From My Worst to My Best

[Isla Morha]

Update Oct 17, 2022: I just got a new job that is very physically demanding. Not strong enough to do that job for 8 hours plus do any exercise. I am putting this thread on hold until I am stronger and fully get over covid.
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Hello All! I am brand spanking new here. Trying to figure out the place and hope I am doing this correctly.

A bit of history.
I was in great shape through 2013, I exercised an hour each day M-F, and went from obese bmi to normal bmi. Then in 2014 health issues got in the way and the past years since have been difficult. I am now in the worst shape of my life and it is time I change that.

Considerations
1. I have something wrong with my shoulder. I want to strengthen the muscles around that area and I hope it will help it in the long run.
2. I have knee and Achilles tendon issues so I am not able to do exercises that put a lot of strain on those areas. However, I want to strengthen the muscles around those areas to help support them.
3. I am just now getting over covid which made me very sick and extremely weak (to the point of passing out if I stood up too long). If I find I am not yet strong enough to do the exercise programs I have set for myself I will change them up as needed until I am strong enough again.

Goals
➡I want to strengthen my entire body again. I have to start at the smallest end and work my way up.
➡I want to increase my stamina and endurance so I am not winded just from walking up the staircase to my bedroom.
➡I want to be flexible again. I do not like feeling stiff and sore all the time. It is not a good way to live life.

Current Programs
Bigger Arms x 1 Set only to start out
Wall Push-Ups x 1 Set only to start out
Daily Abs x 1 Set only to start out
Glutes of Steel x 1 Set only to start out
Better Legs x 1 Set only to start out

I will also be doing my own stretching daily and soon hope to be able to get on the treadmill or exercise bike to get in cardio. In addition, I will do some of these beginner free-weight exercises

The plan is to update nightly with my progress.

 

[WSMC1]

Welcome to DareBee and best wishes in your journey. Many great programs here and wonderful supportive people!

 

[Isla Morha]

Welcome to DareBee and best wishes in your journey. Many great programs here and wonderful supportive people!

Thank you so much! There are so many programs to look though! Wonderful to know there are supportive people and I want to be just as supportive as well.

 

[Sif_Shepard]

Welcome!

 

[Isla Morha]

Welcome!

Thank you!!!

 

[Isla Morha]

I have to work up to the total sets in each program. I am starting out slow but hope I can increase sets weekly or every two weeks until I reach the program's goal sets. I am doing as many sets as I can until I feel a good burn and cannot do anymore.

Day 1

Bigger Arms 8 reps with 5 lb weights/3 sets of 5
Wall Push-Ups 12 Reps/2 Sets of 5
Daily Abs 12 Knee-ins 12 reps/1 set of 4 (ha these worked my top thighs more than my abs. I must be doing the form wrong. )
Glutes of Steel 12 bridges/3 sets of 3
Better Legs Leg backs 22 reps/1 set of 3
This morning I also did my stretches for my shoulder and upper back/neck along with toe touches. Due to still getting over covid, cardio is on hold at the moment.

I feel tired after the workout and to be honest it did not take very long to accomplish. That is how out of shape I am but I know our bodies respond well to exercise and mine will get stronger much faster than I think. That is the wonderful thing about the body God has given us, no matter how out of shape or overweight we might be, our body will always respond to the positive exercise we give to it to help make it stronger and healthier.

Have a wonderful and peaceful night/day everyone.

 

[aku-chan]

Good luck!

 

[TopNotch]

Hello, and welcome to the Hive! Hope you have fun here.

It is very easy to do knee-ins (and sit-ups) "wrong" wherein you use your legs or hip flexors rather than your abs. Try to use your abs, really tense them when you do these exercises. That might help you lessen reliance on your legs and actually use your abs.

Feeling tired after a workout, no matter how long or how short that workout is, is a good tired, and amazingly, it really won't be long before you can do just that little bit more. I reckon half the battle is mental, and when you can do just one more something, or last one more minute, the mental boost is phenomenal, and that helps the physical improve, too. You've got this, and if you need any help, about anything, just throw out your questions here. Someone will catch them.

 

[Isla Morha]

Hello, and welcome to the Hive! Hope you have fun here.

It is very easy to do knee-ins (and sit-ups) "wrong" wherein you use your legs or hip flexors rather than your abs. Try to use your abs, really tense them when you do these exercises. That might help you lessen reliance on your legs and actually use your abs.

