Are people aware not everyone can exercise?

[runredlights]

OP I'm a healthy young man so I can't speak to any physical ailments that yourself and others have experienced which could hinder them from exercising. It is definitely possible to lose weight without exercising though. I have to disagree with you.

 

My mom is pretty heavy and is now having knee problems, BUT her knee problems are a direct product of her being heavy. She just started going to them gym once a week at 63 years old which we all think is great, but she hasn't cleaned up her diet yet which is even more important than exercise in terms of weight loss.

 

If she were to diet then there would be less stress on her joins which could then enable her to exercise more. Weight issues like that can snowball and make people feel defeated. Everyone needs to have some accountability because it is still possible to lose weight without exercising.

[Michelle ma Belle]

As much as I sympathize with you OP I am going to have to agree with those that are chanting the "where there's a will, there's a way" mantra because in so many cases, this is often very true.

 

Having said that I fully understand that it is VERY difficult to succeed when you have physical ailments and/or limitations and even harder to find the motivation without the help of professionals like a dietitian/nutritionist and especially personal trainers and/or physical therapists. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford these people if they're not already covered under their insurance plan.

 

I was diagnosed with mild osteoarthritis in both knees about 2 years ago which means there are certain activities and exercises I simply cannot do because of the pain it inflicts. As a result, I ended up seeking physical therapy to help me learn new movements that would help strengthen my knees without causing more damage. I also enlisted the help of a personal trainer (a dear friend) who, along with my physical therapist, devised a plan that was mindful of my physical challenges.

 

Again, I understand that not everyone has access to these professionals for one reason or another but at the same time I truly believe there are plenty of ways to move that would work with just about every ailment; swimming, biking and walking are three excellent examples of gentle joint options. Also yoga, even very basic yoga does amazing things for ALL body types!

 

Sometimes it takes some really inspiring stories to help light a fire in one's belly. Some tried and true examples are TV shows like The Biggest Loser or documentaries like Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (just to name a few).

 

In addition to those, there are two AWESOME transformation documentaries I highly recommend "Unsupersize Me" http://www.unsupersizeme.com/ and "May I Be Frank" May I Be Frank.

 

It's not easy and sometimes the road is very long and often filled with plenty of setbacks but that's just part of life no matter the journey, isn't it?

 

At the end of the day the key is desire and commitment. There is no magic pill or potion because if there was, you know Oprah would have bought the rights and bottled it and made even more millions!

 

Good luck to you.

Edited June 8, 2015 by Michelle ma Belle

[whirl3daway]

 

I've had 4 ACL, MCL and some major knee work done on BOTH knees, not one...both.

 

This is slightly offtopic, but I just tore my left ACL and lateral meniscus last year. It was KILLER recovering from that, but I started strength training when I graduated from PT and it's been fantastic.

 

I honestly cannot imagine having 4 ACL reconstructions... WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? How did you tear it 4 times? Am I going to tear it 4 times? I'm so freaked out now.

 

BTW - I was just reading about Shaun Livingston's knee injury from years ago... he tore his ACL, MCL, PCL, meniscus, fractured kneecap... they said they thought he'd have to have his leg amputated from the injury.

 

The idea of injuring my leg again makes me want to weep.

 

Okay, threadjack over.

[sweetjasmine]

Being able to do some form of physical activity doesn't mean you're not going to be overweight, and that's the whole point. My mother goes to the Y almost every morning for an aqua-aerobics class and she spends the rest of her days doing chores and going up and down the stairs, limping the whole way. She controls what she eats. And she still gained weight recently because she's 66 and has osteoarthritis so bad that she needs a hip replacement. So I hope everyone who sees her out in public not looking like a slender 30 year old is judging her for being a lazy fatass because that'll motivate her hip to magically heal itself.

 

My grandmother fell and broke a hip at 90. She needed surgery. That was a few years ago, and she's back up and climbing the stairs again. We've forbidden her from carrying her own composting into the woods (how she broke her hip in the first place).

 

My grandmother never broke her hip or any other bone, despite a few recent falls. She's going on 93 and is almost unable to walk because the bones in her hips and knees grind up against each other, and the pain is unbearable, so she's also been losing muscle mass and has been dealing with edema. She used to go to physical therapy, but it didn't improve her condition or reduce any of her pain. Her spine started collapsing from osteoporosis almost 20 years ago, so she's been dealing with bone problems for decades. 10 years ago she was still going to the senior exercise classes where she got to dance and she was still walking around just fine, cooking dinner and doing light chores. Before all of the "this is what happens to fatties!" folks chime in, she's never been overweight and was on the lower end of normal as she started seriously aging 20 years ago. And yet here she is, basically confined to a bed and having to use a portable toilet because the walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night is sometimes too much.

