Being obese, but active, can mean being a much healthier person on a metabolic level than you think. He is someone who can have better blood pressure and optimal blood glucose levels. That simple fact already makes people healthier than many others, but that's not an excuse to downplay exercise.
However, exercise should not be done without planning, so we explain in a few steps how to start exercising with obesity . Those things that must be taken into account will also be seen so as not to compromise the body and not hurt themselves.
Start exercising while being obese
The first thing to know is that just exercising does not mean losing weight significantly. An appropriate routine must be combined with a healthy diet, only then this will be more effective, and the commitment in advance must always prevail to lose a large part of the percentage of fat in our body.
With this in mind, there may be something else that worries us, and that is knowing what are the appropriate exercises. We are talking about a bigger body, with more weight than the average: this will greatly influence the resistance and some joints. But this does not have to stop us: there are special routines for these cases, which will not put so much pressure on the body.
How to start exercising with obesity
The best thing to do before starting is to talk to our doctor, set goals and bear in mind that it is not necessary to do all these steps at the same time. This process can take time, but the results are guaranteed.
1. Rethink the idea of 'exercise'
There are certain ideas that we must eliminate from our head. Just because an exercise is making us sweat a lot doesn't mean we're doing it right. This will make us start with the idea that it is necessary to put our body under great pressure to see faster results.
We must start with what is within our limits and set more realistic goals. Either jogging for 10 minutes or spinning for just half an hour.
The important thing is that our motivation keeps working with what we have, then we can increase the level.
2. Find your ideal place
Finding a space where we feel comfortable is also important. Exercising in a gym is not an unbreakable law; Sometimes these can be a bit overwhelming, and what we are looking for is a space where we can relax and do our routine.
If we have already been through several gyms and none seems to have the environment we want to have to exercise, we can always choose to do our routine at home. Let's remember step 1: work with what we have.
3. Consult a professional
Alright, we've found a gym that suits what we want. Now comes something important, and that is knowing how to use the equipment.
We can always ask for help from an instructor or a trainer to teach us the correct use of the machines, in this way we will exercise correctly and avoid a possible injury.
However, we should not feel pressured if they offer us someone to be with us, be it a coach or instructor. If it is not what we want or does not fit in our budget, it is okay to say no.
4. Set an achievable goal
Commitment is the most important ingredient for this recipe. We must be constant with those objectives that we set ourselves. We must establish what we want to do, where we will do it, and for how long.
These goals can start out simple, like walking for 10 minutes, or doing at least 2 30-second reps of the plank. It will be up to us to see the results as time passes.
5. Take care of your joints
This was discussed above. A heavier body puts more pressure on our joints . Therefore, we must pay attention to the signals that our body gives us when we start an exercise routine. Joint pain or discomfort such as the hips, knees and ankles should be taken into account.
The least we need is to suffer a minor injury from pushing our body to the limit.
6. Pay attention to the intensity of the routine
No one can really tell us exactly what the appropriate resistance is in an exercise, especially on a machine, since this is something that will depend a lot on our current condition.
We must find a middle ground, the one in which we are trying hard enough to see results in the future, but not so much that we need to stop for several minutes to catch our breath.
7. Increase the intensity gradually
It is very good that we are motivated by the results we can achieve, but this is not an excuse to do everything at once.
If we usually spend a lot of time sitting and we are not used to long walks, we cannot start our routine by walking for an hour a day. This can harm us and lead to injury.
It is necessary to go little by little. After a week of walking at least 10 minutes, we could take it to 20 minutes the next, as long as we don't put too much pressure on our body.
8. Start with a smart workout
For starters, it is recommended that people with obesity also train their upper body. Walking can strengthen our legs, but this is only the bottom.
A good exercise for these cases is to do push-ups on the wall or on a table. To run it:
- Place your hands on the wall or table shoulder width apart.
- Lower and bend your elbows at a 90 ° angle.
- Push up, and repeat the exercise.
Once the wall is no longer a challenge, we can move towards a table, and if this is still not effort, then it is time to do push-ups on the floor.
9. Stabilize your knees
For this, there are physiotherapeutic exercises that can help us a lot to strengthen them, such as the following
9.1 Gluteal bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent 90 ° with your feet on the floor.
- Press down on your heels and lift your hips off the ground.
- Lower your back slowly.
2. Side walk with band
- Place a resistance band across your knees.
- Without compromising the tension of the band, step to the side.
- Do the same in the other direction.
3. Side kick with band
- Place the band over your ankles.
- Stand up. If necessary, lean on something to stabilize yourself.
- Without moving your upper body, lift your leg to the side.
- Repeat the same with the other leg.
10. Strengthen your core
A strong core can bring us several benefits, improving our posture, body alignment and eliminating back pain.
It is not necessary to do sit-ups, these exercises will strengthen our core effectively:
10.1 Quadruped position
- Kneel on a padded surface, rest your hands on it and lift your hips, keeping your back straight.
- Concentrate on your core, bringing your navel in.
- Do this for 10 to 30 seconds, release your abdomen, and repeat.
10.2 Bird-Dog
- Get in the same position as the previous exercise. This time, you are going to lift your right leg and extend your left arm, until both are in line with your back. Do not compromise the back or neck.
- Lower both limbs, and repeat the same with the right arm and the left leg.
10.3 Iron
- We start with the same position: knees and hands resting on the floor.
- Support yourself with your elbows and forearms, then extend your legs in a kind of modified push-up position. The back should remain straight, the hips aligned with it, and the neck in a neutral position.
- Squeeze your core and stay in that position for at least 30 seconds.
11. Cheer up for your good work
We have taken the step. It is something that we must always remember when we do not think we are meeting the objectives we want. Remember this is a process, and it will take time. The important thing is not to give up.
The road will be long, but these steps provide the ideal guide to get off to a good start. With commitment and perseverance, we will achieve that goal that we have set for ourselves.
References
- Migala, J. How to Get Started Exercising When You're Living With Obesity. For Livestrong [Revised January 2020].
