intervals all the way up to 30 min of running with no walking breaks. I managed it when I was over 15 stone (5 ft 5 female) so I can't see why it would be beyond your capabilities.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
First off, research about your diet and change it to a healthy one. That would be the first step.
Remember, the less a food is processed the healthier it is.
I'm not sure how much you eat but if you over eat you can feel lethargic.
Read up on the glycemic index. You want to be eating low GI foods like potatoes, rice etc along with veg.
A rundown of you diet posted here would be useful, just changing what and how much you eat can make you feel better.
Right, the exercise part:
Don't worry about not managing the stationary bike. Solo home cardio is only for the select few masochists
The important thing is to keep it regular. Set a goal, 4 times a week or every other day, set out an exercise schedule and stick to it. Change it if you fance doing another workout, but get the workout in.
If you're as unfit as you say you are you should start with lifestyle changes. I'll say here that exercising with a friend of in a group is much better than alone so it might be a good idea to team up with a friend who is equally motivated as you. The underlined bit is important.
1. Just start walking. Find a route on google maps and walk it every day or every other day. Anywhere you take the car that can be walked, walk there instead. If you have a bike, ride it.
If you want to make exercise more interesting, integrate an activity into it. So for walking you could start Geocaching. Start small and build up.
Once you've done that for a bit you should have a low base fitness from which to build from. Then you can think about jogging or running. The couch to 5k program is quite good and all you need is a pair of running shoes. From there you can progress to doing 10k parkruns. Running is easily the most accessible way to become fitter.
Cycling is another option, but you need a bike. For anthing serious you need a road bike and they can be expensive. For less serious stuff Sky does skyrides and you can do them on any bike.
One of my girly friends does body combat and some kind of aerobic fitness dance at her local gym, that might be somthing to look into as well.
Exercise can be a lot more rewarding when you have a sport. So think, what sport would you like to do?
Kayaking
Vollyball
Tennis
Badminton
Cycling
Swimming
Kick Boxing
It's all out there, you just have to find it.
Think about joining a sports club. You're 19, so if you're at uni, join a sports society. If you perticularly serious, go join your local or uni rowing club, you'll actually die and then be reborn as the fittest you've ever be.
Jokes aside, join a club. If you're not at uni then search up your local running/cycling/swimmin/walking club and go along. You'll need a base fitness first though, so get that nailed down. This will keep your motivation up and you'll make new friends who share the same enthusiasm and motivation as you. This will be the most important thing you do as it will keep you doing it.
When you get to high enough levels, enthusiasm and motivation will be self sustaining. Sport becomes addictive you know.
A word about gyms:
I've spent hours and hours, everyday in some and hated every minute in others. Going by yourself can be quite hard and difficult to stick with. A lot of people choose to exercise outside because of that.
Links to stuff I mentioned:
www.geocaching.com
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/
http://www.goskyride.com/
Remember, the less a food is processed the healthier it is.
I'm not sure how much you eat but if you over eat you can feel lethargic.
Read up on the glycemic index. You want to be eating low GI foods like potatoes, rice etc along with veg.
A rundown of you diet posted here would be useful, just changing what and how much you eat can make you feel better.
Right, the exercise part:
Don't worry about not managing the stationary bike. Solo home cardio is only for the select few masochists
The important thing is to keep it regular. Set a goal, 4 times a week or every other day, set out an exercise schedule and stick to it. Change it if you fance doing another workout, but get the workout in.
If you're as unfit as you say you are you should start with lifestyle changes. I'll say here that exercising with a friend of in a group is much better than alone so it might be a good idea to team up with a friend who is equally motivated as you. The underlined bit is important.
1. Just start walking. Find a route on google maps and walk it every day or every other day. Anywhere you take the car that can be walked, walk there instead. If you have a bike, ride it.
If you want to make exercise more interesting, integrate an activity into it. So for walking you could start Geocaching. Start small and build up.
Once you've done that for a bit you should have a low base fitness from which to build from. Then you can think about jogging or running. The couch to 5k program is quite good and all you need is a pair of running shoes. From there you can progress to doing 10k parkruns. Running is easily the most accessible way to become fitter.
Cycling is another option, but you need a bike. For anthing serious you need a road bike and they can be expensive. For less serious stuff Sky does skyrides and you can do them on any bike.
