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WLS-related: workouts for novices

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

If all goes according to plan on Monday's weigh-in, I will have crossed the 20-pound mark. I'm delighted with this progress, but accept that exercise will be crutial if I want to both keep shedding pounds and stay healthy. My cardio is a joke right now, and to describe myself as "out of shape" would be to play fast and loose with language. I need to develop a workout routine that's manageable for both my current physical condition as well as my unique circumstances. Most gym equipment is a non-starter for me, since you need vision to manipulate the controls on the computer or sometimes even to get the stupid things turned on. I'm sure this has contributed to my general abhorrance of gyms, though I know it's not the only factor. I do have a pretty well-equipped workout room in my apartment building, but much of the machinery there is visual too.

What does this leave me with? Do I have to figure out a work-around for this problem or is there something I can do at home? I do have some 10-pound dumbells, so I'm willing to press those into service with a little guidance. What else can I do, and what's the most sensible way to get started?
A recent thread on people's workout routines left me both awed by everyone else's activity and ashamed at my own lack of it. What's a reasonable amount to start working out, 3-4 times a week?

Any and all suggestions welcome. Thank you so much, once again!

General

18 replies

Latest reply was from Sihaya

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Well- can you and Cory plan workouts in the available gym together? I'm all for using equipment that's already available to you. You might be able to manage a treadmill or elliptical or stairstepper once you get used to it, depending on the model. You know what- it might be worth hiring a personal trainer to come up with an exercise routine for your unique circumstances that you will then be able to carry out on your own. Walking is always good- I know that many shopping malls allow walkers to come in early before the stores open so that is an option for bad weather, and some schools allow walkers to use their tracks, too. Is there a park nearby that you could walk at? Exercise is not my strong point, so sorry if that isn't much help.

londonkiwi (now back in NZ)

Veteran

Michelle can you swim? Would that be an option for you on the cadio front?

Also, what about fitting in two big long walks in the weekend?

I also think that a personal trainer would be a good idea, especially if you would like to try working out with weights as it is important to get the tecnique right and normally you would be encouraged to use a mirror to ensure that your posture is correct etc.

I do remember watching an article about a personal trainer in London who is himself blind, so I am sure that there will be some options for you.

marianna

Veteran

How about exercise videos where the instructor describes the moves? I'm not sure if the moves are described in enough detail, but I'm sure you could find something...

How about dancing? You could dance around your apartment and work up a sweat!

Most stationary bikes can be used without turning on the computer/monitor. If your fitness center has a bike you can ride that and get a nice work out. Also, some elliptical machines are like this too. You can get on it and just start moving without using any settings.

Anonymous

In college 4 of us did the Canadian Air Force exercises each day in a dorm room. They made a huge difference in how I felt and need no equipment or even much room. For women there are 10 exercises. I'd recommend them highly, but work up to doing them with intensity or you will be sore the next day. Here are some links and you can probably find more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5BX
http://www.amazon.com/Royal-Ca.....0671246518 (You might look at the comments. Someone had a list of the exercises and how to do them when I was doing them. Now it looks like there is a book.)

Becky

Veteran

Michelle, something like Leslie Sansone's one-mile walk videos might be a good place to start. She uses only four basic steps (marching in place, side steps, lifting knees high, and another one I can't recall right off) and describes the moves as she goes along. The one-mile walk can be done in about 20 min., and once you master that, you can move up to the two-mile walk video. Some of the videos use weights, but you can easily do them without. The video I have is no longer sold, but here's a link to one that looks similar:

http://amzn.com/B000FFJYT8

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Oh if you're interested in yoga at all there are lots of audio tapes for that.

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

Joy! I did the Royal Canadian Air Force exercises, too! We had a little book that mum had picked up at a library sale. I think I was in high school. We'd supplement with tennis and swimming laps. Ah, the old days.
Anyway, great workouts for sure - no equipiment required.

elpgal

Veteran

Michelle, I dug up a few links. Apologies if you already know about them.

This link mentions a club that helps folk with exercise and they appear to be based in Toronto.
http://balancefba.org/resources/physical.html

This link talks about fitness products for the blind.
http://blindcanadians.ca/publications/?id=1448

Maya

Veteran

I don't know about you Michelle, but I loathe exercising for the sake of exercising. That is just not something I would be able to maintain. I prefer exercise that is disguised as something else and I prefer to get as much of it as possible from my everyday activities. I don't believe most people need to do any sort of rigorous routine if they don't wish to (if you enjoy it, that's another story). Simple things like taking the stairs, walking more often, carrying your groceries a little further, etc. all go a long way. Dancing and yoga are both fun and gentle (respectively) ways to build up strength and stamina without making you feel absolutely awful.

I have an hour for lunch, but it usually only takes me about 20 minutes to eat, so I take advantage of my whole hour by just walking around for the other 40 minutes. That said, I'm unpaid, and if I were paid, I would probably be on an hourly wage, so I realize this isn't a permanent solution. But I guess it's all about adapting your lifestyle accordingly. Some people don't live in pedestrian-friendly cities, but maybe there is a park nearby? I'm not sure. I felt suffocated for the months I was away from the city. I have no idea how people live out here. But I'm assuming it's better in Canada because most countries don't choose to cripple their citizens into owning cars...a rant for another day....

Lee Hovey

Michelle, congrats on the great progress!!

