Quote:
Originally Posted by Shmead
It's more important to exercise than it is to do it "right": people get so stressed out about finding the perfect formula or being efficient that when they can't do it perfectly, they quit completely.
It may well be that exercise A is 5% more efficient at burning calories than exercise B, but exercise B is 100% more effective than nothing. It's extremely discouraging to people new to exercise to have someone say "X is a total waste of time" when that's what they've been doing--and frankly, if it involves any effort at all, it's not a waste of time.
When I started exercising seriously in August, everything I was capable of doing were things people told me were a waste of time: I could ride the stationary bike for 5 minutes/2 miles, and I could walk less than a mile. It was partially physical--I was 300ish pounds and totally sedentary, after all, but a lot of it was mental--I was constantly anxious and restless and bored and desperate to quit every minute I exercised.
So I "wasted" my time for weeks. But it improved my conditioning and my mental space. Every 1-2 weeks, I upped it a little, and now I exercise almost 2 hours a day, 7 days a week in three separate sessions, and I never, ever miss. I'm in great shape, and getting better.
That said, I am good at persistence but not at intensity. I really, honestly am not sure I've ever had my heart rate in the "target" zone--I seem to have all sorts of problems (in my head or in my muscles? I don't know) with getting up to any sort of speed. But my resting heart rate has still gone down to under 60, I've lost 100+ lbs @ 2 lbs/week while eating at least 1500 calories a day, my bp is good--maybe those numbers would be better if I got my heart rate up more on a regular basis, but they are a **** of a lot better than they were--and if I'd listened to doctors and experts who said that you only burn fat and improve heart health in that "target" zone, I'd have given up long ago.
My point is that it's best to do whatever you can bring yourself to do, and don't worry too much about getting it exactly right. There's plenty of time ahead to expand and tweak your program.
I completely agree with all of your points. I always say that the best exercise is the exercise that you'll do. I just hate it when people say that you must stay in the "fat burning zone" when you do cardio, when in fact it's calories in vs. calories out that determines weight loss.
Congratulations on your great accomplishment.
cincimom11 , 05-10-2010 11:54 AM