One of my girly friends does body combat and some kind of aerobic fitness dance at her local gym, that might be somthing to look into as well.
Exercise can be a lot more rewarding when you have a sport. So think, what sport would you like to do?
Kayaking
Vollyball
Tennis
Badminton
Cycling
Swimming
Kick Boxing
It's all out there, you just have to find it.
Think about joining a sports club. You're 19, so if you're at uni, join a sports society. If you perticularly serious, go join your local or uni rowing club, you'll actually die and then be reborn as the fittest you've ever be.
Jokes aside, join a club. If you're not at uni then search up your local running/cycling/swimmin/walking club and go along. You'll need a base fitness first though, so get that nailed down. This will keep your motivation up and you'll make new friends who share the same enthusiasm and motivation as you. This will be the most important thing you do as it will keep you doing it.
When you get to high enough levels, enthusiasm and motivation will be self sustaining. Sport becomes addictive you know.
A word about gyms:
I've spent hours and hours, everyday in some and hated every minute in others. Going by yourself can be quite hard and difficult to stick with. A lot of people choose to exercise outside because of that.
Links to stuff I mentioned:
www.geocaching.com
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/
http://www.goskyride.com/
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Pegasus2
First off, research about your diet and change it to a healthy one. That would be the first step.
Remember, the less a food is processed the healthier it is.
I'm not sure how much you eat but if you over eat you can feel lethargic.
Read up on the glycemic index. You want to be eating low GI foods like potatoes, rice etc along with veg.
A rundown of you diet posted here would be useful, just changing what and how much you eat can make you feel better.
Remember, the less a food is processed the healthier it is.
I'm not sure how much you eat but if you over eat you can feel lethargic.
Read up on the glycemic index. You want to be eating low GI foods like potatoes, rice etc along with veg.
A rundown of you diet posted here would be useful, just changing what and how much you eat can make you feel better.
Somebody new to training does not need to concern themselves with GI. Let's not overwhelm people. GI and GI loading only really has significant use when you're concerned with timing of carbohydrates, so serious athletes/bodybuilders.
GI is affected by what's already in the stomach, as well as what you consume with the food (for example something high in fibre reduces the effect of that items GI)
High GI foods aren't the devil
Original post by JD1lla
Somebody new to training does not need to concern themselves with GI. Let's not overwhelm people. GI and GI loading only really has significant use when you're concerned with timing of carbohydrates, so serious athletes/bodybuilders.
GI is affected by what's already in the stomach, as well as what you consume with the food (for example something high in fibre reduces the effect of that items GI)
High GI foods aren't the devil
GI is affected by what's already in the stomach, as well as what you consume with the food (for example something high in fibre reduces the effect of that items GI)
High GI foods aren't the devil
GI is basic nutritional knowlege. I didn't mention carbo loading or anything like that. Simply that eating properly allows you to perform to your potential when exercising, allowing you to get more out of each session. It also helps people get out and an do exercise, because they don't feel lathargic.
Eating poorly undermines your efforts, which can lead to demoralisation.
(edited 8 years ago)
Glycaemic index is only relevant if you're a fasted diabetic. As that is what it is made for.
It has no relevance to your normal person.
Posted from TSR Mobile
It has no relevance to your normal person.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Pegasus2
GI is basic nutritional knowlege. I didn't mention carbo loading or anything like that. Simply that eating properly allows you to perform to your potential when exercising, allowing you to get more out of each session. It also helps people get out and an do exercise, because they don't feel lathargic.
Eating poorly undermines your efforts, which can lead to demoralisation.
Eating poorly undermines your efforts, which can lead to demoralisation.
I don't mean carb loading, I meant glycemic load, sorry.
I think trying to use a bike for a while would help as then you can try other exercises with a bit of base fitness. Cycling isn't high impact or intense so it's easier to get started.
Just get on and force yourself to do 15 minutes, it'll hurt and you won't be able to breathe but you need to get through it. Then do that every other day for 2 weeks. Really it's a case of sticking with it, your fitness WILL increase if you keep going but remember that it will probably feel pretty terrible for a while and in order to make progress you have to keep doing more than feels okay.
