How do I reinvigorate myself and get fit?

LegacyUser

I have no energy. As time goes on I seem to lose more and more interest in everything around me. I was never particularly strong nor ever any good at sports. But I used to be able to walk miles. In the past ten years I hardly walk at all. Now a walk of a mile is as much as I can manage.

I am of average size, but light for my height, and a bit weedy. I have no upper body strength at all, and although very lean, I have developed a small pot belly from driving a lot. As a result, I am not particularly attractive, although not ugly by any means, but never really going to attract a girl. I have had girlfriends before, although nobody right now, and to be honest, losing confidence due to feeling so worn out all the time.

I hate my job. I don't enjoy it, but I'd say I could stick it, except that my back hurts, to the point I cannot endure a full day's work. I drive you see, and after four hours behind the wheel, my back and upper thighs are literally crippled. I can get out, walk around a bit, but it does no good, I am sore again immediately I get back behind the wheel.

I wake up in the mornings, stiff and sore, sometimes with a headache, usually with an aching back, and if I don't have to get up straight away, I invariably stay in bed, as over the past year I've found that I am losing interest in things. I think everything has become an effort, an effort that I'd rather sit or lie down and not subject myself to. It's more than laziness, it's a kind of complete exhaustion combined with apathy. As soon as I stand up, the backs of my legs hurt, and if I lift anything or run or do anything even slightly strenuous, I am out of breath and sore.

I have been seeing a chiropracter, who works wonders for my back, but it's all for nothing, when I just go out the door and back to a humdrum life driving all day, undoing the work, and losing interest in everything. I have visited doctors before, for minor ailments, and when I mention the aches and tiredness, I am completely brushed off, and told there's nothing wrong with me.

I need a change of job, but obviously in the current climate that's not an option.

I need EXERCISE. I have never entered a gym, and wouldn't know the first thing to do. I should walk more, I know, but after a mile of a walk, I am exhausted, and certainly do not feel invigorated, I feel worse, if anything.

I'd love to develop a better physique, but wouldn't have a clue how to go about it. At 38, feeling as strained as I do with the slightest exertion, I'd be afraid to do too much in case I gave myself a heart attack or something! How much is too much? Would I get advice somewhere on how to go about looking better, and feeling better, and most importantly, feeling reinvigorated, and better able to live and enjoy this short life instead of wasting it lying in a chair with an aching back, unable even to rise myself to make a decent meal?

RoosterIllusion

Join a gym, get a program from a qualified instructor, ask your doctor about nutrition or a nutritionist and then just keep at it.

Talking about it won't help, unfortunately.

There isn't any simpler way to put it.

Best of luck with it.

SuprSi

Well the first thing you want to do is go to a doctor and make sure that you're physically ok to start an exercise program. If you haven't exercised properly in years you need to be sure that your body can handle it.

Once this is done you should join a gym and put yourself out there with regards to classes and tuition. If you like to play any sport or would like to, look for club nights that might happen where you can meet like-minded people to play with. You need to maximise your enjoyment of the time you spend in the gym and why not do that playing with people who have the same goals as you.

I reckon that if you get into the habit of doing this you will quickly feel/see the benefits and will be upset when you can't make it to the gym for some reason.

AARRRGH

How's your diet? I eat really well and work out a few times a week, and I have LOADS of energy.

My advice to you:

Give up alcohol, caffeine, junk food
Start eating good food, regularly (small meals every 3 - 4 hours)
Join a gym and start doing some light weight training

Questions:

Do you have many friends?
Are you kind to yourself?

LegacyUser

SuprSi wrote: »

Well the first thing you want to do is go to a doctor and make sure that you're physically ok to start an exercise program. If you haven't exercised properly in years you need to be sure that your body can handle it.

That's exactly my fear. I don't want to go to a gym and end up doing something too much too soon. I am YEARS out of condition. In fact never was in condition, even as a child, always under strength.

Is there any way to find the right kind of instructor or guidance to pace myself and do it right? Where would anyone recommend?

In response to AARRRGH, do I have many friends? Am I kind to myself? The answer would be minimal. It's down to self confidence too, and I know if I looked and felt better, it would give me an enormous boost. This lack of energy is like an invisible flesh eating disease, it feeds upon itself and gets worse. That's why I need to do something about it.

Yes, I need to get off my own backside and do it, I just need to know where to go and how to begin. I want to do it right. Thanks for all your support.

Nevyn

I woudl say start with changing your diet and some gentle exceris even walking for an additional 30 mins a day. the diet and nutrtion forum has plenty of good infromation and supportive mods if you want to start posting there.

madmik

loads of ppl way older than u go to gyms

gyms are friendly thesedays

u dont have to be young or superfit to go there

everyone is welcome

beks101

I'm with RoosterIllusion on this one, OP.

