Most people who weigh over 700 pounds must move slowly through their exercise routines to ensure they do not injure themselves or overtrain their heart and lungs, according to the textbook "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance." Choosing the right exercise equipment is paramount to getting into a workout regimen that will yield the healthiest benefits without causing any injuries. Starting with smaller, more compact equipment is best before moving to larger pieces of exercise equipment.
Dumbbells
Dumbbells are very versatile pieces of exercise equipment and come in a range of weights, allowing you to adapt them to your changing fitness levels. For people over 700 pounds, dumbbells offer a gentle way to strength train without taxing the cardiovascular system. Dumbbells allow you to focus on different muscle groups and are small enough to travel with or store in your home without taking up much space. "Dumbbells are perfect for someone over 700 pounds. At that heavy of a weight, you don't have a lot of mobility to begin with and moving around enough to do most exercises is very difficult," said Shelby Young, an American College of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer. "Working with dumbbells lets them strength train, which will also work their hearts but not be as challenging as full-on cardiovascular exercise."
Medicine Ball
Like dumbbells, weighted medicine balls come in a range of sizes from one pound to 100 pounds. They are small, compact and can be used at home or at the gym. They allow greater range of movement, unlike some other exercise equipment which limits movement to one muscle group. Strength training raises the heart rate, which burns fat and calories while replacing that fat with healthy, toned muscle. Muscle burns more calories per cell than fat, so the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be and the more calories you will burn when you are resting. "Medicine balls are another great piece of equipment that someone over 700 pounds can use," said Young. "You can easily work the chest and upper body, you have more movement if you're working he lower body and you can increase the weight as you get stronger and begin losing weight."
Swimming Pool
Swimming pools are a highly beneficial solution for people over 700 pounds. Most fitness centers feature pools designed for members to swim laps and perform water aerobics or other aqua fitness classes. For someone more than 700 pounds, the best way to begin is to simply start with holding on to the edge of the pool and treading water. This works the lower body but also challenges the arms and core to keep you stable while your legs move under the water. "A pool is definitely a piece of exercise equipment that someone that large should consider. It's gentle on the joints and you can get a full-body workout each time," said Young.
References
- "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance"; William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, Victor L. Katch; 2006
- Shelby Young, ACSM certified Athletic Performance Specialist; Hampshire Hills Sports and Fitness Club;, Milford, NH
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