Obesity & Exercise: Programs for obese & morbidly obese people.

How to begin a safe and effective exercise program:

One of the biggest misconceptions about obese people is that they are lazy people. Obesity is an epidemic and limits many people substantially, for sure. However, people challenged by all limitations, and illnesses have one thing in common—we all have an opportunity to change public perspective. Whether or not the public thinks a person is lazy because he or she is obese has almost nothing to do with personal perception of ability. Now, let’s think perception—how do you see yourself? Do you feel lazy or do you feel unable? After many years helping people change their personal perception of obesity, ability, and problem solving, we,—you can help others to form a perspective responsible for encouraging, helping, and changing the lives of countless people challenged by obesity.

Once we have a mindset for meeting our challenges, face-to-face, we can move forward to plan to accomplish whatever goals we set. After we establish the difference between laziness and ability, we can move forward and act on goals related to fitness and health. Of course, planning an exercise program can be daunting for people of all ability levels—let alone a morbidly obese or obese person. So, let's get started with a few tips for planning a safe, effective, and fun exercise program for obese people of all ability levels.

Beginning an exercise program

Before beginning a new exercise or diet program it is essential to speak with your doctor. Medical intervention is necessary because your doctor may want to help you stay within certain guidelines to better manage any illness, disorder, or disease. Having appropriate information related to current health limitations can literally save your life. If you are managing an illness, medications, or physical limitations, exercise is extremely important and the benefits of regular exercise within the parameters of your existing limitations far outweigh the risks of exercise in most cases.
Most people, who are not obese, can’t really understand what it is like for a person to be extremely limited in activities of daily living. Daily tasks, taken for granted by most people, are very difficult if not impossible for obese and morbidly obese people. For example, many obese people cannot tie their shoes, get in and out of chairs, seats, and vehicles. In fact, an astonishingly high number of morbidly obese people cannot leave their home. That said—exercise is possible for all people who can move.

Getting started with simple exercises

Define your limitations and work within them – if you can move your extremities, start with simple movement of your arms. From a lying position, a person can press their arms out away from the body in a consecutive number of repetitions forming 'sets.' Each consecutive number of repetitive movements equal one set. From a seated position, a person can pull the hand toward the shoulder or chest performing a 'curl.' The lower body leg muscles can be exercised by extension of the lower leg at the knee, commonly referred to as ‘leg extensions.’ In a seated position, starting with contracted abdominal muscles and erect posture, lift your foot towards the ceiling until your lower leg is extended in front of your body. Remember, it may not be necessary to use weights. The weight of your involved extremities may be sufficient to start. The bullet list below can be a good starting point for arm and leg movement exercises:

• Seated overhead press – works the muscles of the shoulders, triceps, biceps, along with stabilizer muscles in the core, neck, back, and chest.
• Seated lateral arm raise – works the muscles of the core, shoulders, neck, back and chest.
• Seated biceps curl – works the muscles of the core and arms.
• Overhead triceps extension – works the core, shoulders, triceps, chest, and back muscles.
• Leg extension – works the muscles of the core and upper legs.
• Foot flexion and extension – works the muscles of the core and lower leg.

Notice how the 'core muscles' are involved in all of the above mentioned exercises? That is because the muscles of the trunk (front and back of your torso) are responsible for stabilizing your body in every plane of motion while moving the extremities. You should shoot for at least 30 minutes of activity or movement per day. In the beginning, thirty minutes will seem like an eternity—in fact, most people beginning an exercise program will only be able to complete a few minutes. Try performing the exercises listed above for your first workout in sets of 8 – 12 repetitions, or until fatigued before remarkably uncomfortable, one set per exercise.

If you are able, walk as much as you can. If you are mobile you can walk as much as you can comfortably negotiate any discomfort. Obviously, most obese people feel discomfort in their knees, back, and feet. Workout within the limits established by your doctor and personal trainer. Let pain be your guide. Do not exercise if your movement becomes painful. Staying injury free will keep you able to exercise daily. Try stretching all of the muscles you feel during movement by gently lengthening muscles in the opposite direction of their contracted positions. When you stretch your muscles you are exercising agonist muscle groups. When one muscle group is contracting, opposite muscle groups are lengthening. Move your arms, legs, and feet within the comfort of your ability level. Push yourself to accomplish movement every day. Remember, the benefits of losing weight far outweigh the risk of injury when exercising accordingly. If you cannot walk simply execute rhythmic, repetitious, movement and set goals for increasing your ability to exercise, with result, and progressive ability to tolerate more ambitious duration, intensity, and frequency of exercise.

Tips to keep an exercise program safe, effective, and fun

It is a good idea to stay in close communication with your doctor. If you have a personal trainer, he or she will suggest that you have your vital signs checked often—more often if you have been diagnosed as morbidly obese. Ask your doctor to help you track your weight loss, changes in your diet, and changes in your heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Track the consistency of your exercise, and the feelings you have daily when exercising. As you become better able to move, you will be able to take on more ambitious exercises and develop an exercise program that both meets your needs and progressively makes your body stronger—enabling you to burn more calories, lose weight, and become healthier. You will see that when you are proactive, you feel better about your accomplishments and the result will be well worth the effort. Only you can decide to live a healthier lifestyle. We can help draw the map, chart the course, and keep you on the road to a healthier, better fit life—but you must make the decision to care, have hope, and accept help.

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