Exercise advice/help, I wanna be healthy...

[Maria71327]

First of all, I'm sorry if this topic doesn't go here. I haven't been to the forum in like forever because of work and now I'm just seeking advice and thought you nice people would help me out. ^_^

Anyways, lately I've been wanting to lose some weight and become healthier ever since I started my job. I work at a pediatric clinic and I always tell kids how important it is to eat healthy and exercise daily but realized that I don't do that myself. So now I want to practice what I preach but I don't know where to start....

That's where you wonderful people come in. I don't need advice on eating healthy, that I know, what I don't know is what type of exercise to start with or if I should go to a gym and if I do what type of stuff I should start off with. I know some of you are thinking "that's things you should ask the gym people because they will know best" But you see the problem with that is that I am super shy and socially awkward to do so and would like some advice first before going and such...

Or if some of you are doing the same, you know exercising and such, I would like to know what you guys are doing to stay healthy or helping you lose weight.  

[ThisEmptySoul]

For weight loss, cardio is best. I've also heard doing some weight lifting in addition to cardio helps keep your body in a state that will continue to burn fat even after you're done exercising. I haven't researched this myself to find out if it's true, though.

I would recommend starting with stretching, then cardio {such as running/jogging or bicycling} for 15 - 30 minutes {depending how long you can handle it}, then a few reps of working your arms and core muscles {I tend to favor push-ups, but you can also do planking }, then more stretching.

For cardio, start out at a slower pace for the first 5 minutes or so before going at full force with it.

It's best to do the cardio first because it improves circulation, making any exercising you do afterward much more effective.  

[Demarkual]

This isn't very good health advise I am giving, but advise is advise.

have you ever got into the habit of taking up a risky hobbies that keep you on your toes?
For example. extreme sports . roller blading, rock climbing , mountain biking, Skiing.  

[Areashine]

TES is right, cardio is the best for losing weight. Adults should be spending 30 minutes a day doing cardio to maintain their current weight, so more is better if you want to lose weight. TES is spot on about taking the first 5 minutes to warm up. If you go full force into something, you will hurt yourself.

Weight lifting should be done 30 minutes every other day, I think. This will help to build muscle, tone, and make you a bit more effective at doing cardio longer.

I like to stretch before and after I workout, first to warm you up and later to unlock muscles. Yoga is awesome for flexibility and I find that I feel fantastic after I do some Yoga.

Also, don't be afraid to partner up with people. Sometime I find that having a buddy system is hold me back workload wise, but help me with actually going and doing it, which is more important anyway.

You don't need to go to a gym for anything, but I like all the equipment and classes, so that's why I go. Running is free and so is looking up exercises on YouTube.  

[Maria71327]

This is very helpful. Thanks you guys.
As for the risky hobbies, me and balance aren't the best of friends xd