by David Aaron White

Created on: September 01, 2008   Last Updated: October 26, 2008

There is no reason for obese people to think that they are any less entitled to a full exercise routine than anyone else. When the word "safe" is used in conjunction with exercise ideas, this is not an insult (I am not referring to safe ideas as being the "training wheels" of exercise.). However, we must all face the harsh but perfectly reasonable and rational truth that obese people have a bit of a disadvantage when starting to exercise. After all, an obese person probably hasn't exercised as much as someone who is more physically fit to begin with, plus an obese person's body is not as acclimated to the intensity of a workout as a more physically fit one's.

Don't worry if you are in fact obese, you can still work out and lose weight if you need to "take it easy." Yes, as much as I regret to say it, an obese person simply puts him or herself at risk if he or she starts an intense workout comparable to an Olympic or high school athlete's. Sadly, someone who is obese should not start out by running three miles a day, it is too much of a strain on the cardiovascular system. The key lesson here is to stray away from testing your limits if you are in fact obese, as going over your limit is dangerous for anyone, but the risk is much greater for those suffering from obesity. Here's a simple couple of things to consider trying:

Start out by making yourself sweat, but not working out until you can barely breathe. For example, if doing a set of thirty sit-ups is enough to start breaking a sweat, don't do any more than thirty reps at a time. If you repeat it and make your abdominal workout three sets of thirty repetitions, that's fine, as it will start making you sweat and provide you with a foundation for improving your workout and physical structure. If you get to the point where you find it difficult to breathe, your workout is over and cut short. Killing yourself to get in shape isn't a good idea for anyone.

If you are able to, keep yourself from backing down if you feel pain. Everyone who works out will feel muscular pain, or burning if you will, so it is not a reason to stop your workout if you feel hurt. Yes, you shouldn't push past your limits for the first three weeks, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't push yourself. It's important that you make yourself tired and sweaty at the end of each workout, but you need to be able to stand afterwards. At this early point in your training, you want to be doing just enough to get yourself started, not ripping your body apart and needing a week of recovery after a day's workout.

The key is to stay within your limits and be patient. You will be able to do harder and longer workouts soon enough if you keep at it for a few weeks, and to not rush anything and hurt yourself by doing too much too fast.

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