[chrmiller]

I have a treadmill in the basement, but it is sooooo boring and musty down there. I bought a Kathy Smith step DVD that is ok, but it is kicking my a**. It is so hard to do, I am tired after 15 min. I am not having a problem dieting, but feel real guilty that I am not exersizing like I know I have to. I would jog outside but it is cold and I have a newborn to take care of. Any ideas?

[Sheri~C]

I would suggest the Leslie Sansone videos "Walk Away the Pounds" I have the "Walk Strong" dvd and it only took me 4 sessions to be able to do the whole thing. It is a 30 minute workout and about 2 miles I think of walking. Walk Strong does walking with intervals of strength training. I am now getting several more of her videos.

I like the easy progression from one step to the next and the fact that it is made harder by the intensity at which you do it so anyone no matter how out of shape can do it and you can increase your intensity if you need to.

I am very overweight and this workout brings my heartrate to 114 which is right in my target range for burning fat and I am not out of breath while doing it.

I rented one from my Library first to see if I would like it so maybe you can try a few that way.

Also of course Richard Simmons I love his tapes and have all of them and do them over and over.

Something my Aunt always did was stair walking, you just walk up and down your own stairs as many times as you can. That is great exercise and free too!

Start slow and only do what you can, you will find that after about a week of doing 10 minutes a time you will be able to increase it and by the end of the second week you should be able to do the whole thing.

Never ever exercise too hard, if it is making you out of breath you are working too hard. Slow down and do it a a comfortable pace. You may only be able to do a little at first and that is o.k. if you overdo and find it too hard you won't want to go back to it.

SHeri

[hzrdus7]

First off, if you clean up the area around your treadmill and put a boombox or TV and some posters around it will give you motivation. I know that when I have a dusty mess around my workout equipment, I tend to dread using it, but once I clean up and make the area a little more fun, I don't mind as much.

For the step, if you try to do the moves and when you get too winded just go back to doing the right and left basic steps, you will build up your endurance and eventually be able to do more and more of the kick butt moves that are hard.

[Familyof5]

The challenge I give myself whenever I have to workout and don't want to (almost daily!) is that I will go listed to 3 songs and then I am done working out...and by that time I am already doing it so I continue my workout. Also, I'll buy a new song and put it at the end of of my 3 song favorites and I use that for motivation. If I am doing the stationary bike, I read because with two babies, that's my only quiet time.