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Taking it easy
I just bought an elliptical strider from Tesco. I used it last night and this morning. I can only do about 16 minutes before my knees and heart rate give way. I am 186 pounds, standing at 5 feet 5 inches and, of course, trying to lose weight. I have heard that doing 15 minutes of aerobic exercise two to three times a day is good for a beginner. Or should I just do my 16 or 20 minutes of exercise, and work up until I can do more?
Take it easy to start with and gradually build up. Make sure you're eating correctly, healthily and not falling into the trap of thinking you'll exercises full on and then eat whatever you wish. Losing weight is a combination of good diet, adequate exercise and mental attitude. Just start off with 15 minutes, three times a week, so you have 'rest days' in between and gradually build up from there.
Recognise the signals your body is giving you - there's a difference between feeling 'uncomfortable' or in pain. If your knees are still painful after a more gradual approach, then the machine isn't for you. If that is the case you could try swimming or aqua aerobics instead. All shapes and sizes do aquatics and it's not as easy as it looks. It can be a tough, yet safe way of toning and cardio training.
Why not chat to other iVillagers about exercise on the You Can Do It - Diet Support message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening now on the board:
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