We all have to start somewhere and if you’ve been sedentary for a long time, you have to start slow. You can do simple chair exercises for obese beginners and work your way up to regular yoga for beginners and treadmill workouts for beginners and beyond. Then before you know it you’ll be doing any exercise you want! And if you want to get started at home, here is the equipment you should buy to get started.

Chair exercises for obese

Obesity is a contributing factor in diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Starting an exercise program and losing weight will reduce your risk for chronic diseases, reduce anxiety or depression and just make you feel better. Burning more calories than you consume is the only way to lose weight. Eating a healthy diet combined with regular exercise is the most efficient and fastest way to lose weight.

Remember, before starting ANY kind of exercise, consult with your doctor to make sure they recommend it.

Chair exercises are low-impact and a good alternative for older obese people and severely overweight people. Chair exercises include arm raises, leg lifts, and some resistance exercises using light weights or bottles of water. Start slowly and gradually increase the number of repetitions with the goal of adding some weight for resistance. Obese people can burn more calories by building lean muscle from resistance training.

If you want more of my weight loss story and how I grew up on little Debbies and soda and learned how to change my health and life through exercise and nutrition, check out this nutrition guide. It has some basic dos and don’ts that my wife and I used for me to lose 120 pounds and be on no medication at age 55. There are also some sample meal plans in there. It was a long process, not a quick fix, but if I can do it, so can you!

Chair exercises for weight loss

Chair workout has never been more fun than now. You can get in shape while you sit without the use of expensive equipment or having to go to the gym. You can break free from those EXCUSES not to workout and attain your dreams. Chair workouts are believed to be for the old or immobile, but they can be for anyone. You can work your legs, arms, shoulders, abs, back, and more right there in a chair.

Check out our favorite workout gear here:

• Workout shoes
• Workout pants

And chair yoga can be a great way to start learning yoga techniques as you increase your flexibility and stamina for the main thing on the floor. Even just ten minutes a day can make a huge difference, so get ready to work!

Chair yoga is beneficial to the overweight, the sedentary, the participant who wants gentle movements, beginners, advanced, those with physical limitations, and the elderly. Really it’s for everyone!

It’s a great exercise for any fitness level and a great place to start. 

Benefits of Chair Yoga

The benefits to be enjoyed by those participating actively in chair yoga and making it a part of their routines are numerous and highly varied. Let’s touch briefly on the most relevant and significant ones. Even though the average, healthy, and relatively fit person will also benefit from many of the points listed, we’ll pay special attention to the groups mentioned above, especially the elderly.

• Increased strength-chair yoga can have the same strength-building effects as bodyweight training.
• Increased flexibility-chair yoga practice can help lengthen ligaments and muscles and allow for a better range of motion.
• Increased balance-chair yoga will help improve balance and stability by strengthing the muscles that keep you upright. Your legs, core, and spine keep us up while in motion and standing still.
• Weight loss-chair yoga stimulates the metabolism to burn more calories, even while you sleep!
• Improved mood-physical activity creates emotional well-being by stimulating serotonin in the brain. We can thwart anxiety and depression with movement.
• Increased stamina-you can boost your energy level by raising your heart rate and that will happen with chair yoga too.
• Better sleep-chair yoga will stimulate the release of melatonin in the brain that regulates sleeping and waking schedules.
• Prevention of blood clots-chair yoga helps prevent the formation of blood clots from sedentary living.

Remember, before starting ANY kind of exercise, consult with your doctor to make sure they recommend it.

Chair yoga training

Pay special attention to proper form when you start all types of exercise. Obese individuals have to be especially careful to reduce the risk of injury. Traditional yoga poses can be tough, but they are a gentle exercise and one of the simple ways to get started, especially doing chair yoga poses to help support your extra weight until you can take some of it off.

It’s a great starting point. But once you get started on these super simple exercises, you’ll see reduced joint pain, better energy levels, mental benefits, and more. You can do it! And you’re worth it.

Warm up exercises to get your muscles ready for exercise.

The forward bend pose is a great first pose.

• Sit back in the chair and slowly lean forward reaching your arms in front of you.
• Continue to bend forward all the way down until you reach your toes (or as far as you can comfortably go)
• Hold for 30 seconds and slowly rise back up again.
• Repeat 3 times.

