Anyone have exercise advice for me?

[Julie in CA]

I have tried walking for exercise, but I'm kind of a clutz and often twist my ankle, so my routine never seems to last.

 

I live too far from the gym for that to be a solution.

 

I have very little privacy, so exercise videos seem a little daunting with dc around all the time.

 

Am I just hopeless?! ? ?

[Anne]

Why not get some exercise dvds and involve your dc at the same time? Make it a family event, a school subject (p.e.), however you want to identify it. Turning it into a family thing might help you keep it going since you'd be doing it for your dc as well as for yourself.

 

You are definitely NOT hopeless!!!

 

Anne

[Nestof3]

I love my recumbent bike. I watch videos while I ride. I do love walking, but the only time I could walk would be a night, and that is out of the question. I used to have a treadmill (which I loved) but when mine died, I was unable to find a nice one small enough to fit in its space.

 

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00621788000P

 

I also have no desire for my children to see me jumping around the living room to an exercise video, and our room is too small to work out to any video.

[EarleneW]

Walk Away The Pounds has some great videos. There is one "Walk Strong". It's only 30 min, but uses light weights and is a great workout. Alot of time my kids join in. They love it too.

[Kim in SouthGa]

I second Walk Away the Pounds. What time do your dc get up in the morning? I set my alarm for 5:45, usually make it out of bed by 6:15, wake up with some coffee and start exercising around 7. My oldest may be up by then, but he goes ahead and starts his schoolwork so he's not in the same room (I use the family room...when my dh is out of town, I use our bedroom). I have been making excuses for years, but I finally decided to just make it work however I could. I've been at it for about a month and am down a pant size!

[Lovedtodeath]

There are exercises that you can do on a fitness ball... 10 minutes a day makes a big difference if you are building muscle, and you are less likely to twist your ankle. With the ages of your dc, just send them to another room... mandatory.

Edited November 24, 2008 by Lovedtodeath

[Garga]

Exercise bike while watching tv.

 

Use video tapes, but I do this before anyone else is up in the morning in a back room so no one can see me! And everyone knows they'd better not come in if I'm exercising!

 

In fact, I'm logging off now because I'm getting up at 6 so I can do my videos tomorrow.

 

Good luck!

[Colleen]

I for one can't bear the thought of indoor exercise so if I was you I'd still pursue something outside. Re the clutz-factor, strange as it may sound, running may actually be easier for you than walking. I know a few people who find that to be the case. Otherwise, ride a bike. There's nothing like getting on a bike and cruising for a bit.

[Lovedtodeath]

Hiking boots! ;)

[Nestof3]

I for one can't bear the thought of indoor exercise

 

Yeah, I prefer it outside (when it's nice -- not when it's hot or freezing), but I would have to start exercising at 6 am in order to exercise outside as my husband leaves for work at 7 am and usually gets home at dark. I won't walk around the neighborhood at night alone, and I never get up that early (I like my nights).

 

My indoor bike allows me to simulate hills (which I also don't have around here) too. I also enjoy watching a movie while I ride as I never like to just sit and watch something at night.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I do the videos.

 

I cannot walk even up the street and back much of the time (post-stroke) without trouble. But I can do a pretty hefty workout (P90, P90X) in the livingroom. I always find that so odd.

 

As for kids, I'd do it early morning, with kids, naptime/quiet time, after bedtime, whatever works for you. You could get them playing playdough at the table while you do it or whatever. I have done it all of the above including while watching 4 kids under 4. Usually it's easier without kids or just with big kids though.

 

Walks are good though (maybe use ankle braces?) as you can easily include the children. When mine were young, I had a neighbor (and her son) that we walked with. That helped A LOT.

 

A couple ideas....

[Cheryl in NM]

I had the same problem so I finally went and bought some hiking boots. They take some getting used to because they are a bit bigger than tennis shoes, but they support my ankle great. I realized that hold my foot differently when my ankle isn't supported. The first few times I wore them parts of my legs were sore that never were before and I could feel that I was standing and walking different. I think they might have some corrective value. I even wear them with shorts. I don't care what people might think; I need to walk for my health and sanity and I need to protect my ankles!

[JudoMom]

I exercise early, usually before my guys get up. I got a treadmill for a decent price off of Craigslist a year ago.

 

I've done Leslie Sansone videos in a hotel bathroom while on vacation (I wanted to get it done before everyone got up). They don't require a lot of space. Could you do one if these in your bedroom?

[sagira]

Wii Fit is awesome. The kids love to watch me (on the screen, and they do some games as well. The program tracks your weight, you can set your goals and you have a personal trainer! I love this. It's the first time I'm looking forward to doing my exercise.

[msjones]

I also love my recumbent bike. It takes up very little space compared to a treadmill.

 

Like nestof3, I also have a tough time getting out to run/walk during daylight (and, I have the first exercise injury of my life --grrrr.....) so the bike is a great solution. I usually do it first thing in the morning wearing whatever I wore to bed. I literally stumble out of bed to my bike and just do it.

