Exercise is an important part of overcoming obesity. There are many ways to exercise. It is important to start small and gradually increase intensity so as not to injure yourself.

Using Exercise to Overcome Obesity
First, you have to decide if you want to focus on cardio or strength training. Because of its focus on fat burning, those who are obese are often encouraged to focus on cardio initially. Cardio workouts raise the heart rate so that the body is able to burn fat efficiently. Strength training focuses on building muscle, which increases the amount of fat burn while you are resting. Because they complement each other, most exercise programs incorporate both strength training and cardio.

Because a trip to the gym can be intimidating, many choose to exercise from the comfort of their own home. You can use equipment as simple as milk jug or soup cans for weight to an in-home gym that can often be purchased for a reasonable price. A recumbent bike is a good investment when beginning a workout regimen because it is gentle on the knee joints. An exercise ball is also a good investment. The ball can be used to increase balance, stability, and abdominal strength. After becoming comfortable with the exercise ball, you can move on to more advanced moves that provide a total body workout.

If walking is your exercise of choice, there are many options. A treadmill allows you to walk in the comfort of your own home. There are also video series such as Walk Away the Pounds that facilitate in-home walking. A pedometer is an essential piece of equipment to measure your progress when using walking as a means of weight loss. The pedometer counts the number of steps you make throughout the day. A goal of 10,000 steps is encouraged to get the most benefit from walking. More on Obesity.

Tags: Health, nutrition, exercise