Exercise if you can't move

[Chandni 15]

Hiya, I'm quite new and pre-op, but would like to already get into good habits to make things easier after the OP, since it'll be hard enough

I am 214.2 kg (472.23lbs) which means I can barely move, every move hurts and I can't stand for longer than 2-3 minutes without massive pain. I have a mini bike, that I can use when I sit in my chair but I can't get more than 5 minutes without pain. Can't go swimming even though that would be awesome for my joints because it's expensive and there are no swimming suits in my size - I live in Germany.

Does anyone know what I could do that isn't going to cause me too much pain and make things worse? Any suggestion is welcome.

[TX_KB 29]

There are lots of chair based exercises you can do. A quick Google search should turn up quite a few. Arm raises, calf raises, bicep curls, etc. Good for you for wanting to start out with good habits!


Lap band 10/2007 revised to RNY 12/22/2017
HW 270
SW 263
CW 253

[Creekimp13 5,841]

Increase activity in small realistic goals. A few more steps. A few more seconds standing. Just keep trying:)

[EagerPenguin 159]

Swimming I think would be your best bet, though I know you said it's expensive and there's the issue of swim suit size. Can you explore other options? Or cut something else out of your budget so you can afford the pool? Also, often times a swimsuit isn't even require. You could swim in your clothing, or order a swim suit online.

Otherwise, can you move your arms ok? I would start there. At first just use your body weight, sitting in a chair like TX_KB said above. Once you've gained some strength in your arms, hold Soup cans in each hand for some extra weight. Also, try stretching a resistance band between your arms, like this one: https://www.target.com/p/exercise-flat-resistance-band-3pk-light-medium-and-heavy-c9-champion-174/-/A-51944022#lnk=sametab For your legs, try lifting your feet one at a time, or even just tapping your feet instead of lifting.

I hope you can find something that works for you. Good luck on your journey!

[Thucydides 250]

Chandni, I can completely relate to this, because I dealt with exactly the same thing prior to my surgery (and for some time afterward). I was 518 lbs before surgery. This meant that may back and knees were enormously painful for any amount of standing or walking beyond a couple of minutes. I started out just trying to walk laps around the inside of my house. A few minutes at a time, gradually increasing it over time. As the weight came off, it got easier to exercise and do things that I never could do at my initial starting weight. I'm now a little bit more than 2 years post-op and have gone from needing to park in handicapped spaces because I couldn't walk due to knee and back issues to jogging 4 miles every morning.

There is nothing special about me, so you can absolutely do it! My best advice to you is to start small and just focus on moving a bit more each day. You will see, as you lose weight it will get substantially easier. Good luck!

[Chandni 15]

First of all thank you so much for your answers guys. I appreciate you taking the time.

I do want to try swimming but I have no income, so right now the only thing we pay money on is regular living bills and groceries. No way to put anything aside. We hope it'll change in the future but alas not right now.

I have tried chair exercises before and they were fun until the pain came. My problem was that since I connect exercise with pain it is hard to get myself to do it. But I want to try because I need to. So I'll go back to slow starts, not punishing myself when I can't do much yet because it'll get better.

@Thucydides Thank you for sharing your story, it gives me hope that things will get better. I have always been the heaviest and biggest person in my RL, and I hope that it doesn't sound wrong (I am sometimes not good with words) that someone who started out bigger than me got to where you are now, is simply amazing to me and I can only hope that things will go like that for me. Thank you!