Help! I'm sedentary...and I'm tired of Leslie!

[MomOf2Gremlins]

Originally Posted by Lucky Star

Hi ladyveg! Here's another suggestion: are you able to get a stationery exercise bike? Doesn't have to be fancy or expensive - doesn't even have to be new - but this will allow you to burn calories while watching TV and movies, and you can even prop reading material on it. It may not be exciting, but it will help you be more active (while doing the things you love ).

I totally agree with Lucky Star! And maybe get a dog! Both combined for sure get you active again!

Personally I absolutely Leslie and chose her over any other DVD, but that's maybe also because every now and then I break it up and go for a run or on the elliptical at the gym etc.

Good luck with your weightloss! You can do it!

PS: If you've got DVDs to trade, I got several dancing ones (most of them are in the 10-15 min range) that I'm trading!

[Bebop]

Excellent suggestions - the dog thing - well, true, they are wonderful for exercise, but unless you have the time comittment and the finances, I would suggest a few different videos.

Have you check out collage video? They have lots of beginner and beginner/intermeidate DVD's. Do you think you would like kickboxing? It can be as low or as high impact as you want. Beauty about kickbox is that it is not only aerobic but a bonus total body workout. I curently love Cathe's stuff but she may be too advanced for you right now. You may like some of the Taebo's or maybe just look for some beginner kickbox workouts - I'm thinking outloud here -

[Kesal]

If you're trying not to buy too much, and you just want to try different options, I'd recommend checking your public library. If you're lucky, they'll have a selection of workout dvds. Ask the librarian, too... some libraries shelve workout dvds with all dvds, some shelve them with exercise books in whatever that dewey decimal reference section is. And you may be able to request dvds from other libraries to pick up at your local library. I was really surprised to find out how many dvds are available in my county system (and that I can request online)!

[hotncmom]

I'd like to recommend the Rockin' Body series by Shaun T. It's low impact simple dancing, no complicated choreography, and it's fun! I like to walk, and have a dog to walk, and I have a gym membership so if I wasn't walking, I was doing the elliptical, and I listened to music or podcasts on my Zune. But after a while I wanted something different and decided to try dancing. So if I want a low impact day (on other days I do higher intensity cardio), I will do Rockin' Body, and once a week I will go to Zumba. It's been a real nice change of pace and has kept me interested!

[J'Ann]

I'd suggest getting some sort of exercise (big) ball. I started exercising because of an article in Prevention magazine and the ball looked like fun. I didn't do cardio at the beginning, just ball, then added some light (1 lb) weights and then cardio. I like this video: http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-...l-workout-9421 using the ball. There are many ball workouts though. TJ Maxx or Marshalls should have a ball pretty cheap.

J'Ann

[Peggy T]

First off, try something new. You're in a workout rut (and you know that or you wouldn't have posted). Go to the library, go to Goodwill so you can try things for cheap. Do you have a VHS player? If so, I'll send you a Gilad tape to get you started. If it's too hard, so what? Do your 4 Leslie steps while you watch and get back in the game when you can. I didn't progress beyond beginner by being able to do a whole new workout all the way through. There is nothing wrong with modifying. NOTHING. Move your arms, move your legs and you are burning more calories than sitting. Tell yourself you are going to stick with it through the whole workout even if all you do is watch it while you march in place. Also, if it takes you a whole day to do the workout, so be it. I used to take an entire Saturday afternoon to do a hard workout. I'd do a little bit, go put in the laundry, come back, do some more, go load the dishwasher, go do some more, then walk down to the mailbox to get the mail. I got my chores done and my workout done and it was all good. It's all about getting your heartrate up. If scrubbing floors and vacuuming does that, then do that instead of a Leslie and you'll have a clean house to boot. You can do this. Now PM me your address and I'll get that tape out to you.

[Marie1120]

A couple other instructors to check out are Gilad and Richard Simmons. I find Gilad motivating and love the tropical scenery. The Richard Simmons DVDs have good music and don't feel so much like a workout.

Walking outside this time of year is great although that will change soon.

You might check out some of the Check In groups for additional support and motivation.

[yogapam]

Hi ladyveg!

I have three Petra Kolber/George Foreman Walk it off With George dvds that I am not using.

Circuit Walk
Walk & Box
Walk, Box, & Burn

I bought them to ease myself back into fitness after surgery and an ankle fracture. I like Petra a lot and she is much lower key than Leslie - although I do like Leslie in small doses. I would be happy to gift them to you. PM me with your address if you are interested.

Pam

[lindseylu8]

Walking w/os that I like: Denise Austins walking workout, the George Foreman walking w/o's, and Debbie Rockers.

Check craigslist or freecycle for a cheap or free stationary bike- sit on it instead of the couch when you read, knit or watch tv.

Check out swapadvd.com. You can trade any (fitness or nonfitness) dvds on there to get some of the fitness dvds you want. Just pay to ship out your dvds.

keep your eyes on the SASE thread and you can snag some postage only or totally free dvds that way.

[Kathryn]

Originally Posted by ladyveg

My favorite things to do are all inactive: reading, knitting, crocheting, watching TV and movies, and researching things on the Internet.

How about changing some of your reading to audio books that you can listen to while walking outside? www.audible.com has a good selection.

Or make a bargain with yourself that for every hour of your favorite sedentary activities, you will do a half-hour or hour of activity (depending on the intensity, perhaps)?

Or set a timer so that after every so-many-minutes of knitting or crocheting or Internet researching, you get up and do a 10-minute workout (some of the "10-minute solution" workouts, for example. This would also be a good break for your eyesight, you posture and your hands.