If
you are overweight - Exercises can be challenging!
Obegone
Fitness shares
exercise tips for a larger body type.
"I
have been a physical therapist for about 20 years, and worked primarily with
individuals with obesity problems for about 10 years. When someone has excess
weight, it can cause issues such as joint pain, limited range of motion,
fatigue, and shortness of breath; which makes exercise more challenging.
Therefore, an exercise program that takes this into consideration will be more
effective by limiting stress to the body, while providing the right movements
to help burn fat, build muscle, and ultimately shed the pounds." - Beth
Patterson (P.T.)
The
following principles can help when beginning an exercise program to lose
weight:
1. Muscles burn more calories
than fat.
- Most people think of using aerobic conditioning to get the heart rate up to burn calories. Although, this is true, one must also incorporate strength training into their programs as well. Muscles weigh more than fat, so when beginning an exercise program, you may not lose weight at first; but you will lose inches. Since your muscles burn more calories, your overall metabolism will increase; allowing for more lasting weight loss results in the long term.
- The "American Heart Association" recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate activity in order to improve overall health. This is about 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. For best results, the 30 minutes should combine strength training and elevating your heart rate. As you get conditioned, you can increase the time spend exercising to more than 150 minutes a week for even faster results.
2. Low impact exercises reduce
the stress on joints in the knees and back.
- Exercising in a pool is the best way to reduce the weight bearing stress on your joints. The buoyancy of the water can reduce the weight on your joints as much as 80% when standing in "shoulder height" water. Also, exercising in an upright position in the pool, as opposed to swimming horizontally, can reduce your heart rate by 12-15 beats per minute; reducing the risk of getting short of breath.
- If you do not have access or desire to workout in a pool, then chair or bed exercises are the next best way to reduce weight bearing compression on the knees and spine. There are many bed or chair exercises that can strengthen and condition aerobically to allow for a total body workout. Most fitness gyms will offer a chair exercise class for senior individuals. And there are also aerobic, chair workout videos on the market. Hand weights or ankle weights can add to the strengthening component of your workout in a chair or bed.
- Recumbent bikes are good to provide support to the spine, while also allowing for not much weight bearing stress to the knees. However, most recumbent bikes only allow for weights up to 300 pounds. An elliptical machine also has less compression forces to the knee and spine. If you are large in the middle section of your body, exercising the legs only on an elliptical machine tends to be more comfortable. But remember, these machines are more aerobic in nature and do not provide much in the way of strengthening. Therefore, adding strength training "in addition" to the use of these machines, is recommended.
- If you like to walk, then look for a local school with a track that has rubber tracking to allow for reduced stress on the knees and spine.
3. Adopt a positive mental attitude.
- Work at your own pace. If you need a break - take it! If you cannot keep up with the instructor, then work at your own pace and just keep moving. Eventually, you will improve.
- Getting an accountability partner, even if only by phone or internet, is always a good way to be consistent.
- Set weekly goals and reward yourself for meeting those goals.
- It can make exercise fun when you add music.
- If you have a bad week, do not feel bad about it. Focus on what you can do today.
4. If it causes pain - do not do
it!
- The rule of "no pain, no gain," does not apply to a personal workout program. Pain is one of the ways your body tells you that something is not good for it.
- However, if your doctor has cleared you to exercise, then continue to exercise by modifying the exercises so that they don't hurt. For example, if it hurts your back to raise your knee up "past" your waist; then just raise your knee and stop "at the waist" so it does not cause pain.
- Remember to drink plenty of water to reduce soreness with a new workout program.
"I
have learned a lot from my patients over the years. Through this experience, I
have created my first exercise DVD, "Getting Back Into Life."
This exercise DVD alternates between the muscle groups: working on upper body,
lower body, and core; to allow for toning. It also keeps the heart rate
elevated. This exercise DVD is a great place to begin for someone who is
struggling with weight, joint pain. or has mobility problems. It starts with a
bed exercise routine, then progresses to a chair exercise routine, and then to
a standing routine. The bed and chair routines are designed to provide
exercises for weight loss without adding weight bearing stress on the knees or
back. These routines have two levels of intensity and feature 'Goldie Eacholes'
performing the routines with me; demonstrating the exercises as a person with a
larger body type." - Beth Patterson (P.T.)
Golden
Eacholes states, "My doctor told me to exercise because I had
Fibromyalgia, obesity, and degenerative disc disease in my back. I purchased my
different exercise videos, but quickly became depressed because I was not able
to do the routines. I am thankful for the "Obegone" videos because
they allowed me to exercise three times a week and even break a sweat with no
strain on my joints or muscles. I have lost 42 pounds in four months with
"Obegone Fitness."" - Golden Eacholes
"Whatever
you do, do not give up. Find out what works for you and keep at it. Increasing
your physical activity level will not only help you to lose weight, but it will
help in reducing aches and pains while giving you more energy and improved
overall health." - Beth Patterson (P.T.)
