Exercise for the extremely overweight

[Starshollowwannabe]

I’m really overweight. 10 stone overweight. My back and my knees are starting to ache and as well as addressing diet I’d like to start doing some gentle exercise, maybe online classes. I tried Joe Wicks with the kids but it was way too hard for me. Can anyone recommend sonething?

Just walking and swimming when pools re open. Any more than that at the moment and you’ll be putting a lot of pressure on your joints, muscles and ligaments etc. Avoid Joe Wicks like the plague, you will really injure yourself. Calorie deficit and start with gentle walking and build up. Once you have lost some weight then you can increase your exercise.

DDP Yoga. There’s an app, you can have a free month with a code and then it’s about £7 a month.

Depending on your fitness levels you can start lying in bed or sitting in a chair, right through to more intense and more traditional yoga positions. Loads of different length and style of workouts. I’ve been doing it around two years and lost just short of seven stone. I love it and loved doing it at home where no-one could see me!

I really think walking is one of the best ways to lose weight. I lost lots of weight when I was younger by going on long walks. It's easy and free.

I do walking already. Not loads but 30 mins three tines a week.

I’ll look into DDP yoga. Thanks

Walking but try to up how much you're doing if you can. Walking in water is also excellent as is swimming.

If you can build up to walking an hour a day you will feel better in so many ways. Walking is so good for you and builds strength and fitness without you noticing. I say this as someone who was very overweight and now I'm not and I walk loads. It's a lifesaver.

Try to build up your daily steps and do a daily walk if you can. Walking is really underrated as an exercise form, but is excellent for improving fitness.

Tai Chi is good. It starts out feeling as though you aren't doing anything.
Over time, you start putting more in, your stance changes, and you realise you're working really hard. It's excellent for posture as well, strengthening the muscles you use just standing.

Walk more. 30 minutes daily. When you can, swimming.
Don't do anything that could damage your joints. I would recommend a few personal trainer sessions if you can afford it.
Also, you can't outrun a bad diet, and weight loss happens in the kitchen, not the gym. Work our your TDEE and get yourself into a calorie deficit of 500-750 calories per day.

I agree, walking is the best exercise, especially just now. Try and build up it up til you can easily walk an hour a day.

Good luck!

For those saying walking. I can’t walk fast. I get shin splints. Do you think it’s still ok?

I like Pilates for weight loss dvd ( for dummies) You don’t feel obliged to do more than you can, it’s 30 mins and all over. As you progress, you do the exercises better. Good luck, it’s miserable when you feel this way but this dvd really helped me.

Of course! You just need to get your body moving. The most important thing you need to do is reduce your calories (only by 500-750 per day) so that you start losing weight and your
Mobility will improve a lot.

Thanks everyone for being gentle. I’ve never admitted I’m 10 stone overweight before.

Re the shin splints, these might improve as your weight decreases, but also make sure you’re wearing properly supportive shoes. I have flat feet and over pronate so know all about this!

Great that you want to get started. All the best journeys start with a single step!

Yes to good shoes! Buy some decent trainers, make sure you have some headphones for your phone and get out there! A step tracker might be good motivation too.

Could you try beginner pilates? It won't make you out of breath and raise heart rate but oh my word it can be intense on your muscles and it's low impact.

Agree with the walking. I am also very overweight but walking does help. You need to walk everyday and gradually increase the time, you’ll build up your tolerance and realise that you can walk long distances with ease.

I also really recommend the low carb bootcamp threads, I have been following it for a while and it has really increased my energy levels.

@Starshollowwannabe I was 8 stone overweight the beginning of this year. I have lost 5 stone in 5 months just through cutting out ALL rubbish from my diet and being strict with calories and portion sizes (not crash dieting). Now that I have dropped some weight I am going to add some proper exercise into my routine as the pain in my joints just made it completely miserable before.

Good for you for facing up to your weight, you won’t be 10 stone overweight for long! If you can get moving alongside a healthier diet then that’s great, I just wanted to reassure you that you can drop a significant amount of weight through diet alone to start with and add exercise in later when it is less uncomfortable/

Try zumba. You can find out all sorts of classes on YouTube. You just do it at your own speed and intensity. No pressure to do as perfect as they do. It gets you sweaty and a bit out of breath which is good.

Walking until you can also go swimming. You should be walking 30 minutes 3 times a DAY!! Three times a week will do nothing! If you want to lose weight...

Up your walking to several times a day! Start out with perhaps 3 ten minute walks a day and increase the time.

Reduce what you are eating. Think about trying intermittent fasting. Where you only eat meals for example between 12 noon and 6pm. That will naturally help you eat less. And no, it’s not unhealthy to skip a meal. What is unhealthy is snacking and eating all day!

Hello

I’m 20 stone 8 ... I’m trying to follow obesity UK guidance - they suggest to start with, stand more than sit . Stand to do household chores, washing, peeling veg, etc . Shower instead of a bath . If you’re watching a film stand up and stretch every hour or so ... And definitely walking - it’s taken me a good six months to lose enough weight to not be gasping for breath but I can do about 2.5/3 miles now . Takes me about an hour and a half but I get there !

Definitely not Joe Wicks - my knees have only just recovered ...

I’m in a similar position and a similar amount overweight. I started with walking and completed a 15 mile charity walk in September last year, and am now half way through couch to 5k. Just walk for now, 1 foot in front of the other.
For 5 mins, then try 10, then 15 and so on. Bloody well done you for trying - it’s so hard to exercise carrying a lot of excess weight - but it’s so worth it for the pride and sense of achievement xx