Geoff, consider this....

Throwing, in and of itself IS AN EXERCISE WHICH CAN HELP YOU GET IN SHAPE.

I can not for the life of me understand why people think that they have to be Atlas to throw. OK, so don't throw the 56 pound weight, that's fine. Don't wind the 22 pound hammer. No problem! Heck, work with the womens weights.....the pro's do, I do, why can't anybody? They're lighter, but everything you learn throwing the womens weights translates directly into what you throw in competition. 01d_dude writes all the time about throwing his "girly-mon" weights and hammers. They're implements which weigh less than the competition ones. All the technique and strength you build, working with those implement doesn't somehow magically evaporate when you pick up the "real" ones.


Nobody needs to "get in shape in order to throw".....

Throwing will help you get in shape.

I scream this out with one caveat....if you are someone who really, truly has not exercised for a long time, then throwing can do damage. So yeah...maybe start walking at lunch, and work up to a regular gym workout. Your gym workout doesn't have to be brutal, you can work yourself into a lather by doing stuff with your bodyweight....push ups, sit ups, "get ups", pull-ups, jump up onto a short plyometics box....TONS of stuff. You also need to understand the difference between muscle soreness from exerting yourself, and actually being hurt. But after six months of that, enough excuses. If you want to throw, then THROW.