23 Jan Obese And Fit

In a 25 year study of more than 25,000 people, those who were obese but fit were nearly 3 times less likely to die at an early age that unfit obese participants.  Others studies have confirmed that overweight people who exercise regularly are less like to develop health related complications than inactive overweight people and sedentary lean people.

Being overweight doesn’t mean you can’t become more fit and enjoy the health benefits.  Start where you are.  Pick an activity that you are 90% sure you can and will do on a regular basis.  In an ideal world, you want to exercise 45 minutes most days of the week, but that doesn’t mean that doing less is not beneficial.  If you haven’t exercised in a number of years, don’t try to start there.  Start at an intensity where you are comfortable.  Initially you should be able to hold a conversation while exercising.  If you are so short of breath that you can not speak several sentences in a row, then slow down.  While 45 minutes may be an ultimate goal, if all you can commit to initially is 5 minutes, start there and build.  Walking is a great place to start.  It does not require any fancy equipment and can be done just about anywhere at anytime.  Ideally, as you progress, your routine should include aerobic exercise, strength training, balance exercises and flexibility exercises.

Do you need help developing a more complete exercise program?  Call us at Life Changing Fitness.  We can design a plan for you no matter where you are in the world, as long as you have access to the internet.  Looking for a non-threatening and comfortable gym in the Tyler, Tx area, come check us out.

Here’s to the Journey

(David W. Ball, MD, an Internal Medicine physician, founder of NuVitality Health – a wellness education company, and co-founder of Life Changing Fitness – a fitness facility for Every Body)