friskywife Posted June 15, 2005 Posted June 15, 2005 ALRIGHT! I can do this! I am SOOO tired of being the size I am. I lost about 20 pounds, but haven't lost anymore since Feb or so. I lost that weight going back to work and portion control only. Back before returning to work, I invested in maybe 4 workout DVDs-walk away the pounds (3 different lengths/miles), pilates, and i want that body (abs/buns of steel chick). Got out the 15 minute workout on the buns, whew!!! My son wasn't very impressed with me moving around his playroom, but hey! I worked up a sweat and my heart was pumping! Will starting at 15 minutes a day be enough, as long as I do buns one day, abs the next, then thighs? Maybe throw in some pilates once or twice a week? Is this enough cardio, too?
blind_otter Posted June 15, 2005 Posted June 15, 2005 I think the surgeon general recommends 20 minutes a day of aerobic exercise just to maintain your weight. I could be wrong, though.
sophia34 Posted June 15, 2005 Posted June 15, 2005 I agree that you probably need to commit to at least 20 minutes a day (on most days--and 30 minutes would be even better) of pure cardio in order to lose weight. Abs work, pilates, and other strength work should then augment that cardio, perhaps 15 to 20 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week.
HotCaliGirl Posted June 15, 2005 Posted June 15, 2005 The amount of time you need to exercise depends on your weight, age, diet, intensity of exericse and several other factors to be taken into consideration. I can do a low intensity routine for 2 hours but get the same results doing a high intensity workout in 10 minutes, as many studies also confirm to be the case... I wouldn't risk my health by following the surgeon general's recommendation. Whenever they want to revise dietary recommendations - like to include less dairy or fruit or whatever, those lobbies and food companies attack so it is very biased. Cherios lobbied for years until the government finally gave in and said they could advertise that their cereal is good for the heart. Finally the surgeon general changed that misleading pyramid around just a tiny bit, not without a lot of politics... It's no wonder there are so many overweight and unhealthy people in this country who think lawmakers really care or even know what is best for their health. I can go into drug companies and all that but it's gotten really old. Anyways, the bottom line is to do the amount of exercise your body can handle at your own pace without blindly following cookie-cutter like suggestions. Even if you start out with 5 minutes, you are going to feel the results compared to not doing it, so don't get overwhelmed by thinking you have to do 20 minutes to get any results!!! That'll make you put those DVDs back on the shelf. Maybe in a few months you'll feel more comfortable doing longer stretches of your exercise. As long as you rotate your routine like you describe, that is the right way to go. Good luck!
Author friskywife Posted June 16, 2005 Author Posted June 16, 2005 So, I did the buns workout yesterday and apparently did them ALL wrong! My butt feels fine, but my thighs are KILLING ME! She kept saying "put the weight in your heels", guess I wasn't! Today, I will skip the thighs and focus on abs!! Quick question, since these types of exercises really get my heart pumping, is that enough of a cardio workout? If my heartrate is slightly elevated for a period of time, is that enough?
blind_otter Posted June 16, 2005 Posted June 16, 2005 That's the point of the 20 minutes. It has to be elevated for a certain period of time to be effective. I disagree with HotCaliGirl. I have a heart valve defect, and cannot do high impact aerobic activity. My CARDIOLOGIST recommended I do 20 minutes a day of low impact aerobics to help my heart condition and to maintain my weight, as if I gain too much it puts more of a strain on my heart. So. Ya know. I'm just sayin'. Doctor's advice and all that.
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