Getting down is easy...

Squats and lunges are two staples. Also stretching side to side and lateral leg lifts will help with general leg mobility. But really, MDing is a good way to work those legs. Also, don't use your MD for a crutch. Use a full size shovel if you need support getting up. The best way to get better at anything is to keep doing it.

If you are wanting to lose weight I highly recommend using a calorie tracker and reducing your calorie intake gradually until you begin to see weight loss. Myfitnesspal is one that I use but there are others that work just as well. Most have a calculator to give you a starting point to know how many calories you can eat and still lose. My experience thus far is that exercise helps me feel good but pushing back from the table is what's dropping pounds.

Good luck! shoot me a PM if you want more info or just someone to talk to without some chuckle head who doesn't know that the fight is like chiming in.

You can do this.

You're on the right track with admitting you're overweight and need to do something about it. Start walking...walk, walk, walk. Then at the same time start cutting out one thing that's unhealthy to consume. For example, if you drink soda, quit buying it and stop drinking it. Just being out there walking around swinging a metal detector is helpful.

Diet is 75 percent,,,burn more calories than you take in and your golden.Protein shakes and veggies will shed it fast,I mean real veggies like broccoli and no dip.lol

Best cardio you can do is short high intensity...Ever see a long distance marathon runner ,they're kinda flabby and don't look in shape at all...Look at a sprinter,not a ounce of fat on them.

If your serious,this is the best bar none weight loss exercise...30 min a day...You might not picture yourself doing this,but if you wanna lose weight fast and get in shape.you gotta put in the work.,here's the way.

Walk a short distance..sprint for 30 seconds,and I mean flat out sprint.Walk for 4 and a half minutes..Then repeat,sprint for 30 sec,walk for 4 and a half minutes...Do that cycle for 30 minutes a day,eat right and watch the weight fall off your body,I'm not kidding.You don't hafto be young to exercise

Great Post Subject Nevets! Definitely a big part of this Sport is figuring out a comfortable method. We all seem to have developed what works for our particular body shape and size...that maximizes the pleasure and minimizes the pain/effort...

Just as encouragement, There was a guy not long ago (Zeekeyes) completely out of shape and well overweight, not only that, he was in his 70's and had two hip replacement surgeries...one of his hip sockets was fused solid even...So...If anybody had an excuse to sit around all day and watch Netflix it was him...

Well, for some strange reason one day he decided to get into this Sport..He started hunting totlots and local parks for shallow clad just as an excuse to get out of the house...He started keeping daily finds notes...A few years later, at his age, he did a 10,000 coin year, lots of jewelry mixed in both gold and silver...lost 100 pounds, became a prolific poster, encourager, and Mentor to a lot of us here...

I havnt talked to him in a while, but As far as I know, he's still out there someplace...popping park pennies and living a 'Life Full of Surprises'...

Wow , what a fantastic response, Congrats MUD !
Nevets hope this inspires you , GL. ,,,,,HH

Thanks for the encouragement one and all.

As for soda, I gave that up awhile back. I don't want to make this into a pity party but...

The gf left me awhile back which put me into a serious funk. Coupled with the fact that I'm working p/t at best also is also depressing (so I spend more time @ home feeling sorry for myself. I also spend a lot of time reading this forum - which isn't a bad thing- as I've learned a lot about the hobby.)

Now it's time to get off my duff and walk a block or two.

I'm not fat, just old. I'm surprised that I haven't broken a detector shaft using it to get back on my feet.

I worked in an office for nearly 20 years and unfortunately packed on too many pounds.Then I got back into detecting and had the same struggles. What works for me is to stretch first, drink plenty of water, eat right and to take a potassium pill to avoid muscle cramps afterwards. I detect a couple times a week now as my only real exercise and have dropped 40 pounds in 18 months with all the walking and bending over I do. Persistence pays off both in detecting and in losing weight. Good luck nevets!

Nevets, Im not overweight but I'm 64 and if I got down on my aching knees, it would be very difficult to stand up. When I dig I bend over, rest my left elbow on my left knee and dig from this position. The only reason I'm not overweight is I try to keep busy and burn more calories than I consume. GL