# exercise advice



## squidge dumpling (Oct 13, 2008)

Hi Guys this is only my second time in doing a thread, as i am a bit nervous about this. The reason i am posting is because i am trying to find some easy exercises to do at home as I am not able to get to a gym or go outside at the moment to exercise. I am a SSBBW and my mobilty is very limited and i was wondering if anyone knew of any exercise dvd's or programmes that i could follow.


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## olwen (Oct 13, 2008)

Tai chi or Qui Gong maybe. All the movements are really slow and you don't have to be really limber to do them. Even if your form isn't perfect it would still work. It wouldn't raise your heart rate enough for it to be cardio, but it would help with circulation and flexibility and blood pressure. I learned from books, but maybe there is a video.

And I'm fairly certain there is literally a workout tape called fat girl workout or something...I'll do a search and get back to you.


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## olwen (Oct 13, 2008)

Okay, I found a faq about exercise for big folks. It's full of useful information. I can't believe I never thought to look for this before. :doh: Note the section on exercise tapes.

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/fat-acceptance-faq/fitness/

Also, an exercise I like is Pilates. You do pretty much all of it lying down. There are quite a few movements I just can't do, but all the other things - things that seem really simple, like leg raises (front and side) or even just putting your legs up in the air - and holding them there, are actually really hard. So it's good. You get cardio from that too even tho you don't leave the floor.


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## No-No-Badkitty (Oct 13, 2008)

squidge dumpling said:


> Hi Guys this is only my second time in doing a thread, as i am a bit nervous about this. The reason i am posting is because i am trying to find some easy exercises to do at home as I am not able to get to a gym or go outside at the moment to exercise. I am a SSBBW and my mobilty is very limited and i was wondering if anyone knew of any exercise dvd's or programmes that i could follow.





Also the thing to remember is to start small and simple.

Just the simple act of lifting legs and arms in small repetitions can increase strength and circulation.

I say start with 3 reps of 8 with a 1 min rest in between.


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## squidge dumpling (Oct 14, 2008)

olwen said:


> Okay, I found a faq about exercise for big folks. It's full of useful information. I can't believe I never thought to look for this before. :doh: Note the section on exercise tapes.
> 
> http://www.faqs.org/faqs/fat-acceptance-faq/fitness/
> 
> Also, an exercise I like is Pilates. You do pretty much all of it lying down. There are quite a few movements I just can't do, but all the other things - things that seem really simple, like leg raises (front and side) or even just putting your legs up in the air - and holding them there, are actually really hard. So it's good. You get cardio from that too even tho you don't leave the floor.



Thanks so much Olwen for taking the time to find the links for me i really appreciate this very much and will check it out, so thanks again


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## squidge dumpling (Oct 14, 2008)

No-No-Badkitty said:


> Also the thing to remember is to start small and simple.
> 
> Just the simple act of lifting legs and arms in small repetitions can increase strength and circulation.
> 
> I say start with 3 reps of 8 with a 1 min rest in between.



Thanks no-no-badkitty i will give thoses a try, your advice is very much appreciate


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## Risible (Oct 14, 2008)

Be sure and check out the exercise threads on our Health Forum's Most Useful Threads. You might also want to browse back through the Health Forum for other exercise threads; fat and fit are definitely not mutually exclusive and a lot of fat people have contributed info in these threads.


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## squidge dumpling (Oct 14, 2008)

Risible said:


> Be sure and check out the exercise threads on our Health Forum's Most Useful Threads. You might also want to browse back through the Health Forum for other exercise threads; fat and fit are definitely not mutually exclusive and a lot of fat people have contributed info in these threads.



Thanks Risible i will check these out


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## olwen (Oct 14, 2008)

Risible said:


> Be sure and check out the exercise threads on our Health Forum's Most Useful Threads. You might also want to browse back through the Health Forum for other exercise threads; fat and fit are definitely not mutually exclusive and a lot of fat people have contributed info in these threads.



Another :doh: for me. I'll check there as well. There could be some really usefull tips.


