Obesity and Exercise: How to Find—and Stick With—a Workout Routine After an Obesity Diagnosis

Some people like to train. For others, doing regular exercise looks like a chore. When you live with obesity (a BMI of 30 or more), there may be additional challenges that do about the last thing you want to do, find comfortable and cute training equipment to feel overheated and exhausted in a few minutes after the start of training. If you have received a diagnosis of obesity and the regular exercise has not been part of your routine, there are many understandable reasons that to stick to a training plan may seem overwhelming. (The conversation around obesity and exercise, in particular with regard to exercise in public spaces – is heavy to say the least.) However, physical activity has proven incredibly impactful for obese people, and not only because it can help you reduce body fat and reach healthy weight. “Obesity is not a question of weight. It is a complex medical condition that affects so many other things: inflammation, resistance to insulin, regulation of hormones, and even more, ”explains Supriya Rao, MD, a medical doctor of the internal card, obesity medicine and life medicine. “Exercise, even in small quantities, can improve insulin sensitivity, help reduce stress, reduce inflammation, stimulate energy, help you sleep better and stimulate your mood, without weight loss.”

When your motivation is lagging behind, you should remind you that hitting the gymnasium does not only focus on weight management – this is your mental well -being in the moment, as well as an investment in your future physical health. And you will probably not need to train long before you see a return to this investment. “Obesity contributes to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and joint degeneration, but here is the part full of hope: the exercise can reverse a large part of this, even before the scale moves,” explains Maria Teresa Anton, MD, endocrinologist and educator of Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami. “A few weeks of regular movements can reduce blood sugar, reduce blood pressure and rebalance hunger hormones such as leptin and ghrelin.” Do you feel ready to lace these sneakers? Here are some expert advice that will help you make physical activity easier, sustainable and designed to improve your global metabolic health, not just burn calories.

Ease with low impact movement

To start, here is a good reference basis for: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic exercise of moderate intensity (AKA Cardio) per week for most adults, plus two days of strength training. But you don’t need to hit these numbers as soon as you get out of the door. When you live with obesity, it is important to slowly facilitate a drive routine, because a new physical activity can put additional pressure on systems already stressed in your body. To avoid professional exhaustion and injuries, start with sessions that increase your heart rate but which seem to you, even five to 10 minutes of movement at the same time have cardiovascular advantages. Choose an appropriate type of exercise for your level of fitness – the impact exercise on beginners, especially women with obesity. Instead of running intervals or taking start -up camp lessons that make you do jump squats and burs, think of “soft on the joints” – things like swimming or water aerobic, yoga, a lying bicycle, an elliptical machine, or even rising stairs and even below. Small walking is also one of the best exercises when you soften your body in an exercise routine, because it is low impact, accessible and flexible enough to integrate into any day, but always increases your heart rate. If you are obese morbid (a BMI 40 or over), remember to work with a physiotherapist or a specialist in sports medicine to develop a training routine that is both safe and efficient – and which will help ensure future success. And whatever your weight, be sure to include a five-minute warm-up in your exercise program to avoid injury and pain; Include both cardio movement and stretching.

Cardio is not all that matters

The regular increase in your heart rate via cardio is excellent for fat loss and your overall health, but when you also start to develop muscles, this is when you can really take your exercise routine. “Do not underestimate the power of strength training,” said Dr. Anton. “Many women avoid it, but it is one of the most effective tools for preserving muscle mass, protecting bones and stimulating metabolism.” When you lift weights as a beginner, it may be useful to focus on your upper body one day and the lower body. Aim 8 to 12 slow and concentrated representatives of each exercise, with a heavy weight that the last representatives are difficult. It is intelligent to work with a personal trainer at the start – or to take a group force training course – to make sure you learn an appropriate form. If you do not easily have access to weights, you can always start developing muscles and obtaining a complete body training via body weight exercises, such as boards, pumps, arms circles and increases, slots and wall or chair squats. Pilates is another effective form of exercise for obese women, as it uses body weight to strengthen strength in a low impact manner.

Focus on small victories and what you feel, not the scale

To avoid professional exhaustion, keep your goals simple and achievable at the beginning: stick to a training schedule, be able to make two other rehearsals or hit your daily number of steps even when your schedule becomes hectic. To rely on these small objectives – and simply solidify the habit of obtaining regular physical activity – is what is added to the long -term results and defines your fitness course on the right track. “Don’t forget: your victories are not only measured in pounds,” said Dr. Anton. “They are measured in energy, confidence, better laboratories and the ability to spend through life with more ease. This is what the real transformation looks like. ”