I never thought I’d be saying this, but how do you safely and effectively start up an exercise program? Do y oueat before you exercise or after? It's been so long since I've been active and exercising.

I have an 8 month old daughter so I plan on walking daily for fitness, fresh air, and just to get us out the house. I live in the city though so we’ll be walking on sidewalks. Is walking on pavement really bad for the joints? And is walking really enough to loose weight? My mum said I'm to heavy to be jogging (I weigh 260lbs).

Also, I understand it is essential to do some sort of weight/resistance training as well. Are a couple of dumbbells or resistance bands good enough?

I do not have a dime to spare and I need something I can do either with my daughter or while she is playing near by.

Exercise videos and DVDs are not really an option for me right now because it is difficult to do them while chasing after my daughter and trying to keep her entertained...

Hi! I am a SAHM too & I use my little girl as a weight Try laying on your back & bench pressing her (unless she's a drooler like my kid!) As for weights, start with a liter bottle filled with water - that's 2 lbs. Canned food works too, books are good -- I didn't invest in 5 lb dumbbells for the first month or so & now I have 20 lb ones. I do lunges when I have Fiona's bottle in the microwave...I live in downtown St Paul Minnesota & we walk sidewalks all the time. Just make sure you have on shoes with some support. One thing that has helped me is interval training -- walking at a good rate for a minute, then walking as fast as you can (imagine you are rushing to the bathroom or trying to make a bus) for 15-30 seconds. Also, what got me moving 8 months ago was Fiona's "Go! Exercise with the Teletubbies!" video -- we dance all the time to everything from the Tubbies to Barney (gag) to Gnarls Barkley & Fergie...that burns calories too!
The trick is to move...just move! I started out winded after 3 minutes of "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" and 8 months later, I am able to do a hard hour on the elliptical at level 8 or 10 and get in a minimum of 5 miles!
Good luck!

Walking is fine...don't take a casual stroll, you should be walking fast enough that you are breathing somewhat hard & your heart rate is elevated. It should be a pace that feels challenging but not painful. You should be able to talk.

If you get to the point where you can walk a mile in under 15 minutes then you could look at adding jogging. There are runners who are heavy, but you dont need to add jogging until walking is no longer challenging. I also know people who can walk 12-13 minute miles. They have no need to jog.

Walking on sidewalks is fine, although the first place I would spend money is supportive shoes.

The other option, as far as exercising with kids, is getting up very early to work out before dh goes off to work.

For weights, resistance bands, soup cans and your own body are good to start with. Pushups (start with girly pushups and if they are too hard then do them against a wall standing) Tricep dips (sit on edge of a chair or low bench, lower your butt off the bench until your arms are bent near 90 degrees and back up) and squats and lunges can all be done without weights.

I walk the mall everyday. We walk 3 miles before the stores open. The other thing I do is dance. Just put on any music & as long as your moving its good for you

My doctor suggested that instead of going outside to pick up the paper, to go outside and walk around the block and then pick up the paper! In other words move. He said that if you go a little futher every day or two and pick up the pace as well, you will soon see the benefits.

I started with a 20 minute walk and quickly moved up to a 4 mile walk 5 or 6 days per week (while wrangling my two dogs!). The walk takes between 1 and 1.5 hours per day (depending on stops to chat with neighbors or dog related stops and the intensity of my walking). Since I've gone back to work, I am only able to walk once per week now, but I have started using my Nordic Track each morning before work. The dogs don't benefit--but I do! I also do some ab work and will slowly incorporate dumbells.

I can't jog--chronic knee problems and I dislike getting really out of breath.