Where do I begin?

If your gym has a 25 yd pool, swim. It's an excellent full body workout and can build your endurance very quickly if you regularly hit the laps. Star slow...25 us warm up, 6x 25s w/30 secs in between, then one 25 yd cool down.

There are plenty of plans out there to get you to 1,000 yds. For endurance, once you can do 1K yd workouts, start building towards once a week mile swims.
 
The one thing I'll add is to take it easy and slow. If you wake up dreading your workout you're doing too much. The treadmill isn't out; you can walk up a steep incline. Ellipticals are good; but you need to set the resistance relatively high - if you aren't huffing and puffing a bit, you aren't doing enough on it. Bikes (recumbent and stationary) are good. Note that to work out to get in shape, you have to get in shape to work out. It'll take a month or two to build up to a point where you can get twenty minutes of continuous real exercise. Light workouts initially, with the resistance turned up enough for a couple of minutes over, say, a twenty or thirty minute session, is the way to go. Gradually get to a point where you're huffin' and puffin' for the entire time, then extend the time. Forty minutes is the time for me. Mixing in some weight training is good.

Just take it easy and don't burn yourself out - which is what happens to most gym member newbies.

I swim quite a bit, too, but if you haven't been doing that regularly I'd hold off until you get a good landlubber habit going.

Hang in there! :)
 
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Thanks guys! I rode the stationary bicycle for a half hour today and still felt pretty good afterwards. Time to crank it up.
 
I lost 50 pounds 2 years ago, by adjusting my diet. I was already running 30-40 mile weeks and wanted to run a little more (because I like to compete), but it was obvious that I wouldn't be able to do that. Every 6 months or so, I would either pull a calf muscle, pull a muscle in my back, or turn an ankle. And the inside tendon on my knees was always stiff and sore. When I decided to lose some weight, I did it in phases, one type of food/meal at a time. Each phase had a completion point. My point is that weight control, if it's even necessary is a separate task from working out. I still watch what I eat and my training for running is pretty consistent. Last winter, I was working out 7 days a week, with weight training and calisthenics, all while putting in 70 mile weeks with my running shoes on. All that and I gained 15 pounds from mid summer to January. I'll give you one guess where that weight gain came from!
 
Also, if there is any medical issues, work with your doc. Too few calories also put you in starvation mode. It is Cal In to Cal Out, carbepss the big (with sugar) one. Ive had some success lately, but working with doc and AME to keep the 1st class (so far not really an issue, just paperwork).

I know even walking 20,000 steps a day isn't going to help my Palm PR lunch @drunkenbeagle , but that week will be a bender anyway... 8)

GOOD LUCK!
 
Eat less, move more. Depending on your knee issues, swimming or elliptical will be the solution. Low impact yet it will still get the blood flowing for cardio purposes.

If you begin weight training, don't be shy about starting with light weights. Especially if it is a new exercise for you. Too much weight too early and being too eager is how you get hurt. In other words if you think you can lift 100lbs in a certain exercise, try 50lbs first. Get the motion figured out before you get hurt trying 100lbs.

Good luck.
 
I started eating Paleo and working out for about an hour 5 days a week. Lost 19lbs in 3 weeks. Im super stoked. I think the diet is what's most important. My flying schedule is 1 week on the road, 1 week home, so I started going to grocery stores and buying healthy food to cook at the hotel room. Not only have I been eating SIGNIFICANTLY better, but I also save a couple hundred bucks of per diem a month. Im super happy that I'm changing my lifestyle to be healthy.
 
Might be worth downloading myfitnesspal and tracking what you eat. I started recently and it seems like it comes in pretty handy. Depressing at the same time because I realized even though I thought I was eating relatively well on the road I was still eating a lot of crap. Being on the road the whole month sucks!
 
