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Exercising When You are Overweight, how do you ever get started? Especially when you are uncomfortable and you feel that everyone is looking at you. You may already feel emotionally not up to the stairs and the lack of support, so how do you start and lose weight?

Who wants to go to a gym with lots of buff bodies looking at themselves in the mirrors? and you probably do not want to go to some sort of exercise class for the same reason. If you have you probably noticed that all the slim trim people are at the front of the class and the overweight people are at the back. There are still lots of mirrors and you cannot keep up with them anyway! It is very difficult to get started and a lot of people just give up and don’t bother, however this may be the wrong thing to do for your long-term health situation.

Exercising When You Are Overweight – A Turning Point

We all need a turning point that inspires us to lose weight and bear the pain that you know is coming. For some it is family, for others it is that final embarrassment at the office. Whatever it is you must be committed to losing weight and working hard to lose those pounds. It can be terrifying to get started, however if you have a buddy it can be a lot easier. The buddy should be someone similar to you with similar goals. Combine exercise with diet and the pounds will shed quickly with a regular intense exercise program and a controlled diet.

Small Steps Pay Off

If you cannot bear going to some sort of organized class, start by walking around the block. Each day as you get stronger, begin walking faster and further to build up your strength and stamina. Once you have lost a few pounds and have more stamina, then you can consider joining some sort of organized activity.

With a buddy and working out 3 to 4 times a week, you can lose weight and become more fit. Commit to a  year, working out three to five days a week and by then you will have lost weight and will have formed a habit of working out several times a week.

Danger: Emotional Hurdles Ahead

When it came to exercise, many obese women were more likely to say they were self-conscious, afraid of injury, daunted by the effort, and to report minor aches and pains. And they were less likely to be exercising a year later. While this is pretty common, you just have to push through all of this pain and discomfort and try to maintain that weight loss schedule.

Get Support

We have mentioned having a buddy to help support you. The closer you are in weight and commitment, the more likely a buddy system will work. If you do not have a buddy that can work with you and motivate you, meet some other people at the gym who are looking for support or work with a trainer to help motivate you while you are losing weight.

Most people can get to the gym on most days, but there is always a day or two in the week that you may just not feel up to it. This is where a buddy can really help and motivate you to do that workout.

You should always see your doctor as well to make sure the kind of exercise you are planning is suitable for someone of your age and weight.

Easy Does It

If you are prone to any of the following such as  high blood pressure, diabetes, or be prone to shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, and overheating, build up slowly by pushing yourself a bit further every day. Being too aggressive can cause some of these problems above to become worse.

Even on the biggest loser, these people who are very overweight, are monitored very closely by doctors and there are medical staff around to deal with any emergencies. You will not have the same kind of support so it is important to go a bit more slowly and build up your strength gradually.

Dos and Don’ts

• Get fitted with good shoes. For instance, running store staff can analyze your gait and make recommendations.
• Wear comfortable clothing. Chafing is common in the leg and groin area.
• Include strength training eventually. But to lose weight, focus on aerobic training in the beginning.
• Consider a monitoring system to track weight, what you eat, and exercise. Many smart phones have applications or you can use online systems. Pedometers are helpful to get you moving.

But:

• Don’t do high-impact exercise in the beginning. It’s fine to build up to, but jumping in with both feet landing on a hard surface is usually going to hurt something.
• Don’t compare yourself to others in your class or gym or let feelings of self-consciousness overwhelm you.
• Don’t be impatient. Don’t look for radical change in a short time or get fixated on big weight loss results like on The Biggest Loser.  As we mentioned earlier these people are very closely monitored and they are totally dedicated to losing weight. They do not have a job or family to worry about while on the biggest loser

The key, is to get moving, move more over time and eat less!

It will be definitely worth it in the end when you shed all those pounds and feel so much better about yourself! Feel free to leave us your comments and suggestions!

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