Starting over at 60 - Question

[LizzieDoll]

Hello. I suffer from fibromyalgia. Twelve years ago used Cathe videos to get it under control and ditch the wheelchair. All was well until I had to return to full-time work. After just a month, my pain and exhaustion level went up and working out became torture. I kept trying but was also plagued by foot and hip issues. For four years I have been trying different approaches to get fit again but have not been successful.

Currently the foot and hip issues are under control so I am going to try again. My doctor says I should focus on full body resistance training and I know choosing low impact workouts will be important.

I was thinking of starting with Basic Step and then progressing to Body Fusion (my favorites) to get my cardiac strength, endurance, and confidence up a bit before attempting resistance training. So my question is, after that, what are good video's for me to start with?

I know this is long, and you are probably all very busy, so I appreciate any suggestions you can give. -LizzieDoll

 

[Debinmi]

Hi LizzieDoll & welcome.

So sorry to read of your struggles but good for you for starting a fitness routine again.

I'd keep at Basic Step & Body Fusion for awhile ... I think it also has "Add-ons" of a 20 minute Upper Body, 20 minute Lower Body & a good core routine. You can mix & match for variety for awhile with that workout.

To build your confidence, endurance, strength & form, I recommend Low Impact Step (intermediate) next if you enjoy step as it also has a Total Body Sculpting workout on it. You could use those 2 dvds to create a month-long rotation with walking and/or biking added in for cardio with maybe some intervals thrown in. I'd also recommend Total Body Stretching for recovery or the Perfect 30 Mobility, or StretchMax. You might want to try foam rolling, or some type of massage tool or LaCrosse ball to work out kinks.

Then consider the LITE series - it's a great comprehensive series ... intermediate level & low impact. You can easily grow with it by using all the bonuses & premixes.

HTH, and best wishes for your journey!

 

[Jane Power-Grimm]

Great advice, Debinmi!

 

[Braille]

Debinmi recommended the same workouts that I would have suggested. So, I'll just add that Travel Fit would be a good workout to add to the mix after you're confident with Total Body Sculpting and the Add-ons from Basic Step/Body Fusion. It uses resistance bands. The LITE series that Debinmi is talking about is a low impact set that has a fun variety of workouts. It has strength, cardio, body weight & bands, etc. It even includes a low impact kickboxing DVD. The DVDs include bonus "pyramid pumps" that are very short (most are 6-7 minutes) strength workouts that focus on only one muscle group at a time. This series costs more than just a single DVD, but if you check Cathe's sales ad coupons, she often has her series on sale, plus, there's always her Black Friday sales. If you could let us know what you already own, there are members that are very familiar with Cathe's premixes, and they may be able to recommend enough resistance/strength, low impact cardio, etc. to keep you busy until you can catch a sale on the LITE series. In the meantime, I'd check out the videos of her LITE series and decide what you want. I only mention this, because I kind of wanted one DVD. I liked it so much that I kind of bought another from the series. Well, the series is sooooo good that I ended up having to explain to my hubby why I'd eventually spent more on the series (one DVD at a time) than it would have cost to buy it as a set. lol I also wanted to mention that if you already own Turbo Barre, it has an upper/lower body muscle endurance section that's just under 11 minutes. If I remember right, that portion uses light weights rather than the barre/chair. If you added a core/ab workout to it, you'd be able to do a total body strength in one fairly short exercise section, leaving time for an extra long stretch/flexibility. I'm sure you already know this, but I'm going to say it anyways, because some people (Me!) make the mistake of thinking that when one is doing shorter workouts or beginner workouts that they aren't yet to the point where they need a recovery day. Take it from someone that's made this mistake (Me!). Take at least one active recovery day a week. Light yoga, stretching, a walk - just some kind of movement that's "healing" for your mind and body. If you've never tried Qi Gong, I've found that Lee Holden has some workouts that really help me with my back issues as well as some of my other aches and pains. I also sometimes do Classical Stretch/Essentrics workouts on my active recovery days. Both tend to focus on breathing, and gentle movements that feel good to my body. Plus, like yoga, I don't have to wear shoes! Both really help me to get the "kinks" out of my body so that I'm good to go for my next workout with Cathe. Sorry I wrote so much. I'm just kind of excited for you. About 2 1/2 years ago, I had to start from scratch with getting back in shape. I think we've all been there, and I'm happy for you. You're smarter than I was. I fumbled through it myself. I'd been doing Cathe workouts for decades, but didn't know about the forum. I wish I'd discovered this forum earlier. It would have made things a lot easier for me.

 

[Kellyro77]

Another vote for the LITE series. It feels very do-able, and once you feel ready, you can increase intensity by utilizing the calorie crush bonuses and increasing your weight selections with the strength training workouts.

Hope you start feeling like a million bucks soon!