I'm a coward!
 

Now... Now I WANT to exercise. I want to jump on a treadmill and run. I want to peddle on a bike or race on the elliptical. I want to soar!

But... I'm terribly, terribly afraid of pulling something or hurting something. I've always been the cautious and scared type, taking the safe route and tiptoeing.

I don't want to be that person. But I don't know how to change.

I want to be able to push my body without being terrified that I'm pushing too hard.

Any advice? Anyone else feel the same way?

Change slowly. Dont go from zero to 1000. When you get into the groove you will start to learn how much you can push. For now just start.

I've been there. Still am, some days. I second ennay's advice to start with something not so scary. Walking is great. Putting on music and dancing around the living room is great. Fitness DVDs that say "beginner" on them are great. Wii Fit is great.

As you get stronger, you'll find you can do more things and they aren't so scary. I've done DVDs that say "boot camp" on them and they were great fun!
But if my muscles are tired and I'm worried about pulling something, I go back to the Wii Fit and beginner DVDs.

Do you know what works for you when you do get a twinge of pain? It's ice and naproxen for me. The new thing I've discovered in the last few months is that I recover more quickly from a slight pull than I ever imagined I could -- apparently something about being stronger overall has improved my recovery speed.

Start slow.

Get on a treadmill and walk. Or, go outside and walk. Kick it up to a slow jog and see how it feels. Don't jump into it right away.

And if you do jump into something new, you may find you have some muscle soreness for 3-4 days after doing something new. That is normal. It goes away. But don't let it deter you.

I was just talking with a coworker about the Insanity series. Because it is so hardcore, he was having trouble getting into it. My suggestion to him was to do one video this week and see how it goes. Then try another one next week. The following week, try two videos, etc. Once you get over the hurdle you can set your mind up to do them all and get into it. But doing something is better than sitting on the couce doing nothing.

don't forget to stretch! :)

otherwise, walking is an excellent exercise to start with. And continue with even when you're doing all the other activities!

I am a coward when it comes to biking. I bought a used bike for $50 with a cute basket & it gathered cobwebs for a year. Then I started taking it out for short, fun rides. Now, I use it in the city like people use cars. I'll ride 3 miles to work or to a friend's house.

I get a little bit of exercise riding my bike and it's fun. But I don't use my bike for an aerobic workout. It would be too stressful for me to race around on my bike. I prefer to be leisurely about it.

Exercise doesn't have to be a major, sweat producing endeavor. My favorite form of exercise (dancing) doesn't feel like exercise at all, it just feels fun.

I'm this way with running. I'm scared to run on the treadmill. What if I trip and fall!? What if I get distracted and don't realize I'm pushing myself too hard and just collapse?

I always like to think about the worst case scenario haha. Right now I've been power walking on the treadmill for half an hour and I'm slowly adding two minute intervals where I kick it up and run. But there's still so much fear of falling when I run.

I know overtime the confidence will grow and that I'll feel comfortable running on the treadmill. You may just need time.

I'm also scared of seriouslly hurting myself. I do my best, I just worry I'll do something wrong and really screw something on my body up. I try to watch instructional videos or ask for help if I'm not sure so that doesn't happen.