 

For comparison, my MIL's fiance's parents are still kicking and are around the same age. The man's mother is a lifelong smoker and is on multiple medications, including warfarin, whereas all my grandmother takes is painkillers. That lady is still walking around, fully mobile, gets to travel frequently, and she eats normally. My grandmother has been eating steamed vegetables, chicken, and all sorts of bland yet healthy foods for as long as I can remember, never smoked, and barely drank.

 

Some people are luckier than others.

Edited June 8, 2015 by sweetjasmine

[loveweary11]

Derailing thread just a little more...

 

Tore my LCL also in the only snowboarding accident I've ever had.

 

For people who ski/board, let me explain.

 

I've been snowboarding since I was in JR high and I'm old. Was one of the very first people when Burton and Sims were the two choices and we ordered them out of Thrashin skate mag. We weren't allowed to use them at ski areas at first. Logged countless hours boarding, almost went pro but decided I didn't want to ruin the fun. Was in the first half pipe competition in the USA. Was in Transworld snowboarding magazine.

 

So... I know how to ride. My injury was caused some by the mountain and some by my own stupidity.

 

There were a set of absolutely huge table top jumps set up by a lift. For non snow people, a table top looks like this... /°°°°\

 

You ride up the ramp on the left, get as much air as possible, then land on the ramp on the right. You are very, very high above actual ground level, but the second ramp breaks your descent speed and transitions you back to ground level.

 

I hit the first couple and got some good cheers from the people on the lift. That encouraged me to hit the last one with all I had. I skipped a couple to gain speed to really launch off the last one. I hit it with all I had, but it was shaped like this... /°............

 

So, i went like 30 feet in the air and was lined up for a table top landing, but had nothing but icy, hard, flat ground to land on.

 

Came in at the proper angle for the tabletop landing, which was nose of the board at like 45° to the ground. Tip of board hit first. I crumpled up and tore my LCL. Was out for the season.

 

Should have scouted the jump first. Also, maybe the ski area could have been consistent.

 

On topic, I don't believe I exercised while laid up for a few weeks. Could barely move.

[gaius]

Sure, there are some conditions that make the exercise process miserable to the point it's just not worth it for a lot of reasonable people anymore. As long as you're still alive there's probably some combination of diet and movement that will allow anybody to maintain a normal weight but there comes a point where it's kind of ridiculous to have that expectation of someone. =/ Or to judge them about it.

[Bubberfly]

I also agree with most of these posters.

I think the problem here is when people think "exercise" they think "running 5 miles a day/lifting 200 pounds." This is a incredibly overwhelming thought to have. Since people feel overwhelmed by this psychologically, they're afraid to move physically.

 

I work with a gal who is paraplegic (I've never asked why. Not my business). She cannot move from the waist down. She is in pain ALL the time.

 

And yet.

 

Every day- she practices wiggling her toes. This take enormous mental effort. After she's done with that she tries to stand up (propping herself of course) at Least once a day. She does arm exercises, she reaches down and moves her legs, she MOVES. She eats healthy, she keeps a positive attitude. Other than being completely immobile from the waist down, she is a very healthy woman. she told me last year she couldn't even prop herself up to stand.

 

So you can go ahead and tell people you're old and physically unfit and "can't exercise" but if my coworker says "the only time you can't exercise is when you're dead,". I'm going to believe her.

 

It is your choice, I personally could care less whether someone exercises or not. But it does bother me when someone says "I can't" around someone who may want to and may need the positive reinforcement.

Edited June 9, 2015 by Bubberfly

[autumnnight]

I think too that we are wired to be impatient when it comes to exercise, fitness, and weight loss.

 

A person who is 90 pounds overweight and has joint problems will have to start very slowly. They will need a doctor's approval and a trained trainer (Trained for real, not a perky 20 year old who, like, totally can do bodypump). Low to no impact, and water type exercise are probably good starting points.

 

If someone can move in some way even 30-30 minutes a day and make good eating choices, they WILL see a difference. But they won't be 3 sizes smaller in 2 months. Most credible weight management professionals with medical training will tell you that 1-2 pounds a week is ideal. Now, knowing that the week of Christmas and Thanksgiving only fanatics will lose weight, that means losing 50 pounds will take up to a year. 100 - up to 2 years. But if you are 62 and 100 pounds overweight, that means at 64 you will be at your healthy weight AND you'll probably FEEL at least 10 years younger.

