Greetings From Jerry McBrennan,

How about something simple like walking to start? I am in the process of gearing up for walking. I have the custom shoes , the IPOD and all I need is some sweat shirts and Im good to go. I also have a the good fortune of living on a quadrangle that provides a perfect track to walk. I can be close to home as I start and build up my endurance and then I can move on to bigger challenges as time progresses.

Walking is my favorite exercise!!!

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~Mary~

I love to walk but now my arthritis isn't allowing me to walk as I once did. I do push myself to outlast my pain, but haven't quite gotten there yet. I know that the more weight I lose, the easier it is on my hips and knees and the longer I can walk.

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F, 42, 5'5"
Stoped smoking and fell off the wagon.
Trying desperately to get back on.

Goal weight: 165 lbs.

Good Morning Kate!

I understand what you posted about the difficulties of walking. That is why I am glad I have an ideal track literally right outside my front door. I get winded easily so , trust me , I am not going to expect to much when I start. I , like you , am going to have to push past the pain barrier to achieve my goals. I believe that if I do it one day at a time , i will succeed .

Hang in there Kate!

I like to walk/power walk on the treadmill, and when the weather gets better I walk at lunch by work. My building is right near/on a college campus so it's easy enough.

In work I make sure I take the stairs instead of the elevator. After sitting at a desk, it helps to perk me up too

Spikette

Walking is great for you! It's awesome that you have the quad so close. Are you still doing it?

Kate, if you want a lower impact exercise, you may want to think about a bike. You get a good workout, and it's no impact on the joints.

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Start Date: 12/30/2005
Restart Date: 3/25/2008 at 240 lbs
250/226/190
Atkins

I still do take the stairs in my building, but the weather has not been all that great to walk outside. I have upped my treadmill workout as far as intensity and variety. I try to do some intervals to shake it up!

For weight loss I definitely believe that stretching the time rather than the intensity is a better way to go.

You will be suprised that by doing longer / less intensive workouts that your intensity will actually increase. It doesnt seem like it makes sense but it works.

For example if you can do 30-40 minutes 3 to 4 times a week speed walking or jogging at a rate where you could have a conversation. You will see within about 2 weeks that the speed you are walking or jogging is getting quicker without you getting more out of breath.

I would keep at that pace until you can do 1 hour without stopping at all. Then maybe do some days at a higher intensity.

The other thing I think that one would need to keep in mind is that the more you let exersize make you miserable the more likely you are to quit. So think about the long term. I used to go out there and really kill myself all the time. I used to sprint and lift for 2 hours etc ... and while my gains were really terrific I found that I would do this for only 8 months and then fall off. I now believe that it is better to not "kill" yourself. But do reasonable amount of exercises at a rate that is comfortable for you. Really enjoy doing it and realize that it is difficult to keep up an intense level of exersize. That being said exersize is in my opinion manditory for weight loss so me saying dont kill yourself doesnt mean dont do it ... it just means be consistant and dont OVERDO it. Do a reasonable workout 3 to 4 times a week for about an hour or an hour and 15 minutes. It is more likely that you will keep this habit up than doing the marathon 3 hour workouts.

Does this make sense?

I do about 40-45 minutes of cardio on the treadmill 3 times per week...and then I do weights afterwards...One day a week I take a spin class and that's my cardio for that day

Good Afternoon to everyone who has posted today!

I have been talking a big game about walking but have not really done a thing about it. I said I was going to be honest this time out so there it is. I do a manual labor job and have done this type of work for 23 years in various capacities. When I get home from work or the day after a hard shift , I am pretty beat up and the last thing on my mind is walking. I know I have to start finding a way to make it happen though.

Hang in there Kate . Your walking inspiration will come when you least expect it. Spikette , you inspire me with your routine but be careful to go easy on yourself! Routines like that come undone real quick if you lose your resolve.

Tom, thanks for the informative post on walking. I enjoyed te read. Who needs Wikipedia when you find posts like yours in a thread!!