So we decided...

[Nurian]

My wife and I came to a decision this past weekend.
We were at Wal-Mart, shopping for groceries when we came to the pharmacy. There was one of those monitors that tells you about your pulse, blood pressure, etc. I decided to try it. The results were...not good. According to the machine (and I'm taking my grain of salt) I have borderline Hypertension all across the board. It started me thinking about my grandfathers (both died of heart attacks), my father (who is at risk), my grandmothers (both diabetic) and my wife.
My doctor tells me I'm obese. My BMI is around 35%, which isn't healthy. But to look at me, most people don't guess I weigh as much as I do (300 lbs.). My legs still have a lot of the muscle they used to and my arms are as boney as ever.
To make a long story short (too late) my wife and I agreed to join a gym together. The local one has two facilities, one with a pool. I'm worried about my knee, but I have my brace. I think I'll go back to my old running drills, do some toning and make a point to swim every week (even though swimming freaks me out sometimes). Who knows? Maybe when my class reunion comes around, I might actually look good for it.

[calulu]

I came to the same decision this year but not because of high blood pressure, more because I have a huge gamut of bizarre health issues and exercise is one of the few things I haven't tried. I'm sickly and I hate exercising...

and you know what... I LOVE it now! I joined a gym and found things I like to do. I have to work out with less reps and more gently than the average person but my body is starting to resculpt and it is helping iwth the health issues.


I hope it's the same for you. Just find those things that the gym you enjoy, try it all, including any classes that they offer that look interesting. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day and you're going to have ups and downs but you'll feel so much better in the long haul.

[McGoddess09]

Good luck with that Nurian!

[Greenday]

My mom and I both want to lose weight. She suggests we do some walking. Only problem is, walking won't do crap for me. I'm at the point that if I ran a mile each day, I'd probably drop an easy 10-15 pounds and get down to a weight I don't mind.

Good to start younger while you still can. Never good to wait until it's too late.

[Reyneth]

http://www.customerssuck.com/board/showthread.php?t=636

It's fun to trade tips and stories. And it's good to be accountable to others - and to yourself. Join us!

(just don't drink the kool-aid, even if it's sugar-free)

[Gerrinson]

Just a heads up on the knee (coming from someone who used to need a cane/crutch for each side due to knee problems) - running is bad for your knees.

You're better off walking. Or find something else low impact. My favorite so far is the elliptical machine. I can't do spinning due to the way in which my knees move, but if you have normal knee movement then spinning is another good low impact exercise.

Best of luck in your exercise!

So far I've managed to come down from a 33 BMI to a 31 BMI. And that's just with my Wii.

[One-Fang]

I agree with Gerrinson. I didn't start running until I was down to about 190lbs. When you run, you put something like 8 times your bodyweight through each joint. So that's almost exactly an entire tonne coming down on your knees and ankles with every step.

I would suggest water work or a low-impact type of aerobic movement. Maybe a dance class or something.

Definitely come and join us in the thread Reyneth linked.

[calulu]

I agree with everyone on the knees. I have knee problems because I used to run 3 miles every day in my early twenties until the doctor told me I was messing up my knees. Now I walk in the pool at the gym against the current. They have the current set up rather strong so walking against the current is a struggle some days. I do my miles in there and the water is so gentle on the joints.

[4love]

Ditto on knees. I messed myself up hiking, still get twinges sometimes. Walking is still good though, especially with some mild hills mixed in, and I can't recommend swimming enough.

Seriously. I know a guy (ok, my dad) who swims 5 times a week. Since he started back up a few months ago he's gotten a lot more trim around the middle and has put some nice, toned muscle back on his shoulders and upper arms. It's also a wonderful aerobic exercise, and so easy on the joints.

[sexiphatchick]

Swimming is probably the best workout you could get. It's very low-impact. It would probably be really good for your knee. And you don't even need to shower afterwards to get all the sweat off

[Geek King]

And you don't even need to shower afterwards to get all the sweat off

Yah, you just need to shower to get the chlorine off.

But seriously, swimming is very low-impact on the knees, and excellent for burning weight and toning the used muscles--just make sure to vary your strokes every few laps. Water aerobics is supposed to be pretty good also, with the added water resistence, but I don't have first hand experience with it.

[Boozy]

Good for you, Nurian! If you ever need help staying motivated, let us know and everyone here will give you a kick in the butt.

Blood pressure issues can be a real eye opener, can't they? Mr. Boozy decided to quit smoking after seeing his results on one of those free machines at the pharmacy. There's nothing he can do about the stress of his job (short of quitting). So the smokes had to go.