Tips for how to excersize when you are super fat? Back pain.

Options
2»

Replies

  • lunaflora
    lunaflora Posts: 8
    Options
    I am 5'2" and when I started going faithfully to the gym I was about 210lbs. My heaviest was 260lbs. I went to the gym but it was more like 30-45 min on a machine and then some weights about 3 days a week, nothing super serious. And I was having babies during that time, so it wasn't my goal to be fit. So I got into group fitness classes at around 210 lbs and just went for it. Started with strength training. I did what I could and now I teach classes myself. I have a small chest though, a pear shape, and never had back issues (even when I was obese I did core exercises daily----I was fit in my teens). I would suggest A KICK BUTT BRA to hold you in and try water. Swimming is great. Easy on your body. Do Pilates. Do what you can, and as you go it will get easier and you'll be able to do more.
  • LoniS
    LoniS Posts: 46 Member
    Options
    try swimming?
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    Options
    Walk, Seriously just walk. Pain is a warning and you could end up hurting yourself if you are not doing things right. You honestly do not need to do any exercise to lose weight.

    Always remember this::: Weightloss happens in the Kitchen, Fitness happens in the Gym.

    start with walking then work up slowly, even if you never do you can still lose weight. God Bless and good luck
  • jessoteric
    jessoteric Posts: 4
    Options
    I am 5'5" and started at 251 in January and am happy to say the weight is slowly dropping off. Honestly, I walk a lot, I started with that last year and have kept it up. Find a friend to go with you, take it as slow as you need to at first. Remember - ANY exercise beyond what you were doing before is a plus! Don't beat yourself up. There's no such thing as "Just" walking. It's exercise and a great place to start.
  • Laststand2011
    Laststand2011 Posts: 42 Member
    Options
    Take a walk! Seriously, I walked off my weight. It's a wonderful exercise when you have a lot to lose. You don't have to jump into difficult workouts to find success, especially in the early days of trying to lose weight.

    This.
  • ithina
    ithina Posts: 23
    Options
    Do what you can do and eventually you'll be able to do more. You mentioned walking with a backpack to offset your chest. That sounds great =). Also if you can get a bike like you had and ride that. It sounded like the bike didn't hurt your back. You might also want to try strengthening your back muscles so they can better support you. Don't forget the rest of your core as well.

    Another thing, if you stretch by touching your toes make sure to keep your back straight. If you bend and curl your back while doing that it can give you lower back pain.

    I don't have back pain usually, but I have knee pain. I just do the exercises that I can and modify the ones I can't so I still get all my leg muscle groups.
  • KateK8LoseW8
    KateK8LoseW8 Posts: 824 Member
    Options
    I'm your height and started at 207. When I first started exercising I exclusively used the recumbent stationary bike, the one with a full seat and a back. I used that to lose about 20 pounds and then started using the elliptical, which is easy on the joints. I didn't start running until I got down to about 170. If you have access to a gym with a recumbent bike, definitely try it.
  • charlenequinn94
    charlenequinn94 Posts: 99
    Options
    Hi, My name is Charlene. In April I started at 247 lbs. I spend better part of 8hrs on my feet every day, and when I would get in the car to come home. My hips would be hurting so bad I would be walking like a old woman. I just started with walking and my fitness pal. I just give myself a half hour a day to do it and take Wednesdays off. I now weigh 194 lbs and doing fitness blender. com for exercise. My hips no longer hurt my knees still do on occasion.
  • crazybookworm
    crazybookworm Posts: 779 Member
    Options
    I was in the same boat as you. 23 years old and 252 lbs. Start of slow, ease yourself into the exercises. After a couple days/weeks of doing them, it will get easier for you.

    Push-ups on your knees to start. Calf Raises, squats, etc are all great ways to build strength but go easy on your body. Do a couple sets of each every other day.

    A walking schedule is great, too! That is how I started my weight loss. Start with a half an hour every day. Then the next week do a half hour, and then another 15 minutes in the evening. Next week, do 45 minutes every day. Then start adding interval bursts. Walk to warm up(5 minutes) brisk walk(2 minutes) Power Walk(2 minutes) and repeat. Ankle and hand weights are great additions as well!

    Good luck!
  • davemanges
    davemanges Posts: 7
    Options
    Just keep moving. Be very careful about going overboard with weights and routines as you start. Once you start seeing results, you'll want to tackle bigger and better things quickly, but without a proper base of core muscles, you can easily hurt yourself.

    I was on track early this year when I overdid it and had to have back surgery. 5 month setback and regained all the weight I lost.

    Walking will be the best, and core exercise such as squats and planks will give you a good base to start some of the bigger routines.
  • abelthephotographer
    abelthephotographer Posts: 127
    Options
    Take a walk! Seriously, I walked off my weight. It's a wonderful exercise when you have a lot to lose. You don't have to jump into difficult workouts to find success, especially in the early days of trying to lose weight.