 

I don't have a tv nearby, so I've started watching netflix dvds on my laptop. I'm amazed at how quickly the time passes.

[Quad Shot Academy]

I highly recommend a mini stepper. It takes up very little room and you won't look silly doing it. ;) It will have the added bonus of helping you become more balanced, which is one of the most important things for when you reach the golden years. Since you have to balance so much, it works surprisingly well on stomach and back muscles. Here is a link to one kind. I bought mine at Target after Christmas last year.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Stamina-40-0045C-InStride-Electronic-Stepper/dp/B000AMX3AM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1227539631&sr=8-1

[Julie in CA]

I highly recommend a mini stepper. It takes up very little room and you won't look silly doing it. ;) It will have the added bonus of helping you become more balanced, which is one of the most important things for when you reach the golden years. Since you have to balance so much, it works surprisingly well on stomach and back muscles. Here is a link to one kind. I bought mine at Target after Christmas last year.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Stamina-40-0045C-InStride-Electronic-Stepper/dp/B000AMX3AM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1227539631&sr=8-1

 

This looks very interesting! Is it easy on the ankles? No matter what, my ankles seem to not bear exercise strain very well. I may have to take another poster's advice and try an ankle brace or at least higher-top shoes. The exercise bike would be nice too, since I'd be moving but not putting the burden of my weight on my ankles, but it would take up a lot more room than a mini-stepper.

 

It's probably true that exercise outside is more pleasant, but we're closing in on winter wet weather (and mud), and an indoor exercise option might be a really nice thing in the coming months.

 

Is the stepper you linked to the one that you have? If not, would you share the details about the one you do have? Specifically, I'd like to know what you like/don't like about the one you have.

 

Thanks a bunch!

[Quad Shot Academy]

My stepper is a couple years old and I can't seem to find it on Amazon, but it is a Sportline. Mine cost $80 at Target, but I got it on sale for $45.

 

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it and can't recommend it enough. But here is my detailed review:

 

Pros:

compact, easy to store, or move

noiseless so I can watch TV and listen for kids (my treadmill was a hazard because I could not hear a crying child two feet from me)

inexpensive, especially compared to any other aerobic machine

does wonders for the legs and back side (far more effective than running or bike riding)

builds calorie burning muscle mass more so than other aerobics

helps keep/develop balance that is crucial in the later years

can easily be made more difficult by using "power walking arms"

does make an impact on waist muscles compared with bike riding or running

There is a timer that stops when I stop and starts up automatically when I start again. Sometimes it takes me 20 minutes to get 10 minutes of exercise in because I keep stopping to care for little ones.

I can use it barefoot. Sometimes finding my lace ups and putting them on is enough to discourage me from exercising :D

 

Cons:

the timer falls off when I set it upright behind my furniture. I am afraid eventually the clip will break and the computer won't work, although the stepper would work fine w/o it, I just couldn't keep track the time. Yep, that is it.

 

Cons, I read about in reviews:

If you weigh more than 175, it might break after a year or two, but IMO, it is still worth it compared to a bike or treadmill

If you weigh more than 175, it might start squeaking

 

I don't think it would be hard on your ankles. Your foot never leaves the machine, so there is 0 impact. High top shoes are a good idea if there is a problem. A bike might be harder on your ankles because the joint has to go through a wider range of motion compared to stepping.

[Scarlett]

I have tried walking for exercise, but I'm kind of a clutz and often twist my ankle, so my routine never seems to last.

 

I live too far from the gym for that to be a solution.

 

I have very little privacy, so exercise videos seem a little daunting with dc around all the time.

 

Am I just hopeless?! ? ?

 

 

I would give the walking another try. I've been walking/running for several months now and when I fell off the exercise wagon I felt terrible. I've been back walking/runnign 3 or so times a week and I feel sooooo good. Get you some good shoes and pay attention to what you are doing as you walk. ;)

[Julie in CA]

I would give the walking another try. I've been walking/running for several months now and when I fell off the exercise wagon I felt terrible. I've been back walking/runnign 3 or so times a week and I feel sooooo good. Get you some good shoes and pay attention to what you are doing as you walk. ;)

 

Really, even when I don't specifically twist my ankle, it still starts to hurt when I start walking consistently. It's probably been damaged in some way over the years, since this problem started when I was in middle school and was required to run laps in a gopher-hole-ridden field. I'm giving some thought to the idea of an ankle brace. It might solve the problem, I've just never thought about trying one. {where's the smiley that says, "duh!" ?)

[Lovedtodeath]

Do you have insurance? An orthopedic doctor really helped me when I had to quit kickboxing due to ankle pain. I just needed custom arch supports. Could you describe your pain? I had tendonitis. Is it only one ankle? Do your other joints give you problems (just not as obvious)?