The upward hand post is an effective way of giving yourself a boost of energy, even at the office.

• Sit in your chair and take a deep breath.
• Raise both arms upwards over your head, shoulder width apart, palms facing each other.
• Exhale as you lower them back down.
• Repeat 5 times.

Cow face pose works well for people who suffer from tight hips and shoulders to restore mobility.

• Sit in your chair.
• Cross your legs so one knee is on top of the other.
• Raise your arm toward the ceiling and bend your elbow until your hand is on the line of your spine.
• Raise your other arm and bend it behind you so it reaches your spine from under the first arm.
• Try to clasp them together and hold them for 10 seconds.
• Do the opposite side.

The chair pigeon pose helps regain hip mobility.

• Sit in your chair and raise one foot up and over the other leg so your ankle is resting over the thigh on your other leg.
• Rotate your upper thigh outward.
• Hold for 5 seconds and repeat on the other side.

The candle pose will help build strength and mobility in the shoulders.

• Sit in your chair.
• Raise both arms above your head and meet your hands in the middle over your head in the shape of a candle.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

The seated cat-cow pose promotes spinal healthy and increases mobility.

• Sit in your chair and scoot to the edge of your seat.
• Place your feet flat on the ground in front of you.
• Inhale deeply and arch your back as you gently drop your head backward and open your throat.
• Exhale and flex your spine forward as you push your belly button towards your spine and stretch your shoulder blades open.
• Repeat 5 times.

This augmented warrior post is effective in strengthening the core muscles and spinal alignment.

• Sit in your chair.
• Scoot to the front of the seat, over to one side as if you might fall out of the side of the chair.
• Extend your leg outwards to the side of your chair and line up the arch of the chair with the heel of your right foot.
• Activate both legs’ muscles and pull your belly button towards your spine and draw your chest upward and open.
• Stretch both arms out to your sides, palms down and hold them parallel to the ground.
• Relax your shoulders and hold the pose for 30 seconds.

The star pose opens up the body and strengthens the inner thighs and core.

• Sit in your chair sitting back in the seat.
• Sit up straight and extend both arms and both legs outward like you are making the shape of a star.
• Hold for 30 seconds and then relax.
• Repeat 3 times.

The table pose will strengthen the core muscles as well.

• Sit in your chair and scoot to the front of the seat.
• Place your hands on the chair seat behind your butt and lift your body up until it’s in a straight line from your feet to your head.
• Hold for 30 seconds and relax back into your seat.
• Repeat 3 times.

The great thing about yoga is that it can be adapted to suit anyone’s needs. Work with your body rather than against it, and be careful not to push yourself too far and cause harm. Yoga is gentle but is effective in improving strength and flexibility. With regular practice, you’ll reap tons of benefits! And I know you can do it! Or find community as well as exercise with a group fitness class.

Also check out:

• Arm exercises for seniors
• Pilates for Obese Beginners
• Beginner Stretches
• Fun Wheelchair Workouts for Fitness
• Best 9 Workouts You Can Do Sitting Down
• Best Group Exercise Classes for Obese Beginners
• Effective Stretching Exercises for Obese Beginners
• Swimming Workouts for Obese Beginners
• Free Guide to Beginner Prenatal Yoga

Now for a joke:

What do you call a bagel that has mastered yoga? A pretzel. HA!

For more information on how to measure your weight loss in inches correctly, click here.

The post Chair Yoga for Obese Beginners appeared first on Actionable Wellness.

We all have to start somewhere and what matters is that you start!

Yoga is a system of physical and mental fitness. It’s designed to help you reach your maximum potential in all areas of your life. Since yoga is gentle, it’s ideal for obese or overweight people. It might be just what you need to reach happiness in your life.

Yoga is one of the great exercises for obese beginners at home. You don’t have to go to a yoga studio to get the benefits of yoga. Yoga is great for first-time students of any fitness level. All you need is a yoga mat and some information.

