Description
This article is from the Big Folks Sports
and Activities FAQ, by sharon@ecs.ox.ac.uk (Sharon Curtis)
with numerous contributions by others.
A1) Can a fat person really be fit?
Yes, indeed. For example, look at sumo wrestlers, or the likes of
Geoff Capes (used to be holder of the title World's Strongest Man).
For the average fat person who is not competing at world-class
competition level, there is still a range of fitness that can be
achieved, from the very unfit to the very fit. Your maximum fitness
level might lead to lesser achievement relative to your bodyweight
than a thinner friend of similar fitness (eg your friend might run
100m more quickly than you), though this is hardly surprising as
most sports and exercises involve some form of body resistance.
But underneath, your muscles can be just as toned and efficient,
and your aerobic capacity just as great, and maybe if your
friend were to carry an appropriately heavy rucksack on their back,
you might beat them easily.
This leads to a quick retort if some instructor is giving you hassle
if you're being slow because of your weight:
"If you had to carry this around, I bet you'd do it in twice the
time I've taken".
Fitness can be measured in various ways. Aerobic capacity (how
well the lungs are working) is one of them, performance on various
set exercises is another. If you're being measured on some exercise
that is relative to bodyweight, bear in mind that you have more to do
than the thin person next to you, and don't expect unreasonable
things of yourself.
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society, fat, acceptance, big folk, overweight, sports, activities