Just get on and force yourself to do 15 minutes, it'll hurt and you won't be able to breathe but you need to get through it. Then do that every other day for 2 weeks. Really it's a case of sticking with it, your fitness WILL increase if you keep going but remember that it will probably feel pretty terrible for a while and in order to make progress you have to keep doing more than feels okay.
Original post by Pegasus2
GI is basic nutritional knowlege.
Watch this video.
[video="youtube;TT_ghVelhss"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT_ghVelhss[/video]
Original post by Squats and milk
Watch this video.
Watched it, watched it twice even. Knew a fair bit already, didn't know about GI indexes mixing in the stomach and protein insulin response.
In my post I didn't mention it because of blood sugar or insulin response, that's not relevant or important in the OP's context. I mentioned it because low GI chart foods that are unprocessed (also mentioned) traditionally represent good sources for fiber, protein and carbohydrates without having to go into explaining why X food is good and Y food is bad.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by allnewmaterials
Simple bodyweight stuff inside your own home for muscular fitness, if you're not confident exercising in public, try walking up your stairs loads of times. If you are confident exercising in public, walk up a steep hill. I wouldn't advise running yet as your muscles, tendons and whatnot will not be used to the impact. I also wouldn't advise doing weights at the beginning, it can be intimidating sharing space with a jacked body builder and you can unknowingly incorrectly do an exercise and severely injure yourself. I am currently training for the parachute regiment in the army, so my fitness regime is more about endurance, cardiovascular fitness and power, rather than being huge, so I might be able to help you out a bit more than others on this forum.
This is some decent advice.
I would say just get yourself running and see where you can go from there (as this is what I did) but I've heard this can be bad for beginners.
Original post by Squats and milk
Watch this video.
[video="youtube;TT_ghVelhss"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT_ghVelhss[/video]
[video="youtube;TT_ghVelhss"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT_ghVelhss[/video]
Lol Jason Blaha, he does offer some good advice, but I had to unsubscribe after a few of his videos earlier in the year. His rants started becoming a bit cringey.
I was pretty much in your position a year and a half ago. I wasn't overweight at all - I fell under the "skinny fat" zone really, which made it really hard to see any visible changes for a long time, but here's what I did:
I started with running in the mornings since I'd liked it as a kid. Everyday I did more, and followed it up with some simple exercises I found on YouTube. I know it's hard to stay motivated at first, but pushing yourself hard is totally worth it. Once you're into it you want look back.
After I had increased my stamina and felt more comfortable with the new lifestyle I'd developed, I got into HIIT. It's probably the best way to stay in shape. It's not easy, I won't lie, but the results don't lie.
I started with running in the mornings since I'd liked it as a kid. Everyday I did more, and followed it up with some simple exercises I found on YouTube. I know it's hard to stay motivated at first, but pushing yourself hard is totally worth it. Once you're into it you want look back.
After I had increased my stamina and felt more comfortable with the new lifestyle I'd developed, I got into HIIT. It's probably the best way to stay in shape. It's not easy, I won't lie, but the results don't lie.
my advice, sign up to an event or two, that's what i did this year and it forced me to get into my best fitness capabilities thus far, i'm not at my absolute best, it's a working progress, for me i started back in march and you'll soon get to that state where you want to exercise and you'll feel crap if you stop or miss out on sessions, so just make it a part of your routine and soon you'll look forward to working out
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- deemed medically unfit!?
- Very slim but not fit?
- how do i get out of PE? permanently?
- Should PE be compulsory?
- How can I go about appealing my army application after medically unfit report?
- Bleep test encouragement
- How to improve my fitness
- Occupational health dilemma..
- My girlfriend is getting big and i’m not sure what to do
- Evelyn Partners Graduate Scheme
- How do I manage my time in sixth form?
- how can i loose weight?:(
- Met police Day 2 Assessment advice
- Help with preparing for criminal pupillage advocacy exercise?
- Why am I prone to infection
- stupid sickness and exam stress
- Insecure about my body
- How to get a good grade in paper 2 GCSE English language?
- How am I going to fund myself
- A Level furthermaths
Latest
Trending
Last reply 1 week ago
is it possible to go from a size 16 [L] to a size 12 [M] in five months?Trending
Last reply 1 week ago
is it possible to go from a size 16 [L] to a size 12 [M] in five months?
