New lifestyle change - mobility impairment - exercising ideas and tips?
 

I am interested in ideas for those who are not really as mobile as many people are.

I am 407lbs, as of 5 days ago. My mom died of obesity last year.

I have been able to walk, but not without pain, and although I have given up riding in a scooter, and am walking on my own for 3 years now, I do have arthritis (probably exacerbated by the weight gain) and am trying to make muscles that have atrophied work again.

Any tips guys? I'm in so much pain and sweating from head to toe is so gross...any tips for staying dry?

What I've been doing is going up flights of stairs ( I do 110 stairs upstairs and elevator down), and then at night at least half a mile in town with my dog, but I did get a mile the other day. The first quarter mile, at the end I am almost not able to take another step, but I keep going, and I sit down at the end for about five minutes, and then turn around and continue back home. I want to be able to do 1-2 miles a day. That's the goal, because I think it's something I can keep doing on a permanent basis.

Today I couldn't walk. I hurt too much, so I will have to pick up again tomorrow.

Any tips for those of us with physical issues which go beyond our weight as a cause and how to cope, keep up hope and not lose focus while undergoing this pain?

I quit smoking after 22 years, and I know I can do this with some encouragement and help. I have no clue what I'm doing, but the graph and the calorie counter really help.

Have you considered swimming? It's easier on the joints than walking and sweat is a non-issue, it also works muscles in the whole body and burns calories not just from moving but also trying to stay warm. It's a fabulous calorie burner, even if you don't swim laps. As for staying dry, you could walk your dog during a cooler part of the day, mornings or evenings maybe, and now that it's fall it should be cooler out anyway. Now if we're talking about sweating the rest of the time, the very best advice I can give you is that you will sweat less and less as you lose weight, quite a bit of that 407 pounds is insulation. I used to be very warm all the time, sweat like a pig at the gym and wear short sleeves and a light jacket the whole year. I've lost 90 pounds since last Christmas, I still sweat like a pig at the gym, but now that it's getting chilly out, I've purchased some long sleeve shirts and a thick new wool coat.

Oh, and pain is normal when you start up an exercise routine, according to Jillian Michaels that is "FEAR leaving the body". Fear of what, she doesn't say. I find that I recover faster from a workout if I follow it with plenty of water and a serving of high protein, like a protein shake, protein bar, can of tuna, serving of fat free cottage cheese etc etc. The workout damages the muscles, and the protein feeds them. More muscle mass means you're a more efficient calorie burner.

I used to work at a pool and I loved swimming. I used to do exhibition diving and believe it or not, I was a very active athelete, gymnastics, weight-lifting, karate...it's incredible what can happen to our bodies if we let them go.

I am joining a local gym that has all those things in classes that go alongside the membership. I am going to take up the gym for my whole family.

Thankyou for a great suggestion.

See if the gym offers water aerobics. Yoga is awesome for improving your flexibility, there's a lot of different types of yoga out there. I'm not talking the super flexible stand on one arm while upside down kind of stuff. I do Kundalini yoga mostly, and it's done 95% with your eyes closed according to what YOUR body is comfortable with, it's not about keeping up with the instructor. I have mutiple joint issues and zero coordination, and one thing I really like about yoga is it teaches you inner focus and how to listen to what your body is trying to say. It can get a sweat going depending on what practice you do, but most of it leaves me energized and not sweaty/tired. When I want sweaty and tired, I use the arc trainer at the gym ;)

Thankyou Lizzy. I will look into that. The new gym has a slew of classes.

I also have mobility issues. I have Ankylosing Spondylitis - which is basically arthritis of the spine, although it does affect other joints. I'm a female aged 38 and weigh 204 right now. If you really have arthritis, be very careful in your exercise routine. We just can't do all the activities that normal people can. Even too much walking isn't very good if it inflames the joints that are affected. As mentioned above, swimming is good if you can take it. I found out that the cold water actually made my joints hurt more, so I had to give it up. I can't find an indoor pool around here with a decent water temp for me. I'm just taking things slow and simple. I try to do my Dance, Dance Revolution at least a few times a week. I've found that if you do the beginner level in the workout mode, it is quite easy to keep up with. And, since you can just lightly tap the pad with your feet (you don't need to stomp or put down much pressure), that it is fairly easy on my joints. And, it's a lot of fun. I add a three-pound hand weight to each hand so my arms get a workout as well.

As for the sweating, I know what you mean. I can sweat just sitting down at work if it's too warm. I've always been this way, so I guess I just ignore it. But, when I workout even a little, I really, really sweat. I've just learned to do my excersizing and then take a shower to cool off and get sweat free. So, I'm not much help there.

Good luck and hopefully you can find something you can do without hurting your joints too much. Sounds like you have a great attitude, which is half the battle.

I like DDR too, but I only have one footpad and I have to fight the kids for it. I have mine set with the jumping off ;)

Just a comment about pools. Someone mentioned that cold pools can be a problem. If that is so, check out hospitals and rehab facilities. Sometimes they have warm water pools and also have classes open to the public.

About sweating. I'm at a normal BMI and I can sweat so much during a lunch workout that I look like I've taken a shower when I return to my desk. You might just be a sweater. I've learned to keep baby wipes in a zip lock with my workout stuff. You can buy nicely scented ones like aloe vera or lavendar or you can put your own scent on unscented ones.

When I had a blood clot in my lung and was confined to a hospital bed for the better part of 9 weeks I did something called Oxycise, it is deep diaphragmatic breathing with squeezing and relaxing of muscles...lol I ate like a little pig and lost 11 lbs!! If you google Jill Johnson it will explain about the program. I just bought a new DVD and continue to do the program, I lie on the floor and do the breathing even if that is all I can do. It is a magic option for people with limited mobility, such as me, and for people who can do anything and everything.