ASpilot,

You'll no doubt see steady progress by making small changes at the beginning, and it will allow you to adjust to the lifestyle changes over time. Once those small changes become habit, and you have adapted to them nicely, then further changes can occur to adjust the work-outs and dietary factors to continue providing changes in fitness and weight-loss. The most prevalent aspect of health and fitness I see in people just beginning new health and fitness goals (especially when they are considered new/novice) is "too much, too soon" pitfall, and not long after the person is either physically over-trained or psychological exhausted. The good thing about health and fitness is it can be incorporated slowly into ones life allowing an adjustment period, and then re-evaluation can be done at a later time.

Since you stated that you have knees issues, be sure to remain clear of high impact type of activities that place high stress on the joints during activity. The treadmill and stair-master are just two examples of higher impact machines (if you chose to do machines for cardiovascular exercise). To provide the least amount of stress on the knees for your current cardiovascular exercise, the stationary has a back rest and usually arm rests as well, and is appropriate for beginners and individuals with weak or injured lower backs since there is back support) or the upright bike (has no back rest pad or arm rests, and it simulates the position of a real bicycle, but challenges core stability since there is a lack of back rest pad). Pick one of the two that you feel most comfortable on. With cardiovascular work, the duration per session is very subjective on the clients current level of fitness and other health factors. Since you said you rode the bike for 30 min. in a recent exercise session, then it sounds like you are more than capable of doing so. Usually, 10-15 min. is recommended for their first several session to get adjusted to how cardio exercise feels, machine adjustments, etc. To reduce the chance of knee pain when riding, be sure to keep a slight bend at the knee when the pedal is at the lowest point of the cyclical cycle, which a 30 degree bend at the knee is about average. In addition, be aware of your knee angle when riding the bike, as the knees should never collapse in towards the frame of the bike. Keep the knees lined up with the hips and ankles, and push the pedals with the ball of the foot. In regards to the tempo of the pedal stroke, 80-110 rpm's is recommended for efficiency. Look at the information on the screen of the fitness bike (if it's digital), and find where the rpm's are being shown, and try not to go below 80 rpm's, or above 110 rpm's. You will chose a resistance on the pedal that provides you with a little feedback on the feet to ensure you are "free-wheeling" with no resistance, but also not "grinding" on the pedals when someone has too much resistance on the machine. The resistance should be chosen in accordance with the chosen rpm. We gave the rpm range of 80-110, so let's say we chose 80 on the bottom of the range. Find a resistance that allows you to pedal at 80 rpm for the designated time frame you chose to exercise on that machine. Use a scale of 1-10 in regards to perceived exertion (called the Borg Scale), with 1 being the easiest, and 10 being the most difficult intensity for you. Begin exercise at about a 3-4 on that scale and work your way up depending upon how you feel. You should build up a bit of a sweat, but nothing exhausting or strenuous. You should always be able to catch your breath. As you cardiovascular endurance improves, you'll find that previous exercise intensities become easier, so you will find yourself moving towards high numbers on the Borg Scale. To increase the intensity when the time comes on the bike, simply increase the rpm's slightly, or the resistance slightly, or a mixture of both (if a mixture of both is used, be aware that you won't raise either neither as much as if you were to just raise one component). It's best to just focus on improving one component at a time when increasing intensity of exercise, such as raising rpm's or resistance in this case on the bike. If 30 minutes sessions feel okay, and no aches, pains, or injuries are occurring, then stick with it. Begin with a couple sessions per week (of your 30 min. sessions) if you feel you can do so at the beginning. Space the days out between sessions to give your heart and muscles the needed rest. If you are recovering from the two spaced out sessions well, add one more day (so you may be doing 3 days by now: i.e. Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Be creative on how you fit the cardiovascular work into your life. It doesn't all have to be done in one session. Maybe it's easier for you to do two 15 min. sessions twice at different times of the day to make up the total of 30 total min. of cardio for the day. If you can't get in the 30 min of cardio for that day, simply do whatever amount of cardio that time allows, as something is better than nothing (but keep in mind that 10 min. of cardio per session in the recommended minimum if splitting up sessions during the day). I know many people who won't exercise at all for the day if they can't get in the specified amount of work-out time that they prefer, and that's not a healthy way to look at things. Over time (it may be over months for some people and it may be over a couple years for other individuals, as it's subjective), you will be able to work up to the ACSM/AHA (American College of Sports Medicine and American Heart Association) recommended minimum daily physical activity levels for adults, which is a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity cardio 5 days per week, or a minimum of 20 min. of vigorous intensity cardio 3 days per week. ACSM also has guidelines for stretching, nueromotor, and resistance exercise, which I will post below as well. We'll talk about resistance training a bit below as well. Below is the Borg Scale that we spoke of just for reference, and is provided by WebMD.