Yoga classes teach different levels and types of yoga that can be a healthy part of your fitness routine. Yoga is good for your mental health, body awareness, range of motion, chronic pain, better balance, reducing back pain, disease control, improving body shape, strengthening abdominal muscles, and more. It can be done by people with excess weight and other physical limitations as well. It’s a great physical exercise. When you attend your first class, tell your yoga instructors about your specific needs so they will know how to adjust the workout for you. Deep breaths and increasing your level of flexibility through gentle yoga practice is great for your physical health. 

Plus size yoga

Physical activity will improve your mobility and health. Yoga exercises decrease stress, improve flexibility, and increase muscles. People with larger bodies can have trouble with joint pain but yoga can help improve the body’s alignment and reduce the strain on your joints by bearing more of the body’s weight. You can make it an important part of your morning self care routine. And it promotes relaxation which we all need more of.

Yoga helps develop your balance, which helps increase longevity. Yoga helps connect the mind with the body which can help you love it more and make you feel better about yourself. It improves physical fitness and elevates your mood.

The best way to do yoga and learn about it is to take a class from a qualified teacher. There are some special classes for overweight people. But whether you find a special class or not, you can go and meet the teacher to make sure you are comfortable working with them or book some private sessions in a one-on-one environment. It’s like hiring a personal trainer, but just for yoga.

Once you are more knowledgeable, a group class of any kind may be just the thing for you. You can also find DVDs or YouTube videos that are gentle and on beginner level. Some good choices for that are Hatha practice, Integral, or Kripalu. You can also do Chair yoga if you have trouble getting down on the floor.

If you want more of my weight loss story and how I grew up on little Debbies and soda and learned how to change my health and life through exercise and nutrition, check out this nutrition guide. It has some basic dos and don’ts that my wife and I used for me to lose 120 pounds and be on no medication at age 55. There are also some sample meal plans in there. It was a long process, not a quick fix, but if I can do it, so can you!

For DVDs, there are these options:

• Curvy Yoga 
• Buddha Body Yoga
• A Gentle Way Yoga

In order to lose weight, you must change your diet while also engaging in regular exercise that raises your heart rate. Adding fruits and vegetables to your diet is a great way to add fullness and reduce calories. I never thought I would be a vegetable eater, but you can learn to love them even if you hate vegetables now.

Yoga poses for obese beginners

To give you an idea of what yoga for obese beginners entails, read through some of these descriptions.

Cow pose-start on all fours. Keep your hips apart and let your hands be below your shoulders. Breathe deeply, drop your belly, and tighten your abdominal wall. Lower your back like there is a string pulling down your stomach upward. Inhale deeply and exhale as you repeat this post as much as you can. This is a great warm-up.

Cat pose-slowly move to this pose from the cow pose. Suck in your stomach and draw your belly to your spine. Your back will start to arch or round up towards the ceiling. Move your chin toward your chest. Repeat 12-20 times.

Table pose-Lie on your back with your legs up at a 90-degree angle. Bend your elbows to provide a light rest. Gradually lift your shoulders using your abdominal strength. Do not pull on your head with arm strength.

The chair pose-It looks like a squat. It will use both upper and lower muscles. it will use your quadriceps, glutes, calves, and ankles. Keep your knees and thighs together. Bend your knees and squat. YOu should be able to see your toes in front of your knees when looking down. Raise your arms straight above your head.

Forward bend pose-Stand with your feet together and knees slightly bent. Fold your upper body forward towards your knees, hips, and legs. Keep your eyes forward. Then slowly go back to your original position.

Exercises for obese people

There are great cardio workouts and treadmill workouts for beginners as well as push-ups for beginners, beginner stretches, and strength training for beginners too. Check them out on the blog by clicking on the highlighted links. You can also do bodyweight exercises right at home. And if you are an older adult, check out Beginning Yoga for Seniors. And don’t miss Chair Exercises for Weight loss too.

It’s a slow process, but quitting won’t speed it up. Don’t get discouraged when you’re not seeing progress. It’s hard to see the details, but in the end, the art is amazing because it takes time, effort, energy, and patience. Don’t forget why you started. You can do this. And these little bits of effort add up to a better life for you!

For more ideas for your path to wellness, check this out:

• 9 Simple Steps to Wellness
• Effective Exercise for Obese People

Now for a joke: Why did the scarecrow win the award? He was outstanding in his field. Wakka wakka!

The post Yoga for Obese Beginners appeared first on Actionable Wellness.