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This article is from the Big Folks Sports and Activities FAQ, by sharon@ecs.ox.ac.uk (Sharon Curtis) with numerous contributions by others.

A2) I want to start exercising, what do you recommend to get started?

To get started, find something that you don't feel obligated to do,
but that you're interested in and that you can do, and that you
actually enjoy. Nothing puts you off faster than doing something you
dislike and feeling you have to do it.

Consider different types of activity. You could go for a sport, or
go for the exercise machines or videos, or maybe an activity such as
dancing or some other one that involves a high active component in it,
such as gardening. Find something that interests you. There are so
many different activities in the world, to choose from!

If you're lacking in motivation, you might find it helpful to set
yourself short term goals, e.g. measuring your activity and enjoyment
level. Or you might find it helpful to find a friend to do it with
you. Joining a club helps you find friends interested in the same
activity.

Take into account your personal health and history. For example, if
you have a history of back and/or knee problems, then kneeling down and
leaning over a flowerbed to do some weeding is perhaps not the best
thing for you to try. If you have any worries about how a particular
activity will affect your health, then consult your doctor. Doctors
are happy to help with such suggestions (and if you have a fat-phobic
doctor, it gets them delightedly off the subject of weight :-) ).

Also bear in mind that charts for energy consumption, recommended
exercises to try, suggested amounts of training etc, are often
constructed with someone of average weight in mind.

 

Continue to:

• prev: A1) Can a fat person really be fit?
• Index
• next: A3-1) Fat people and Aerobics

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society, fat, acceptance, big folk, overweight, sports, activities