BorgRating Perceived Exertion Scale
0Nothing at all
0.5Very, very weak (just noticeable)
1Very weak
2Weak (light)
3Moderate
4Somewhat strong
5Strong (heavy)
6-
7Very Strong
8-
9-
10Maximal


American College of Sports Medicine Physical Activity Guidelines:



Cardiorespiratory Exercise

  • Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
  • Exercise recommendations can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five days per week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week).
  • One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes) are both acceptable to accumulate desired amount of daily exercise.
  • Gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended for best adherence and least injury risk.
  • People unable to meet these minimums can still benefit from some activity.
Resistance Exercise

  • Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.
  • Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise.
  • Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power.
  • For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age and older persons starting exercise, and 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance.
  • Adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.
Flexibility Exercise

  • Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion.
  • Each stretch should be held for 10-30 seconds to the point of tightness or slight discomfort.
  • Repeat each stretch two to four times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch.
  • Static, dynamic, ballistic and PNF stretches are all effective.
  • Flexibility exercise is most effective when the muscle is warm. Try light aerobic activity or a hot bath to warm the muscles before stretching.
Neuromotor Exercise

  • Neuromotor exercise (sometimes called “functional fitness training”) is recommended for two or three days per week.
  • Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait), proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities (tai ji and yoga) to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults.
  • 20-30 minutes per day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise.
In addition to outlining basic recommendations and their scientific reasoning, the position stand also clarifies these new points:

  • Pedometers, step-counting devices used to measure physical activity, are not an accurate measure of exercise quality and should not be used as the sole measure of physical activity.
  • Though exercise protects against heart disease, it is still possible for active adults to develop heart problems. All adults must be able to recognize the warning signs of heart disease, and all health care providers should ask patients about these symptoms.
  • Sedentary behavior – sitting for long periods of time – is distinct from physical activity and has been shown to be a health risk in itself. Meeting the guidelines for physical activity does not make up for a sedentary lifestyle.
In regards to resistance training, begin training all major muscle groups 1-2 times per week at the beginning with all muscles receiving 1-2 sets worth of work. Believe it or not, one set of resistance training per muscle group has shown real positive effects on strength and muscle endurance in untrained individuals. Multiple sets per muscle group may be (and usually is) more beneficial especially in trained individuals.Try to judge your soreness level, and adjust your resistance training session(s) number per week by how you feel. If you are very sore for the first couple weeks with just one resistance training session, then remain training all major muscle groups once per week. If you recover well (within 48-72 hours of rest) from one session to another and only have slight soreness or no soreness after that rest period, then two resistance training sessions can be performed weekly. Be sure to separate your training sessions with 48-72 hours of rest in between sessions. So, performing resistance training on particular muscle groups on Monday, they can be worked again on Wednesday, as well as another session on Friday if need be. As for the amount of sets per muscle group, we already said 1-2 sets per muscle group, but as times goes on, I would not recommend more than 3-4 sets even more experienced weight-lifters per muscle group per session, especially when they are training those muscle groups 2-3 times per week. The body needs adequate recovery time from those resistance training sessions to allow the muscle tissue (and other tissues) to repair properly from stressors of training. In the gym from your training, you doing what's necessary to the body and setting it up for improvement, but the improvement actually occurs once the body has recovered from it's exercise bout (and that's one of the many reasons why proper nutrition is vital). As you can see above in the ACSM guidelines for resistance training, 2-3 sessions per week for all major muscle groups is recommended. For a person just getting back into training, a 15-20 repetition range (a weight that can be lifted no more than 15-20 times) is good to get the muscles experiencing the additional stress of training, as well as prepare the tendons, bones, and ligaments for heavier loads in future training. After a month or two (it's different for everyone) of resistance training, you can begin to lift heavier loads, in the 8-12 repetition range, to improve upon muscular strength and muscular endurance. There are manyyyyyyyy ways to perform your resistance training sessions, like split routines (certain muscle groups on certain days), full-body routines, etc. I prefer a full-body routine on my resistance training days. We won't go into the rest time in between sets, or repetition range changes during the week, etc., because that doesn't need to occur when beginning on a weight training routine when someone is new to it. Keeping it simple at the beginning is best, and it allows more enjoyment of the routine without feeling bombarded of all the options. Pick major muscle groups like chest, middle back, Legs (this incorporates a lot of various muscles, but something like a leg press will work at the beginning stages to work a majority of them), biceps, triceps, shoulders, calves, and core (encompasses lower back muscles and abdominal muscles). You can simply perform one set of each moving down the list of muscle groups and be done with it. If you are performing multiple sets per muscle group, to save time, pick two of those muscle groups and do all your sets going back and forth between the two until you complete two sets for both. Then, chose two different muscle groups and complete all yours sets between those muscle groups (for example: One set of Bicep Curls, then one set of Tricep Press-downs, then back to your second set of Bicep Curls, followed by your second set of Tricep Press-downs). Do this until all major muscle groups are complete. Try to work the larger muscle groups first to ensure you have the most energy to do so, which is at the beginning of the work-out. In between sets, rest long enough to catch your breath, and feel that your muscle have regained enough energy to perform your next set of work, and this varies from person to person. You shouldn't feel signs and symptoms of overworking such dizziness, abnormal shortness of breath, seeing "dots" or flashes of light, chest pain, etc. Keep it mellow, and work your way into better fitness over time. The speed of each set should be completed within 3-6 seconds (including the concentric and eccentric part of the lift (shortening of the muscle and lengthening of the muscle), and use proper strict technique to ensure safety and quality of the exercise. Tighten the "core" just enough to ensure spinal stability, as the lower back should maintain a neutral arch, and don't swing or use assisting muscle groups to help perform the exercise (they should only be used to stabilize the exercise). Breath well and properly during resistance training, inhale on eccentric part of the lift (generally with the direction of gravity or the lengthening of the muscle) and exhale on the hardest part of the lift, which is the concentric part (generally against gravity or the shortening of the muscle). Holding one's breath too long during resistance training can have serious ramifications like extreme blood pressure spikes, heart problems, or stroke. Try to begin with resistance training machines, as they tend to be a bit safer for beginning resistance training, and they are relatively easy to maintain proper technique in comparison to free-weights. Once you get used to training with machines, and your joint stability, core stability, and balance improve, you can begin transitioning to other modes of resistance training such as free-weights, pulleys, bands, etc. When it comes to training your legs, be very careful of your knees, as well as your alignment on the machines that involves those joints. For example, if performing Leg Press, lighter weight in the 15-20 rep. range may suffice to improve your muscular strength and knee joint stability via the muscles responsible for contraction around the knee, as well as allow you maintain proper technique much easier than a heavier load would. If you chose to perform Leg Press, be sure your hips, knees, and ankles are all aligned roughly shoulder of slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Do not at any time during your exercise allow your knees to fall inward (or outward, but not going inward is especially important) as you'll risk greater chances of ACL and MCL (two of the four ligaments in the knee joint) damage. There are two different Leg Press machines, a closed-chain type and open-chain type. When beginning, an open-chain Leg Press may be better in regards to lessening harshness and difficulty during the exercise. An open-chain exercise will have the working limbs free to move, so in our case, the Leg Press sled will move away and to the body. A closed-chain exercise will not allow the working limbs, and in this case the Leg Press sled will not be movable and your body will move away and to the sled instead.

