Aibu to not know how to exercise as a fat person

[Blueonwhite]

Really really fat (140kg) and need to lose weight.

I want to exercise as part of my journey (I know and understand that food is the most important part) but it’s so physically hard! Went to beginners yoga and couldn’t do hardly any moves. My stomach was in the way of simple moves and I just can’t hold my own weight on my hands right now. The teacher sort of gave up on me after two sessions.

Tried a beginners fitness/stability class and couldn’t lie on my back and lift my legs to the ceiling. Again too much fat on my stomach to do the moves. The teacher said not to sit on the stability ball so I guess they’re not for people of my weight. Had to sit out that part.

Tried spinning and lasted 5 mins if that. The seat really hurt (I presume because I’m so heavy) and I just don’t have any stamina.

Going walking is fine but isn’t going to help burn calories/get the heart pumping/help with mental health.

Aibu to think I’ll need to lose a lot of weight before I can exercise properly?

I would focus on food intake and walking, OP. You'd be surprised how quickly weight will drop at your size. Slimming World really helped me, and a fitbit aiming for 10,000 steps per day 😁

Could you afford a personal trainer? They are brilliant and they’ll tailor the experience for you. And not make you feel bad about yourself.

Walking will definitely help as a starting point. Walk briskly, maybe get a Fitbit type thing to track your steps and make sure you’re raising your heart rate?

Keep up the walking - it's a good place to begin. Can you add to it? Going for a bit longer each time, then adding hills, adding sections where you march as fast as you can?

I think you could try C25K as well

Otherwise you need to look for classes which are much gentler - try your local council's parks and recreation department as they will be able to signpost you to something like the Get Out Get Active programme, or other classes they run for beginners and those with barriers to participation.

Try home based exercises, you can do the couch to fitness programme through the 'our parks' website, it's free and like c25K it builds from easier to harder. They have modifications for every exercise if you can't manage the full version and you can repeat weeks if you're not ready to move up to the more difficult version.

Any movement will help, be it an exercise class, video or a 30 min walk. You need to build up your fitness and stamina at your pace.

I certainly wouldn't start with yoga or anything complicated, you just need to walk. That's how I lost 9 stone. I went out after dark so nobody would see me struggling and walked for 20 minutes and built it up everyday. Now I can do hills, 25 mile walks and so on.
Its cheap and you can do it when you want. You don't need to join a gym or a class or spend a fortune on a trainer you just need to move and commit to it everyday.
Even if you're not losing weight as fast as you want you will feel 100 times better and more motivated if you are walking everyday.

Do what you can, and fully expect miracle results instantly. Swimming is good. I fully know whether there's any Aqua Fit classes running at the moment but they're very good because you're supported by the water to some extent.

Wild disco dancing is a good start.

I think you would be surprised at how effective brisk walking would be, especially (sorry if this sounds rude) at your weight, you're burning a lot of calories carrying yourself around. You could also do low impact home workouts, low impact will protect your joints. Lots of free ones on YouTube or I like the FitOn app. But yes, losing weight helps. I lost 10kg this year (could do with losing another 10/15) and I can do a lot more than I could.

How do you feel about swimming?

I came across yoga led by a larger lady, specifically for people who are overweight on YouTube that might be worth a look?

Walking is really effective though, even if it doesn't feel it, and has lots of benefits. I would carry on with that until you shifted some weight and felt able to try other exercises again.

Also it sounds like the class leaders you've encountered are shit.

Good luck!

*don't expect miracle results instantly

That was a rather big auto-correct fail!!

Walking will be a great start for exercise but to lose weight watching what you eat will be most important.

Walking will help if you do it quickly enough, but you have to plan it as an exercise walk instead of just a walk walk and make sure you up your pace. It can get you out of breath and have all the mental heath benefits if other exercise if it gets your heart pumping. A Fitbit is a good idea if you use it.

There are loads of free exercise videos on YouTube, have a look for some designed for people who are overweight.

