My mom had bad feet and never exercised at all until recently. In February she got orthotics that finally worked and started atkins. She also went to a physio therapist who gave her exercises for her knee (squats with a phyio ball against a wall and an elastic tubing hamstring exercise). Since then, she's done her exercises everyday. She also bought an exercise bike and does 45 minutes a day.
Although her knees are much much better and she's probably in her best shape in years, she's still overweight and getting annoyed by how long its taking to lose the weight. She wants to lose about another 40lbs.
She's had a bad back in the past. I've recommended altering her bike work into a shorter more HIIT like format.
With all the fat burning brainpower on this forum, what would you recommend?
Keep in mind that she is new to incorporating fitness in general.
Does she have access to a gym (or equivilent)? With a bad knee I'd give a no go on a HIIT running program...or probibly running in general since she's out of shape, bad knee, and out of weight.
Why I ask about the gym is access to a pool or eliptical machines. I haven't done a great deal of hiit...but I have done it on the bike, and I've done it on the eliptical. On the eliptical I've burned nearly twice as many calories in the same amount of time. It's easy on the joints and IMO most people could do it with a good degree of safety\comfort.
Swimming\pool aerobics, or anything in the water would be a good move too IMO. Very little impact, resistance to movement and it's a full body workout.
The #1 most important thing in the world that will help her is finding something that she enjoys doing. I know it's been said but it's important enough to repeat. Even if it's taking walks in the evening or something. Start trends that you can enjoy doing that you'll stick with and build from there. Being healthy is a lifestyle...she needs to be able to find something that she's going to be willing to do for a long, long time.
I suggested interval training on her stationary bike. She does level 3 for 45 minutes a day but can't get her heart rate up as high as she could a few months ago. She said that level 4 is too hard now so I recommended intervals of level 4 followed by level 2 on the bike (a form of HIIT).
Get her a pair of dumbells and a good diet. If you can get her to agree to the idea of 2 times a week workouts that would be awesome and help her a ton. The workouts can jumpstart the metabolism where dieting alone makes it drop. If you need help with a workout just ask or PM me. This is what she needs so I would be very excited about helping. I hope all this makes sense as I am slightly intoxicated right now. But I hope you take me up on the offer to help with weight training.
Danny
__________________
Limitations are for people who have them.
Rehabilitating the knee should take priority over fat loss training. The goal is to have her knees healthy enough to perform any exercise that is required - so that she can continue to lose body fat. The goal is NOT to find exercises that she can do that will be good for fat loss.
So my advice is to work on strengthening the knee, get on a solid nutrition program and then consider fat loss training.
Her diet is good. She cooks homemade and sticks with Atkins. She says food wise, she never feels hungry or felt better.
From a rehab side, she's already doing her physiotherapist prescribed exercises, including her stationary bike work.
Her motivation is fat loss and to get healthy for normal stuff. Keep in mind she's 57. I don't see her doing pool stuff, but you never know. She's considered Curves, but worries about getting up from the low seats at funny angles due to past back problems.
Without question, losing weight will help as will any exercise work.
Stay away from Curves, especially for someone with previous injuries. They tend to be extremely cookie cutter and machine based which is bad for healthy people and even worse for an already injured person.
Danny
__________________
Limitations are for people who have them.
I'm more of a free weight guy myselt, but Total Gyms look like they would be good for someone like my mom, both for strenght and for rehab. Looks like its easy to use low intensities and progress. The trick would be a good program.
Linear Mode
