Exercising when obese

I'm not obese now, but I was when I started being active, and at that point I was also very, very physically depleted: Very sedentary job and lifestyle, had just completed nearly a year of treatment for advanced-stage cancer (surgery, chemo, radiation, etc.).

I gradually got more active, and within a few years was reasonably fit, training 6 days most weeks - even competing athletically, something I'd not done earlier in life, even getting some age-group place medals in local/regional races. But I stayed obese, just over the line into class 1, for nearly 15 years, despite a pretty robust fitness routine.

At first, I started with very gentle exercise, a form of yoga that was dynamic (but not power yoga), classes a couple of times a week. Shortly after, I started practicing at home for a few minutes daily, gradually increasing that to around half an hour most days. I moved on to some other group classes, trying various things. A weight training class for women (classic rep/set type workouts, not dance-y high-rep stuff) was something I stuck with for a couple of years or so. I figured out that I could still ride a bike, got a new bike, and started doing that sometimes. (At first, 5 miles seemed like a huge challenge, and it was all pretty flat, and paved.)

It was about that time that I discovered rowing, via a new rowing team being formed locally for breast cancer survivors. It was challenging, but doable. (I have terrible knees from decades of overweight/obesity, so I avoid things that are high impact, involve twisting/torque on my knees - rowing and biking work well.) In the off season, at first, I did some low-impact aerobics workouts, plus team practices a couple of times a week.

Within a year, I was rowing routinely, gradually increasing intensity, duration. I joined the local rowing club, rowed on water 2-4 days a week, took adult learn to swim lessons (rowers need to swim for safety). I bought a rowing machine so I could do that at home in Winter. I started taking spin classes at the Y, and tried various other things, like kettlebell classes, and other group fitness things.

By a couple of years later, I rowed in races (on water and machine), went to rowing camps on vacation (I was really scared the first time I went to a one-week camp, worried I wouldn't cut it. It was challenging, but OK. We rowed several hours daily, did a lot of walking, some other activities. I got tired, but kept up.)

About 6.5 years ago, I finally lost weight from obese to healthy weight, and continued what had been my routine for a few years: Rowing on water 4 days a week in season, rowing machine several days a week in Winter (but lower volume then when on water), 2 days of spin classes all year long, some off season strength training and occasional swimming, some yoga/stretching and core workouts. With the pandemic, I dropped the spin classes, did more outdoor bike riding in season, got a stationary bike at home, kept mixing in the other stuff as I felt like it. (Now, a 15-20 mile bike ride is easy, routine.) That's where I am now, at age 66.

My advice would be to consider whether you have any personal limitations (like the bad knees are for me), then simply try things (classes, videos, low investment individual activities) that respect those limitations, until you find something that you truly enjoy.

Give each thing you try enough time to get past the newbie blues: The things that are easy and feel achievable right away tend to get boring fast, in my opinion; whereas things that seem almost impossible at first - but don't threaten/cause injury - can hold my interest for a long time. In group situations, it can seem like everyone else there is good at X, and I'm not. But I've learned that they were all new at X at some point, too, and the ones who aren't jerks remember that and will be supportive (and who cares what the few jerks think, y'know? 😉).

As you dig into some thing(s) you enjoy, those will probably lead you into other complementary activities, in the way that rowing led me to improve my swimming, for example. As you get fitter, additional things will become doable, be more fun. It's a slippery slope in a positive direction!

As an overall philosophy, I suggest starting with something that's enjoyable (at least tolerable!), on a schedule and at an intensity that's just a manageable bit of a challenge. Then, as fitness improves, gradually increase duration, intensity, or frequency to keep that bit of challenge in the picture.


Eventually, you may need to change some activities, if you want to do things that keep contributing to progress: I stopped doing the low-impact aerobics videos after a few years, because they just didn't get my heart rate up high enough anymore to be useful (even though I was still obese then); and they were fun, but not so fun that I felt motivated to do them with minimal fitness benefits..

It's challenge that creates fitness progress. Patient challenge avoids injury (avoids the need to but take time off to heal, detraining while healing). heh en

Not going to exhausting extremes - just that manageable challenge - is a good complement to weight loss, IMO: You want to feel energized after workouts, not exhausted for the rest of your day, other than maybe just a few minutes of a "whew" feeling right after the workout. Overdoing causes fatigue, bleeds calories out of daily life activity (rest more, do less) - that would be counterproductive.

Just start where you are, increase challenge gradually, find the fun: You'll surprise yourself with how far that takes you, with time.

Best wishes!

I started walking. It's so hard when you're big. Chafing, chub rub whatever you call it is horrible, and can hurt. However, I promise it does get better. I started off just short, flat walks. Then I found a great yoga book which gave adaptations for beginners. So I incorporated that most days after my walk. Soon my walks were getting longer and longer and I began incorporating some hills.

After about 8 months of walking, I joined a gym with an endless pool (private) where no-one could see you swimming so I swam as well.
I began using the different stationary bikes, and soon could work up a decent sweat on those.
Then I started "pump" which I disliked at first but now really enjoy once a week.

Two years later, 60kg down, I'm jogging, walking, strength training, tramping (hiking) and biking. For me, variety is the key.

Find one thing you like, stick with it and when you're comfortable and confident, branch out and try different things.

The most helpful thing I have done is go to a physical therapist for an evaluation. They know a ton about body mechanics and where you have strength imbalances and they're used to working with people who have no-to-low conditioning. My PT gave me some really good core and body awareness exercises that have made a huge difference in how I move day-to-day and have helped me move on to more challenging types of workouts.