Exercise
Starting an exercise program can be especially intimidating for someone suffering from morbid obesity. Your health condition may make any level of physical exertion next to impossible. The benefits of exercise are clear, however. And there are ways to get started.
A 1997 National Health and Medical Research Council report concluded that exercise: (10)
- alone without caloric restriction results in small amounts of weight loss
- can protect against muscle loss during caloric restriction therapies
- increases resting metabolic rates and reliance on fat oxidation at rest
- has beneficial effects on hypertension and cholesterol levels
- can help stabilise weight loss and maintain lower weight levels
It is important before increasing your physical activity levels that you consult a health care professional who can create an individual program appropriate to your individual circumstances.
The same National Health and Medical Research Council report recommended three considerations when increasing physical activity as part of a weight loss program: (10)
- Close monitoring is essential to prevent muscular or skeletal injury
- Programs should be tailored to the individual, using activities that a person enjoys
- Continued dietary restraint (especially fatty foods) and education are critical to effective weight loss.
