Exercise at BMI 40

Miasen
Miasen Posts: 31
in Fitness and Exercise
Im a bit of at a loss of what to do now. I recently started my weightloss-journey, and I have a long way to go still. I want to get in the habit of exercising, but im completely out of shape. I want to start with short sessions, and slowly make them longer.

Im scared i'll hurt my knees, or suffer hearth problems if i overdo it.

I will start talking small walks, but i would also like something a bit more challangeing.

Anyone in my situation? How do you get your exercise?

Replies

  • ktied
    ktied Posts: 137 Member
    I have a BMI of something like 41 and I don't let it stop me from doing any type of exercise. Do what you like and is fun. If you do it, and you feel it starting to hurt, in a painful, joint type way, stop and do an alternative. As long as your moving you are going in the right direction!!

    A lot of workout videos are available and always have a low impact option. I have strong joints and I love high impact workouts and they don't bother me. I am currently doing Turbo Fire and I love it and there is a low impact modifier for each move.
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    You can always stop if you feel like it's getting too much.

    Generally you want to do something low-impact. Cycling, walking, swimming, dancing, etc. are all good for getting into the swing of things.

    Resistance training is low-impact. You could do bodyweight things - with good form - and it won't hurt your joints. Yoga/pilates is particularly good.
  • Miasen
    Miasen Posts: 31
    I tried an exercise a few days ago, and I could hear my knees crunching. Oups.

    Swimming seems fairly realistic tough. Ill try that!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Take a look at Leslie Sansone's Walk At Home videos. It's mostly walking with some resistance training.
  • gpizzy
    gpizzy Posts: 171
    I think if you have a gym membership, see if they'll do a 'first free' personal training session and get to know what's going to work with your injury. Generally, lower impact cardio is okay, so walking, biking, swimming. However, it could be too much for you so you'll have to test the waters. Start very slow, maybe 10-15 minutes, any sight of pain just stop. Make sure to keep stretching, lots of water of course.
  • LouSmorals
    LouSmorals Posts: 93 Member
    I suggest trying an elliptical trainer, or water walking. Both are rather gentle on knees. The major thing is to not hurt yourself, injury will kill any fitness ambitions very fast.
  • cici1028
    cici1028 Posts: 799 Member
    I think you can do any type of exercise you want. I would recommend walking as a perfect place to start. There are walk at home videos or you can just get outside and walk... whichever floats your boat. Get used to moving... then get ready to explore! Find something you really like and stick with it.

    Walking can be challenging... and you can control it. Up the incline (try some hills or stairs) and increase your speed so you're sweating and it's uncomfortable for a lengthy conversation. It's just as good for you as running, it just takes longer than running to see results. Other ideas:

    Swimming
    "Just Dance" on the Wii or Xbox/PS
    Lifting weights
    Zumba
    Yoga
    Karate/martial arts
    Stationary bike/Spin class
    30 day shred (work up to this!)

    You control the impact, so if something is too much, modify it. But really, the sky is the limit.
  • Stripeness
    Stripeness Posts: 511 Member
    As others have noted - start gently! And if you do feel pain in your knees, back off - but ALSO know that you can try again when some of the weight has come off! (For example, while many people can run successfully @ 200+ lbs, my knees are absolutely not on board with that. So I'm currently racewalking for another 15 lbs or so.)

    Be patient with yourself, and do what you can.

    A long yet encouraging article you might like:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/training-the-obese-beginner.html
  • rachael726
    rachael726 Posts: 202 Member
    I started out with a BMI over 40 and I inititally used Leslie Sansone walk at home DVD's. I just modified the pace until I was able to get to a point where I didnt want to die or feel like my heart was gonna jump out of my chest. I did that for the first month or so of my lifestyle change and then I joined the gym where I started lifting and doing an insane amount of cardio. Good luck to you on your journey!
  • Leaping_Lemur
    Leaping_Lemur Posts: 121 Member
    If swimming is too much, most pools will have walking lane. Try that. The water will provide support, releasing some of the weight from your joints. And water also provides something like 14 times as much resistance as air, so if you walk for 20 minutes, or even 10, you're getting more exercise than if you walked the same speed for the same time on land. Best of luck!
  • walterm852
    walterm852 Posts: 409 Member
    I think you can do any type of exercise you want. I would recommend walking as a perfect place to start. There are walk at home videos or you can just get outside and walk... whichever floats your boat. Get used to moving... then get ready to explore! Find something you really like and stick with it.

