Best way to turn anyone into a runner that hates running (and other workout ideas)

Well one thing I kept reading over and over and over again when I researched about PCOS when I was first diagnosed was that you need to get your weight down to a healthy BMI and you need to do it the good ol fashion way of eating right and working out.  Now I have tried everything in the book for both, and today I am going to share what I have found works best for me in the workout arena (I will save nutrition for another post).  Now the first step is to figure out what your BMI is anyway since it is different for everyone.  A helpful tool for this is found at the National Heart and Lung Institute's website.  It simply asks for your height and current weight and then calculates your BMI from that.  Then you take that number and compare yourself to this chart:

BMI Categories:

• Underweight = <18.5
• Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
• Overweight = 25–29.9
• Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater 

Now as with everything in life there are many circumstances for why you may have a higher or lower BMI than what is considered "normal" and this is where your doctor comes in.  As well I should also throw out there that before trying to change your lifestyle significantly, like changing diet and adding exercise, you should check with your doctor to make sure your plan works for your body and your individual circumstances!
Why I bring up your BMI as a good starting point is because with today's media, it is hard to even know what a healthy weight is anymore.  As women we tend to get in the groove of always saying "I need to lose weight" "I am too fat" and maybe this isn't true or maybe we end up on the other end of the spectrum and say "I am average/normal" and maybe we are overweight (I fell into this category).  In any case, we need to strive to get to a healthy point for our own bodies.  As we learn with PCOS, it is very important to get to a healthy weight to help with our other symptoms.
So now that we have our goal (our healthy BMI weight) we can gauge how much weight we want to lose and maybe a realistic timeline for this.  Here are some workout ideas...

1. Join a gym (if you are spending the money for the gym you may be more likely to go) try doing this with a friend so that you can hold each other accountable!
2. Join a fitness program like Farrell's Extreme Body Shaping Program.  It costs quite a bit for 10 weeks but it is 5 days a week and they hold you accountable and work with you to make sure you lose the weight!  

My warning for the above options is that they can cost a lot of money!!! and frankly you can get great results without shoveling out the cash.  I observed Farrell's because I was amazed at some of my friends results that did it and wanted the same results for myself but after watching, you ca create the same workout plan at home for ALOT cheaper but you will not have the accountability that you have with Farrell's(They call you if you do not show up and you have a coach)  This is where you decide works best for you and your personality!

Now for those of you that want to try and save money or like working out at home, here are some options for you (this is where I fall)...

1. Try buying workout DVDs.  I personally like Turbo Jam  it is a fun set of videos that works with your ability level.  They have 20, 35, and 45 min workouts.  They have great music that makes the time just fly by.  The trick to using these and getting the same results as a body shaping program, is doing it 5 days a week! other DVDs friends have tried is The Wave, The Ab diet,  and Carma Electra's workouts DVDs
2. Try joining an athletic league like sand volleyball or softball.  You are having so much fun playing that you forget that you are getting a workout.  Unfortunately to get really good results you will probably have to supplement this with something else though :(
3. NOW on to my personal favorite and workout of choice! The Couch to 5k Running Plan this was introduced to me about 6 months ago and has changed my life!  I should first start by saying that I hated running.  In middle and high school I was a three sport athlete and I still HATED running with a passion but that is what is great about this program, it turns you into a runner if you give it a chance and use it the intended way.  The other great part of this program is that it is FREE!!!  How it works is that it is a 9 week program that you download onto your Ipod.  Each week you run three days allowing for a day of rest in between.  The runs are only 30-45 min long so it is totally manageable.  The first week you start out by just simply running for 60 sec/walking for 90 secs and do this back and worth with a 5 min warm up and cool down.  Then the weeks to follow it just increases the amount of time you are running compared to walking until at week 9 you are running for 28 min.  There is music in the podcast to match your speed to and then the narrator tells you when to run or walk and gives you words of encouragement through out the run.  Remember I HATED running but after just 6 weeks of following this program, I actually stared to enjoy it and was able to run and not think about the pain or why I was putting my body through it but be able to think about how my day was going and what I needed to do later.  I really vouch for this program because it is free and can be adjusted to your needs (if you need longer you just keep running the same week program over and over again until you are ready to move on to the next one).  If you want to give it a try, it can be downloaded from itunes.  Just search "couch to 5k" and click on podcasts and find the one that that is made by Robert Ullrey.  

When I started my workout journey I was considered overweight by my BMI (I knew I could lose some weight but never thought I was actually classified as overweight by my doctor) so I started with the turbo jam videos because they were cheaper than a gym membership and I could do them in my home so I didn't have to feel embarrassed. After simply adding in working out since I was not doing any before, and watching that I did not over eat, I lost 20 lbs.  Then I switched over to the couch to 5k program this past spring and lost an additional 10 lbs.  I am back to my weight in high school (and a normal BMI) which I never thought was possible and I am feeling great!      

I hope this gives you some ideas on how to jump start your own workout routine and how to make realistic goals.  Some important things to remember are that sometimes weight is genetic so don't get too down on yourself if it takes a lot more work than your friend to lose the weight also PCOS can make it a bit harder to lose the weight as well.  The most important thing is that you try, with PCOS we are at higher risk for getting diabetes and cardiovascular disease and working out is one way to help prevent that.  Also remember to eat right when you are making these changes.  Don't throw away all your hard work by putting a ton of sugary and fatty foods into your body.  This takes time but if you believe in yourself and put in the work, it will pay off.  So talk to your doctor and get started!