Here's how to start exercising gently if you're overweight

If you are overweight and have just started with the Training Once you've started exercising, you'll usually encounter some problems that can hinder your performance. This naturally includes being overweight, which can sometimes contribute to serious injuries if you don't approach your fitness journey with care. To help you avoid these issues, we'd like to give you four important tips in the following article.

Tip 1 – Don't overdo it right at the beginning

Once you've decided to start training, you'll quickly find that your overflowing motivation can easily lead you to overdo it. At this point, however, you should slow down and take it a bit easier to avoid overwhelming your body, which isn't used to such an extraordinary strain. To ensure that your active and passive musculoskeletal system can adapt adequately to the demands, you should increase your training gradually. Start with 15 minutes a day and work your way up steadily until you can easily handle a training session of 60 to 90 minutes.

Tip 2 – Add variety to your daily training routine

The joints are the critical points of the human body. Especially in overweight athletes who are new to exercise, the joints need time to adapt to the additional tensile and compressive stress, as otherwise the articular cartilage can suffer permanent damage. To relieve stress on your joints and strengthen these connective tissue structures, you should use light cardio training for active recovery on days when you don't do strength training. This active recovery increases blood flow to these otherwise poorly vascularized connective tissue structures. Swimming or light cycling are ideal.

Tip 3 – Stretching should not be neglected

Even if you think there are more important things, stretching is an essential component of a well-designed, holistic training program. It's primarily about improving the limited flexibility of the lower extremities, which is unfortunately common, especially among overweight individuals, due to one-sided muscular strain. So make sure you include a short stretching session at least three times per training week. For example, try bending forward and touching the floor with your palms while keeping your knees straight. Go down as far as you can and hold this position for a few seconds.

Tip 4 – Strengthen your feet

Your feet are the foundation of your athletic success. And that's precisely why you should pay special attention to your feet, which perform a crucial stabilizing function. Especially for endurance sports, it's essential that your feet are in an anatomically correct position, which not only optimizes performance but also significantly reduces the risk of injury. For this purpose, it's best to consult a good orthopedist. They will be happy to create custom-fitted insoles for you, from which you will benefit in every way.