Newbie question about exercise equipment

San2

San2

Mod
I only started to cut down and try to lose weight about 10 days ago. I am still 352 lbs (started with 360), so heavy exercise results in near heart attacks at the moment.

So I want to start it slow. We had an old exercise bike, which I tried today, thinking that maybe 20 minutes a day would be good for starters, and then I could increase it a bit at a time. Well, that was until about 15 minutes into the first session, the darn thing broke.

Apparently I am too fat for exercise equipment...*sniffle*

Admittedly, we're talking old bike here. About 20 years old. Still, it was kinda depressing.

Anyway, now I want to get something new. I am not the type who goes to the gym, especially because around here, gyms are either for bodybuilding, or for low-IQ 16 year olds to show off their newest gym clothes. Looking for proper cardio is futile, and while I don't have a problem with the way I look (Yes, I'm fat, if you don't like it, just look somewhere else!), but I don't have to go out of my way to torture myself either.

So, I want to get some sort of equipment that I can park in my bedroom, and step on it whenever I feel like it. I used to have the bike, which was okay, but I am wondering if there is anything else that might be better suited for my needs? Somebody suggested a rowing machine, any thoughts on that? Or maybe a treadmill? I'm just looking for something that somebody of my weight can actually use, and gradually increase the length and difficulty/intensity of the workout.

Any help would be appreciated! :)
 
for the first 100 or so pounds that you're going to lose - equipment isn't needed...

Get outside and walk...

go to and plan your walk...

Nutrition as well is going to be essential...

spend some time reading the stickied threads.. there's a lot of info that will help you out getting started
 
I tend to agree with Mal here. Nutrition is going to give you the most 'mileage' at this point. Of course being more active will help as well. If weather is good, get out and walk. If weather is bad (not sure where you are), a treadmill might be a wise choice.

To me though, cardio equipment gets old fast. If I were to buy a piece, I know for certain I wouldn't use it long. I have to much A.D.D.

That's why I like to get creative outside.
 
San,
I never enjoyed the gym much either. When we were dating, my husband got me hooked on Kettlebells. They are Russian weights, that look similar to canon balls with handles. You can do both resistance training and cardio with them. They give you a full body workout. Each exercise is complex and uses more muscles than doing bicep curls, for example. I love them...in fact we have several sets in our garage and that's all I use now. Swings are a great workout. I would suggest looking up kettlebells and checking out the youtube videos. You would have to start with 30 seconds or so at a time because they get your heart rate up really high, really quickly, but that's something to keep in mind as you start losing weight and are looking for something that'll give you a good workout at home.
 
A friend who recently started to change her lifestyle was a little heavier than you when she started and she did walking laps in a pool. She had to join a gym for it, but its supposedly extremely low impact so it was safe for them (according to her doctor.)
 
Thanks everybody for the advice, tips etc., I appreciate it a lot.

I know I don't necessarily have to exercise at the moment, but I would like to do a little bit. The walking is certainly something I will start doing, even though I will probably feel like a complete dork making my rounds on the estate. Oh well, it'll give the neighbours one more thing to gossip about I guess. *shrugs*

It's just slightly difficult for me to rely on that, since I
a) live in the UK, where we see the sun about 1 week out of the year. Walking in the rain is just no fun.
b) I have a mentally retarted stepson, who requires constant supervision, making it difficult to get out of the house sometimes.

So I was looking for something on top of the walking, for rainy days or when I just can't get out. I had a look around for affordable bikes, treadmills and the likes, but it is all the same thing - the weight restrictions are ridiculous.

I found something that might work as a starter though...it's called a Mini-exercise-bike. It's basically just the bottom of the bike, with the pedals, but instead of sitting on the bike, you can sit on a chair, or even lie on the floor, and do your exercise. Like, watch tele, and do a bit of workout at the same time. It can also be used for arms. Okay, not the greatest thing, but a start, and hopefully something that will keep me busy until I lost enough weight to be able to use something else.

I actually saw the kettlebells yesterday while looking for some other stuff. They look interesting, and I will have a closer look at them at some point. I've got some shoulder problems from an accident (a bike accident of all things), so I can't lift heavy things, and occasionally, my muscles spasm in my shoulder/arm, causing me to lose control over my hands, thus dropping things. But those kettlebells might be good to strengthen the muscles, gotta check that with my GP.

