Making exercise a part of your daily schedule is very difficult for everyone, when they are starting out. It is especially harder for people with obesity or are overweight. The media’s representation of people regardless of their body shape has just started to focus on body positivity.
While that is a nice breath of fresh air, exercising should be something that all people of different ages do. It can really alter your self-perception, elevate your confidence, and enhance your physical and mental well-being. Dropping the extra weight by calorie restriction and moving more is crucial since those who lead a sedentary lifestyle are at higher risk to a bunch of medical problems like diabetes, stroke and blood sugar fluctuations.
How to Begin?
Now if you are overweight, please do not start doing rigorous training all of a sudden. Visit your doctor before starting any kind of physical activity to determine whether your body has the strength and capacity to handle a workout schedule. If you get an affirmation, make sure to know which ones are ideal for you, as a beginner. Because of the extra pounds, obese people have to steer clear of activities that push the weight on the ankles, knees, and lower spine.
According to studies, overweight people have to slowly build up their muscle strength and then increase their moderately intense workout to 250 minutes in order to accelerate shedding. You can do this however your trainer sees fit. It will definitely be very challenging at first, but if you keep at it, soon it will just become a warmup for you.
If you’ve never exercised prior to this day, get out of your couch and go for just 10 or 15 minutes walk around the park. Adding time gradually will help you walk around for 40 mins or even hour, without realizing. There is no need to start worrying about your speed. Just be at it, everyday, regularly. Oh, and of course take your headphones and maybe even find a Spotify playlist to keep you company. It is very relaxing, personally speaking.
Actually, a moderate workout can be reached by walking 3,000 steps in half an hour or even twenty minutes. But there is no need to rile yourself up and get anxious to reach this goal. It will happen naturally. If you want, you can just track your steps on your phone, or get one of those fancy watches to count.
Here’s a list of stuff you can do:
- Walking:
As already mentioned, walking is the ideal exercise for you and has a low-impact and will not tire you out. The only thing you may need is a pair of shoes that are comfy for you. Most people go for sneakers. Walking can be done anywhere, and when slowly transitioned to moderate intensity, increases your lower body strength. To increase the effectiveness of your walking routine, set goals and destinations to complete weekly, change up your route, and slowly pace up your speed and increase intensity.
However, if you have back pain, or are prone to arthritis, do not go walking without your doctor recommending you to do so. Instead you will be better off with a physical therapist and heal your ailments first.
- Swimming:
Probably the best aerobic activity for improving your pulmonary, and skeletal system. It builds core strength and provides an all-encompassing cardio session that is even gentle on your joints. Meanwhile you end up burning a bunch of stubborn fats, while learning how to survive drowning.
Swimming gives you the added advantage of keeping your body temperature low, and that’s why you can exercise much longer without getting exhausted. Once you get acquainted with the waters and the strain, you can even try water exercises like aquatic jogging or aerobics. These are also great ways to expend your energy and burn some fats.
- Yoga:
According to a recent study, yoga is not as rigorous as other forms of exercise, but it continues to help you lose weight in its own way. Despite being an age-old spiritual ritual, it has evolved into a miraculous peaceful exercise that not only helps you lose weight, but also calms down your mind and relaxes you as you start to feel at one with the universe, once you learn to shut off your roaring worries away. Those who practice yoga are less likely to become obese because they start to be more conscious of what they eat, and how purely they lead their life.
- Cycling:
A step up from walking, cycling is another relaxing way to lose weight while placing less strain on the cartilage in your knees. People with pain in their backs, and other arthritic issues should consider using a bike in their daily life. It gives you a way to move the lower body and prevents you from rusting up your joints. If you become tired of peddling, there are also cross trainers and portable peddlers available; they make you move your body with less stress. This is actually a good alternative if you have a low stamina and get tired easily.
Beginners are often asked to start out slowly and aim for consistent 5 minutes and then rest, and repeat. Start to increase the speed or intensity once you get more accustomed.
- Endurance Training:
Losing weight and simultaneously building muscle is something that requires a lot of patience and dedication. This requires strength training like weight lifting, bench press, and other high-endurance activities. Once your body becomes accustomed to the initial weights, add more reps in.
Strength training helps you rectify posture problems that happens often when you are overweight, and also raises your range of movement. Last but not least, strengthening your muscle mass also increases your metabolic rate even when your body is resting, and thus, burning more calories as a result.
Exercise is a very effective tool that helps you get fit and lose excess weights, while enhancing bodily actions, and boosting your self-esteem and confidence. Remember to hydrate regularly, during summers and winters, and limit sun exposure if you can; if you do, apply a bunch of sunscreen. Go out after sunset so you can feel the cool breeze when you exercise.
Benefits of exercising daily when you are obese:
When you’re out of shape, you seldom feel pretty. Social media beauty standards add onto that insecurity and eat away at your self-esteem. But the biggest concern of being overweight, is that now you are always at risk of a bad stroke or high sugar problem.
Doctors say that even a small amount of exercise everyday can result in a healthier lifestyle. Losing just 5 pounds in whatever time duration you can will also reduce the stress on your arteries and regulate normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Exercise increases your “good” cholesterol levels while decreasing the “bad” ones. When you start rigorously working out, you will be too tired to stay up and your sleep schedule will also be fixed slowly. it will only make you more productive for the next day.
So start by exercising daily, even if for half an hour. Find ways to incorporate physical activity into your day is the simplest way to start exercising, for example take the stairs more, park your car away from the store or even just turn some music on and do zumba.
If your doctor approves you to start regular exercising, you’ll soon understand how it’s all worth the effort. Remember to pick a workout that is easily accessible in your surroundings and most importantly, it has to be something that you enjoy. When it is something that interests you or you have often thought about doing it, you will be even more motivated. You can also try working out with a buddy, or people you know, so it makes you feel more relaxed and gives you motivation to get fit together. Personalize your routine from time to time, so you do not feel bored of the monotonous workout regime.
How much should you workout?
Most healthy individuals are recommended to do about two hours of aerobic exercises to achieve optimum benefits of exercising; and maybe some endurance training from time to time, to build up the limb muscles and stability.
As previously said, start out by workouts that are not putting too much strain on your joints; you don’t always have to do it all in one go either. Take breaks and periods of rest in between. Just keep showing up and being consistent. Only go for tougher workouts after you have gotten comfortable enough and want to push forward more now. Hence the title.
Remember to Celebrate the small Moments
You should be proud of your achievements, now matter how small you think they might be. You chose to wake up and get better, lose that weight and take the pain and patience to be a glow-up version of you. That takes a lot of work and mental strength. You should celebrate the first 5 pounds you lose, the next 10, and every one that you worked hard to achieve. Gift yourself a new exercise tool after every successful goal. Go get a spa and maybe have your favorite meal. Just make sure the rewards do not go against your weight loss objectives.