I have never and I do mean never been athletic at all I even failed PE!!! When I started my new life style I had started to walk just about everyday and had slowly worked up to between 3/4 and 1 mile. Well I had to stop walking and got a recumbent bike that I put together yesterday. So I had to try it and went on for about 5 minutes that was all that I could do so I figured that it is late and I am really tired tonight I will try again in the morning. I got up ate and got on the bike again well I forced myself to go for 10 minutes and when I got off my legs felt like jello and I was huffin and puffin. I know that this is going to take time but wow..did anyone else have to start like this?? Is this normal?? What should I strive for as a goal?? I would really appreciate any advice. Thank you!!

Yes, it's normal and yes, we all started like that!

I was a total non-athletic bookworm, cut gym class all through HS, and never set foot in a real gym until I was 46! I started on the elliptical and remember having to sit in the locker room for 10 minutes before I could drive home because I thought I was having a stroke.

Recumbent bikes are awesome for cardio - I have one too. I think you'll be surprised at how quickly you progress. A good goal is to add a minute a day, until you're up to 30 minute sessions. Do you think you could handle that?

Yeah a minute a day I can handle that I would really like to get up to 3 30 minute sessions in a day. I am also going to use the toning tables at the gym 3-4 days a week. Thanks for the help Meg!!!

multiple sessions is a great strategy... if you cant do 30 at once you get great benefits from 2-3 10's.

you'll be amazed at how soon you wont want to go a day without moving

The plan is for 3 times a day adding a minute more each day until I do 3 sets 30 minutes each. I will be adding the toning tables this week but I just don't know how often I will be able to get to use them I am shotting for 3-4 days a week. I hope that this is about right I am really pretty clueless about all this.

Colleen - an hour of cardio a day (total) is enough. Anything more than that is usually overkill. I'm not sure what the toning tables are, are they some kind of weight machine? If they involve weight lifting/resistance training, that's terrific! Cardio + weights + diet = fantastic results!

Hi!

I find that when starting a new exercise DVD I do as much as I can then rest and have some water. I do it again to that same point and see how I am feeling. Sometimes I stop, and sometimes I find that I can go on further. You are in competition only with yourself. Listen to your body. Pay attention to your diet and water consumption. I find that sometimes it is the food I just ate or when I haven't downed enough water before a workout that I fizzle out early.

Above all give yourself TIME to improve.

I am a non-athlete in a family of athletes! I get down on myself all the time when I compare myself to my family, but then I remind myself that they are at practice all the time and have been at it for many years. I want to be PERFECT after just a FEW SESSIONS?!!!!

Give yourself time. Keep a record of your improvements and the time that you are working out. Don't overdo it! Before you know it you will be stronger and more coordinated and feel like a new person!

Good Luck! Have fun!


Cheryl

OK thanks 60 minutes I can live with that. The toning table are like "how to work each muscle group for dummies" it take you through 3 stages then you move on to the weights. They are just what I need to learn how to work out. Everything with me has to go at baby steps because I don't know what I am doing and feel so inept about it I don't want to move on until I know that I am doing it right.

Thanks Cheryl I just ordered a WATP DVD from Netflixs to see if I can do it or I should say if it is any easier to learn then the last 2 DVDs that I bought. I couldn't even understand how they go into that position on the Pilate's one and don't even get me started on the Prevention one. I would really like a DVD to do on the days I can't make it to the gym.

It isn't easy, but I think you'll feel that once you're exercising frequently, that it will become much easier to add time to your workouts.

When I first started going to the gym, I thought I would just die after 15 minutes. I remember watching people run for 30+ minutes on the treadmill and wondering how they were alive at the end. It wasn't too long, though, before I could match their time (maybe not the level of exertion, but that, too, came later).

I recommend that you go in with the goal of using the bike AT A MINIMUM of 3x a week, and if you do more, that's great. Make 3x a week, 15 minutes the absolute minimum that you will do, and I think that you'll find yourself on the bike more than the minimum.

Keep us updated on your progress!

NSV- I made it to 15 minutes on the bike 2 times yesterday!!!! This mean that I am half way to my daily cardio goal!!! I am so excited what a great motivator that little bike is sitting in my living room not far from the chair I used to "potato" in.

Thanks this is great

5 was great! It was what you could do. 5 becomes 10. 10 becomes 15. 15 becomes 20 etc.
If you push too much and get injured or pissed off in the beginning you may just quit out of frustration.
Soon you will see that you are doing a consistant 45-an hour.

Have fun.
Robyn