Hello Everyone
I am new to this site.I have a lot of health problems two.I was told about two weeks that I was prediabetic and that I needed to lose weight and to exercise.The only problem is I have a lot of pain in my knees,lower legs and both feet.I have a hard time walking just to go shopping and to do my housework.I want to try walking for exercise but I am so out of shape.I just don't know how to begin.I am 57 years old and I weigh over 300 lbs. If anyone has any tips or advice for me,please let me know.I was so glad to find the 3FC site.Now I know that I am not alone.
recipecrazy
recipecrazy,
My suggestion would be to ask your doctor what types of exercises he thinks you should be doing, he should have already given you suggestions, but we all know that docotors today can be in a rush and not spend the time with patients that they need to. As for my suggestion, I would say that Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The pounds would be a good start. She has a 1 mile tape/dvd all the way up to a 4-mile express. Check with your doctor about this, but consider taking a multi-vitamin. Ask your doctor for suggestions as far as diet, once you lose weight, some of the pain may go away and diet will help the exercise. Trust me, I know, because I didn't actually start losing weight until I watched my diet AND exercised. As for food, I wouldn't suggest anything extreme such as Atkins or South Beach because in the beginning they are hard on the kidneys and from what I've heard, later on they are hard on the heart. Weight Watchers is supposed to be really good, then after that I think its LA weight Loss. I watch the amount of fat/calories I eat per day and try to keep it under or at a certain number.
There are exercise videos that are for chair-bound people. They are really a good workout and I got it from the library. You might try that until you lose some weight and can move more freely. Walking is still the best exercise.
Recipecrazy - I'm in the same boat as you. 59 years old and over 300 lbs and diabetic. I used to do more walking but then developed some orthopedic problems which put me on the sidelines for awhile (and piled up the lbs). Now they have somewhat abated and I'm trying to do more walking. Oh but it's hard. Everything hurts and I huff and puff on the shortest walk. I too have problems doing housework -- just thinking about it makes me tired. The one thing I've tried to do is not worry about exercise at first, but try to stay OP (on your weight loss program) for a week or so. I find that when I'm doing that, I have a little more energy and I can walk more. This will gradually increase until you can do aerobic walking. I've tried this before and it works. (I'm having a little motivational problem right now). Good luck.
Hi im rosey and usually you will find me in the diebetic section..i am the same as you..over 300#'s diebetic hurt all over and hate exercise..but i go to curves..3 x a week.. i cant do everything yet..my dd pulls my butt out of the machines and i use my cane while exercising.. when i first joined i wanted to run for the hills..to public.. to.. embarassing.. to hard..but some really nice ladies and my dd convinced me to stick with it..at first i hurt so badly i couldnt move the next day..and had to kick myself out the door to go..now i look forward to it..i have more energy..i move better..hurt less..balance is better..still cant do everything but im doing it..i suggest you start simple..even if its dancing around to music you like..when you are ready and if you have a curves near you check it out..also richard simmons has alow impact video for seniors that is easy and some of it you can do sitting down..whatever you do get moving..you are not alone..even a few mints at a time will help..as you feel better you can add more..good luck to you and every one here is in the same place and we understand..by the way hello mr ken..(glen) way to go on your loss..hope i could help some rosey
Location: From Boston MA but we are stationed in Germany :)
Posts: 10
Hey there! I was thinking about a work out that would be easier on the joints, knees and such, (I'm a chronic pain sufferer...knees, ankles, wrists & back) and I was thinking, maybe swimming would be a nice place to start? Many local YMCA's offer a water aerobics in the afternoons? I bet that'd be a good place to start as it's mostly women in those classes, and they're really low impact. Anyway good luck to you, you can do it!!
hi! i certainly can sympathize too. i have pain in legs from ms and chronic and pretty severe back pain from spinal cord damage, so i know what you mean about how hard it is. i do physical therapy at times, and use exercise tapes, such as tai chi in a chair, which is really helpful. i walk (with a cane) whenever my legs cooperate. believe me, it is hard. as someone else suggested, maybe your doc can suggest some exercises too. i wish you all the best of luck. hang in there, and take care.
I'm sorry for all the pain you're experiencing. I have a little foot pain and numbness in one big toe. Sometimes I get pain in my calfs but not recently. I've started doing a pilates aerobics workout with weights. I can barely get though it (not because of pain, just being unfit) however whenever my legs get tired I just walk in place and do the arm exercises. My heartrate seems to stay in the aerobic range when I do that.
You could try doing some weight exercises with your arms. Building muscle helps with weight loss. I agree with the other that as you lose the weight the stress on your legs will be less and possibly you'll experience a decrease in pain.
PatriotsJunkie had a great suggestion with swimming. It's very low to no impact as the water supports you but water also provides a lot of resistance so I'm sure you'll get a good workout if you do water aerobics or laps. I don't know where there is a pool in my area but when I find one I'm going to do that. Thanks for the suggestion!
HI!
I'M NEW HERE AND IT'S GOOD TO FIND A PLACE FOR US
I'm in the process of loseing 100 lbs,unable to stand to workout and due to my wt[285] and med. condition[scolosis] I'm in pain most of the time!
I'm doing chair danceing and wt. training at the time ! but I need some support real bad!
I know my contion would be so much more easyer to live with out the extra wt! this is not my highest wt.......but be cause of my limited mobility it's the hardest.
I have lupus/mctd, and my knees and feet, etc... were having a lot of problems, too. I find that water aerobics, the recumbent bike, the elliptical and belly dancing were the best things I used. Water aerobics was the very best, but the elliptical is my favorite. Belly dancing is just plain fun, and you don't have to move around a lot to work up a sweat.......it's about controlled motion. There are videos out there and a thread on here on TFC devoted to belly dancing.
I find that the exercise, besides helping me lose weight, is also helping with the pain. I still have problems, but not as badly. Also, the Arthritis Foundation and Richard Simmons both put out videos for people with limited mobility. I think the others gave you ideas, too. Just start with something. As the weight comes off, you'll be able to do more. The first time on the elliptical, I could only do 5 minutes. Now I can do an hour! Who knew?
Pain,Pain,Pain
glen