 

There is also research the supports the idea of doing exercise in 3 10 minute intervals instead of all at once to get your 30 minutes a day. Obviously for the triathlete or 25 year old gym rat that won't work, but for a 70 year old woman with type 2 diabetes who wears a size 24, it is a good start.

 

My father is in his 80's has Parkinson's, has back and knee problems, and has severe asthma. If the weather is ok and he can move at all, he walks 1-2 miles every day.

[SomeDude16]

The word you were missing is "Are people aware not everyone can easily exercise"

 

90% of the battle isn't the exercise itself, it's getting into the gym or pool, on a treadmill or exercise bike, out for a walk, or picking up the weightsz

[PogoStick]

I ran exercise classes for the elderly, typically 80+ years old. Had multiple 100 year old women in my class. I'm not very sympathetic of "I can't". Bottom line, limitations are much different than "I can't do ANY exercise". Some of my clients:

 

I've had multiple clients in my class up to 1-2 weeks before they die.

 

woman with parkinsons confined to a wheel chair.

 

All kinds of walking devices.

 

Lady who came to my class everyday after getting kidney dialysis.

 

A man in late stage heart failure, motorized chair, on portable oxygen.

 

Diabetics with foot amputations.

 

Rheumatoid arthritis with disfigured joints.

 

Double hip (300 lbs senior woman) and double knee replacements.

 

Korean war veterans with war injuries.

 

80ish y/o man one week after a stroke.

[johan]

If you start with the premise that we're all incapable of having the same lifestyle, working conditions, free time, and preferences, then I agree, there are a lot of able-bodied people who don't have what it takes to exercise. They never will. Fact of life.

 

There are some people who just detest the feeling of exertion and don't value having strength or endurance. It really just isn't meaningful to them. Good luck changing that.

 

I suppose if you can't get them to live your way and like what you like, and on top of that they aren't attractive to you, then I can understand it's not far from there to judging them, or in some cases hating them. That's not their burden though.

[Phoe]

I've got a pinched nerve in my ribs, sesamoiditis in my right foot, rounds of physical therapy for torn ligaments in my right ankle and left knee, barely any cartilage left in both knees, which both hyperextend backwards if I'm not careful, and my hips? Well... they just suck. Creak and crack and pop and people like to joke that my hips are older than me.

 

Sometimes it hurts and I get upset.... but being active makes me feel good enough to overlook the things that hurt sometimes. It really helps.

 

I remember my ankle and foot being so bad last year that I had to be on crutches for several weeks. Instead of giving up being active, I got in a pool and started slow. Just holding onto the edge and slowly kicking my legs through the water. A few days later I tried a lap holding onto a foam board. Within a week or 2 I was swimming actual laps (albeit not nearly as fast as my waterpolo days) and was able to give up the crutches altogether. Yes, it hurt being in that pool, but it helped! It made me better over time.

 

I always tell myself "I could be worse..." and then I keep going.

[courtneykay]

My grandparents who are 85 walk at least 3 miles everyday. If it's not outside, it's the mall. They have a gym membership too.

[regine_phalange]

I'm certainly aware not everyone can exercise. At least not intensely. But exercise is not only the intense stuff. It's also the small stuff.

 

My aunt broke her entire arm and shoulder at age 55, and she certainly can't lift weights or do pushups. But she does small exercises, and day by day she notices a difference and an improvement, it makes her life easier. This summer she is going to spend swimming to strengthen her arm.

 

My mum used to have prolapse, she fixed it, and she is still careful and doesn't lift weights. But she loves digging in her garden, so this is very good for her upper body strength.

 

This winter I had terrible back pain coming from injured kidneys, I couldn't even get up from bed for a couple of weeks. Painkillers were forbidden. But when I found out that some yoga poses were soothing my pain, I kept doing them. Imagine, I did camel pose lying in my bed I also have sensitive knees, overly sensitive knees. So I try not to push too much and hurt them. Or I use pillows under them. You can always modify.

 

Walking is also a great exercise for everyone and the simplest of them all (edit: my neighbour has 1 leg and heart problems and doctors told him to walk every day). Finally, I've heard that weight loss is more about diet. You can try low fat or low carb, or counting calories. Or clean eating. Whatever is easier for you. For me, personally, low fat when I want to lose weight is the most beneficial.

Edited June 16, 2015 by regine_phalange

[SpiralOut]

Most people are aware of it but if you don't have an obvious looking injury or disability, they would rather jump to conclusions than ask.

[Mizz Layta]

I agree with other posters. I work in Nursing home and we have physiotherapy that comes in everyday to walk residents and make them do some type of exercise .

 

 

There is also this one gentleman who has an amputated leg ,he doesn't use a wheel chair but uses crutches. He who comes to my gym regularly and do some low key exercise like ,like bike mechines,weights etc.

