14 Jun Dealing with physical issues of having a lot of weight to lose

Someone with a large amount of weight to lose will likely have to deal with a good number of physical issues. The emotional part can be just as tough deal with.
People whose weight categorizes them as obese likely do not have very good cardiovascular stamina.
That’s the bad news, but the good news is the human body is very forgiving and with hard work and consistency you can drastically improve your physique and overall health
Here are five tips to overcome the physical problems and challenges that can result from trying to lose a large amount of weight:
* Start slowly – Start out by walking, even if it’s just a few short steps around your neighborhood or on your treadmill.
Chances are you’ll be huffing and puffing, but keep at it. As the days and weeks go by, gradually increase the amount of time that you walk for.
People may have health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or experience3 shortness of breath. It’s important to get to the point where you can exercise 30 minutes comfortably three or four times a week before advancing to more involved workouts.
* Take breaks – If you have to stop every five or 10 minutes, then do so. Take a break and catch your breath, then exercise again to reach your 30 minutes of fitness for the day.
* Do low-impact exercises – You will likely be advised to start out with low-impact activities, such as chair or water aerobics or recumbent exercises – done lying back or down, such as on a recumbent bike or recumbent stepper.
The recumbent position supports the back and puts much less strain on the knees and hip joints.”
* Listen to your body – If you start having pain, then back off or do a different exercise. If it persists, consult a doctor.
* Set short and long-term goals – At first, you may just want to walk one time around your block or the local track.
As you go along, re-establish goals.
A great long-term goal is this: Go from couch to 5K.
Once you’ve been exercising for six months or more, set a goal to complete a 5K (3.1 miles) walk, run or combination walk and run.
It always helps to have a goal and this is often the first major one for people who are trying to get more fit.
If you can get back to the point of walking a mile or more, then try to run a little bit.
Even if you just run for 60 seconds the first time on the treadmill or outside, keep at it. After several months you should be able to increase your time and distance.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com