I'm under doctors orders and have signed up to my local gym

First off I have a few questions and I know this is the type of discussion for local boards but I don't like the Irish boards so I'll ask here if I may.

Footwear, what brand?

Diet?

How often should I go to start off because the last time I exercised my legs turned to jelly and I fell over ?

I am stopping smoking after eight or so years, am I going to die in the gym?

How to cure cramps etc.?

Is it true about the women in gym's?

Footwear, I haven't a clue, I'd say get a pair of running trainers.

Diet - well it depends what you like really, I have cereal in the morning then pasta for lunch and dinner. Don't go mad with it though, have something nice once a week maybe.

Actually going to the gym - well it depends what's wrong with you. After smoking for so long, I'd guess it's your lung capacity that's an issue, so Cardio-Vascular work is going to be what you need. Running, cycling, etc.

If you live somwhere near open spaces (i.e. the countryside or the sea), I'd say ditch the gym, and either get a bike or go jogging. It saves you money and you get the fresh air.

Either way, start off very easy, cut out the fags completely if you can obviously, and just go for a walk for a few miles (across town, along the seaside, whatever). Then make it a few more miles. Then when you're happy with that - go walking again but this time break into a jog and keep it up for as long as you're comfortable and then go back to walking. Then just build up the jogging bit steadily until you're jogging all the time. By that point, you definitely won't need gym membership anymore!

How to cure cramps? Stop! Get your breath back. You'll allow oxygen back into your blood by slowing down. Make sure you're hydrated before you do exercise, plenty of water or isotonic drinks (Lucozade Sport etc). Make sure you warm up, it doesn't take long, just a bit of light exercising of the muscles will do. Make sure you're fed at least an hour before exercising, and make sure you drink plenty of water after exercising and then eat something too.

Cut out the stickies (mars bars, etc) - they're full of sugar, and it's your blood sugar that a) when it's high makes you feel alert or when low, tired and b) lots of them are not going to help your diet

Go to a sports shoe store they should know what they are talking about. Cut out all junk food and anytime you want junk food grab some fruit instead!

Do they not give you a personal trainer when you join the gym? They should and he will tell you how to get started.

I think the most important thing is this - don't try it all at the same time, it's too much.

Giving up smoking can be tough at the best of times, and especially if you've been told to rather than that you WANT to. Try just cutting down instead of quitting outright.

If you MUST do exercise, start small. Walking is enough. If you don't do any exercise right now then ANY will improve your fitness levels - as Joe said, a gym is not really necessary and may be counter-productive at the start when you see the buff, highly fit people and you can't keep up.

Try something low-impact like Yoga. Sara Ivanhoe does a load of really good beginners videos (Yoga for Dummies is a good place to start) which will get the heart rate increased and start you on the way. You can do it in your own home and don't need any equipment.

And prepare to hurt. I've never really been hugely unfit but I am currently trying to bulk up (because I'm sick of being a skinny bugger). But I'm not fit by any stretch of the word. The idea is that you want to push the muscles as much as they'll take without hurting at the time. But expect to hurt the day after you start and the day after any increases.

I wanted to begin going to gym, but I heard that weightlifting etc.. are not really good for your vertebral. Doing sports is much healthier IMO.

Quote from CSU1 :

I'm under doctors orders and have signed up to my local gym

First off I have a few questions and I know this is the type of discussion for local boards but I don't like the Irish boards so I'll ask here if I may.

Footwear, what brand? - Whatever is comftable...and within the price range. Just cause it costs £80 don't mean it's the best. Mine cost me £30 and never a blister

Diet? - Take it you may have been told by the Docs to cut out the Chips, just eat decent fod, but I still treat myself to a take-a-way every week.

How often should I go to start off because the last time I exercised my legs turned to jelly and I fell over ? - Start slowly and then over the weeks build up the intesity of you're program...speak to the gym and if they are worth there salt, they will desgin a fitness program that will increase and strengthen over time.

I am stopping smoking after eight or so years, am I going to die in the gym? - Oh god yes you'll die . Nah honestly start to reduce the amount you smoke and get your self onto a kick smoking program. You will see the benift after you stop.

How to cure cramps etc.? - There are no magic cure, when (and if) they hit the best thing is to stop and then stretch out.....do not restart running/cycling/whatever machine you were on. Take on plenty of Sports drinks, not only does it replace the water you loss, but also the salt that you loss also.

Is it true about the women in gym's? - Depends upon what time you arrive, make sure there a 'womans only areboic class' on in the hall nearby.....do not wear tight fitting shorts.

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Take care of healthy eating, put on your sneakers and start jogging at least two or three times a week, imo there's no need to sign up in a gymn.