Dietary factors are always are the key elements to success in fitness ventures. When you are just getting started, nothing too structured or calculated is necessarily needed. There are great ways to almost guarantee weight-loss (which you said is your goal) like calculating estimated calorie intake needs, among other ways. As previously described by other posters, to lose weight, a person must intake fewer energy (calories) than the body needs to maintain total body-weight. All of this includes activity level, etc. For now, starting with small dietary changes will surely improve your fitness and get you started with weight loss. Begin with reducing portion sizes of the foods you usually eat. This does not have to be extreme to provide large improvement. Stay hydrated (try to have waters as the majority of your liquids) the best you can.Throughout the day, having proper hydration levels you may have very pale yellow or almost clear urinations (don't count the first urination of the day as that's not a good indicator). Lower your sugar intake greatly, as the only real sugar in the diet you receive may be from fruit. Lower your sodium intake to the USDA recommended 2300mg or less (it is possible to have to little sodium though). You would be surprised how easy it is to obtain incredibly high sodium intakes. Some canned soups alone can double the recommended sodium intake in just a couple servings.Try to replace bad fats with much better fats, such as removing Trans-Fat (if it's usually fried or has the words "Partially Hydrogenated" in the ingredients list on the package then it has Trans-Fat in it) in your diet. Trans-fat is created (even though a small amount is found in meats naturally) when a hydrogen (hence the word hydrogenation) is added to the chemical structure of a food product (vegetable oil particularly that once started as a healthy oil) and it changes from a Cis to a Trans formation. The oil becomes more solid at room temperature. The reason this process is performed is because it allows food products to increase shelf life drastically, less likely to spoil, and deep fryers don't have to have the oil changed as often, which all saves money in the end. Unfortunately, Trans-fat is absolutely unhealthy from all aspects. It lowers your HDL cholesterol (considered the good kind) and increases your LDL cholesterol (considered the bad kind), which increases chances of atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis, and therefore overall heart disease. Trans-fat can be found in many kinds of foods, which are primarily baked goods, margarine, chips, and fried foods. Legally, food companies can mark their package as "Zero Trans-Fat" as long as they have less than 0.5 grams of Trans-Fat per serving. So, they could easily lower the serving size to get below that number and they are good to go. The ingredients on the label still has to say partially hydrogenated though, and that's an easy way of knowing whether it has Trans-Fat in the product. The chance of someone have one serving of food is very slim, so that 0.5g or less of Trans-Fat that doesn't seem like much does add up very quickly with multiple servings, as well as poor food choices, and that can have a dramatic affect on health. Exercise and healthy fats, such as fatty fish like salmon, olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocado, etc. may provide an increase in HDL's and lowers LDL's. Try to limit your consumption of refined grain products such as white rice, white bread, refined cereals, crackers, etc. During the refining process, the bran and germ were removed, as as a multitude of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, due to this process, there is usually minimal fiber in the product and fiber provides satiety (the feeling of fullness) as well as helps decrease bad cholesterol, and regulates blood sugar. With a refined product, blood sugar spikes are common (since they become a high glycemic food. Look up the glycemic index), provide very little satiety, can increase cravings, and may increase chances of Type 2 diabetes. Now, especially when your dieting, feeling full and providing the most nutrients as possible for the amount of calorie intake is vital since you are on a calorie deficit as it is to lose weight. The unrefined grains will be a better choice such as the brown rice, oatmeal, barley, etc. However, keep in mind the DENSITY of various foods. About 1 cup of Brown Rice at over 200 calories is much denser than Broccoli per say because to obtain the same calorie level you would have to eat almost 7 cups. So, have your whole grains, but ensure the portion size is much less than your vegetables because of the calorie density. Also, find ways to dress up your foods that don't do increase the calories of the food too much, and spices are an easy way to do so. Sauces can be okay, but many of them are dense, so be very careful of the sauce you use. Always read the label ahead of time. Here is a link regarding how to interpret a food label, which is a fantastic thing to know, and will help a lot in this weight loss venture. http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm274593.htm#twoparts
A good free source for meal plans, food plate organization, etc. is http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
Become familiar with the size of plates, bowls, and glasses that you use to eat and drink out of, and try to use similar sizes of them once you get down the proper portion size of foods/meals to help keep you on track. If you ever need to know the calorie density of various foods, a simple website like www.calorieking.com works great. Many apps on various smartphones, tablets, etc. are helpful as well, and some were mentioned already like www.myfitnesspal.com

