If you live in Malta and are news savvy, it is unlikely that you have not heard about the problem of big waistlines on our little islands. We often cite international and European obesity and inactivity statistics presenting our poor state of national body composition, and often make recommendations aimed at pushing more locals to be more active. The obvious question must at some point inevitably rise, however, how?

Encouraging everyone to exercise, including those who are already overweight or obese, is all well and good, but it should also be noted that there are a number of specific additional considerations that should be taken into account where obesity is present. If you are a healthy weight and in apparent good health, then a wide range of options to exercise are open to you. If you happen to be a little further towards the heavier side, then the options might have to be modified, if only slightly.

First, you might like to determine if you are actually overweight or obese. This can be achieved relatively easily by performing a body mass index (BMI) test. You will need to know your weight and height. Square your height, or simply put, multiply it by itself. Then divide your weight by the answer. The resulting number is your BMI.

A BMI of 25 or over is considered overweight, while a score of 30 or more is classed as obese. So if you scored 25 or more, please read on because it’s about time we had a look at some of the specific guidelines that can help you get the most out of your training and lower the risk of adverse reactions.

The first decision you will need to make concerns the nature of the activity you indulge in. Consider that whatever you do physically, you must carry your overall body weight with you. Activities that are too stressful for the heart, or multiply the mechanical forces generated by your own body weight, will need to be kept to a minimum or avoided altogether, depending on your weight.

The intensity level must be kept low in the beginning and built up slowly and gradually over time in small incremental steps.

The intensity level must be kept low in the beginning and built up slowly and gradually

The structures of the body most at risk apart from the heart are the joints. Remember that when you take a step, your joints, particularly the ankles, knees, hips and lower back, must contend with more impact forces than those of someone carrying less body weight. Running and jumping activities therefore will not just overly stress the heart but the joints too, possibly leaving you with more problems than benefits.

Activities that do not overly stress the joints include impact-free cardiovascular exercises in the gym such as cycling and indoor rowing. These are excellent choices because they are performed in a seated position, ensuring you can work out at a low to moderate intensity for longer periods of time than you might have managed on machines like the stepper or the crosstrainer.

Swimming and water aerobics are also excellent choices, since the body is virtually weightless in the safe environment of a swimming pool. The intensity should be kept constant not varied, and monitored to ensure it is not excessive. You can do this by measuring your heart rate in beats per minute. Most machines in the gym will calculate this for you when you position your hands on the metallic handle sensors.

You could also do it the old-fashioned way, by finding your pulse and counting the beats manually. If you count off the beats over a 20-second period, then multiply the amount by three.

Check what your heart rate is at rest first thing in the morning and for your first sessions, a good rule of thumb is an intensity of your resting heart rate plus 40. If you are over 35, then it is your resting heart rate plus 30, and if over 45, plus 20. If you feel dizzy at any point, you should stop immediately and have another shot at it another day. When this intensity is no longer challenging, then it is time to start increasing gradually.

One or two cardiovascular-based exercises that elevate your heart rate to the desired level will do nicely for the first few weeks. After that, you can add in some resistance training. Resistance training will make you stronger and increase your muscle mass so that your body requires more calories, making it easier to achieve what is known as a ‘negative energy balance’, where calories out basically exceed calories in, thus facilitating weight loss.

Take girth measurements at the waist, hips, chest/upper back, upper arms and thighs. These measurements will, over time, provide a more accurate indication of progress than the weighing scales can alone. The tape often tells a more optimistic and encouraging story than the scales do.

Another important consideration relates to the training environment itself. Make sure that the area is cool and well ventilated. Extra body fat means better insulation and therefore higher body temperatures, so the risk of heat exhaustion and dehydration increase the more body fat is present. Drink plenty of water throughout your session.

As a final consideration, do not just stop at hitting the gym. Remember that the more calories you burn, all the time, the more fat will be lost. Incorporate bouts of physical activity into your daily routine wherever you can and you will achieve your fat loss goals that much faster.

matthew.muscat.inglott@mcast.edu.mt