Fat Can Be Fit - Working Out and Feeling Good Without a "Perfect" Body

A positive body image, when your body doesn't fit our cultural standards of beauty, for me has been a journey that began when I arrived at puberty. Contrary to popular assumption being fat is not necessarily the cause of health issues. There are many factors often not considered when evaluating an individual person's weight or Body Mass Index or BMI. One important factor rarely considered is how much ridicule a person suffers when they try to exercise. This ridicule is so pervasive and poignant that thin people are shocked to hear the stories. I am on the lighter side of a heavy person, so the majority of large people have to experience far more and greater ridicule then I have. . BMI only considers height and weight, suggesting that all persons of a given height are supposed to be the same weight

As a heavy person, exercising in the great outdoors has been a tremendous shock in how shallow and abusive some people can be- I have had people shout rude and insidious remarks from car windows at me riding my bike, crossing the street, or just putting groceries in my car. I have had people through rocks and glass bottles at me, while yelling these derogatory remarks about my size. This is ironic because I am the one on the bicycle and they are the "lazy" people sitting in a car. My sister, in LA when she was heavier (actually normal, but by LA standards she was so call "overweight") experienced the same ridicule. This is the completely overlooked and unacknowledged reason it is commonly believed large people have higher blood pressure, on average. I am always proud to boast about my perfect blood pressure and impressively low cholesterol when I encounter this assumption.

Regardless of how unhealthy it is or isn't to be "overweight" there is no excuse for anyone to treat people in this way and our culture and the medical profession perpetuates it. What is more our culture and medical profession does not consider how this ridicule effects a person's ability to exercise and how that effects a heavy person's health and well being- we just blame the weight itself.

Evidence and anecdote that an individual can be large and fit and healthy is often ignored. It is possible to be fat and fit at the same time. Sumo wrestlers are a good example. Recently, I happened upon a fascinating documentary on National Geographic Explorer about Sumo wrestlers. A Sumo Wrestler has a BMI that by US cultural standard would be morbidly obese. However, because of the high degree of physical activity in their sport they have a thick layer of fat on the surface and large muscle mass. Fat on the surface does no put stress on internal organs. As an experienced Bellydancer, the same principle applies; Bellydance is a beautiful dance art that honors the large woman. After years of working out and Bellydance, I am a heavy person, and contrary to popular assumption I am in great shape, have a perfect blood pressure reading, and impressively low cholesterol. Bellydance is a wonderful form of exercise for a heavy person. Sumo Wrestling might be too, though I don't have first hand experience. A good Bellydance teacher will use her class to foster positive body image, as mine has for so many years.

For a heavy person, or someone that is highly self-conscious a home gym can relieve this pressure and humiliation. Looking in a large mirror, especially next to other bodies can cause shame or embarrassment. To safely build an exercise program it is helpful and often essential to consult a doctor and fitness professional. Any guidance in books or on the internet will likely be written according to a "normal" body type, not considering the needs of a heavy person. It is a further challenge to find a doctor and fitness professional that is sensitive to a heavy person and that won't judge or shame, though it is possible. I have conquered this by scrutiny and assertiveness. Anyone who is paid by my resources needs to accommodate me, and if not I will go elsewhere.

For resistance training, especially, it is important to create a regime with a professional, especially if you are also recovering from an injury like I am. The investment is worth the expense for getting on the right track. I have consulted fitness and even medical sites on the internet that I strongly believed were risky or inappropriate for my disability needs. There is a vast difference between working out for rehabilitation and working out to stay in shape.

Resistance training is especially important for women to prevent osteoporosis. It is also beneficial for increasing metabolism that naturally slows down around age 40; I am having first hand experience with this phenomenon this year! Creating a resistance training routine that is safe, inexpensive and does not take up too much space is not difficult. A resistance band is a whole exercise machine in a glorified rubber band that fits in your purse. It also is one size fits all- you don't have to try to fit in or on some contraption, or put pressure on your joints especially feet and knees. It is also a wonderful tool for aiding and modifying stretches and yoga poses. For example, if you need to stretch your arms behind your back, and your hands don't meet in the back, you can hold the band with both hands. Resistance bands are inexpensive and usually come with an exercise chart and possibly a DVD or book. A resistance band can be used in place of free weights or with a little creativity, exercises done on a home gym machine.

