Gman

Here is the situation:

My Dad is about 53 years old, 5'4 - 5'6ish, and 180 pounds. He'd like to lose about 20 pounds and get into shape, but he has had elbow and knee surgeries which limit his physical prowness. I mean, he can walk and run and everything, but he says it bothers him if he does it for an extended period of time.

So, my question is what would be some good exercise routines that are not TOO intensive, but intensive enough to allow him to lose some weight?

Thanks for any help in advance!

tokaok

ever condsidered water resistence training. its like an aerobics class only done in the pool. just ask at you local swimming pool.

limey

Eliptical machines are great for low to non impact cardio. You can burn as many calories as running but there is little or no stress on the jiunts such as knees, ankles and hips. My suggestions would be to join a gym so that you could also alternate between excercise bikes, eliptical machines and other cardio exercices. Getting a consultation from a certified personal trainer is usually part of a membership and is another great way of getting great advice. As said before, swimming is another great low impact way of cardio as it also hits most areas of the body and is great for stamina and endurance. That takes care of the cardio anyways.

hannukah harry

while the elliptical is easy on teh joints, it does not burn as many calories as running (fyi: running on a treadmill doesn't burn as many on a track/trail/sidewalk).

first thing i would tell your dad to do, and if he joins a gym and gets a personal trainer they should say the same thing, is to go see his doctor, get a check up and written permission. between his age and his being overweight, those are risk factors for heart disease and he shouldn't start a program without being checked out first.

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Ilow

If he's inclined to swim, I would highly recommend that he look into doing that several times per week. He could pick up a "pull buoy" (a shaped foam flotation device that fits between his legs that would allow him to swim at a slower pace for a longer period) too. Although, as already mentioned, running uses more calories, but it is not the best idea to begin with a workout program with running because it taxes the body to much at first and will keep the heart rate too high to be effective as a fat burning exercise. Don't forget nutrition; 70-85% of weight loss comes from what you eat. He should check to see if his health insurance covers a visit to a nutritionist, it might be well worth his time, and then he could use moderate energy from vigorous walking, elliptical, swimming etc. to do the rest. I would advise him to shoot for a working heart rate of about 125-130 or so for good fat mobilization.

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