 

 

Like what the other poster said, unless the person is paralyzed from neck to down,they will find other ways to exercise when they really want to.Weight loss is 80% diet.Exercise helps but diet plays a big role in weight loss

[Tayla]

weight equates to calories/energy . execerise utilzes it. thus metabolism.

 

exercise is the burning of energy. constant replenish of each .

 

too much of either is ...

[Robert Z]

Weight loss is 80% diet. Exercise helps but diet plays a big role in weight loss

 

Emphasis mine. Yes, and if you do the math, most people who aren't athletes can't do enough exercise to help much with weight loss. Your body burns more energy naturally than you can possibly compete with in 45 minutes.

 

I see these women using like 2 lb weights... Sorry but that is all but a waste of time unless you are just going for "not dead".

 

Exercise is more about being fit and having muscle tone, than weight. But there are huge benefits to adding muscle. Which gets to another important point: Weight doesn't matter! It is percent body fat and muscle mass that you're after. It kills me when I hear women complaining that they gained weight when they started exercising! YES! You should gain weight if you're adding muscle. That is normal. You body fat percentage is still dropping and that is what matters.

Edited June 20, 2015 by Robert Z

[123321]

If a person stops eating, they lose weight. It's not easy, but it IS a fact.

[RoseVille]

OP, you sound like the perfect candidate for swimming as exercise.

[Imported]

I think there are more people that mistakenly believe they have some "not my fault!!!" reason why they're fat than there are people that mistakenly believe not everyone can exercise.

 

 

And some of the people that now actually have a medical reason why they can't exercise is because they put themselves in that position by long term laziness and slob life style.

[Els]

First off, I agree completely with the premise of your post - I think that someone being obese is really not anyone else's business, and not an excuse at all to behave rudely towards them. I can only imagine how mean-spirited someone would be to delight in finding any excuse they can to disrespect another human being. I believe that someone being nasty to you about your weight says a lot more about them than about you.

 

That being said, it's a rather harmful myth that you absolutely need exercise for weight control. The truth is that diet is the most important factor in weight control by far, barring extremes like professional athletes (and even they eat a controlled diet). The reason for this is that exercise typically comprises a very small percentage of your calorie expenditure. Most people will expend at least 1300 cals/day just by living, breathing, and all the other bodily functions. That is your Basal Metabolic Rate.

 

So being unable to exercise makes things more difficult, especially for women who generally have lower BMR than men, but not impossible. The real key to weight control is in knowing how to get the best bang for your buck - keeping within your calorie limit while getting enough nutrients.

[Arieswoman]

OP,

I agree with what other posters have said.

 

Swimming is excellent exercise for anyone who is a bit arthritic as it doesn't put any strain on the joints. You can find gentle exercise classes at most pools these days

[autumnnight]

First off, I agree completely with the premise of your post - I think that someone being obese is really not anyone else's business, and not an excuse at all to behave rudely towards them. I can only imagine how mean-spirited someone would be to delight in finding any excuse they can to disrespect another human being. I believe that someone being nasty to you about your weight says a lot more about them than about you.

 

That being said, it's a rather harmful myth that you absolutely need exercise for weight control. The truth is that diet is the most important factor in weight control by far, barring extremes like professional athletes (and even they eat a controlled diet). The reason for this is that exercise typically comprises a very small percentage of your calorie expenditure. Most people will expend at least 1300 cals/day just by living, breathing, and all the other bodily functions. That is your Basal Metabolic Rate.

 

So being unable to exercise makes things more difficult, especially for women who generally have lower BMR than men, but not impossible. The real key to weight control is in knowing how to get the best bang for your buck - keeping within your calorie limit while getting enough nutrients.

 

Actually, this is only partially correct. It's true, the exercise itself doesn't comprise the majority of daily calorie use. However, our rate of metabolism adjusts over time to what we eat...UNLESS we boost it with exercise. So if you are going to cut calories significantly you need to exercise to prevent your metabolism rate from slowing to adapt.

[Els]

Actually, this is only partially correct. It's true, the exercise itself doesn't comprise the majority of daily calorie use. However, our rate of metabolism adjusts over time to what we eat...UNLESS we boost it with exercise. So if you are going to cut calories significantly you need to exercise to prevent your metabolism rate from slowing to adapt.

 

BMR adjusting to calorie intake does not cause weight gain. As I said, it's certainly preferable to exercise if you can (especially as exercise has health benefits beyond just weight control), but if someone absolutely cannot exercise, they should focus on counting calorie intake as weight maintenance is still possible with diet control. They should not give up entirely on their weight.