Have you taken up yoga while overweight?

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Replies

  • EricNCSU
    EricNCSU Posts: 699 Member
    Yes, I started yoga when I was at about 290 pounds (140ish kilos). There were some poses I couldn't do at all, and some poses (like plank and down dog) I could only hold for a few seconds. My arms and legs would shake the whole time and I would be dripping with sweat. But I kept at it and now I've noticed huge difference in my flexibility and as I've dropped now down to 250 pounds I can hold the poses longer.

    There are always modifications of the poses such as dropping your knees down in plank, placing one leg down in side plank, staying on your hands and knees, or in childs pose while everyone else is in down dog etc etc. The class is yours, you paid for it, do what is comfortable for you and save the rest for later.

    I now do advanced yoga two nights a week, the stretching helps prevent injuries while I'm running.
  • HogSandwich
    HogSandwich Posts: 146 Member
    I started at 100kgs, and biggest in the class. I will recommend yoga to anyone who will listen. It's calming, stretches what needs to be stretched, strengthens you, builds flexibility, and most yoga classes have a built in wind down-meditation segment at the end and the combined effect of exercise and relaxation is a feeling you just can't beat.

    If you're concerned about the judgement of other people - start off in a small class. You'll start to feel how much yoga practice shuts out everyone else and you'll get more confident.

    Also any yoga instructor worth her/his salt can customise poses to fit you if certain things aren't possible. There is a "power down" option for every single pose, and most have three or four difficulty settings.

    I'm pretty flexible but to my annoyance I could stretch further if certain rolls of fat were not in the way...
  • helyg
    helyg Posts: 675 Member
    I do yoga and am just starting pilates. I weigh 87kg so am far from thin and I see people much bigger than me doing it.
  • yerfgirl
    yerfgirl Posts: 65 Member
    Go for it. I am one of the heaviest people in my classes. Kinda felt a little odd for the first few minutes but once we got going it went away. It's all about you, your body and breathing. Everything else just melts away.

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