SAFE STRETCHES FOR OBESE PEOPLE
May 26, 2011 | By
Being able to move freely is essential for a healthy life, so you can manage your daily activities, work and recreation. Stiffness and inflexibility will develop if you lead an inactive life, making movement difficult and painful. If movement is difficult, it's hard to exercise. But exercise is vital for maintaining your health and lowering your risk for conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, risks that are higher if you are overweight.
CONSIDERATIONS
If you are overweight or obese, you can perform the same stretches as anyone else. However, if you have been inactive, you may not be very flexible and may not be able to stretch as fully as someone more fit. Begin with stretches you can perform while sitting or lying down, to reduce strain on your joints. Exercising in a swimming pool supports your weight, so that you are less likely to injure your joints when you begin stretching.
WARM UP
Begin your stretching exercises with a warmup. Any low-impact aerobic activity will do, such as walking. Warm up for five to 10 minutes before stretching. This allows your muscles, tendons and ligaments to increase in temperature, and tissue fluid will become more liquid, making movement easier. When you are warm, you can begin stretching.
STRETCHING GUIDELINES
Use good form, which means paying attention to how each stretch is correctly performed and trying to do it correctly every time. You may want to take a class or work with a trainer at first. Do static stretches instead of bouncing in and out of a stretch. Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, and repeat at least four times. Stretch every day, and pay special attention to your lower back, hips, legs and shoulders.
STRETCHES WHILE LYING DOWN
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Press your lower back into the floor and hold the position for 10 seconds. Repeat four times.
Lying on the floor, bring both knees up to your chest and hold them with your arms for at least 10 seconds. Repeat at least four times.
Lying on your back, with one knee bent and the foot flat on the floor, pull the straight leg toward your chest, grasping it just above and below the knee with your hands. Hold for 10 seconds, repeat four times.
Lying on the floor, bring both knees up to your chest and hold them with your arms for at least 10 seconds. Repeat at least four times.
Lying on your back, with one knee bent and the foot flat on the floor, pull the straight leg toward your chest, grasping it just above and below the knee with your hands. Hold for 10 seconds, repeat four times.
SITTING STRETCHES
Sit on the floor with the soles of your feet together and your knees out. Press gently on your knees with your hands, while keeping your spine straight.
Sitting on the floor with one leg straight in front of you, bring the foot of the other leg up to the knee of the straight leg. Hold that position while you bend forward from your hips toward the bent knee.
Sitting on the floor with both legs out in front of you in a V, lean forward from your hips as far as you can while keeping your back straight. Hold the position for 10 seconds and then relax. Repeat four times.
Sitting on the floor with one leg straight in front of you, bring the foot of the other leg up to the knee of the straight leg. Hold that position while you bend forward from your hips toward the bent knee.
Sitting on the floor with both legs out in front of you in a V, lean forward from your hips as far as you can while keeping your back straight. Hold the position for 10 seconds and then relax. Repeat four times.
SHOULDER STRETCHES
Standing in a doorway, grasp the door frame with one hand and turn your body away until you feel a stretch in the front of your shoulder. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat four times. In the same position, turn your body so that you are pulling your arm across your chest, until you feel a stretch at the back of your shoulder. Hold as usual.
Raise one arm up over your head and drop your hand behind your neck. Use the other hand to push your elbow gently backward until you feel a stretch in your shoulder joint. Hold as usual.
Raise one arm up over your head and drop your hand behind your neck. Use the other hand to push your elbow gently backward until you feel a stretch in your shoulder joint. Hold as usual.
REFERENCES
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Obesity
- Washington University School of Medicine: On The Move Exercise Program
- Mountain View Alternative High School: Safe Conditioning Exercises and Stretches
- Wilkes Wild About Wellness: Here Are Some Safe and Easy Stretches
- University of Michigan: Safe/Unsafe Exercises
- University of New Mexico: Flexibility Training
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/390200-safe-stretches-for-obese-people/#ixzz1pwNXmqyK
Seems simple enough. Now to do it.
EXERCISES FOR OBESE PEOPLE WITH LEG PAIN
Jun 14, 2011 | By
Obesity can contribute to conditions such as degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis. Both are factors in sciatica -- pain in the lower back, leg and hip. Exercise can reduce the risk of obesity-related disease and facilitate weight loss. Obese individuals with leg pain often have difficulty exercising, but simple modifications can relieve pressure on the joints. Consult your physician before starting any exercise program.
STRENGTH TRAINING EXERCISES
Strength training can help relieve leg pain by strengthening the muscles that support the joints and stabilize the spine. Additionally, building muscle mass increases the resting metabolism and contributes to weight loss. Obese individuals with leg pain should avoid doing standing body-weight exercises, such as squats and lunges, as these can put additional stress on the joints. Gym machines, such as the leg press, leg extension and leg curl allow you to work seated until your muscles and joints are strong enough to support body-weight exercises. You may also benefit from seated or reclining body-weight exercises, such as triceps dips, crunches and push-ups.
AEROBIC EXERCISES
Aerobic exercise improves blood flow and helps with weight loss by temporarily increasing the metabolism. Unfortunately, weight-bearing aerobic exercises, such as running or walking, can aggravate leg pain. Many weight-bearing aerobic exercises can also be done in the water. Swimming laps is both aerobic and provides a degree of strength training as you need to work all the major muscles in your arms, legs and torso to move through the water. With water aerobics and water running, the natural buoyancy supports much of your body weight to allow you perform higher-impact activities. If you prefer land activities, seated aerobic exercises, such as stationary bicycles, raise your heart rate with less strain on the joints. For those with mild pain, walking, whether outside or on a treadmill, is a relatively safe activity.
STRETCHING EXERCISES
Stretching helps maintain mobility and range of motion in the joints. There are many stretches available and the only limitation is your own flexibility and level of leg pain. Additionally, yoga provides several modifications and variations depending on your physical limitations. For example, a forward bend stretching from the lower back to the calves can be done either standing or seated on the floor or a chair. Yoga has supine back bends, such as the cobra, sphinx and upward facing dog, kneeling back bends, such as the camel, and several standing back bends, including the crescent pose. The Arthritis Foundation recommends stretching all major muscle groups several times a week. Consider restorative or yin yoga classes, which focus on holding comfortable poses for long periods of time.
REFERENCES
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/305672-exercises-for-obese-people-with-leg-pain/#ixzz1pwNxVgJf
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