Recently, a woman reached out to me inquiring about starting some training sessions. She had previously been a relatively consistent exerciser, but fell off the wagon due to the pandemic. She had gained some weight and felt awful. I wanted her to either start zooming with me or coming to my studio (with COVID precautions) as soon as possible, because I knew that once she started exercising and moving again, she would feel so much better. She hesitated. After some gentle prying, I discovered that she felt that she had to lose weight before she could start exercising. Oh, there is that “weight-loss issue” always getting in our way!
Here’s the reality. Regardless of your weight, exercise works. If trained properly, you can get stronger, keep your bones healthy, improve your balance, enhance your flexibility, improve your cardiovascular fitness and build muscle. Regardless of your weight, you can change your body composition by building muscle tissue and losing fat. Regardless of your weight, exercise will definitely boost your energy levels and put you in a better mood. And let’s face it, in our current situation, we all could use to feel happier. Exercise will help relieve stress, and help you sleep better.
The problem with this potential client is she might not be able to lose weight right now. We are living in a global pandemic and we are stressed! Given her view that she can’t start exercising until she loses some weight, she is missing an opportunity to feel better.
Bottom line: Don’t let your weight be a barrier for not exercising. Once you get going, you will be so glad that you did!