starting out...

[treelizard]

How would you start somebody out who's more than a little overweight and doesn't excercise (except occasional walking) at all?

I was thinking elliptical would be good (he won't run because of possible knee injury) for maybe 10 or 15 minutes three days a week to start?

[bigred389]

I think it would also depend on age.

When I was 18 and out of shape I got thrown into a PT program straight off the bat(1 hour of getting "encouraged" by a drill instructor at 0530). It sucked but I improved pretty quickly, being young.

Doing that for somebody who's 35 would probably have more serious long term injury potential.

[treelizard]

He's in his late 40's...

[blitz]

Bicycle machine for a start, then when he loses some weight put him on the eliptical. Make sure he stretches well too, take him to a pilates or yoga class. Give them constant ab excersizes to get that abdomen area flexed a little.

[kingoftheforest]

Diet

Also what he eats may help alot as well. Protien shakes substituted for certain snacks and meals as well as a type of powerbar will help keep up energy levels and keep down hunger.

Also I would recomend a daily multi-vitamin without iron in it.

This helped me alot when I started a new training program and i was already in prtty good shape.

[treelizard]

Thanks for the suggestions! Quick update on this, we cooked him healthy breakfast and then we went to his apartment complex gym and showed him how to use all the machines (quick start and changing settings and all that). He didn't want to get on the bike or treadmill but loved the elliptical and walked his 12-minute halfmile (that includes warmup and cooldown)... Wouldn't stretch afterwards though b/c there weren't matts. Then my boyfriend took him to the steamroom (and explained my infamous jacuzzi incentive to get myself to work out). We both made sure to go very slowly (we worked out next to him to cheer him on) and to ignore the weights and heavybag. I also brought my stretching book for him to borrow. He knows diet/excercise 101 info, actually eats pretty well it sounds like and takes a multi and is pretty healthy otherwise... I made him a bunch of energy balls and a bottle of green drink and my bf made him these really great mix tapes with workout music. We promised to check in with him to see how his progress is going. He couldn't stop talking about how good he felt afterwards and seemed motivated to keep going. Here's hoping he keeps it up! Our goal was to be motivational and kind and get him excercising and make it fun, and try hard to make sure we don't make him feel self-conscious about his weight or level of fitness, and I think we done good.

[Tant01]

If he can shed two pounds a week for a year that would be a good start.

Progress is measured in years not months or weeks. The hard part will be KEEPING himself motivated to continue for the duration. That can be accelerated some but it's better (IMO) to set realistic goals.

It's going to take TIME and LOTS of WORK. Consistent diet and exercise will be the challenge. Too many of us like to binge even if it's a 20 oz soda or fast food once a week... NO GOOD for him! Strict intake and regular activity is the only way.

Tell him I said stick with it. Hooah! It's a lifestyle change that will improve his quality of life the older he gets and it'll be worth every drop of his sweat!

[treelizard]

Update, he's up to 14 minutes (walking) on the elliptical, some (limited) work with weights and several laps in the pool. rock.