Perfect opportunity to improve yourself coming up, it being almost the New Year and all. Join a gym, talk to someone who knows what they're talking about, express your concerns and follow their solid advice. Make friends with people you'd like to become like, internet forums being a good place to start.
Get in the best bloody shape of your life and do it for yourself - not because you want a girlfriend, etc etc, all that will follow. Be patient with yourself but you'll learn to love pushing yourself as you get stronger.
And don't stick out the job just because of the recession. Life's too bloody short. Obviously you're not going to stroll into a new one, but if you hate it you hate it, an economic depression isn't going to lessen your misery.

Best of luck!

LegacyUser

My dad had a triple bypass nearly 20 years ago aged 50 and he goes to the gym 3 times a week, plays golf and tennis and walks every other day.... the chances of you having a heart attack are extremely small. Get a check up and then if all is okay, get to the gym.

You are stiff from the work you do - Iyengar yoga is great for stiffness and flexibility. Buy a good DVD and get up early every morning to do it.

Driving doesn't give you a pot belly. Also, look around you - I see many women going out with guys with pot bellies, bald, double chins..... a pot belly isn't going to stop someone falling for you.

What I know about back pain, as I have had it for 10 years, is that it is manageable through exercise and stretching.... lying in bed won't help you.

BaBiT

I'm the same age as you, 38, about to be 39 and I think I can understand where you're coming from so here's my story/advice, for what its worth..

No girlfriend is probably down to lack of self confidence, something which always got me..I signed up to an internet dating site and met lots of women over the space of a few months and while I only dated one or two of them it boosted my confidence no end and gave me the boost I needed to ask out the girl I'd always liked for years...6 years on, we're now married and have two amazing little sons...First piece of advice

Secondly, myself and my wife were away for a weekend and I bent over to pick something up in a shop and struggled to get back up...I thought to myself I am much to young to be this decrepit!...I drive a lot too (my commute is about 3-4 hours a day) and regularly get drowsy behind the wheel...After one drift into the hard shoulder a few years back I was dispatched to the Doc (wives are great for making you look after yourself!)..He basically pointed out that my life had become completely sedentary and as a result I was lethargic and my cholestorel was a bit high...He suggested I take up some exercise...In my teens and early twenties I was big into cycling, never very good but what the heck!..So, I went out and bought a bike...Nearly three years back on the bike and the beer belly's gone, my cholestorel is healthy level again and I have lots of energy...I've joined a cycling club a few months back and while I'm never going to win races and regularly get shelled out the back on club runs its great to have a whole new circle of friends...I had this crazy goal when I got back on the bike to look better at 40 than I did at 30 and I think I'm nearly there..

I guess I'm just echoing what the other posters are saying but speaking from experience its possible to turn your life around...Get out there and build your self confidence, look after yourself, take up some kind of sport (who cares if you're no good...on my bike the only race I'm in is between me and my cholestorel!) and you'll be a new person..

Finally, do get yourself checked over by a Doc first...Your post sounds like you're heading down a path you've no need to go on so try to make some changes and head into the new year with some positivity..

Good Luck

pseudonym1

TBH Op Id go to the doctor first be as assertive as hell with him/her and demand a referal.
I repeatedly visited the doctor for years sometimes as often as twice a week- to be told take a tonic eat better get more exercise only to realise have a chronic sleeping disorder. The specialist diagnosed within less then 10 minutes of talking to me! (obviously had to have tests etc to confirm - hope yoou have health insurance)
So maybe there is something physically wrong. First port of call imo is the doctor.

McGinty

Hi Op

It also sounds like to me that you may be suffering from depression as that can cause tiredness and apathy. I know the current climate is bad, but once you are in a job, it is still easier to move to another job so don't give up hope there. In the meantime, would you consider taking a walk in nature, I find that very invigorating, whether it is a park, beach, woods, etc. Nature is great for reviving the energy. Like others said diet can have a big effect, but I would also suggest getting a monthly massage/ nice beauty treatment like reflexology, I know these things are associated with women but I think men need things like this just as much, it can make you feel fantastic plus they are great for clearing toxics and it would help with the aches and pains.

Musashi

Your muscles may have shortened because of your posture, the same thing happens to office workers stuck at a desk all day. Have a look at this site http://askthetrainer.com/posture-problems.html and try some gentle stretching to relieve the pains.

The yoga idea is a good one, it lengthens and strengthens the muscles as well as being a good workout. As a way to start training a DVD you work along with at home might be good? If you never did anything else but the yoga you will see and feel the benefits. I was pointed at Yoga by guys doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts! They like how it "unkinks" the body letting them roll more fluidly, some use it as a warmup for training.