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## BBW Deja Vu (Nov 2, 2008)

I enjoy Leslie Sansone. It is walking. and she says always gives different ways to do the exercises she throws in. easy, moderate and harder... I would suggest the 1-2 mile walk to start. It is a very nice pace and provides easy stretches at the end. if you get the dvd you can select how many miles you want to do or go immediately to the stretching.

I have her 4 Really Big Miles DVD, I absolutely love it. I can select the mile(s) I want to do on busy days--but even the 1 mile is extremely fast paced. the 3rd mile is all jogging! So at the end the stretching feels fantastic!!!

xoxo:kiss2:


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## Shosh (Nov 2, 2008)

BBW Deja Vu said:


> I enjoy Leslie Sansone. It is walking. and she says always gives different ways to do the exercises she throws in. easy, moderate and harder... I would suggest the 1-2 mile walk to start. It is a very nice pace and provides easy stretches at the end. if you get the dvd you can select how many miles you want to do or go immediately to the stretching.
> 
> I have her 4 Really Big Miles DVD, I absolutely love it. I can select the mile(s) I want to do on busy days--but even the 1 mile is extremely fast paced. the 3rd mile is all jogging! So at the end the stretching feels fantastic!!!
> 
> xoxo:kiss2:



Yay Deja! I do Leslie Sansone every day. At my own pace.:bow:


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## Jon Blaze (Nov 4, 2008)

I would also suggest Tai Chi, Walking, Yoga, so on and so forth. One can never understimate the power of low intensity things such as those.


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## tonynyc (Nov 4, 2008)

Was curious of there were any fans of Martial Arts (MMA-Boxing- Wrestling- Karate- Kick Boxing) etc. I admit to being a MMA and Boxing fan.

What arts do you enjoy watching on tv. ?
Which arts do you enjoy practicing? 
Do you enjoy the Martial Arts as sports actvity? or self defense?
What do you like or dislike about the martial arts? 

I guess with the explosion of Mixed Martial Arts - you rarely see other forms on tv (with the exception of Tae Kwon Do) in the Olympics. It's also a shame that you don't see more shows about women in the martial arts. 

I thought about starting this thread from a previous post of Jon Blaze where he mentioned Tai Chi as a wonderful exercise for Folks of Size (the only other ones I could think of is Judo - Certain forms of Karate). Now with Tai Chi we all think of the folks do the forms in the park - very interesting arts with some neat self defense applications as displayed in these videos. 

*Tai Chi Application for Self-defense Fight in Chen taiji 1*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEbupVWZ6mk


------------------

*Combat Tai Chi *

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93wy9FBFP24&feature=related 


-----------------------------

*Tai Chi Fighting Strategy*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3y8tLH0M_M&NR=1


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## No-No-Badkitty (Nov 5, 2008)

tonynyc said:


> Was curious of there were any fans of Martial Arts (MMA-Boxing- Wrestling- Karate- Kick Boxing) etc. I admit to being a MMA and Boxing fan.
> ]





I don't know squat about MMA or kickboxing however I would love to learn how to do it. I do not, I admit, enjoy watching these events professionally because I don't like seeing people hurt each other. However, I am not against them, if that's what folks want to do.
I myself would LOVE to learn how to do these things. However...I haven't come up with the courage (yet) to enter any classes. Not sure how they would take a fat chick wanting to learn how to high kick.


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## olwen (Nov 6, 2008)

I've tried tai-chi, karate, kick boxing, and regular boxing. I didn't get very far with tai-chi or karate if only because I was teaching myself (tai-chi) or because I didn't have enough money for classes (karate). My gym offers kick-boxing and I discovered that I'm just too fat for the class. I can kick high, but not as fast or as often as everyon else was. I couldn't keep up and my knees took a beating. If I could do it at a much much slower pace I'd be okay. Regular boxing was much much better for me. 

Kitty, I say you should try the kick boxing just to see if you will get anything out of it. You might love it. Go for it!


