Ask our Fitness Enthusiast! Week 1 - How to get started! April 5 - 11, 2021

[AARPTeri]

It’s officially Spring and there is no better time to get moving!  Our fitness enthusiast is here to help you Get Started! 

Post your questions about Fitness here and you will earn 50 AARP Rewards points at the same time! (One entry per week given points.)

[PahlaB]

You can absolutely get a GREAT workout from a seated position!  In fact, you might be surprised how challenging some chair workouts are!

If you're brand new to exercise, I suggest starting with just a few minutes a couple of times per week to start building your strength and stamina, then progressing to more frequent and longer duration.  

Rest assured, you NEVER need to stand up to workout, especially if it causes pain.  the most effective exercise is the one that doesn't hurt.

This is a ten-minute seated workout from my YouTube channel that would be a great place to start:  Seated CARDIO, Ten Minute Tabata

[AnthonyR748613]

ok

[lm4876729]

i work out alot and havent gained any weight but my weight seems to have redistributed in my stomach and chest.  my bras and tops are tight now.   what exercises should i do to get rid of this?

[PahlaB]

This is such a great question, and something that happens to a lot of women as we get older!  

Here's what's happening:  as we age, we lose estrogen, and one of estrogen's main functions is to help our muscles recover after a hard effort!  So, with diminished estrogen, it's taking longer to recover from our workouts, which our body perceives as STRESS.  And our body's biological response to stress is to store fat around our abdominal area.

I know this is going to sound incredibly counter-intuitive to everything we've ever heard about losing weight or burning fat, but the answer here is to exercise with LESS intensity!

Daily moderate exercise is better for our aging bodies than vigorous efforts.

As somebody who loves to go go go as hard as I can, I empathize with how difficult this advice may be for you to hear.  But, I promise, once you embrace moderation, your body will appreciate the change!

[WanjirusBits]

Good question. I'll be on the lookout for an answer to that one.

[rn6556]

How do I get started, with fitness program?

[PahlaB]

Such a great question!  And the exciting part is that you can do ANYTHING!  But maybe that feels a little overwhelming, doesn't it?

So, here's my question for you:  what do you ENJOY?  That's the absolute best place to start.  

For me, I started with about ten minutes of walking three to five times a week, and didn't do anything else for about a year.  By then, I was ready to branch out and try something new, so I started to run a little bit.  Then, a few months after that, I added some bodyweight strength.  And then, some time after that, I tried using dumbbells.  Over the years, I've ended up building a robust routine that includes lots of different equipment and types of exercise, but I definitely didn't start with that.

The moral of this story:  Start small, do what you like, and don't be in a hurry to "get there."

If you'd like something relatively simple to start with, you might like this quick walking workout from my YouTube channel:  10 Minute POWER WALK 

[PahlaB]

What a fun way to earn points (and maybe learn something new)!

[JanetK59932]

It's so good to see you here!

[PahlaB]

You, too, my friend!  🙂

[IrveneS129186]

Is there a way to connect my watch to something, so I can get credit for my exercise classes on AARP rewards?  It shows calories and steps.  I also walk outdoors sometimes.