Group: General Fitness & Exercise

General Fitness & Exercise
Created: 2011/12/31, Members: 379, Messages: 54577

Various general exercise related discussions. Find out what it takes to reach your fitness goals through daily effective exercise. With so many options we try to find out what works best.

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Newbie looking to lose weight

paradigm76
paradigm76
Posts: 2
Joined: 2009/09/21
Canada
2009/09/21, 12:58 PM
Hi all, I am going to start going to the gym in my town but i have no idea where to begin. Im only 6 feet tall but I have gained alot of weight, im about 270 pounds and have alot to lose. I dont know how many minutes of cardio a day i should do and i dont know how many times a week i should do it.
daveme214
daveme214
Posts: 4
Joined: 2009/08/28
United States
2009/09/22, 04:22 AM
Paradigm--I'd say start off at around 10-15 minutes on a treadmill, maybe 3-4 times a week, and see how it feels. Try and get your heart rate into the target area--the gym should have the info handy, and maybe even the machine you're using.

Don't go in there expecting to lose 50 pounds the first week, though--keep your expectations in check. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Patience will be a necessary virtue.

If the 10-15 minutes feels good, then go for longer--try to run if you're comfortable, if not, walk at as brisk a pace as possible.

Eventually, you'll get to a point where you want to increase everything--length of time, resistance, etc.

Keep at it, though. Drink lots and lots of water, watch what you're eating--lean, lean, lean. Stay away from the fried/processed stuff.

Hope this helps.
Dave