How do you exercise?

[eclectikat]

Hey... I mainly hike... I have a great provincial park not far from me with fantastic trails. I have gone from barely being able to walk a km without losing my breath to walking 10k in just over an hour... I do the advanced trails... lots of hills... steep ones... I SWEAT like mad... I do this every other day followed by Kettlebells... look up Kettlebells on Youtube... It is the best...
I also bought a great bike before starting Atkins as a motivation for losing. I love riding. I have finally in the last 2 weeks lost enough weight so I can get on the bike and not injure myself. IT IS so great to be on road again...I try and ride 3 x a week a couple kms at a time... and will build from there.

[SugarFreeSheila]

For cardio, I walk around 4.2 mph (6.8 kph) on the home treadmill 20-25 minutes a day, 3-4 days per week.

Resistance: Lately for abs, upper-body, & lower-body training, I have been doing the new Jackie Warner workout; these workouts from the DVD are available via my DVR's On Demand. Each of the 3 segments is 20 minutes, & I just split them up (using 3-lb / 1.4 kilo dumbbells for upper-body, by the way), sometimes even squeezing one in right when I get up before coffee, or right before bed. I like her - she's great to follow and cues well.

I haven't been to the gym in forever; these workouts have been such a nice change, and it's been so convenient and time-efficient doing everything at home.

[chinadoll]

Some folks find changing everything all at once overwhelming. They are really gung ho at first and put in a lot of hard work on eating and exercising--if the results aren't amazing, they might get frustrated and toss the whole thing out the window.

My two cents is to embark on an easy exercise program at first. Walk Away the Pounds or Curves would both be good places to start. You don't want something that is no fun and hard to do--it will either sit there or make you feel crummy that you can't get through it. And, if you are also just learning the WOE it can be a case of too much, too soon. But do start--just start with something fun and easy to stick with until you get comfortable with the changes you have undertaken.

[quotidianlight]

I'm against the grain on this one. Lots of people are successful starting a new diet and exercise program at the same time. For me, it just sets me up for too many changes and failure. I think a good two weeks to a month of concentrating on diet and light walking for exercise until it becomes a habit and then starting an more formal exercise program gives you a better chance of not getting overwhelmed and quitting both. Now this is just my approach and worked well for me. I quit smoking over a month before starting atkins. Once it felt more or less normal and the cravings where gone I started induction. Once I no longer thought about sugar constantly and felt adjusted to low carb, I started walking (a little after induction). I finally started the C25K after walking felt like a habit. I approached it like building a house. I want to live in this house and have a solid foundation and make sure I don't get exhausted and blow all the fuses or have my walls collapse. Only you can know if you are the type of person who can concentrate and achieve many different life changes at the same time or need to break them down into phases.

[liv]

I think Atkins says to concentrate on eating during the first little bit (induction) but for the long haul exercise is essential.

For me, a hopelessly unfit person, it has been all about being gradual. I have tried to find things I like and will actually incorporate on a long term basis and that is right for my level of fitness. I started with walking too. I have really enjoyed the Walk Away the Pounds videos and I still do Gaiam's Walking for Weightloss several times a week. But gradually I have experimented and tried out new things, yoga, pilates, tae bo, aerobics, weightlifting and recently running.

[gman]

Definitely exercise. In two weeks, after some startup aches here and there...take it slow at first... you will feel a lot better. Why wait?

[carbless_in_seattle]

I just saw this thread again and read it as "how do you do, exercise?"

and i pictured exercise saying back "well I do fine, thank you, and yourself?"

anyway, just made me chuckle a little.

[joee5]

I dont exercise. The only thing zi do exercise at all is me mouth. Got me two girls at home that are getting braver and braver each day as they keep testing me,(LOL). God Bless, Joe

[ma2va2fl]

Here's my thought on exercise...treat it as brushing your teeth and doing your hair. It's something you need to do each day as part of your daily routine. Remember, you're doing good for your body!
I have an email buddy...she emails me each day and says "Don't forget to get your 30 minutes of cardio in today & eat well." I do the cardio and eat well and email her back a couple of times a week - letting her know if I messed up or got it right. She holds me accountable! I'm very thankful to have someone in my life that really has an interest in my well being. I've lost 30 lbs with the help of her encouragement. I've learned to love myself along the way too. I gained some recently and decided that I need to finish this journey I started last year. So here I am again. I go to my local gym and use the elliptical machine for 30 minutes. It burns a lot of calories ...so it's worth the pain for me.

Try to start out small..with some walking - break it up if you have to...but start with 30 minutes of cardio a day. Good luck and be excited for the new you!

[julirama723]

In the beginning, it's about making changes that you can continue indefinitely.

I think the first step is just being more active. When I started Atkins, my exercise was mainly long walks, walks with bursts of jogging (like, half a block worth!), and the elliptical machine. Then I gained strength and confidence, lost weight and inhibitions, and joined a water aerobics class.

I thought, heck, I can do this, I want a new challenge! So I joined a gym, and started using weight machines and taking classes. Then I wanted something more difficult--I started weight training with the big boys, using free weights. I continued to add different things to my workout, making sure I NEVER got bored. Now I'm teaching classes at the very same gym I joined when I was 240 pounds.

1. Whatever you choose to do, make sure it's something you LOVE!

2. Challenge yourself, but don't over-do it. Gradually increase weights or time or distance.

3. Don't compare yourself to anybody else. You are unique, and fitness takes many forms.

4. Start small, and work from there.

5. Have a fitness goal in mind. Something like "I want to walk for 4 miles", "I want to be able to run for a minute straight" or "I want to be able to do 10 pushups".