I have a variety of resistance training tools that fit in a tote bag and it may be more then what I need. An empty plastic bottle filled with sand doesn't cost anything. Once you work up to more weight, just find a larger capacity bottle. (Please also see general article about a home gym) My right hand is disabled from an injury, so at this time a one pound weight is too much; on my right hand I used a 10 ounce bottle and on my left hand I use a two pound dumbbell.

I recommend having a pedometer. This requires a small investment, often under $10. My pedometer counts steps for all different kinds of movement. The instructions that came with my pedometer recommend 10,000 steps a day. It is a good idea to work up to it- that is my left knee talking. Depending on your fitness level and advice from a professional, you can start with 3,000-5,000 per day and work up to 10,000. The advantage of a pedometer is that it counts your walking steps and walking is a low impact. A pedometer is a valuable tool in becoming aware of how active you are in a given day and to recognize how to increase activity. Best of all, if doing smaller activity throughout the day is your style or more comfortable for you, as opposed to a long strenuous workout all at once, the pedometer will read the steps the same.

I resisted doing yoga for years because I assumed it was an exercise for long thin bodies. Not only did I discover that this assumption is false, but I also found a yoga program that is for any body. Every morning I start with a wonderful yoga routine, "A Morning Cup of Yoga" before my cup of coffee. It includes a book with illustrations and detailed instructions with a companion talking you through the routine. This is a fabulous yoga routine if you have never done yoga, are heavy, recovering from a disability, or elderly. The poses are all modified, using a chair as an aide or doing poses seated. What is kind of nice is that it is sensitive to someone who may need these modifications, but never specifies that anything is modified at all. This series, which also includes "Morning Cup Of Pilates" and "Morning Cup of Chi gong"

Another yoga routine that I recommend is Just My Size. This DVD is produced specifically for the large women. The instructor herself is a large woman and a shinning example of someone who is large and in great shape and in excellent health. It is not only validating to take instruction from another large person, but also is visually closer to your own body type therefore it is easier to know if your form is safe and correct. Often I am uncertain if my position is correct when I am taking the example from a thinner person- I am not always certain if the difference is something in my form or the difference in shape.

Another option for doing yoga, dance, aerobics or any other group class is to gather together other large individuals together for a special class with a private instructor. The greatest scenario would be a large instructor; if this is not available, find someone who has training and experience with larger bodies and sensitivity. There is no reason she/he needs to use any rhetoric about weight loss or fat burning- all the instructor need do is give individual assistance on safe form and technique and facilitate a fun class for all participants.

I have found many great DVDs of many varieties at overstock stores, specifically Ross, and second hand sales. I am quite scrutinizing when I make my purchase. As a large woman, proud of who I am, I don't want anything that is over the top on weight loss rhetoric. I find it insulting and assumptive. I am offended by the assumption that weight loss is my fitness goal as if that is what everyone wants. When I had a gym membership, I would directly address any instructor that spoke this way. Some of my DVDs do have language emphasizing weight loss and slenderizing, but I have learned to ignore it. For someone beginning their journey of self acceptance trying to be healthier and fit, it can be discouraging and even insulting.

It is important to note that if the exercise does not work or is uncomfortable for your body, it is not your body that is wrong, it is the exercise routine or method that is wrong. The same applies to individual instructors in classes or on a DVD. Whenever I have belonged to a spa and find a staff member or instructor to be insensitive or insulting, I speak to the management. If this isn't comfortable, you can write a letter. If the management doesn't know how the clients feel, they will not improve their services to accommodate a variety of clientele. Chances are the instructor or staff person are swayed by our culture and consumerism that gives the message that it is not okay to be heavy and that anyone who is should be ashamed and corrected.