Need Alternative to "Exercise"

Are you looking for a class or something to do at home? There are lots of good low-impact yoga DVDs you can do at home. You can also go to YouTube and search for yoga instruction and come up with all kinds of stuff!

Hi R.,
I am a yoga teacher in the Granger and Elkhart area. Yoga will certainly help you feel better and if you are a stress eater will help you lose some wieght because of the stress reduction yoga provides. There are certain poses that help stimulate the thyroid gland that are helpful as well. I think you would get alot out of a yoga class. If you want specific class times I would be happy to provide them for you, or if not I encourage you to check out a video to see what its about. Its easier to do in a class, and a teacher can help you make sure you are on the right path to get you started. I have been teaching yoga since I was 23, and I am 54 now so I have a ton of experience with women with different health problems. Best of luck to you!( A good yoga class should not push you to go too fast or do any more than you are comfortable with.) Hope that helps!
A.

Check out www.prevention.com. They always post exercises on their website. You can try out some yoga exercises before buying a dvd or a book. Pilates is a good workout too and not hard on the body.

Hi R.!
Yoga will be great for your body, and like other's have suggested, take it slow and gentle to start. You can practice yoga all your life and stay flexible and fit. In order to lose weight, you are going to have to feed your body fuel that keeps you energized without adding too many calories. I have done the (Suzanne) Sommer-sizing plan for the past 10 years off and on when I needed to maintain my weight. The books have recipes and its all based on healthy eating and eliminating/monitoring "white" foods that are unhealthy like sugar, white grains and starch. My yoga practice has been consistent since my early twenties and I am over forty now. I have to exercise to not pack on weight with the change in my metabolism, but I like to eat so its worth the effort. Good luck to you and don't get discouraged, how you feel about yourself affects how the world views your beauty.

Hi R. ~

I just sent you a long private message with the recommendations that worked for me with my fibromyalgia and chronic pain from injuries (knees, back, and ankles).

If you follow that plan, I swear you'll see a big improvement, you'll feel better, and you'll lose weight too. Feel free to e-mail me any time you need support or if you have any questions.

Good luck!

I love yoga! Hatha and Kripalu are styles that can be done gently. I would find a teacher doing a beginners class or multi-level and tell her of your condition so she can guide you accordingly. To lose weight, you generally have to get your heart rate up and work up a sweat. I have found myself sweating plenty during yoga, but I don't know that doing yoga exclusively will help you lose weight. For that you need something aerobic. Yoga videos are fine, but you could injure yourself without a teacher there to make sure you are in the right position. So at least take classes for awhile to get the basics. I teach belly dance, which is moderately aerobic and includes whatever pace music you like to dance to. If you would like to email me, I can give you more information or you can call me. I live in Northwest Ohio, and there are only 2 belly dancers here in Williams County, but there are many more in the urban and suburban areas. I have dancer friends in Columbus and Cinci and could help you find a teacher. Again, if your teacher knows your condition, you can keep your pace slow enough not to overexert. Both yoga and belly dance will get you more fit, toned, strong, and may help you lose inches, if not actual weight. They also both help reduce stress and improve body flexibility and confidence. They are very compatible to do together and would provide a comprehensive fitness routine, along with your walking. And belly dance is just so much fun!!

Hi R.,

I'm glad to hear you're interested in yoga. I've been doing all sorts of yoga styles for the past ten years since I broke my back. I always refer back to beginner's DVDs and still continue on with more advanced DVDs as well. All previous rec's like Rodney Yee are excellent. I also recommend Shiva Rae, Tracy Rich & Ganga White, John Friend and others have their own DVDs. Go to Borders or BnN, or buy through Amazon. You'll even see DVDs that have specific yoga types to help in weight loss.
SOME Pilates is also great, but I'd only trust myself to see a serious Pilates instructor who understands the human body and has some physical therapy in their background--several actually do. On that note, physical therapists I've had over the years have had me do certain Pilates and yoga poses while in therapy with them and to continue practicing on my own to manage my pain, stay in shape and improve my posture.
Good luck!
I.

All i can say is: Wii fit

Hi R., Start with the beginners yoga. I have been doing yoga on and off for about 14 years (mostly off) and I always do beginners and modify my stretches to what I am capable of. You can get a DVD or if you take classes, I was going to Pathways on 146 and Hazel Dell. Eric Banter is wonderful or his mom. I think her name is linda.
Good Luck!

Dear R.,

Chances are if you are overweight and otherwise normal in your activity, you are starving to death. Not in the conventional sense of no food but at the metabolic level where your body is missing things it needs to properly function. If you are missing elements then the body responds to that as if you are in a famine by holding the fat and making you hungry for junk food that puts on the fat. Fat is the way you live through a famine.

There is no easy way to figure out what you are missing but there is a way. Proper testing of your blood can point to the areas that are weak. From there the right supplements can be taken to move your numbers to the middle of the ranges. When that happens your body will know that you are out of the famine and the fat will naturally disappear.

Go to www/3000health.com and learn about how the program works - http://www.bk2health.com/doctor/nutrition/nutrition-Dayto... It is all done by blood work so you don't have to travel to Dayton, Ohio to get tested. The radio shows are MIA at the moment but will be back. Listening will give you a good feel for how the program works.

They don't know me but I've had several friends who have been helped by Dr. Merkle that weren't getting help anywhere else.

God Bless,

S.

About a year ago I was looking for "yoga for dummies" too, but for relaxation not for exercise. Then I found the FITtv channel on cable, and it has some yoga programs on it. in the NE Ohio area, the channel is I think 135 or 137, and I find the yoga program that fits in my daily schedule and set the reminder timer on the cable box for it. what's nice about the program is they include some optional difficult moves, for when you get a little more advanced, but the moves are optional so the guide tells you other options while the person on tv is completing the move. Good luck! --A.

Leslie Sansone has some excellent home walking videos. My husband and i work out to them every morning. One of the videos has a one mile and a two mile option. The one mile is about 20 minutes and it is perfect to get your heart rate up to burn fat but the workout doesn't strain your body. I have issues with my foot and ankle and can't do aerobic exercises. This has been perfect.
N.

Try A.M. Yoga with Rodney Yee. I think it's a good, easy beginner workout. Sure, there are a couple of moves you won't be able to do right away but overall it's very doable.

I have had similiar issues. I walk and do yoga. If you find a beginner's class and start there it will help you greatly. I have a great yoga instructor who listens to us and our medical issues and never pushes us into something that is not good for our body. Our local community services offer inexpensive classes. I live in the Cleveland area and there is lot available. I'm not sure what your area is like. I have started to add stationary bike to my routine. You can choose any level and any time frame. I have issues with weakness and muscle cramps occasionally caused by Grave's disease. I started with 10 minutes and gradually added based on how my body responded.

Need I say anymore, I admit I am not a motivated exercise person, but I have had luck with an exercise ball, it is as low impact as you want. I am a truck driver and after I get ready for work every morning I sit on my ball and do a few sit ups, if anything it at least loosens me up and after sitting for hundreds of miles now that I do this I can get out of my truck when I get to where I am going, before I had to open the door and stand there for a few and stretch cause I was so stiff, so now I tend to push myself to do a few more and it is working numerous parts of my body. You can pick one up for as little as $10 at wal-mart. Good luck to you, and remember take your time and start out small, but never forget to pray about it GOD is always there and listening.