I started training and managed to go from 100-70kg in one year.

My way of doing it (if it helps you) :

* Eat 4-6 times each day. When eating NEVER eat anything more than til your not hungry anymore. If you eat too much you can train all you want but it won't help

* Go to the gym aprox 3-5 times each week. good days are monday, wednesday and fridays, then you have the days between to let the body work itself back after a hard workour

* Much running, cycling, spinning, generally moving extercises, weightlifting and such will give you nice muscles, but will not give the same healthy rewards

* Do some push-ups and sit-ups every morning when you brushing your teeth before work / school. If you plan getting some ncie muscles the easy way you can do it on the evening too. Sounds probally little, but it helps a lot

* You MUST have one (you can have two if you train 4-5 days a week) day in the week, for example friday/satuday or sunday, where you eat what you want. yes, you heared right. Chocolate, coke, whatever you want. If you train 3 times or more each week, and eats mostly healthy, you need something to motivate you. it sounds strange, but trust me when I say that it's going to be your favorite day each week, the day you can eat a lot of shit, and it's ok!! It's great motivation, and will help you continou the training, even when you start to get dead-borred of it.

Hope this helps, and if it helps for others I don't know, but I think the most important thing is - eat less, but more often.
Hell, I can manage going down one day, even if I eat cake. Just as longs the meal are smal and not more than needed, and if I train.

I'll try and keep it simple and brief.

Firstly, why is the doc sending you to the gym?.

What do YOU want to achieve?, I started at the gym because I had to loose weight ( I have lost 10 stone in total), however, I quickly changed from weight loss to concentrating on running, and doing it competitively (well, as competitively as I can!!!).

If you want to loose weight, running isn't the best way, it is very high impact, I would suggest you start by walking, if you are at a gym, on the treadmill with a incline, or outside is good too, plus a DAMN sight more interesting.

I would also suggest the cross trainer as a good low impact excerise.

I would suggest you try to aim to do 45 mins excercise every other day, REST DAYS ARE IMPORTANT, I can't stress that enough, both physically and mentally.

Diet, well, its simple, in all of our minds we know whats good for us and what isn't, also look at portion size, I would also suggest trying to drink at least 2 litres of WATER a day, I think this is important.

Footwear, if you are running, this is VERY important, even if you are just walking I would seriously suggest visiting a PROPER sportshop (not bloody JJB) and getting gait analysed and fitting for some PROPER running shoes, forget brands, because the shoe for you may not be in the brand you like, for example, Asics work for me, but for me Brooks suck.

I could go on forever, all I can say is if you want some personal advice from someone who has been there and done it, let me know, because I can go into some serious depth for you if you so wish.

Dont drive to the gym just to use the running machine.

Health is about lifestyle, not small pockets of making your guilty consciounce feel better with a once a week workout.

I has said here before after a big operation last year and being very week afterwards I sold my car and got a bicycle. I live in the back end of a remote village. When I need to go somewhere I cycle to the train station. Ocassionally on bad weather days I have been known to get a bus into town, but mostly i'll chose to cycle. It's been a most positive influence on my life and a decision I do not regret.

Just saying.

I agree, its as much a mental thing, as it is a physical thing.

The need to have a whole lifestyle change, and keep it that way, there are no simple, easy, quick fix soloutions.

4 times a week...treadmill and some light weight work.

At the gym, ask It's not just a room full of equipment and hugely muscled people who've been going for years and know exactly what they're doing.

The staff are there to put something together to fit your situation if you tell them what your experience is.

I lost about 60 lbs. (sorry I'm metricly challenged) over the course of a year and a half. My basic plan was simple - only eat when you're hungry. It sounds obvious, but I found that I was eating for lots of other reasons, like:

- It's free and it's sitting in the breakroom at work.
- I don't want to offend Grandma but not having a second helping.
- I had a rough day, I need a bunch of cookies.
- I'm bored.
- This lasanga/burger/pizza is so good that I want more.
- If I don't eat these leftovers soon, they'll go bad and I'll have to throw them away.

Excersize, and as many have pointed out, leading an active life, are important, but for me the big thing was getting the food intake under control.

For a shoe, try either New Balance, Nike, Adidas, or any other brand you can think of.

Quote from GrIp DrIvEr :

For a shoe, try either New Balance, Nike, Adidas, or any other brand you can think of.