    This.

    THIS!

    Walk. Walk a bit further. Walk a bit faster.

    I went from a 17-minute mile in January to half that in August (jogging for the first time in my life), and I've lost 30+ lbs. Diet and walking. Diet and walking. Diet and ... walking.
  • pkul85
    pkul85 Posts: 29 Member
    Options
    The best way- just get clothed up, and start. You may do 1 min, or 11, or 1 hr.. but the trick is to start. When i started working out, just stepping foot into the gym is what i called sucess. Then, .. lets do 10 min on the elliptical.. and if i feel bad, i STOP. The trick, i have realized is to always associate things with POSITIVE energry. I didnt want to get off the machine- huffing and puffing and feeling lethargic, sweaty and like crap. Sooo i took my time.. started out with 5 then 10... now about 45. I know i could do more..but for now this is good because now the gym is a happy place.
    I hoep this helps someone else becuase it took a while for me to learn that i DONT have to keep up with everyone else around me- i am the one who needs to return. THese other people have already found their happy medium, i need to find mine. Good luck!!
  • ozigal
    ozigal Posts: 173 Member
    Options
    Take a walk! Seriously, I walked off my weight. It's a wonderful exercise when you have a lot to lose. You don't have to jump into difficult workouts to find success, especially in the early days of trying to lose weight.

    100% Agree with this. I did exactly the same thing. I lost my first 50lbs by walking and watching what I ate. It was that simple. At -50lbs I started to run and at -70lbs I started cycling.
  • oldandhealthier
    oldandhealthier Posts: 449 Member
    Options
    Take a walk! Seriously, I walked off my weight. It's a wonderful exercise when you have a lot to lose. You don't have to jump into difficult workouts to find success, especially in the early days of trying to lose weight.
    excellent advice, walking is the only real exercise I have had. When I started I was about 300 lbs overweight and would get out of breath taking a shower and could walk only couple a couple of hundred feet and now I measure the distance in miles. Just start slow and work up gradually and you will make it.
  • lharri0209
    lharri0209 Posts: 128 Member
    Options
    Take a walk! Seriously, I walked off my weight. It's a wonderful exercise when you have a lot to lose. You don't have to jump into difficult workouts to find success, especially in the early days of trying to lose weight.

    Agreed! Walking is a great way to start exercising. Most importantly, weight loss is primarily diet, so don't stress out if you aren't able to go nuts at the gym right away. Eat right, track your calories, and do what you can in terms of exercise and you will start to notice big changes.

    I agree also. If you are a beginner then, walking is the way to start out. It takes the stress off of your back and will help you build up endurance for those other workouts later on.
  • fatfudgery
    fatfudgery Posts: 449 Member
    Options
    My starting weight was 546lbs. Walking or even standing for longer than 10 minutes would absolutely kill my lower back. Even after I started losing weight, working out was really, really painful for me for a long time. Then somewhere around 420-450lbs my wife convinced me to join a gym. At first I would walk for 10 minutes on the treadmill (I would support some of my weight on the side rails to alleviate my back pain) and ten minutes on the recumbent bike (which didn't stress my back at all.) As the weight came off my back got stronger and now I'm lifting and running something like 20 miles a week.

    Now, I know that most people are completely terrified of going to a gym, but I strongly encourage you to do so. They have equipment that can help you keep your workouts safe and pain-free, as well as varied and interesting. I was way bigger than you when I joined my gym and I can tell you it's not as scary a place as you're making it out to be in your head.

    Good luck!
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    Options
    First of all, congratulations on making this start!

    Persistence is the key!

    Whatever you decide to do, don't worry about getting through a whole workout (if you use home dvds). I was using Jillian Micheal's Fat burning metabolism boosting dvd and couldn't get past the 3rd circuit--my heart was racing so fast that I though that it was pounding through my chest. By the way, this was after I had been going to the gym for 6 months. Don't be so hard on yourself. I would do as much as I could and find that I can do more and more.I can make it through the dvd now. It's a process.

    Walking is a great exercise and very underrated. Make little goals for yourself--so that it isn't monotonous. For example, walk a half mile x 1 week, then increase the distance a little per day, or switch it up and ride a bike.

    They gym can be intimidating the first time you walk in, but it is usually full of friendly, willing-to-help people--most of them interested in improving their fitness and in losing weight. After a while, you will see the same people there and it is amazing and exciting the see the changes. Most of the gyms are affordable--if you decide to go this route, find one close to your home. The hardest part about belonging to a gym is walking through the front door. Trust me.

    I have to wear 2 bras to workout, and I am not that big chested, but was big enough that it hurt to jog on the treadmill, for example. I recommend it--a sports bra over a regular bra.

    Good luck in your journey.

Categories