Feeling tired after a workout, no matter how long or how short that workout is, is a good tired, and amazingly, it really won't be long before you can do just that little bit more. I reckon half the battle is mental, and when you can do just one more something, or last one more minute, the mental boost is phenomenal, and that helps the physical improve, too. You've got this, and if you need any help, about anything, just throw out your questions here. Someone will catch them.

Thank you so much!
I will try that again on the next day I do them. I am just a tiny bit sore in my abs so I guess I used them after all but they are so weak my legs had to do the rest.
I will keep at it though and hopefully, by the end of the 30 days I will be doing it more with my abs and less with my legs.

 

[Isla Morha]

Today I am 30 days dairy and gluten-free!

Those foods like to create extremely painful chaos in my guts and body and I was eating a bit here and there until the hit the fan and my body rebelled against me.
So glad to be off of them again but double darn it is so difficult to find many gluten and dairy-free foods where I live. Everything is so cross-contaminated. Even healthy frozen veggies. Spending my day looking up more recipes and foods to find and buy so I have healthy foods to eat now that I am over the stomach/intestinal flare-up from eating dairy and gluten and then catching covid which again attacked those same areas. All of September I was only able to eat a few meals of chicken broth and applesauce...like 3 meals all month. Now that I am getting over it all I am getting hungry and have nothing but chicken in the house that I can eat.

But again...I am so very thankful to be 30 days off of those foods!!!!!!!
Some positives from being off of them
1. My oxy levels have gone from 95 all the time to 98-99!
2. Blood pressure has gone from elevated/high to the lower side of normal!

 

[Isla Morha]

Good luck!

Thank you!

 

[Fremen]

Welcome

 

[Isla Morha]

@Fremen Thank you!

Yesterday and today I have not been able to exercise. I did do my stretches, though.✔ Getting over Covid is taking longer than expected. The headache/migraines and extreme fatigue that started with covid won't seem to let up. Today I had errands to run and that took everything I had and left nothing over to exercise. The positive is that last night I got my first full night of good sleep in the last 3 weeks. Hopefully, it happens again tonight and I have more energy tomorrow to do day 2 of all of my programs.

The only true failure is not trying. I am trying my best. It's not exactly mind-blowing good but at least I am putting in the effort.

 

[TopNotch]

If the body needs to rest and recuperate, let the body rest and recuperate. Doing any exercise, even stretches (not that there's really an "even" with stretches - they can be hard work!) is a Good Thing, but your body knows when it needs downtime. This won't last forever. Meanwhile, plan!

 

[Isla Morha]

Day 2
Bigger Arms 8 reps with 5 lb weights/3 sets of 5
Wall Push-Ups "Hold to failure"10 second hold/3 reps of 3
Better Legs Side leg raises 22 reps/1 set of 3
Daily Abs 12 Knee crunches 12 reps/1 set of 4
Glutes of Steel 40 of 40 total leg extensions
✔ I also did my stretches today.

Notes
Some of the exercises I push myself until I cannot do anymore and I love that. For the abs and the side leg raises today I could only do one set. I have been having a lot of pain issues with the sides of my hips and I can see how that is a weak spot in my body now. Glad to be doing these exercises to get my strength and muscle built back up in those areas. For the abs...hahaha...that has always been a weak spot for me even in my best shape.

Once I am done with the 30 days I will keep doing any program I have not been able to do the full sets until I am able to do them. Then I can move on to something different. I hope to get stronger so I can up my sets as the 30 day progresses but if not that is okay.

Have a great night/day fellow Bees!

 

[Isla Morha]

I hope energy levels come up enough I can start exercising again. Life is busy right now and leaves no energy to workout. Not giving up, though. Just listening to my body after covid.

 

[Isla Morha]

Well, life changes fast. I just got a call and I got a new job that is very physically demanding. I mean it's hard work and I just pray I can do it this soon after covid. There is no way I can exercise during the week right now. I need to save all my energy for work. I am going to stay on darebee but no point in this thread since I wont be updating it with exercises any time soon. I hope to be back once I am strong enough to work and exercise during the week.

Good luck everyone in your journey to get fit and healthy and stay that way for life. I am rooting for all of you, Bees!

 

[Lallafa]

Good luck and congrats on the new job!

 

[lofivelcro]

Good luck with the new job!