1. Cycle to the gym, and then back again, thus avoiding gym fees.

3. Profit.

Food - Pasta, Fish, anything high in protein, but really depends what you want, tone up, weight loss, build muscle, they should actually give you some sort of diet plan when joining and show you what equipment does what, drink semi-skimmed milk btw green top it is, boots? non slip or something, but not entirely important since most work is sitting down or lying, ermm walk and cycle as much as possible, warm up etc and try going 3 times a week, you need time to let your muscles recover, a good way to speed up muscle recovery is an ICE COLD BATH and I mean literally ice cubes in, stay in for a few minutes after hard training, trust me it takes your breath away, ermm not sure what else... stay off fast food? ;P and gl

This is a diet I was given a while back, it isn't perfect, but it is for maintaining weight when trying to be all BEEFCAKE! so probably not suitable if you want to lose weight.

[ Seth|Swole ] Breakfast:
[ Seth|Swole ] 2 Slices Rye
[ Seth|Swole ] 2 Whole Eggs/some Whites
[ Seth|Swole ] 2 Slices lean meat
[ Seth|Swole ] Orange Juice
[ Seth|Swole ] Multi/Flax Oil
[ Seth|Swole ] Lunch:
[ Seth|Swole ] 2 Slices Whole Wheat
[ Seth|Swole ] Cheese
[ Seth|Swole ] Lean Meat
[ Seth|Swole ] Onions
[ Seth|Swole ] Lettuce
[ Seth|Swole ] PreWO:
[ Seth|Swole ] Smoothie
[ Seth|Swole ] 1 cup milk
[ Seth|Swole ] whey
[ Seth|Swole ] sometimes oats
[ Seth|Swole ] banana
[ Seth|Swole ] pineapple
[ Seth|Swole ] Mixed Berries.
[ Seth|Swole ] Post Work
[ Seth|Swole ] Finish the other half of the smoothie with more protein in it.
[ Seth|Swole ] Supper:
[ Seth|Swole ] Usually some sort of Rice
[ Seth|Swole ] Chicken any kind
[ Seth|Swole ] Mixed Vegetables.
[ Seth|Swole ] Multi/Flax Oil
[ Seth|Swole ] Casein before bed on Workout days.

There is more information to be had here.

Quote from CSU1 :

Footwear, what brand?

Diet?

How often should I go to start off because the last time I exercised my legs turned to jelly and I fell over ?

I am stopping smoking after eight or so years, am I going to die in the gym?

How to cure cramps etc.?

Is it true about the women in gym's?

any running shoes will do.

diet every suits your body - different strokes for different folks.

i smoke and go to the gym, i am irony.

cure cramps ?? relax the muscles and get a Good warm-up before attempting anything... if your not limber... warm up your warm ups.

depending on the gym this is quite true... but the majority of them are posers, dont waste your time.

i do the gym 3 days a week as im so busy in work i don't have time anymore... joined up with mates and within a few weeks they flunked out... that was a about 2 years ago and im still going strong.

Quote from theirishnoob :

any running shoes will do.

NO THEY WILL NOT, I can't stress that enough, I have seen too many people get injured running in the wrong shoes.

Quote from AMB :

Food - Pasta, Fish, anything high in protein, but really depends what you want, tone up, weight loss, build muscle, they should actually give you some sort of diet plan when joining and show you what equipment does what, drink semi-skimmed milk btw green top it is, boots? non slip or something, but not entirely important since most work is sitting down or lying, ermm walk and cycle as much as possible, warm up etc and try going 3 times a week, you need time to let your muscles recover, a good way to speed up muscle recovery is an ICE COLD BATH and I mean literally ice cubes in, stay in for a few minutes after hard training, trust me it takes your breath away, ermm not sure what else... stay off fast food? ;P and gl

Who has the time and the possibility to do an ice cold bath after every training??
We should give him easy advices. Things he can do simple.
To speed up recovery do exchange shower after your training. Start and finish with cold. If legs are your main concern you just need to do the legs not the whole body.

Quote from danowat :

NO THEY WILL NOT, I can't stress that enough, I have seen too many people get injured running in the wrong shoes.

Depends entirely how much you do.

Running 10 miles a day in the wrong shoes will almost certainly damage you. Doing 45 minutes in the gym in the wrong shoes probably won't. (unless you're doing the aforementioned 10 miles a day on the running machine).

Quote from Crashgate3 :

Depends entirely how much you do.

Running 10 miles a day in the wrong shoes will almost certainly damage you. Doing 45 minutes in the gym in the wrong shoes probably won't. (unless you're doing the aforementioned 10 miles a day on the running machine).

Wrong, there are many people that under/over pronate enough that even a weekly distance as low as 10 miles will either cause injury, or enough pain in the legs/knees/hips/ankles the warrant getting the right shoes

you dont happen to sell/produce shoes for a living do you?