Good afternoon all,
I'm looking for a way to feel better.
I'm 38, 6ft3, 270lbs. with a 34 inch leg and a 42 inch waist. Odd dimensions, I know. You know you have problems when you don't have options at the jean section at your local Marks & Spencers.
I work a fairly active job. I get my steps in, I run up and down steps and stairs, I connect and disconnect things. I'm no office monkey or couch potato, though I do binge videogames at times and I do stay in bed a bit too much on my off days, if the missus is also at home.
Ever since my mid-20's, I've been the definition of an on-off gym goer. I used to weigh 180lbs then and I used to run four miles a day on the treadmill, plus other things, but I was physically quite weak. Life happened, I ballooned up to 260lbs quite quickly, so after a series of moves, I joined a gym, did a mile run and then focused more on strength over the years.
I had a scare during COVID where, after exercising, I would become dizzy, lose my vision temporarily if it were static and my legs would go numb. I would drive to work trying to time and prepare myself every few seconds for this to occur, but it would clear up later in the day. Because of this, I stopped really pushing myself. I also kept getting nausea whilst in the gym, so I would lie on my side on the gym floor until I felt good enough to get up and go.
Last year, I received a blood clot in my left leg that rendered me completely unable to walk or even place my foot down for a week. I lost strength in that leg, but I decided to put my legs to work when I felt good enough. I would always start my exercise by running a mile, biking for a mile and then using the leg press after, then doing upper body things to round off my day. It was going well and, though my running wasn't great, I may have been stronger than I ever was. I was maxing out the leg press and doing ten reps at a time, military pressing the biggest barbells and kettlebells with ease, though the stronger sherdoggers here probably won't be impressed by that. I was carrying weight, sure, but I could still move quite well.
This was until I received nerve issues in my right leg, that temporarily crippled me unless I spent a period of time already standing, and then a combination of hayfever and the flu a few months later. The pain in the joint of my left toe has also gotten worse. I've spent time away from the gym, the last time I went was before the flu, and I've felt zero desire to go back, due to a combination of receiving abuse from someone in a car just before my flu became bad, and the fact that my last few times at the gym were not only less than impressive, but also left me so exhausted that I did nothing but sleep for the rest of the day.
Basically, I want to lose weight and become fitter and healthier, but I can't be bothered with racking up injuries anymore. I even have a 20kg kettlebell that I bought, that I wanted for years, but I just can't get into using it on a frequent basis, plus kettlebell swings aggravate my right leg. Push ups aggravate my left toe and bring back issues that I've had with acid reflux that I've had since I was twenty-seven and had a nasty throat infection.
I'm thinking of running again. There is a delightfully nasty 1.5 mile run that I can do from my house, where the first half is sheer uphill. I'd like to do push ups again and the kettlebell is always there. I don't really like doing workouts at home, it doesn't feel right, you know? I also don't want to spend hours at the gym everyday. I've spent years punishing myself there, and I'm tired of it.
One thing that I believe that I have neglected over the years, is stretching. Even when I was skinny, I was terrible with body weight exercises that required me to get low. Squats and push ups never felt natural to me, my form would go and breathing would feel troublesome and forced. Oddly enough, it wasn't that long ago that I was actually quite good at pull ups, and I was adequate at dips. I think now? Even though I may still have strength in my muscles, that my joints will cause issues.
This may be a long way of asking for advice. I just wanted to vent, in a way.
I've been looking at DDPY for a while, though I don't really want to spend anymore money. I'm already spending on a gym that I don't use, for the rest of the year. I'd like to exercise program that involves me improving my flexibility in all aspects, as well as improve general body wellness. I'd like to do it in the morning and in the evening. I'd like it to be fairly physical, but I don't wish to overexert myself either. I also want to get better at controlling my body, to do things like squat without feeling off balance and feel like I'm sucking in air all the time. I also don't want to spend hours doing it.
Does anyone have any experience in this? Any advice or videos that you can give me?
Thank you all,
Kind Regards,
Foamy
Unofficial Saddest Poster of Sherdog nominee.
di nex' day now me gettin' cut up 
