four months ago, I weighed 300. I am now down to 275 through diet and am now going to add exercise. I am going to gradually increase my exercise time so that I don't hurt myself. My schedule doesn't really afford me to go to the local gym, so I bought an exercise bike and weights. I will start with 30 minute cycling intervals and hope to be at 60-90mintues by the end of the month on a daily basis. Is this too much?
2006-08-12 16:33:25 · 11 answers · asked by bjmarchini 2 in Health ➔ Diet & Fitness
That might be a little too ambitious to double or triple the amount of exercise in such a short period of time.
Congrats on losing 25 pounds.
2006-08-12 16:43:47 · answer #1 · answered by abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That sounds a little aggressive, going from 0 to 30minutes every day and then up to 75 minutes a day in 4 weeks. But, it does depend on your level of resistance and speed. If you're just sitting and basically moving your feet, that may be fine. But if you are peddling hard and fast, that's way too much for a beginner. You're going to burn yourself out.
There is no hurry to lose weight. You really don't have to lose it all in one month. That kind of thinking is what makes people so frustrated and likely to give up on their program.
It's good that you are devoted and have a plan. I would pace yourself a little more. Don't think about how much you wan to weigh in 1 month. Think about how much you want to weigh in 1 year or 2 years or 5 years.
I'd start with 15-20 minutes a day for the first month, and then gradually increase by about 10-20% per week. You also want to give yourself some weeks where you don't increase; just give your body time to catch up. "Plateau" yourself every few weeks like this.
You should also try to find your "target heartrate for aerobic exercise." You can find these charts on the web or maybe even with your exercise bike. I wouldn't even try to get to your target heartrate for the first few weeks. It really is a lot of work. But after a month or so, start using that as your goal to know if you are working hard enough.
2006-08-12 23:50:31 · answer #2 · answered by bwjordan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your ambitions may require a little more time than that.
At 275, I'd be wary of keeping the heart rate elevated for more than 30 minutes. See how you feel at 35 - 40 minutes. If you start to feel faint or that your heart is beating too fast, then back off. It is better to take a few extra months and do it right rather than overdo it and risk a serious cardiac event,
When you get to 225 you'll be doing 60 minutes a day no problem. Be patient and disciplined and you will achieve your goal! Best of luck to you.
2006-08-12 23:49:52 · answer #3 · answered by szydkids 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. 30 min a day is recommended. You will have a greater risk of injury from fatigue the more you excersize each week. You do need to take days off from weights. Now, have you seen a doctor? It's important to make sure any problems that could arise for you are addressed now before they happen. You need to be prepared. Talk to him/her about your plan to increase time. They may extend the increase period from a month to three. They may tell you it's not necessary/helpful. Or they may say it's right on for your body. Answerers here will give you alot of advice.... but a doctor can check for chronic problems (back and joint pain/injury from excess weight for a starters), new problems (diabetes and again, muscle fatigue), or overlooked problems (your weight masked a repiratory problem..... sure overweight people breath heavy after a brisk walk, so do asthmatics!). A doctor can insure your body is ready for the exercise and adjust your diet to give you energy for your new workouts. Now, as for me, I lost alot of weight through Belly Dancing! No weights, no bike, and the sexy curves and slinky moves work on a dance floor too! Not a workout, but a night out!!
2006-08-12 23:45:27 · answer #4 · answered by Ananke402 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Im no doctor, but 60-90 min of cycling within a month for someone in your situation sure sounds like a lot to me. The harder you attack, the more likely you are to burn out. You want to transform yourself into an athlete permanantly. Give yourself some time to get there, because after all, you will be exercising for the rest of your life, so whats the hurry?
2006-08-12 23:41:58 · answer #5 · answered by Phil S 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
there's never really too much cardio. except in the fact that if your heart starts to hurt or pump too fast then i would take a break. but 30 minutes should be good to start. might want to break it up into two 15 minutes sessions
2006-08-12 23:40:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
it sounds like yr doing things right. for more tips on weight loss and exercise try this site
2006-08-12 23:49:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah i agree with the first guy, i think walking for 30 mins is alot better for you
2006-08-12 23:41:25 · answer #8 · answered by ♥Megs 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's an excellent plan. Cardio should be done every day and weights every other day.
2006-08-12 23:40:15 · answer #9 · answered by supraracer87 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
dude, at 300 lbs you NEED to walk walk walk walk walk walk
and walk
2006-08-12 23:38:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