The other ladies all provided great ideas. I don't have much new to add, but I wanted to second that getting a personal trainer even just once (or once a month) is a great idea. ALso, if you go to a gym I am sure they could provide some help to you with the equipment. The gym I go to there used to be a blind patron, so they added braille labels to the controls to a couple of the cardio machines to help out. I think any legit gym would be willing to do something like that, esp. if you are seeing one of their trainers. They could really customize things for you.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

You are going like a Boeing, Michelle! Well done!

I was going to suggest what Becky has suggested, but I know that this depends on Reva. Is Reva trained to walk at one pace only? If you could walk a mile a day at a brisk pace, hills are good too, you'll get a great cardio work out that you can sustain.

Lena

First off, congrats on your 20-lb mark, Michelle! Go you!!!

You already got some excellent advice from other ladies. I would add that if it's possible, it would be excellent to hire a personal trainer, even for few sessions. It's really important to learn proper alignment and technique, and it's really the best if somebody who knows what they're doing can guide you. I realize it's pricey, but if you can manage it financially, it would be such a good investment for your lifelong health and fitness.

Walking is always great, too!

Good luck!

Anonymous

I just want to tell you that I am amazed by you Michelle. Is there a mountain you will not attempt to climb? No, I don't think so.

Steph

Veteran

Michelle, congratulations on losing 20 pounds! Great work on sticking with your plan!

As for working out, I think there are a number of things you can do. As many others have mentioned, hiring a personal trainer to help you out for a few sessions would be a great idea for anyone--I have found that it helped me a lot. If that isn't an option, if you could get a friend to go with you to the gym, I bet there are a few machines that you can use without much problem. In my experience, most machines have a button called "quick start." For a machine like the elliptical or exercise bike, just hitting the quick start alone is probably enough to get a full workout. On the elliptical and bike you can choose how fast or slow to go based on your body movement, so you don't really need to increase resistance with a button (although you can). For other machines, like the treadmill or stair stepper, you would generally want to hit quick start and then choose the speed of the machine, but if you have someone show you where those buttons are, you will probably be okay with that.

Also, I don't want to be contrary, but I would like to say something about walking as exercise. I think it's great exercise, and it is particularly important when you are not used to exercising. I know that when I began working out after a very long hiatus, walking was almost all I could do at the beginning--I had to work myself up to more intense workouts. Having said that, although walking might be enough exercise for a lot of people, it isn't enough for everyone. In my experience some people simply need more exercise than others to maintain a healthy weight. I know that I could not maintain my weight if my sole exercise was walking. I need to get my heart rate up, and walking just don't do that for me. I know that I was watching a Biggest Loser reunion show recently, and the former contestants were saying that they need to do at least 1-2 hours or exercise a day to maintain their size. Other people, however, do not have to put forth that kind of effort. So it's all very much based on the individual and the needs of that person's body. You might already realize all this, but I wanted to mention it in case you didn't. I know that I knew very little about working out and would be very frustrated when I would see people who work out far less than I do who seemed to be in great shape. I eventually realized that I am just one of those people who needs to work harder at it. It's just like dieting--some people can eat 2500 calories without a problem and be thin, and others (like me) would balloon if they ate that much.

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful replies and links.

To all those who suggested a personal trainer, it's definitely something I'm considering. The cost just isn't in the budget at this exact moment, but if I'm unable to get things moving on my own, I may end up going that route. It definitely has appeal.

Angie: Reva pretty much has a fixed pace that she goes at, though I can exert some control there (I had to slow her down today when I was carrying home four bags of heavy groceries on my one available arm, for instance). Her pace is fairly brisk as you may remember from the video, though maybe not as fast as you had in mind. I can't really make her go faster than that. Toronto is not a very rugged city, so there aren't that many hills.

Elpgal: Thank you so much for the links. How sweet of you to look them up.

Joy and Sarah: I'm super intrigued by the RCAF exercises, and not just because of my patriotic streak! I've been searching high and low for an accessible version of the chart, but no lucck so far. I think it would be a fantastic way to get started if I can find the materials I need.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I remember the pace at which you and Reva walk. It's impressive! Can you and Reva walk at lunch time, Michelle?

Kate

Veteran

I found the Canadian Air Force XBX online here: http://www.fit450.com/HTML/XBX_Intro.html

and here: http://www.corvedale.previewur.....bxPlan.pdf

It looks great!

Sihaya

Veteran

Michelle - congrats on 20lbs. That's huge. I would say, try not to be too ambitious to start off. My key was going everyday and just being as easy as possible. The going everday for me was key. This can be different for different people. When I said I'd go 3 or 4 days, it was easy for me to procrastinate and say "tomorrow's another day". Once I started with the everyday mindset, it was easy to take a day off in the week but feel good about keeping up the whole rest of the week. One of the ways to lose weight is to get your heart rate up to an optimal zone. You should read up on that, I'm not an expert. Heart rate monitors are excellent for this. I can't do this for a sustained period of time, so I do intervals. Really fast for one minute, slower for 2 to 3 minutes. And I do this about 7 to 10 times. Slopes in additionl to pace can help with this. You can also try, if it doesn't pose visual challenges to jump rope. That is excellent aerobic workout. It is also very tough. So even if you did 10 jumps a day for starters, it will get you going.