8 Tips to Begin Exercising Safely When Overweight

So you are overweight. And you want to change it. You realize that exercise will be a contributing factor to your weight loss.

Watching the gym rats seemingly effortless, steady, intense workouts can be down right intimidating. Believe it or not, fit individuals often face many different health challenges than the overweight individuals, and a few of the same.

Your overweight body is presenting you with an assortment of biological challenges:
          • extra weight
          • limited range of motion
          • stressed joints
          • decreased metabolism

Adding to these physical challenges are the mental and emotional stresses that you place upon yourself as you start to lose weight. It becomes a game that you have to play with yourself to achieve your goals.

Here are some basics for starting exercise:

1. Consult a physician if you have serious health conditions or are on medication. Exercise may affect the medications you are on, and vice versa.
2. Start slow with simple everyday activities. Being able to do simple everyday activities without pain or effort will become a major milestone in your weight loss goals. These can include walking up the stairs or getting out of a chair without using something for leverage. 
   
3. Pick activities that do not require any equipment and can be done anywhere.
4. Set a daily time goal: do activities at certain times of the day, and for a certain amount of time.
5. Set an intensity goal: at some point, an activity will become easy to accomplish. Then it is time to take it to  push yourself to the next level. 
   
6. Wear appropriate clothing: loose fitting clothes for breathability, compression clothing to limit some excess body motion, and shoes designed for your foot structure, body movement and the physical activity.
7. Record your progress. This exercise journal will help you track not only your physical progress but also your emotional reactions to the activity and/or your motivations towards the exercise. A journal will help you adjust your activities accordingly, and help you work towards your long-term goals.
8. Pair up with someone who will keep you company, keep you motivated, and keep you honest about your weight loss goals.

Exercise is meant to be stressful to your body, but in a good way. Extra weight will exacerbate this regular physical stress; but the extra weight is also a hindrance to a life that you may want.

As your body adjusts to the new movements, you can adapt your exercise regime to include group classes (spinning, water aerobics, etc.) and weight training.

Developing a healthy lifestyle, of which exercise is an important component,  is like any other new skill. It takes time to learn. No one instantly becomes fluent in a foreign language, or starts at Level 50 in a video game. And you will continually have to make adjustments to maintain a certain skill level in any endeavor.

Contact the experts at Metabolic Medical Center to adjust your nutrition to your increased physical activities and weight loss goals.