The past 9 months have brought many people to a realization: they have gained weight and exercised less and it shows. While nobody enjoys gaining unwanted pounds there are more dangers than simply not fitting into your favorite clothes. Weight gain also has an impact on how you exercise and can increase the risk of injury. Unfortunately many athletic people only discover this once they are injured, and the domino effect can be worse than anticipated.

Not All Exercise Is Good Exercise

The old adage of “any exercise is good” applies in the vast majority of situations. But highly strenuous exercise can become dangerous for people who have gained a lot of weight or who are unfamiliar with exercise at all. We see this often. Every new year a person makes a New Year’s Resolution and begins an aggressive exercise routine without the appropriate introductions into how to exercise safely. This can lead to injuries such as muscle pulls, ligament strains, herniated discs, or worse. Our staff can help you learn how to exercise safely and effectively. Click HERE to schedule an appointment to see how easy it can really be.

What Is The Best Way To Lose Weight?

Weight loss starts in the mind and in the kitchen. American diets have become overloaded with servings twice the size of the recommended amount. If you want to lose weight you first have to come to the realization that smaller portions of better food are healthier than large portions of lousy food. Take a look at the plates in your kitchen. If they are bigger than your face then they are simply too big. Smaller plates will help you pile on less food. Stop buying foods that are high in calories, and make plant-based foods your main course.

Eating Better and Exercising Smarter

If you are completely unfamiliar with exercise then you should first consult with your primary care physician to make sure you are healthy enough for exercise. Many people begin with walking everyday and trying to reach 10,000 steps. If you are cleared for exercise then joining a gym that offers classes will help to get you started with professional instruction. Don’t make the mistake that you can simply “go to the gym” and that it will work wonders. Fitness requires hard work and sacrifice, so it is worth the cost to hire a trainer to help you design an effective program.

What If I Am Obese?

If you are under 6 feet tall and weight more than 225 pounds you may be obese.¹ This can make exercise nearly impossible or outright painful. The best steps you can take at this point are to consult your doctor, change your diet, hire a personal trainer, and walk as much as possible under your doctor’s supervision. To learn more about your BMI click this link to go to a BMI calculator. To make an appointment to learn more about safe exercises that you can do click HERE.

Footnotes:

¹A Body Mass Index of over 30.0 is considered obese by the CDC. However, this requires a judgment: many professional bodybuilders have higher than 30.0 BMI’s but have amazing muscle definition and the appearance of near-zero body fat.