I hope this all helps. We can talk about this all day long, but I don't want to bore everyone. This should hopefully give you a good start. Good luck! Let us know how you do.
 
ASpilot2be said:
I just signed up for a gym membership because I am not going to be getting the exercise I was with my last job. I am trying to lose 50lbs. The treadmill is out because I have bad knees. But I do love riding the bicycle. Then I would like to work out the upper body too. Thanks for the advice.
Click to expand...

Alec, I would say the gym is a waste of money for you.

Look up CrossFit. There must be a CrossFit club close to you. If not, just do the P90X program and the next thing you know, Willow Palin will be knocking on your door looking for a date.
 
There is some validity of to sometimes used phrase, Crossfit is a Chiropractor, Physical Therapist, and Surgeons best freind :). I wouldn't recommend Crossfit to ASpilot, or P90X right now, or possibly ever. Those activities/routines have their positives and place in fitness, but they aren't a good fit for a good chunk of the population.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone! Great writeup @NoSoup4U . So far things are going good. I hit the gym three times last week. Those visits went well. Rode the bike or did the elliptical for 30 minutes and didnt feel winded. By legs did feel numb after the elliptical trainer though.
 
I've heard the elliptical does that to some people. My feet get that way after 30 minutes.
 
NoSoup4U said:
There is some validity of to sometimes used phrase, Crossfit is a Chiropractor, Physical Therapist, and Surgeons best freind :). I wouldn't recommend Crossfit to ASpilot, or P90X right now, or possibly ever. Those activities/routines have their positives and place in fitness, but they aren't a good fit for a good chunk of the population.
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Depends. I ran a CrossFit gym for 2 years, and we had 0 injuries requiring surgery, and maybe 2 requiring significant time off. Injuries are a result of bad movement patterns, first and foremost. I trained many older (60+) clients, and every single workout was tailored to what I knew they could/couldn't do. I didn't have grandma with the weak arms trying to snatch barbells. Since CrossFit is so open-ended, you can have a very different experience depending on your trainer/gym, so I get why a lot of people think it's so injurious and unsafe.

But like what was said before, diet is the most important thing for weight loss. Low carb diets are not fads- they work for various scientific *and* emotional reasons. You do not have to starve yourself.

*Basics*
1. Eat a fist-sized portion of (real) meat at every meal (fish/chicken/beef). Fill the rest of the plate with colorful leafy vegetables.
2. Water, only.
3. It's ok to snack- but snacks should be low-carb fruits (berries) or nuts.
4. Planning your meals in advance is crucial to success. Cook up a bunch of meat on Sunday to eat for the week. Invest in tupperware.

The workouts are secondary. Do *something*, and make sure you enjoy it. Hiking, gym time, biking, whatever. But make sure it's something FUN, preferably outdoors. 3-5 hours a week.
 
NewYorkophile said:
Do *something*, and make sure you enjoy it. Hiking, gym time, biking, whatever. But make sure it's something FUN, preferably outdoors. 3-5 hours a week.
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Absolutely! Make your exercise part of your recreation. For me, it's surfing. I don't surf to exercise; I surf because I enjoy it. And, well, it also happens to be great exercise. ;) I get out there 5-6 days a week, and even on my day off I'm checking the surf. Obviously not everyone has regular access to the ocean, but it can take any form: Bicycling, skateboarding, whatever. Enjoy your exercise.

I'm down to within 10 lbs of my highschool weight without trying too hard. I just go outside and do the activity I enjoy. If going to the gym is a chore, you probably won't stick with it too long.
 
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