Yoga advice? Too fat/stiff?

[LizzietheBiz]

Hi, feel I'm too unfit to venture onto this board, but here goes! Have become very fat and unfit over the last few years (v difficult time), but am determined to take control now that things are better. Am obese, and have lost a lot of flexibility (am almost 50). Just started a very basic 10 min morning stretch following Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube. Couldn't do it!!! Eek! What's the best approach: keep doing my 'version' of what she's doing til I improve? Or seek out a more niche 'yoga for stiff fatties' channel, if one exists. Feeling a little deflated...

Keep going! You will improve. Just listen to your body and don’t try to force anything.

Good luck.

@LizzietheBiz well done for making a start-that's the hardest part well that and carrying on

Yes-Absolutely keep doing your version-you will find tiny gains at first-another inch in the stretching etc but it will happen. Keep the faith and good luck!!

Thanks pinkarsedfly and mumsie! How lovely to have such a swift response. And thank you for the lovely encouragement. Okay I will keep at it, and hopefully make small gains. I can't quite believe how stiff I am!

Well done for starting. Doesn’t Adrienne say show up on the mat is the hardest part?

Just keep going - it takes time but it does work. See how you feel after say 2 weeks. Also I find I’m more flexible in the evening than morning.

Another one for ‘just do your version’ and trust your body.

One of the key texts in yoga talks about ahimsa which means non-violence or in a more western sense ‘kindness’. This applies to how you speak to and treat yourself as much as anything else. So don’t give yourself a hard time because you don’t think you’re doing it right or enough, listen to your body and do what feels right for you.

Enjoy the process!

Thanks hockneypool! That's interesting, I may have to compare and contrast morning vs evening flexibility. I hadn't thought of that!

Thanks walkofshame, that's such a good at to think about it, I really appreciate the pep talk!

No useful advice but just to say I’m in the same boat. Was going to start 10-15 minutes yoga today but I am somewhat dispirited how stuff I am. Let me know if you want some mutual support

OP keep doing it. I am fat and was very stiff when I started yoga. I can now easily do soem bends that I couldn't do at all for a whole year. Just do it. Daily if possible. It makes such a difference. Adrienne is great.

Im obese (very) and want to start yoga again. I found before that some of Adriennes just werent possible. I focussed on when she just did one move in detail instead rather than a flow, as I couldnt "flow."

I dont remember the link, but I also did google around the poses for large people because physically my stomach was in the way - I found a lovely non-judging explanation of how to adapt that pose or how to move in and out and gently "scoop " yourself in and out. I cant reemeber what but it did make a difference. I think Id tried adeiennes 30 days in january and realised it was beyond me. I do like her though!

I would so love to do yoga with adaptions for my size. (Or ajy exercise actually.) Its si hard, I want to start moving my body more but whereas when I was younger Id just join a class, I physcially couldn't do it now .

Good luck. I want to try again with yoga.

If you want inspiration for doing yoga when you are medically obese, look at . She is magnificent - bendy and strong and confident.

@NumberblockNo1

There are lots of people who are delivering accessible yoga now. I don’t teach many classes as I also work full time but one of my goals is to offer classes for people who think they can’t do yoga because they’re the wrong size / shape / level of flexibility / have illnesses or disabilities. I know I’m not the only one, maybe check it out again?

I have the same issue OP and I swear by yoga blocks (I have 4!) and other modifications e.g. pillows and straps. Props 'bring the ground up' to you so you can do all the same poses etc just with more support and comfort. It's transformed my practice.

I also like Yin Yoga with its focus on holding poses. I often find I need a block or a prop to start off with but as the body relaxes into the pose and finds the earth I can remove it. Yoga with Kassandra is a good YouTube yin yogi.

Have a play and enjoy! I got my blocks from Sports Direct from under a fiber, use the pillows and throws off the sofa and my strap was inexpensive off ebay!

Thanks all! And to millie for the link to Jessamyn Stanley! Yes it's hard facing up to the fact that it's going to be a long hawl back to anything resembling fitness. I totally am getting the ' belly in the way' obstacles to certain poses. But will try to keep at the Adriene vids doing it my way. And will investigate Jessamyn!

I really really needed this encouragement today! Thank you 😘

Jessamyn Stanley shows lots of modified poses that take account of bellies.

Ill look up the modified poses and then have a go at some of Adriennes with that in kind I think!

Thankyou 🥰

No-one can do yoga until they do yoga. The best way to do yoga is to do yoga.

I know that's annoyingly trite but it's true.

The gurus call it "Come to the mat" and I read somewhere that just actually getting to the mat and standing there is the best thing about yoga. (Once you're there, you may as well do some yoga).

I'm very flexible, but there are some yoga things I find very difficult or cannot do - balancing on one leg is one of them!

Body size isn't my issue, but my whole body is hopelessly inflexible. That's just the way I was made.

I adapt to my level and use props to support myself. I love the feel of yoga and I am good at it in the sense of bodily awareness, even if there's not a lot I can do that looks "right" and there are a lot of people that are flexible, but aren't actually well alligned.

Find a way that works for you and enjoy it!

I am the same OP. I used to do yoga in my 20s and loved it but I couldn’t even do the sitting cross legged with Adrienne ( am 56 and my knees won’t bend far).

Yoga is for everybody, and every body. Being thinner doesn’t necessarily mean you can do it all... I am relatively slim but I have all sorts of stiff bits and not great core strength than make me struggle a bit sometimes. But as you practice more and more you learn to listen to what your body is telling you and you learn to modify your practice to suit your own body on that particular day.

It’s a wonderful thing to do op, enjoy your practice 😊

Loads of people can't sit cross legged, for hip and knee reasons. Don't let it put you off, adapt as much as you need to. That's the beauty of home practice, no one's looking!

Hi OP. You can do it! Don’t give up

I’m in my 50’s, a large size 16 and had stopped exercise for a number of years (lots of reasons, including terrible knee injury requiring surgery and then broken foot and ankle that required surgery too).

I started with Yin yoga once a week, started first week of October. Today I did Hatha Yoga - and I did the positions!

I did go to yoga classes so the instructors could ensure I was doing things correctly.