Walking when quite overweight is very good . A brisk walk will get the heart rate going . Obviously if your overweight and unfit it would be silly to suggest going for a 5 mile run so brisk walks and walk everywhere and I mean everywhere. The amount of people who drive 5 minutes down the road for milk is insane walk there and back .
Obviously watch the food intake but it really is small steps at first .
After a while you could start a small jog and other exercise classes as you will feel a bit more fitter and confident. There are plenty online at the minute so give those a go .
Yoga is bloody hard unless you really bendy I can't do it and for me it doesn't do anything.

Hiya! Just wanted to say even the fact you are trying things is amazing! You are already doing a great job! You should be proud of yourself.

I'm no expert, so don't really have any useful advice unfortunately. How about swimming? Or maybe one on one personal training?

You could try exercises with bands. Stretching them against the resistance of them around different parts of your body. Like tying them to a bar for some arm workouts. Around the upper part of your knee , and then spread your legs and take little steps sideways, trying to keep your legs about a meter apart at all times. Another one with the band around your knees is on lay on your side, and try to separate your knees while keeping your feet together.

Maybe you could try some weight lifting with some kettlebells and dumbbells. Simple exercises that get your arms strong, and the sweat pumping.

Doing little circuits of these exercises keeps the workout interesting.

Wishing you all the best! It will get easier the more you do it!

Walking and c25k is where I'd start. Maybe some hill walks while you build up stamina and you see the results from your healthy diet. Would you enjoy swimming and maybe some dance based classes?

Honesty, joe wicks beginners on YouTube. It’s short, it’s free. Of course you won’t be able to do all of it, but you’ll be getting stronger. And walking - build up the time, then the pace. Most important thing is not to injure yourself in the process

Our local gym did 121. Don't know if places are still offering this?
A colleague did this. Literally had someone next to them for every session. It made a huge difference.

A friend of mine runs an exercise studio designed for people who don't like gyms and don't feel like 'normal' exercise is for them. Lots of people of all shapes and sizes there, no mirrors while you exercise, and they only do 25-minute sessions so you're in and out really quick. They've got machines that automatically adjust according to your fitness and strength.

It's called HitZone and I think it's a franchise so there might be one near you?

On YouTube there are yoga classes designed for bigger bodies.

Honestly I’d focus on diet and walking. I was diagnosed T2 at the start of the year it was the kick up the arse I needed, I now eat low carb (100g per day) and walk for at least 30mins to an hour a day I’ve lost over 6st. I’ve done no fitness classes or gym work out because all this happened during lock down.
Walking is incredibly beneficial for mental health and I credit my daily walk as a reason I stayed said during lock down.

Don’t underestimate how beneficial walking can be for health, weight and spirit!

Years ago I used to be all about the gym and running and never really lost or sustained weight loss but since I got my dog I walk for about an hour and a half to two hours a day and it Is the only since then I have lost weight and kept it off now for 3 years.

I don’t do any other form of exercise any more (mostly because of time) but the walking has been great for me. You just need to make it part of your daily routine and get some decent wet weather clothes so you can be out rain or shine.

I had a Pilates instructor once who did classes tailored for people who were seriously overweight, because of the sorts of issues you mentioned. Try to find someone who does this - I'd hope that there would be some doing it online now so that it wouldn't matter whether they were local or not. Though otoh a one-to-one to assess what you can and can't do would probably be useful.

Walking will help if you build up speed and distance, and also if at all possible incorporate hills. And IME it can be one of the best things for mental health.

If you have access to a gym, maybe try a recumbent bike, rower etc to see if any of those machines suit you better than an upright bike at the moment. A mix of a few different ones might be better than all one thing perhaps?

Also when you have lost a bit of weight and built up some stamina walking try karate.
It is an excellent work out and a brilliant way to lose weight.
When I was younger I'd put on 5 stone after having a baby and decided I really need to sort this out. I joined my local Wu Shu Kwan class, lost loads of weight and was incredibly fit and happy. It was really hard at first but it does get easier.
The 2nd lot of weight was menopause related. I'd love to do karate again but I have spinal problems so can't.

I was going to say Joe wicks. Watch a few and make your own routine of mostly squats and lunges.

Also if you walk as fast as you can, do you get warm? If so, that’s definitely doing something for your fitness.