Gym routines

I'm sick and tired of weighing under 100 lbs and decided to try to be more proactive about it. I joined a gym.

I investigated many gyms in the area and finally found one that I felt would be best, and most affordable. It also included 3 free trainer sessions - which is cool, get me back into the gym scene and not be intimidated.

So I have heard that we shouldn't put our bodies under a lot of stress, work out too hard.. but I've also heard that working out would help me feel better.. so I have to admit I'm a little hesitant to go full steam ahead! My first session was Thursday - unfortunately that day I felt nauseous most of the day, so the work out was a little less than fun. I'm proud of myself for pushing through and the trainer was nice and understanding to let me take my time. I did every goal she set for me that day. I felt pretty good (despite the nausea) and have since then. A little stomach pain but the nausea has finally subsided. I have a doctors appointment on Tuesday, where I will discuss this with him, and also he is going to refer me to a nutritionist. I have lots of questions I feel would be best answered by a professional - at this time.. we'll see..

I'm wondering if anyone works out or has tried to, and your opinions etc. Thanks!

and - Happy Easter!

my workouts consist of tai chi, surfing and weight training. occasionally i'll do yoga or go for a long walk/hike. i surf when the waves are good. i hit the gym twice a week. i do tai chi 3-5 x week (this includes sparring). i do zero cardio and yet the nurses are amazed that my pulse and blood pressure are super low. i hit the gym first thing in the morning.

if working back into it or just beginning, take things very slow! your body isnt used to the movements and strain. it is very easy to over do it and hurt yourself. it isnt about how much weight you do. pay attention to proper form so you dont hurt yourself and you can maximize your workout. you dont need to be in the gym for hours on end. i spend 30-40 min when i am there. the secret is anaerobic training. your muscles respond the best to that. so do a set then rest 30-60 seconds and do the next set (rest time depends on what your goals are and how much weight you are pushing, etc etc). i get a fantastic workout and in a years time i've been able to put on 20 lbs (15 more to go). yoga, pilates, tai chi, and swimming are great alternatives to throwing the weights around. dont be fooled - these are hard core workouts! worse comes to worse, start out with walks. walking is one of the best and most over looked forms of exercise.

Wow - great!! Now I am very excited to continue with my work out sessions!!

I've never done yoga or pilates but I believe the gym I joined offers classes.. I will definitely look into it!!

Tomorrow is session two! :)

I have trouble with high impact exercise. I used to be a distance runner and also did some pretty heavy weight lifting. Once the crohns came into my life anytime I pushed my body to the limit it would respond with gut pain and diarrhea. Not worth it for me. I try to stay healthy by staying active but now I go for a walk, hike, swim, ski, instead of running 5 miles and benching my body weight. I can do an eliptical now too but I have to keep reminding myself my body isn't what it used to and I am not racing anyone when I am at the gym. I have recently found I could do crunches and push ups again as long as I work my way up slowly. I still lift some but much lighter weights than in the past. I can't really bike ride. I don't know what it is but that always gets my gut complaining. Let me rephrase that. I can ride fine on level ground like a bike path. If I have to go up hill, my stomach revolts.

I work out about 6 days a week...pilates, power punch, turbo kick, body shaping, double step and boot camp classes and weights and cardio in between. Rheumy is not too happy about how much I go, but it actually seems to help with the arthritis, as long as I don't do squats and lunges using weights. It gets my mind off of my pain. The stress relief it has brought is a huge benefit. The only thing that really bothers my stomach sometimes is pilates, when they have you lay over the yoga ball or lay on your stomach...I skip that part. Also, sometimes food comes back up when I am laying on my back for a long time. I have built a lot of muscle and gone from looking anorexic to really looking built and healthy (key word is looking healthy, not being that way)!

I love running and finished my last half marathon in Sept. However, my flares tend to creep up around Feb/March and my racing depends on how quickly I bounce back. I don't push too much if my tummy hurts, I get D, or a flare. I love how I feel after a workout so I try and use that as motivation when I have the days I just want to go home after work and sleep!

Ya, no one should work the same muscle groups 2 days in a row, because in order for your muscles to build they need to be torn and you have to rest them...I alternate my regime, I do arms/upper body one day and the next day it's legs/lower body.

One should never stretch before working with weights either, this can cause injury and exhaust the muscles, instead you should do about 10-15 minutes of cardio to warm up the muscles before doing weights.

:)

I'm a big fan of Pilates.   You should try it, it's a great work out and will really tone you!  Just be aware that majority of the moves focus on your "core" and work your abs.  I also take a lot of dance classes and just started getting into yoga.  I think working out when you feel up to it will definitely help you feel better and keep your mind off other things :)

24 Female - Dx Crohn's 4/28/08 - Pentasa 4 pills/2x day

Yes, it's definitely important to start out slow, whether you've exercised in the past or never before, it's better to work up gradually no matter what kind of routine you choose.

:)