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## Wookalai (Nov 6, 2008)

Hello Squidge. Having been into sports and athletics my whole life, as well as nutrition. And having my degree in Biology I naturally have always had an interest in this topic. And not just for BBWs, for everyone. My first recommendation is to *start slow*. Don't try to climb Mt. Everest in one day, all it will do is frustrate you and discourage you. Start small. Someone mentioned a mile or two walk. Well, that's awesome if you have it in you, but don't wear yourself out by setting the bar too high at first. I would even suggest taking a walk around the house and feel good about it. Then the next day maybe walk down the driveway and back and feel good about it. On the third day, maybe walk down the street and back and feel good about it. See where I'm going with this? Start small and work your way up, you're accomplishing something each time you get up to exercise, even if it is just to do a lap around the house. You'll be so successful. Before you know it you'll be walking for miles and noone will be able to catch you!

You mentioned some mobility issues. Things as simple as arm raises (which I believe someone mentioned and can even be done while seated) can do wonders. Also leg raises. Sit on the couch and just straighten out your legs in front of you, one at a time and repeat. Start with just a few, like three or four for each leg. Seriously. The whole idea is to get started. Then the next day do maybe four or five. Before you know it you'll be doing several sets of 8-10 repetitions. Just don't overdo it at first (I can't stress that enough). Another good, simple exercise you can do while sitting down is to straighten out your arms in front of you (like your pointing at something) and draw little circles with your hands, about the size of a volleyball. Do it for 10 seconds at first. Maybe do it only once the first day, that's okay. That's a start. Then the next day do 2 rounds of 10 seconds. And on and on.

Someone mentioned tai chi and other martial arts. That would be great but if you're having mobility issues that could be difficult at first and again the last thing you want to do is start something you won't finish or that will discourage and frustrate you. *Exercising is about the mind as much as it is about the body. * Why do you think so many people have such a hard time keeping on an exercise regimen or even exercising in the first place? Be positive. Do exercises that will encourage you. Starting small and working your way up slowly will provide you with confidence, satisfaction and enjoyment. Before you know it you'll be looking to find that yoga or tai chi class and truly excel.

So try some of the small exercises I mentioned here like the arm and leg raises to start. See how it feels. Don't force it or push it. And drink lots of water. I know in my heart you'll be successful.

If you ever have any questions or would like to know some other simple exercises you can do right in your own living room, send me an email. I'd be more than happy to help you out.

-Wookalai


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## squidge dumpling (Nov 7, 2008)

Wookalai said:


> Hello Squidge. Having been into sports and athletics my whole life, as well as nutrition. And having my degree in Biology I naturally have always had an interest in this topic. And not just for BBWs, for everyone. My first recommendation is to *start slow*. Don't try to climb Mt. Everest in one day, all it will do is frustrate you and discourage you. Start small. Someone mentioned a mile or two walk. Well, that's awesome if you have it in you, but don't wear yourself out by setting the bar too high at first. I would even suggest taking a walk around the house and feel good about it. Then the next day maybe walk down the driveway and back and feel good about it. On the third day, maybe walk down the street and back and feel good about it. See where I'm going with this? Start small and work your way up, you're accomplishing something each time you get up to exercise, even if it is just to do a lap around the house. You'll be so successful. Before you know it you'll be walking for miles and noone will be able to catch you!
> 
> You mentioned some mobility issues. Things as simple as arm raises (which I believe someone mentioned and can even be done while seated) can do wonders. Also leg raises. Sit on the couch and just straighten out your legs in front of you, one at a time and repeat. Start with just a few, like three or four for each leg. Seriously. The whole idea is to get started. Then the next day do maybe four or five. Before you know it you'll be doing several sets of 8-10 repetitions. Just don't overdo it at first (I can't stress that enough). Another good, simple exercise you can do while sitting down is to straighten out your arms in front of you (like your pointing at something) and draw little circles with your hands, about the size of a volleyball. Do it for 10 seconds at first. Maybe do it only once the first day, that's okay. That's a start. Then the next day do 2 rounds of 10 seconds. And on and on.
> 
> ...



Thanks so much Wookalai for your help and i will try this out.


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