[jersey girl 311]

Ok so here's the deal. I hate exercising. I've been doing really well losing my weight. Since starting weight watchers 3 weeks ago I have lost 10 pounds. I have a couple of videos, but I find them boring. I don't like going to the gym. Is there any videos anyone can suggest? I need some sort of motivation to get moving. I have been walking some this week, but that is all.

[stef]

OK so you hate exercise. You found the vids you got boring! Yet you're asking for advice on more vids?

Time for a rethink. And believe me it took me ages to think up any of these for my customers (and me) who absolutely HATE exercise!

You said you are walking! Have you bought one of those cheap (and only vaguely accurate) little pedometer thingies? I use mine daily. I switch from miles walked, to paces, to kcals every day. It's a little thing but it keeps my brain occupied and amused.

Do you have a regular trip that you take by bus/train/tram/taxi? If so could you get on/off a step later/earlier? Could you change your routes, making them a bit longer or more challenging? Believe it or not I have found a couple of routes that mean I have to walk slightly up hill on my way out AND on my way home!!

Sick of walking? My all time favourite exercise is flying a stunt kite whilst sitting down!!!! As I make it loop the loop and hurtle around the skies my abs and back muscles are getting a really good workout!! If you've never tried it before you should give it a whirl. My 300lb+ customer (previously housebound due to her weight) has now got the biggest kite I have ever seen and she flies it almost every day. She even bought a beanbag chair to make it a bit more comfy!

After that I could suggets swimming or an Aqua exercise class. But that means a swimming cossie and changing rooms! However you might be in for a suprise as most ladies who try out Aqua are large and were once really self conscious. Have a read round the Aqua postings here (you'll read me again unfortunately)!

I hope this helps a little bit! Stef

[happy2bme]

Hi Jersey,
To add to Stef's comments, you have to find something that you can at least tolerate or take your mind off the fact that you hate what you're doing.

There's walking (find a friend and go for a regular walk - yakking as you're walking makes the time go faster and it's not so boring), biking, skating, dancing, swimming, badminton, tennis, volleyball, jump rope and running.

If you don't like the gym, check out some classes at your local park district or YMCA. There's a wide variety of things offered - kickboxing, Pilates, swimming, golf (no carts allowed - you have to walk the course), strength training and weight lifting, tae-bo. You might have to pay a little more for a class as a non member but usually it's only 5 or 10 dollars and if you do it once a week it's still cheaper than a gym membership.

I got a mini trampoline for about $40 and tho I hate running, I find I can "jog" on that or just jump around and it's quite a workout.

I like music and I make my own tapes of lively stuff and pop it in the walkman while I'm doing my thing to distract me and make the time pass more quickly.

Finally if you really want to go the exercise video route - here's a website where real people rate fitness videos. This page will take you to the various categories of videos - from there you can check out different routines and different instructors.

http://www.videofitness.com/reviews/

Good luck - hope you find something that suits you!

[MzPen]

I know just how you feel. I hate walking for exercise, I find it so boring! Other things - cycling, swimming, etc. - I don't find as boring at first but then I get bored with it. Here are a couple of things I've found that I like and have gotten me motivated (and once you've managed to stick to it for a while, it gets easier and you don't hate it so much!):

Tae-bo -- although eventually I've gotten bored with it!

Bellydancing -- I got a set of tapes for bellydancing as exercise from the Belly Dancing twins. I like dancing, so for me this is fun!

Weightlifting -- This is really my salvation, I think. I got a tape from Joyce Vedral and started using dumbells, and I found I got a nice energy rush after doing the short routine. I'm now doing Sculpting classes at the gym because I like the fact that we're always doing something different. Another thing that helped me in this respect was an article I saw on www.stumptuous.com -- I think it was in the Getting Started section and was titled something like "No Fat Chicks" and it addressed hating aerobic exercise!

Good luck to you!
Pen

[jersey girl 311]

Thanks to both of you for the advice. I'm going to look around at the various classes and some different videos and see if something catches my attention. The thing with my video is that it seems too easy and so I got bored with it fast. So I think I am going to try a few different things till I find what I like. I figure if the U.S. is have a problem with obsesity then I won't be the only overweight one there. Thanks again for the help.
Heather

[MyGirl]

variety is the key don't make it a chore just do it and build it in to your daily routine.
I try to trick myself into thinking that I am NOT exercising.
Try
-gardening
-dancing
-walking to the store to get the paper
-cleaning the house

just think all these are good forms of exercise yet don't feel like it!

[Jessamybowes]

If your videos are to easy you should new ones. I love workout videos, because I can do it when my babys sleeping. At my local libraries they have tons of exercise vids. so i get a new one each week. I also walk to the store 1/2 mile away to get some more exercise, but the bad thing i always spendmoney when i get there. But there are many ways to exercise and once it becomes routine you get excited to be able to exercise.
these are my top vids right now:
Cindy Crawford a New Deminsion
Quick Fix Total Mix Abs, Butt, Legs, &Arms
Denise Austin show on lifetime
goodluck
Jess
166/136/110