As for doing laps in the pool...yeah, I'd love to do that, I actually love swimming...but at the moment, I don't even own a swimsuit. I will check, but I doubt that there are any gyms in the area that actually have a pool. And as said before, the time that I can actually leave the house is very limited. But I might be able to squeeze it in somewhere...maybe as a treat, once the first 25 pounds are off or something like that. :)

Again, thanks for all the advice, you're all saints for me!!! :)
 
if you google body weight exercises -there's a lot you can do there - for strength training -which will be just as beneficial as cardio is.

Get a jump rope - and start jump roping - it's not as easy as it sounds -it's a tough workout.
 
I read about that in other threads, it seems to be pretty good, albeit tough. Not sure where I would do it - low ceilings in the front room, but concrete floor, higher ceilings in the bedroom but wooden floors...I don't want to to go through the ceiling! *lol*

I loved to do it as a kid though...I'll definitely give it a go as soon as I sorted the details out.
 
Don't have a garage or back porch. We have a garden, and a driveway, but we also live in a small, terraced house with loads and loads of neighbours, and worse, the kids of those neighbours.

People here already think I'm weird because I refuse to participate in the daily gossip sessions at the garden fence, and have no interest in what my neighbours do or why. I kind of don't want to add to that by standing in my garden, making the ground shake by rope jumping. I'd never hear the end of that. :(

I'll try to make it work inside though. Maybe once I lost a bit of weight, I won't care what the neighbours say anymore.
 
The suggestion about body weight exercises was a good idea. There are a ton of sites out there that offer suggestions. And they're harder than they look too! :) I hope you find something you enjoy, because that will make it so much easier to stick to.
 
Don't worry about what other people think or say. You're becomming healthier for you! Wait till they talk about you after you've lost 20, 50, or even 100 lbs!
 
San said:
Don't have a garage or back porch. We have a garden, and a driveway, but we also live in a small, terraced house with loads and loads of neighbours, and worse, the kids of those neighbours.

People here already think I'm weird because I refuse to participate in the daily gossip sessions at the garden fence, and have no interest in what my neighbours do or why. I kind of don't want to add to that by standing in my garden, making the ground shake by rope jumping. I'd never hear the end of that. :(

I'll try to make it work inside though. Maybe once I lost a bit of weight, I won't care what the neighbours say anymore.
Click to expand...

I like to freak out my neighbors. It is one of my guilty pleasures. I do burpees in the back yard, sledgehammer slams, Once I even wen in the backyard and threw my dumbbells as far as I could and then sprinted back and forth throwing them. I am sure my neighbors got a kick out of that.
 
Something else to look into is a recumbant (spelling?) bike. The ones where you sit down in an actual seat and the peddles are positioned higher. They are pretty big, but unlike the smaller stationary ones they are far more sturdy. I had a stationary bike that I sold shortly after joining the gym because when I would use it for more than 20 minutes it would hurt my hiney (I also only used it maybe 3 times. only one for more than 10 minutes and I stopped because it hurt my hiney... with a big cushy seat.)
 
The suggestion about body weight exercises was a good idea. There are a ton of sites out there that offer suggestions. And they're harder than they look too! I hope you find something you enjoy, because that will make it so much easier to stick to.
Click to expand...

Well, I quite enjoy my little bike at the moment, even though I'm still getting cramps in my legs after about 5 minutes, but they go away quickly. I hadn't realised how out of shape I am until now.
A friend suggested getting ankle and wrist weights and using them during exercise and even during housework and stuff. Do you think that would be useful?

Don't worry about what other people think or say. You're becomming healthier for you! Wait till they talk about you after you've lost 20, 50, or even 100 lbs!
Click to expand...

Easier said than done, but I'm hoping that one day I will be able just not to care what they say anymore! :)

I like to freak out my neighbors. It is one of my guilty pleasures. I do burpees in the back yard, sledgehammer slams, Once I even wen in the backyard and threw my dumbbells as far as I could and then sprinted back and forth throwing them. I am sure my neighbors got a kick out of that.
Click to expand...

*lol*...I already freak them out just by being here. But I might just summon up the courage to do go out there and do my rope jumping after all. It's not as if peeps around here are all skinny and stuff, and if they stare, I can always tell them that just looking at it won't make their fat behinds any smaller!

Something else to look into is a recumbant (spelling?) bike...
Click to expand...

I had a look at those, but they have weight restrictions as well, a little higher than the normal ones, but still lower than my current weight. So it looks as if I will have to wait a little longer to get one. And hey, I thought I was the only one with that problem...I thought with a backside as well padded as mine I shouldn't have any problems, but 20 minutes on a bike and it really hurts!! *lol*
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top