    Walking can be challenging... and you can control it. Up the incline (try some hills or stairs) and increase your speed so you're sweating and it's uncomfortable for a lengthy conversation. It's just as good for you as running, it just takes longer than running to see results. Other ideas:

    Swimming
    "Just Dance" on the Wii or Xbox/PS
    Lifting weights
    Zumba
    Yoga
    Karate/martial arts
    Stationary bike/Spin class
    30 day shred (work up to this!)

    You control the impact, so if something is too much, modify it. But really, the sky is the limit.

    I second this post! Get a mp3 player, and enjoy!
  • SexKittenlovesitrough
    SexKittenlovesitrough Posts: 486
    I tried an exercise a few days ago, and I could hear my knees crunching. Oups.

    Swimming seems fairly realistic tough. Ill try that!

    you could hear them crunching or you could feel pain...

    my partner is in excellent shape...like FANTASTIC shape and he can hear his knees popping all the time...he's had them checked, they are fine. He feels no pain they are just noisy.

    don't overthink this.

    if it hurts, stop...if it makes a noise...it's just a noise.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
    Exercise in a pool is very low impact on the joints and still provides resistance. Some health / fitness clubs have water aerobics classes so that could be worth looking into Cycling is also another form of low impact on the knees. The elliptical machine is also low impact. Any one of those 3 will work for low impact.
  • hmaddpear
    hmaddpear Posts: 610 Member
    Walking is great as a start - I started just shy of a 40 BMI and am down to 33 in six months just through diet and walking. Swimming is also excellent as the water supports the body. If you want something a bit different, aqua-aerobics is also very fun.

    Some body resistance work would help if you just walk - while your leg muscles are getting a great work out, your upper body will be a little neglected. Just be a little careful if you squat - it can be rather tough on the knees.

    I started with a slow 20 minute walk every morning and lunchtime, at around 3mph, and have increased that so I'm walking most days for 4 miles at a good 3.5mph - 4mph (there's a couple of inclines on my regular walk which slow me down considerably!) I get out in the sunshine, put my ipod on and walk that work stress away. It's rather awesome actually!
  • sue_stef
    sue_stef Posts: 194 Member
    I just wanted to second or third using the Leslie Sansone videos they are fantastic
    there are tons of them on YouTube give them a try to find something you like
    the biggest thing is to get moving
    and to find something you enjoy that you will keep doing
    best of luck
  • ITJava
    ITJava Posts: 4 Member
    I know it has already been said but I can't stress enough how good cycling is for larger folk like us. I have a pretty serious leg condition that keeps me out of most cardio but I can handle biking with ease. I broke down and bought myself a recumbent bike and have been pretty good about doing 30-40 min every day and my leg could not be happier.
  • Mlmessick
    Mlmessick Posts: 8
    My BMI was 37. Find a trainer u feel comfortable with. I interviewed 3 before picking one. She has shown me exercises to stabilize my knees and ankles. Using the correct form with light weights will help avoid injuries and ur trainer will help guide u. Just start moving. Good luck.
  • dicoveringwhoIam
    dicoveringwhoIam Posts: 480 Member
    My BMI when I started 2yrs ago was 55%. Now I'm at 38%. With that said, I started out with circuit training with weights. I hate cardio though with kettlebell routines I get cardio in. I just competed in mu first strength challenge this weekend. While my weightloss has been slower than if I did a lot more cardio I'm okay with it. I love being strong and seeing what I can do. So now to keep the burn going from lifting I try t do 30min on the treadmill after lifting. Good luck!
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
    When I started exercising, my BMI was somewhere over 46 (mystery number because I don't know what I weighed at my heaviest - see my ticker for a photo).

    My left knee hurt a lot and would kinda snap sometimes.

    I stuck with working out, just doing what I could, and now I'm the lightest and healthiest I've been in over a decade.

    My knee pain went away after a few weeks of exercise. My BMI is now 30.4 and dropping (slowly - haven't exercised as much in the last year+).
  • shmulyeng
    shmulyeng Posts: 472 Member
    I started 3 months ago with a BMI of over 43. I had the same concerns as you. I started off with fast paced walking. I made myself work to the point that I was sweating. For the first week or two, my shins would burn. But I made sure to keep the stress off my knees and ankles. After 2 weeks of this, I no longer felt the burn in my shins but I still felt that I was getting a good workout. The fact that my weight started dropping was a big motivator. My plan was to keep this up until I lost about 35 pounds and only then start running a bit. Sometime in week 3 or 4, I was walking listening to some fast paced and upbeat music, I felt the urge to run a bit. I started off with 30 second bursts of running while continuing to walk. I did this for a few weeks until I decided to start C25K.
    3 months later (actually, to the day) and I now run between 3.5 and 4.5 miles a day without any walking.

