How To Start Exercising When You’re Overweight?

Exercising regularly can be an effective way to lose weight and keep your weight under control. But starting a new workout routine when you’re overweight can be hard, especially if you haven’t been active for a while. Focusing on the benefits of exercise can help motivate you to get started and keep going. Of course, always talk with your doctor before you start any exercise program.

Benefits Of Regular Exercise

When you’re out of shape, it’s hard to feel good about yourself. Worse, being overweight puts you at greater risk of developing health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. According to the American Heart Association, even a little weight loss can produce many health gains. In fact, if you’re overweight, losing just five to 10 pounds may help lower your blood pressure and reduce the strain on your heart.

Exercise can also improve your cholesterol. Physical activity raises your HDL cholesterol (or “good” cholesterol), while lowering your LDL cholesterol (or “bad” cholesterol). Plus, you’re more likely to get a good night’s sleep, which can improve your concentration and productivity.

Best of all, regular exercise makes you feel better. And that boosts your self-confidence.

So, How Much Exercise Do You Need?

FITrebel recommends that most healthy adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week, along with strength training at least two days a week and flexibility and stretching exercises. If you’re overweight, focus on activities that put minimal stress on your joints, like walking, swimming, or water exercises.

If the idea of 150 minutes of exercise every week sounds daunting, break your workout routine into smaller chunks. Your goal should be to get 30 minutes of exercise a day, five days a week. But you don’t have to get all 30 minutes of exercise at the same time. You can work out for 10 minutes at a time and still realize the benefits.

When you’re working out, stop if you ever experience chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, pain in the neck or jaw, or muscle or joint pain.

How Much Exercise Do You Need?

How To Start Exercising When You’re Overweight?

Start By Making Exercise A Regular Part Of Your Daily Routine

Starting an exercise program doesn’t mean you have to join a gym or begin training for a half-marathon. First, check with your doctor to make sure you’re healthy enough to begin an exercise program. The easiest way to start exercising is to find ways to fit physical activity into your day:

Skip the elevator and take the stairs.
Park far away from the entrance at the grocery store.
Sit on an exercise ball at work to strengthen your core and back muscles.
Go for a walk at lunch or after work.
Use hand weights or resistance bands while you watch TV.
Turn on some music and dance.

How To Sneak Exercise Into Your Life!

Next, Increase Your Activity To Lose Weight

If your doctor recommends that you lose weight, it’s time to get moving. It won’t be long before you find that the benefits of regular exercise are well worth the effort. To get started exercising, follow a few simple tips:

Start slowly. If you haven’t been active for a while, ease into your new exercise program and give your body time to adjust to the activity.
Do something you enjoy. Take in the scenery as you walk or bike through a neighborhood park. Listen to podcasts while you use an elliptical machine.
Exercise with a friend. Connecting with others can keep you motivated to exercise more.
Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after you exercise.
Change your workout routine from time to time. A variety of physical activities helps you stay motivated and prevents boredom.
Wear a fitness tracker. Health apps and fitness trackers can help you set goals. Keeping track of your progress can be motivating. We recommend WalkU. Download it here.

A Word From Our Mentor At FITrebel

Dr Bhanu Abohari How To Start Exercising When You’re Overweight?

Exercise can truly seem daunting, especially if you’re a true beginner. Seeing fit people lift heavy weights and run marathons may discourage or intimidate you, but Dr. Bhanu Abohari of FITrebel wants you to know that exercise is attainable for everyone. If you’re overweight or obese and have been living a sedentary lifestyle, weight loss is critical to your health, and all sensible weight loss programs include regular exercise.

If that sounds intimidating, we understand. Everyone starts somewhere — and you can safely start with these five steps. Before you know it, you might be a marathoner yourself.

1. Start simple

Want to know the simplest type of exercise you can do? Walk. That’s it. Walking is highly underrated as a form of exercise — it’s accessible, it’s totally free, and it’s arguably the most functional human movement pattern of all.

You can also perform simple seated exercises if walking feels like too much at first. For example, while sitting in a sturdy chair, practice marching your knees. This will help strengthen your quad muscles and hips and prepare you for walking.

2. Start small

Set tiny — truly tiny — goals for yourself if you haven’t exercised before. Here are some examples of small fitness goals you can set:

I will walk for five minutes two times this week.
I will practice knee marches for 10 minutes this week.
I will park far away at the grocery store so I have to take more steps.

Starting small is critical to long-term success: If you try to do too much, too soon, you might end up resenting exercise and discontinuing your plan.

3. Take professional help

If you’re a true beginner to exercise, it’s definitely worth investing in a professional fitness trainer or even a physical therapist who can show you how to move safely and correctly. The last thing you want to do is put yourself back on the figurative bench for weeks due to an injury you sustained while exercising.

Take a look at our Weight-loss plans here.

4. Choose something you love

Finding a type of physical activity that you genuinely enjoy will set you up for long-term success. No one is likely to stick to exercise they despise. Plus, when you choose an activity you love, you’re more likely to pay attention to your form and technique.

5. Gradually increase your efforts

As you get stronger and build more endurance, you can start to increase the duration and intensity of your exercise. Just remember not to do too much at once. Most fitness professionals will recommend that you only manipulate one factor at a time. For example, if you’ve been walking one mile in 20 minutes, you can choose to either increase your distance or your duration — not both. Gradual increases in effort can help prevent injury and exercise burnout.

Finally, Recognise Your Success

Making fitness a regular part of your life is easier when you have an incentive to keep moving. Find ways to celebrate your weight-loss milestones. Buy new workout gear after you achieve a goal. Or, indulge in a massage after you lose five pounds. Just make sure your rewards don’t contradict your goals.

"Remember that the type of exercise you choose is less important than the fact that you are doing it. Don't be afraid to try and find an activity that you enjoy. And give yourself credit for sticking to your plan! Keep a journal to track your progress, and check in with your physician if you are having difficulty maintaining the activity or if other symptoms arise." says Dr Bhanu Abohari