# What's the Best Exercise for Someone who gets lots?



## bluelacedredhea (Mar 15, 2005)

I quit smoking 3 yrs ago and gained 30+ lbs. After a year, my weight gain levelled off, but all I've managed to lose is 10 lbs. 

One forum I joined suggested exercise. But my problem is, by the time I do farm chores morning and night, and stand on my feet at work 6 hours a day, I've not much energy left to exercise. I'm no spring chicken either..became a grandmother this year..

Last winter, I joined a yoga class (beginners) thinking that would be the way to go. But it was too much for me. The instructor had no experience teaching beginners and was quick to criticize those who didn't progress at rapid speed, so that may have been part of the problem? 

Anyone have similar problems and have found a solution that works?


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Well, to start with, what kind of work do you do? Standing in one place or walking around a lot? If you walk a lot at work, you may want to use that as part of your exercise program. A pedometer can tell you how far you walk each day. Do you have stairs at work? Do you take the stairs or the elevator? If you stand in one place (grocery checker, for instance), you can do some exercising while you are standing there, and it can help you feel less tired! Rocking back and forth from one foot to the other, standing up on your toes and lowering your heels back down to the floor, tighten your tummy, tighten your butt, hold and release. Those are a few ideas to get you started.

What kind of physical exercise do you enjoy? Swimming? Aerobics? Walking? Are you a solitary exerciser, or do you need a group/buddy to keep you going? If it's a kind of exercise you enjoy, you're more likely to actually do it. One size doesn't fit all for exercise anymore than it does for dieting, so what works for me, won't necessarily be a good fit for you, and vice-versa.

In general terms, you want to have some aerobic exercise (cardio) where you get your heart rate up and keep it there for 20-30 minutes, combined with some weight training to tone and increase muscle mass, and some stretching of your warm muscles (stretching cold muscles is an invite to injury) to improve flexibility. How you get each one of those is up to you.


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## GeorgiaberryM (Mar 30, 2004)

I feel the same way about exercise - I get alot in my everyday life. And yoga is the answer for me - try a yoga video at home. All the Gaiam brand videos are good.


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## MelissaW (Jun 18, 2003)

When I had my stress test, I discussed this problem (my own as well) with the cardiologist. He said that, while farm work makes me strong, it isn't cardiovascular enough to keep my heart rate up for 20+ minutes. He suggested either walking or water aerobics. If your local physical therapist or hospital offers the water aerobics, I highly recommend them. It is really low stress on the joints when you are already doing lots of chores that put stress on them.


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

I think it's sustained exercise - To get your heart rate up, as someone posted.
As far as stretching exercises go, I do them in the shower in the AM. Hot water warms muscles, I looove showers & it's my rationalization to stay in ther forever - at least until the tank runs cold.  

Push up's with arms on the wall, side-to-side bends, twists, toe touching - you get the idea.

When my water heater went out, I even put in a bigger tank! Shame on me


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

I love to ride a bicycle myself. Not too difficult, but a good workout, you're outstide, your moving. It makes running seem like dragging yourself too, LOL.


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## Mutti (Sep 7, 2002)

Free weights. When you build more muscle you look thinner...even thought muscle weighs more than fat you look better. I started with a set of 5# dumbbells ...even came with some exercises but you can search the internet and find ones for every part of your body. I,too get plenty of "exercise" working 12 hr shifts as nurse and doing the farm chores plus always walk my Corgi a mile or more a day when home. But not the same. Sometimes we think we are getting more exercise than we are...chores aren't sustained movement for 30 minutes unless you're loading hay bales or chopping wood. Even ten minute increments are supposed to be as effective in getting the daily allotment of exercise. DEE who much prefers being a couch potato but arthritis requires her to get off her butt so she doesn't freeze up


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

I also quit smoking recently (11 months today) and have gained 20 pounds at least! I have been very discouraged because I have not been able to get my weight under 200 all summer. Was discussing this with DH last evening and we have agreed that part of the reason for no weight loss (even though I spent the summer clearing land by hand which is really hard physical work) is because I am a full time student so I spend many hours each day sitting and munching my way through class and homework. Also, due to my advanced age LOL I have been very stressed about appearing stupid compared to the younger fresher students. So stress about the grade thing and now about graduating and looking for a job (turned in the first job application today) has all pretty well beat me up. I was asking if maybe we could turn the spare bedroom into a work out room or something and after talking about it - seems we really would not use all the equipment we would need to bring into the room. We both feel we would just avoid going near that room after a short honeymoon period! DH reminded me that I will be going into Butte each day for work so maybe I would like to go to ":curves" or some such a few times a week to get some movement in with the other fat gals (no he did not say "fat", I did!). I had totally forgotten that benefit of going into the city each day and am now looking forward to checking out the local work out facilities in Butte with solid plans to be thinnner come summer!


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## scgirl (Jan 25, 2005)

I'll second the water aerobics. If there's any available, I would highly suggest them. I attend water aerobics classes 6 days a week. When I start to get bored, I print out a 6 week weight training program to do every other day, then I'm usually ready for a break from that when the 6 weeks are up. As a side note, I refuse to buy equipment for my home. I go to the gym, first, the money is an incentive for me to acutally go, second, if I don't get away form the house, phone, chores, etc, it is WAY too easy to keep putting off what I know I need to do. Good luck to all!


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Maybe if you did your chores in a hurry? Nothing to hurt yourself, just jog here and jog there. If you are like me, you drag about. I drag myself out to the pasture with water, drag a bale of hay on the sled. I should be hurrying back and just generally moving quicker. I also have stairs in the house, so if I race down the stairs into the garage for the water, then drag the water to the animals, then race back, drag the hay, race back, run up the stairs and down again, then take care of the ducks and chickens. Hmmm...


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

*Sisterpine*, you quit smoking!!!!! :clap: That is so hard to do, and you should be very proud of yourself. It's worth some temporary weight gain to accomplish that. Healthwise, the tradeoff is worth every pound. AND, you did this while you were going to school, which is a lot of pressure to tackle without the smokes you would have been using to relax with, so I'm doubly impressed! So, forgive yourself for the extra 20#, and start from where you are. You were able to accomplish a huge health change by giving up the cigarettes, you know you can do hard things and that includes losing weight! You go, girl!


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## cathryn (Aug 7, 2005)

I have lost about 20# slowly over the last year. Not a huge loss, but enough to see the difference and feel much better. I still have 30# to go to get to a better weight for my body. I am not sure if it will keep coming off the way I am doing it, but I sure hope so.

I have not been on a diet at all. I eat what I want when I want. If I say to myself that I need to "diet" I can't help but to eat like I am starving to death. The thing is that when I work hard and feel good I think twice about eating more than I need-quantity is a huge issue in my diet. So, the better I do physically, the better I do with my food.

What I have been doing is working more with my husband doing tree work. We drop trees, chip them and split wood. This is hard work that gets your heart pumping. We do some pruning, but that isn't great for excercise. When asked I say I am on the "work your butt off diet". 

Another very simple thing I do is to park as far away as I can whenever I go somewhere. It is an easy way to get moving, without having to buy anything or go anywhere special. 

The other thing we did this past month was put a new roof on our house. I lost 3 3/4# in just 5 days. Not something that I would suggest to anyone though. Roofing is rotten work (for me and my bad knees, hips and back). It was worth it because it is nice not to have a water fall in my front room now.

Best of luck to all trying to get themselves to a better weight. It is quite a battle.

Peace,
cathryn


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