    Just keep in mind that by walking I mean about 4 MPH.

    One more small tip I can share. One of the issues I had when I started was motivating me to go walking. I was able to tackle that my walking home from work. Since I live only 1.2 miles from my office, I plotted a 3 mile route in google maps. The side benefit to that route is that it's a lot more friendly for walking/running (less traffic lights, etc.). Doing this meant I didn't have to head out specifically to exercise.

    I hope this helps you. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
  • Danny_Boy13
    Danny_Boy13 Posts: 2,094 Member
    Just be a little careful if you squat - it can be rather tough on the knees.

    If done correctly squats help to build up knee strength. If done incorrectly then yes it can be detrimental.
  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
    I tried an exercise a few days ago, and I could hear my knees crunching. Oups.

    you could hear them crunching or you could feel pain...

    my partner is in excellent shape...like FANTASTIC shape and he can hear his knees popping all the time...he's had them checked, they are fine. He feels no pain they are just noisy.

    don't overthink this.

    if it hurts, stop...if it makes a noise...it's just a noise.

    The noise comes first, the pain starts later. My knees crunched for about 8 years before the pain started. I would go gently on them.

    Swimming and cycling are lower impact than walking, and both burn more calories per minute. Your BMI alone doesn't meant you CAN'T safely do other things, but if you have concerns, then why not start with those things and some strength training, and go from there :)
  • MadameLAL
    MadameLAL Posts: 108
    Walking, biking, swimming. I especially like walking since it's easy, available and cheap--buy some walking shoes and just go.
  • flatlndr
    flatlndr Posts: 713 Member
    Hi Mia,

    Adding to / agreeing with some of the other posters, here's my 2 cents ...

    I started off with a BMI of 40 as well. I also have a bad knee ... I had key hole surgery last year to fix a torn meniscus, and I have also developed osteoarthritis in that same knee. Since the beginning of the year, I have walked my way down to a BMI of 35.

    Like you, I'm now looking to add a bit of variety. I picked up a turbo trainer for my bicycle, so every other day, instead of one of my walks, I'm going to spin in my garage. I'll start off gently, work my way up slowly, and by the time the weather changes, I hope to be ready to for some extended road riding.

    I'm also looking into starting a gym membership, so that I can get access to an elliptical trainer, as well as start some upper body strengthening work.

    Finally, I have a wobble board at home, on which I do a few squats a day. No added weights, just my own body weight for now. The reason I use the wobble board is to make sure I am doing a balanced effort, so that I don't cheat and let the good knee do all the work.

    I hope this helps. Good luck!
  • lvbor
    lvbor Posts: 50 Member
    I'm just below 45, down from 50. My favourite cardio exercise is jogging on a mini-trampoline. I do it at home, with the radio or tv on, so there's no barrier of getting to the gym or having good outside weather or being in the right frame of mind to be around other people. More importantly, it's fantastic for the joints, so I've been able to see a noticeable improvement in my cardiovascular fitness and leg muscle strength without any knee or ankle pain at all.

    I also do squats, knee push ups and planks. I've been doing them 3 times a week for about a month and have had a noticeable improvement in that time too, with no injury issues. Just last night, when I got to three sets of push ups for the first time, I was having a private chuckle--morbidly obese and doing push-ups, oh yeah! This exercise thing is fun when you get into it :)

    Best of luck to you!
  • DamianaKitten
    DamianaKitten Posts: 479 Member
    I weigh 241 and have recently started exercising again. I stop when my joints start to hurt, usually my right knee goes first. So, if you're experiencing joint pain, stop. Take things slow, figure out where your comfort level is with whatever activities you are doing, and start there. I usually increase my level of activity once a week to give my joints time to adjust, except for my runs, and even then I stop running if my knees start to hurt. A bit of soreness, for me, is different, but find what works for you. Take it slow. :smile:
  • meganuhl1
    meganuhl1 Posts: 26 Member
    I started with a BMI over 52 (at 29 yrs of age) I started with walking around 3mph on a treadmill and now I'm around a BMI of 31 and in week 7 of C25K with speed up to 7 mph. Once in a while I will toss in a workout dvd like butt bible or jillian micheals 30 day shred.
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
    My BMI when I started 2yrs ago was 55%. Now I'm at 38%.

    BMI is an index, not a percentage.

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