Body exercises for the obese?

[ancientfaith]

@bkeener3 Unless you're really tall, small or incredibly muscular, BMI is still pretty accurate and a good way to measure if you are at a healthy weight. It's also not obsolete at all.

 

[ann93]

@ancientfaith I’m pretty small, what’s the cutoff for small? Like REALLY small?

 

[ancientfaith]

@ann93 There isn't one, how accurate it is scales with how close you are to the average height of a person.

 

[lauratry]

@ancientfaith It is not a predictor of overall health. It is simply a number to be used in the understanding the statistical risks of co-morbidity and adverse events.

 

[ancientfaith]

@lauratry I said healthy weight, not overall health. There's a reason I did that lol

 

[helencostello91]

@bkeener3 It's not in any way obsolete but as with any lab value it's judged with the a minimum of common sense and clinical presentation. Nobody looks at a body builder with bmi of 35 and a regular dude with a bmi of 35 and confuse the two, it's blatant obvious. BMI is used in research and is a good measurement for 99,9 percent of the population, which is far better than most other types of scores.

 

[bkeener3]

@helencostello91 It's an indicator, but it should be used with a pinch of salt.

None of the nutritionist i've visited have given it a real value, because it's just that, an indicator.

 

[utopiaticdill]

@nickale None of you actually answered the question.. What exercises to do when you are limited to your home?

I am obese as well and cant leave home atm, so i turn to youtube. These are some of the good workout videos for obese/beginner. Overall im sure you will find your favorite workout videos from youtube and then just build a routine that suits for you. I used "body weight workout obese" "body weight workout beginner" "full body workout for obese" "full body workout for beginner" as search words.

I also use app called BodBot that allows you to customize the workout a bit.

 

[nickale]

@utopiaticdill Thanks so much for the links!

 

[oceanpatterns]

@nickale Wanted to give another recommendation for the first channel / video linked in the parent comment!! I'm not overweight, but I have the coordination of a toddler and Body Project workouts so easy to follow.

 

[boatengfrances]

@nickale I'm obese (280 > 245) and I had a professional create a routine that works for me. It's a lot of trial and error.

My favourite exercise? On hands and knees, reach out with one arm and the the opposite leg and switch back and forth for as long as I can. I think it's called arm and leg extensions. (L-arm and R-leg up at same time lift up and stretch out, and then back down. Now R-arm and L-leg). I would sometimes do it on my bed cause it was easier on my knees, but I also bought a thick ass exercise pad that did wonders.

I also found just beginner yoga and focusing on stretches was enough for me. When I found a sport I genuinely enjoy (Table Tennis), I was able to get two hours of cardio in like it was nothing. Pokemon go helped for a little while. It all depends on how obese you are and what you're struggling with. The "great shrinking man" started with literally flopping around like a fish, "Just move."

You could offer to walk someone's dog.

Edit: Side note, those are all things I did previously. I'm not really exercising until I get below 240 and have currently lost 25lbs purely on how I eat, with a very slow approach. I've focused on creating lasting and healthy eating habits to replace my bad habits/compulsive binge eating. I used to eat out all the time and now I meal prep and cook at home. CICO I kept bouncing back from weight I loss from exercising cause I didn't address my bad eating habits. This also included replacing my bad coping mechanisms of food with better and ideally wholesome coping mechanisms, like painting. If I gain weight again it will only be another lesson in my toolbox for next attempt, because I only truly fail if I give up.

 

[dawn16]

@boatengfrances Those are called bird dogs

 

[boatengfrances]

@dawn16 MVP

 

[burningbush2020]

@nickale You could start with some body weight exercises- squats, lunges, press-ups from your knees, planks. Try doing 1 or 2 sets of 5 repetitions of these 4 exercises. See how you feel and how much you ache the next day and increase or decrease the reps.

Try and build towards doing 3 sets of 10 reps and you can also the focus on getting a deeper squat or lunge and increasing the time of your planks.

 

[nickale]

@burningbush2020 Does it matter how long it takes me to get up from a lunge? Cause I can do one but I struggle to get up lol.

 

[hasina]

@nickale Yes, it does. Go shallow, up to the point you can do it smoothly. If it's not much, just do bodyweight squats or assist the movement with one or two hands on the wall or sturdy surface. It's much easier. You can progress to less sturdy surfaces, like a broomstick, then you would eventually progress to no support. But just don't do anything you can't do a few smooth reps.

 

[burningbush2020]

@nickale As tottleben says- a shallower lunge or squat (just lowering yourself a few inches) but with a smooth movement is better and will reduce any strain. You can try repeatedly sitting and standing from a chair using a table to steady you instead if squats are tough right now.

You will ache afterwards but that is just a sign of your body getting stronger, and if you go slow and don’t overstretch yourself then you will see improvements after just a couple of weeks!

 

[rlhawba]

@nickale I experience quite bad bilateral knee pain due to some past injuries and I'd say lunges are the most difficult exercise for me (very small lady) due to pain and needing to "get back up".I'd say avoid lunges until you're more fit or confident you won't injure yourself. With squats, you can do these using either your bed or couch for support so that you don't go too far down and if you're having difficulty getting back up, then you have a seat and won't be falling.

 

[craddy88]

@nickale If you have issues with joints or getting back up- look into a TRX. I know it's not strictly body-weight but they can mount to a doorframe and provide something to help you get with some exercises. I use it for squat-jumps since I have damaged knee.

 

[rebby76]

@nickale Do it as the other posters said. After a while you get stronger and can go deeper as in a squat. Dont rush it. Take it slow and only do what doesnt hurt and dont force anything.
Most important part is continuity. Dont do it for a week then take one of... You get what i mean.
If you are sore its ok to take a day more off.