Diet is more important than exercise mate, are you eating in the car? It's going to be hard but make healthier choices when you can. Bring food in a chiller bag and tupperware containers if you have to, it's your health you need to take care of!

Drink more water! Can't say it enough, no-one drinks enough plain water. Soft drinks are poison, aspartame and chemicals in "Diet" soft drinks, fruit juices can be loaded with sugars. Plain bottle of water in your bag and keep it in to you!

Eat regularly, don't let the old blood sugar drop and then pig out on snacks for a quick calorie boost. Keep topped up on decent food and a variety of foods lad.

If you would like, drop me a PM and I can send you a Yoga workout DVD and you can see how you go with it? Yoga is cool as it hits your internal core muscles hard. You feel better, sit straighter and clothes are looser in a few weeks, even if your weight hasn't changed yet.

The Rec/Fitness forum has loads of knowledge about different training whatever you decide to do, but for now just do something! Make a start, then stay going. That's all there is to it.

You decide to make the change, be as stubborn and bloody minded about it as you like. Small changes every day mate, ask yourself "is this action getting me closer to achieving my goals?".
If yes then fire away, if the answer is a no then you need to be strong and choose the way you know is right already.

Hope this helps mate, let us know how you get on anyways.

Zebra3

Gyms are crap.

Buy a bicycle (and some wet gear). You can't beat fresh air. Plus it'll stop you looking at all the fit people in the gym and feeling bad.

cantdecide

OP, I feel your pain. It's a bit like people who can sing who procalim that anyone can sing. The paralysis I suffer because of my low energy is not laziness. If i made it my lifes work to lift my energy levels using diet and exercise, I'd literally have no time for anything else. This isn't normal and I have suffered it my whole life and anyone who says that I'm simply lazy should ask themselves this; how many high energy people do you know? Most people are 'normal' but why can some be born with high levels of energy and vitality but those who are the opposite are simply lazy???

I am an ambitious person but like the OP I am virtually paralyzed by low and unpredictable energy levels. eg I want to start some part time study but having tried it in my early twenties when I was quite trim and fit (I was walking literally miles and miles every day at work), I just couldn't get through it. It's one thing to exhaust yourself with effort but imagine exhaustion before the effort. Imagine having to exhaust yourself with exercise to enjoy brief respite from it. This is not normal.

OP, in the new year I'm going to collar my GP once and for all to hopefully get to the bottom of it because I feel my life is passing me by also. I have the opposite physique to yours ie tall, built, overweight but still no energy.

allybhoy

About 4years ago I could have wrote your exact post. I used to have a similar job to yourself (Field engineer) and would regularly drive long distances during the week, eating breakfast rolls, chocolate,crisps and pastries and was piling on the weight. Also at the end of the day I would be exhausted and would need a few hours sleep in the evening after the dinner before I could do anything. I even used to get pains in my lower back and went to see a chiropractor who eventually just put it down to my occupation and posture, not before charging me 80euro per session i might add. Since then ive joined a gym and gradually improved my diet\lifestyle and no longer get backpains or migraines and (usually) have tons of energy. So excercise is the key!

For the headaches you are getting I would reccomend drinking more water and cutting down on coffee\coke\redbull during the day. If your like me you are probably having a couple of cups of coffee before midday, bottle of coke at lunch, couple more coffee's in the afternoon and 15smokes in between. If you think of all those chemicals going into your body its no wonder I was getting headaches and back pain. Try gradually drinking less caffeine and more water during the day. Also if your a smoker maybe cutting down on the fags aswell. I used to find if i was stressed in work the first thing i would do is light up a smoke and have a strong coffee, which invariably would induce a headache. By cutting back on both of these and combined with the excercise I was doing eventually the headaches and back pain became less infrequent. I would also reccomend you pick up a good multivitamin from your chemist, try it along with the advice above for a month and then see how you stand, hopefully you should feel some improvement.

Zebra3 wrote: »

Gyms are crap.
Buy a bicycle (and some wet gear). You can't beat fresh air. Plus it'll stop you looking at all the fit people in the gym and feeling bad.

Good suggestion, I find cycling and swimming really good for people trying to get back to some form of fitness, as there is very little impact to your body and you can pace yourself without risking any serious injury. Obviously cycling out in the open is the preferred choice but with the weather we are having now you might want to try spinning classes instead. They are really enjoyable and a super way of getting back to some level of fitness and a good gym will cater for all levels. If your in Dublin and are looking for somewhere to try spinning out to see if you like it, send us a pm and ill give you details of a few places I know were you can just pay at the door (roughly a tenner per class), without having to sign up for a year or something just to see if it takes your fancy. Failing that join a gym and tell the instructor exactly what's posted here and they should draw you up a program specifically catered for your needs.....good luck!