i am just starting to follow weight watchers again and i would like to incorporate exercise into my daily schedule. however, i have a slight problem. weighing in at 295, i am out of breath simply after climbing a flight of stairs! does anyone have any suggestions for types of exercise that will not make me feel as if my lungs are on fire? thanks!

Hi, congrats on your WW start and wanting to get healthy the right way, with good nutrition and exercise. Good for you!

Feeling so out of breath is probably just because you are not used to the activity that caused it. You have to build up your stamina and cardiovascular health.

If I were you, I would start by walking. Start slow, and build up to walking faster, as your body gets used to it. If you don't have anywhere to walk around your neighborhood, you can always buy a Leslie Sansone DVD Walk Away the Pounds. She has the easy, beginner 1 mile one (I know, one mile sounds like alot, but you don't have to do the whole thing the first time) and you can walk inside. The biggest thing is to get up and move every day.

You can also do some light weight lifting with 1 or 2 lb weights. You can buy them pretty cheap at Walmart, Target, etc. Just start with some bicep curls, tricep curls, etc. There are sites on the internet you can search for that has examples of these exercises. I had listed a site on one of my other posts. If I can find the link I will post it again for you, ok?

Check with your doctor before you start any exercise program. See if he/she has any recommendations for you too. Or, any restrictions. You want to be healthy and stay healthy, so it is important to know what you can or cannot do.

Does WW recommend any exercises with their program? I have never done the program, so I don't know what they recommend.

Don't worry, before you know it, those stairs will be a breeze. I was like you. I couldn't walk up stairs, around the yard, or anything, without being out of breath. It's frustrating, but it is something you can change, and in a relatively short amount of time.

Good luck! Take care of yourself.

Kathy

Here is the link. You pick a muscle or muscles you want to work from the pulldown menu, then pick what equipment you have, if any, and it shows pics of how to do it. It's pretty neat.

http://www.fitness.com/exercises/

Also, one I found this morning that was educational was www.exercisetv.tv


Kathy

Your weight is not really a good way to measure your physical abilities. If you're endurance levels are low, the only way to build them up is to practice which means to exercise.

Start slowly, increase your activities and you will notice improvement as you go along. Start walking, practice climbing up stairs, look into getting some weights, etc. If your endurance are so low that a few minutes of walking or a flight of stairs wears you out, then I suggest trying to exercise a couple times per day. Walk for 10 minutes in the morning and then 10 minutes in the evening. Then increase it as you go.

Getting out of breath tying my shoes is what prompted me to lose the weight for good. I started out by walking a mile every day, forcing myself to take the steps at work, and parking far away from everything. I TRIED to jog some of that mile, but that was an exercise in futility. So I'd run about 15 feet, then slow walk to get my breath back and so on. Eventually, 15 feet turned into 30 and into 60 and finally I was running the whole mile and walking 2, etc. etc.

I had knee pain so always avoided the steps at work. But I took to wearing knee supports daily and forcing myself to take the steps. I didn't run up them or try to break any records, but up and down them 4 times a day (going to and from work and lunch for 3 flights) at a slow pace, I built up. Eventually, my pace quicked, my breath lengthened. Same with parking far away from everything. I still opt for the back of the lot anywhere I go and always return my cart. Four times across Wal*Mart's parking lot is close to a mile walking. LOL

A lot of people at WW's seem to really like the Leslie Sansone tapes. I can tell you that I started my walking program by walking three days a week for about 15 minutes each time with my husband in the mornings. After a few weeks, we increased it to 20 minutes. In the mean time, I was loosing weight each week at WW. This made things easier for me. Then I added a couple of days at the gym. Lots of slow, steady, progression. I started out really disliking my walking and now I enjoy it a lot and go five days a week, 35 minutes at a time. However, honestly, it all started with 15 minutes, three times a week and that first week was very difficult. Baby steps. All very much worth the effort...I promise you this. Hang in there.

I agree, get some comfortable walking shoes, and a pedometer (I am a BIG FAN and you can get them fairly cheep) and just move.

There is not a single person that started out on this website that LOVED to exercise. It was hard it hurt and it was exausting. However the one thing that those who do it, have made it part of their day, because it makes you feel good.

So push yourself to change your habits take everything they tell you in the WW program and do it, you can later motify it to work for you later. The program does work if you do it.

My favorite peices of exercise equipment are my sneakers ( I keep a pair in my car too for impromtu walks with friends) my ipod and my dog.

Exercise Ideas
well tries these websites for one, you need to get motivated and try to find different ways of loosing weight.
www.DonnaRichardson.com
www.DeniseAustin.com