Posted on 05/13/2016 7:48:37 AM PDT by LYDIAONTARIO
Vanity question: just saw doctor, said my cholesterol and blood sugar sky high! Politically active does not count as exercise!!!! Who knew? Doc recommended exercise bike, the portable kind. Saw some on amazon in the $100 price range. Can anyone recommend good brand? Do not need bells and whistles, just durable and simple for senior woman to assemble and fit in car. Want to be fit enough for upcoming election!
A $10 Leslie Sansone Walking video. Lost 40 lbs with “walking off the miles.”
Can be found at amazon and Walmart or her web site.
I would still advise walking first. Work up till about 3 miles in 45 min. Then add a backpack and some weight. Start at 10 or 15 lbs and work you way up. My daughter does 60 lbs while she walks with me. I am not carrying any weight at this time due to needing a should reconstruction surgery from a fall.
Cut wheat out of your diet.
When I did that, the weight fell off.
I ate other carbs, too, but for many people, wheat alone is the culprit in weight gain.
Also, my BP dropped some and my cholesterol dropped 100 points.
Oats, lots of oats......
I agree with many of the above - whether or not you get the bike, start a walking routine. Walking is probably the single most efficient exercise there is, especially for the beginner. Start slow, start with a comfortable pace and increase speed as you feel yourself getting in better shape. Persistence is the absolute key - exercise in some form every single day. And remember, also as mentioned above, diet is essential. The general rule is that fitness and health is 70% diet and 30% exercise. Or put another way - you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.
Cut your carbs. I know you have heard it before and heard a lot of different things here and there....but carbs are the key.
lean meat tons of veggies, protien shakes!
Then when you treat yourself you REALLY enjoy it.
Just once in awhile.
NO DEJOURNO IN THE FREEZER......LOL
High cholesterol can be genetic and not necessarily tied to the foods you eat. High blood sugar is a pre-cursor to diabetes. Eating too many calories versus what you burn off, over time will increase your blood sugar.
But the best thing you can do is watch your food intake and go for a daily, vigorous walk for 30-minutes to an hour.
I have always run or walked daily since I was a college kid. But I changed my diet when I developed your same issues. Cut out or cut down on the processed carbohydrates you eat and eat more meat and simple carbs. Eat some fat too.
I have lost 55 lbs in just under a year, my blood sugar reading has fallen into normal range and my cholesterol have dived to 106. My doctor told me to keep it up because my health vitals have improved dramatically in the last year.
Good luck whatever you decide to do. Our good health is really all we have.
Buy a good used Schwinn Airdyne. It is a REAL ergometer. Not some wobbly friction wheel exerciser. As an ergometer, the workout is consistent each time. So 20 minutes at level 3 today is the exact same as 20 minutes at level 3 next week.
Not the same as other exercisers. Also a full body workout. Not just legs.
You might find one on Craigslist or on EBTH.COM. Good used ones can be gotten between $100-200.
The only real area that could use maintenance is around the crankset. Look to make sure bearings there are tight, not wobbly or loose.
Some use a digital readout, some with a speedo cable. Both equally good. I prefer old school w cable.
Hook up a heart rate monitor and you are all set.
Walking + weight training is awesome.
There are a lot of studies that show walking outside is far more effective than walking on a treadmill or using a bike.
I’m a former professional athlete and have stuck with serious weight training (as in my deadlift is 585) 4X week.
I walk 6-7 times a week for 35-40 minutes after coffee in the AM. Just a stroll.
My bodyfat is in the 9-10% range from doing this consistently.
We have one of these. Bought it off Walmart.com. I have a real bike I ride too. On cold rainy days or really hot days I ride the stationary. I put a movie on my iPad and ride away. Lol
Exercise is easy when you are addicted to it. The brain chemicals it produces are very nicely addictive in a good way, but getting the addiction isn't easy. It takes a lot of work to develop the habit, so choose something that is fun.
A stationary bike isn't an easy way to get the habit. Boring and just not fun.
Walking is a great way to get started but you have to keep upping the ante by either running or walking up hills.
One exercise program you can adopt at home is Crossfit. The Crossfit website has a "work out of the day" (the WOD) and online forums for questions and help and support. As a beginner, you can scale it way back to your level of fitness. They have ideas on how to build your own gym using simple/cheap materials.
It really works. Plus there may be a Crossfit gym (called a "box") in your neighborhood.
:-)
The bike “trainers” are often available on craigslist or garage sales for very inexpensive prices. We have a trainer that works with our tandem bicycle.
I like the yard sale brand. Cost me five bucks. Does the job. (With an extra pillow on the seat.)
I like biking, but the real kind in the outdoors. I’m no spring chicken, either (mid-50s), and I do anywhere from 30-80 miles per week.
For inspiration, nothing beats a contrarian bike philosophy like Grant Petersen’s.
Get his books and you’ll see what I mean:
Cut down on junk sugar drinks. And avoid processed “food”.
CrossFit.comCrossFit.com publishes the workout of the dayWODdaily, and athletes can reference the Exercises and Demos page to learn the movements commonly seen in the workouts.
It must be understood that CrossFit.com workouts are extremely demanding and will tax the capacities of even the world's best athletes. You would be well advised to take on the WOD cautiously and move toward completing the workouts comfortably and consistently before throwing yourself at them 100 percent. The best results have come for those who have scaled the workouts down to establish competency before maximizing intensity. Workouts can be scaledor modifiedby adjusting the length, number of reps, loads, distances or even movements. Properly implemented scaling preserves the intent of the original workout while taking into account the unique needs of the athlete.
The workouts on CrossFit.com represent one presentation of the CrossFit philosophy of constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. You'll see a mixture of gymnastics, strength training and conditioning, all presented in variety of formats. Some workouts are longer than others, and some will contain more or less elements. The overall goal is to ensure athletes are exposed to a broad array of movements, loads and time domains.
Additional information about performing and modifying CrossFit.com workouts can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions page.
Don't be intimidated by Crossfit. It works for 90 years old and children and everyone in between.
Start carefully and grow into it.
It is fun and you will get in great shape.
They also recommend the Paleo diet and provide help with that.
Find an exercise you like to do...if you don’t, chances are you won’t stick with it. Good luck.
“simple for senior woman to assemble”
Assemble??? I think NOT! Get a used one or something factory assembled.
And eat lots of Cheerios. Never drink anything with more than 15g sugar in a serving. Play your favorite music, read humor online, get a pet (furry kind), and pray regularly. You’ll live longer.
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