WIN Weight-control Information Network

U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

Active At Any

Size!

At Any

Size!

O you feel that you can

barely do any activity at all?

That you cannot exercise, play

sports, or become more fit?

If you are a very large person,

you can still be physically active.

at

Any

Size!

Active at

Any

Size!

ERY large people

face special challenges in

trying to be active. You

may not be able to bend

or move in the same way

that other people can.

It may be hard to find

clothes and equipment

for exercising. You may

feel self-conscious being

physically active around

other people.

Facing these challenges is

hard—but it can be done!

The information in this

booklet may help you

start being more active

and healthier—no matter

what your size!

D

V
Why should I be active?

EING physically active may help you live longer

and protect you from:

◆ diabetes

◆ heart disease and stroke

◆ high blood pressure

◆ osteoporosis (a disease leading to weak bones that

may break easily)

If you have any of these health problems, being

physically active may help control or improve your

symptoms.

B

Being

physically

active

can be

BIG fun!

2
EGULAR physical activity helps you feel better

because it:

◆ lowers your stress and boosts your mood

◆ increases your strength

◆ helps control blood pressure and blood sugar

◆ helps build healthy bones, muscles, and joints

◆ helps your heart and lungs work better

◆ improves your self-esteem.

How do I get started?

O start being more physically active

and keep at it:

◆ Start slowly. Your body needs time to get used to

your new activity.

◆ Warm up. Warm-ups get your body ready for

action. Shrug your shoulders, tap your toes, swing

your arms, or march in place. You should spend a

few minutes warming up for any physical activity—

even walking. Walk more slowly for the first few

minutes.

◆ Cool down. Slow down little by little. If you have

been walking fast, walk slowly or stretch for a few

minutes to cool down. Cooling down may protect

your heart, relax your muscles, and keep you from

getting hurt.

R

T

3
◆ Set goals. Set short-term and long-term goals. A

short-term goal may be to walk 5 minutes on at

least 3 days for 1 week. It may not seem like a lot,

but any activity is better than none. A long-term

goal may be to walk 30 minutes on most days of

the week by the end of 6 months.

◆ Get support. Get a family member or friend to be

physically active with you. It may be more fun, and

your buddy can cheer you on.

Appreciate

Yourself!

If you

cannot do

an activity,

don’t be

hard on

yourself.

Feel good

about what

you can

do. Be

proud of

pushing

yourself up

out of a

chair or

walking

a short

distance.

Pat yourself

on the

back for

trying,

even if you

cannot do

it the first

time. It

may be

easier the

next time!

◆ Track progress. Keep a journal of your physical

activity. You may not feel like you are making

progress but when you look back at where you

started, you may be pleasantly surprised!

◆ Have fun! Try different activities to find the ones

you really enjoy.

JOURNAL

Date Activity How Long? Goal

Monday, March 1 Walking 5 minutes 5 minutes

Tuesday, March 2 Walking 5 minutes 5 minutes

Wednesday, March 3 Walking 5 minutes 5 minutes

5 minutes

5 minutes

8 minutes

8 minutes

8 minutes

8 minutes

8 minutes

11 minutes

4
What physical activities can

a very large person do?

MOST very large people can do some or all

of the physical activities in this booklet.

You do not need special skills or a lot of equipment.

You can do:

◆ Weight-bearing

activities, like

walking and

golfing, which

involve lifting or

pushing your own

body weight.

◆ Non-weightbearing activities,

like swimming and

water workouts,

which put less

stress on your

joints because you

do not have to lift

or push your own

weight. If your feet or joints hurt when you stand,

non-weight-bearing activities may be best for you.

◆ Lifestyle activities, like gardening, which do not

have to be planned.

Physical activity does not have to be hard or boring

to be good for you. Anything that gets you moving

around—even for only a few minutes a day—is a

healthy start to getting more fit.

5
Walking (weight-bearing)

The walking that you do during the day

(like doing chores around the house or in

the yard) may help you be more fit. But

regular, steady walking that makes you

breathe heavier can help you to be

healthier. It will give your heart and

lungs—as well as your leg muscles—a

good workout.

If you are not physically active now, start

slowly. Try to walk 5 minutes a day for the

first week. Walk 8 minutes the next week.

Stay at 8–minute walks until you feel

comfortable. Then increase your walks to

11 minutes. Slowly lengthen each walk by

3 minutes—or walk faster.

Tips for walking:

◆ Wear comfortable walking shoes with

a lot of support. If you walk often, you

may need to buy new shoes every 6 to 8

months.

◆ Wear garments that prevent inner

thigh chafing, such as tights or spandex

shorts.

◆ Make walking fun. Walk with a friend or

pet. Walk in places you enjoy, like a

park or shopping mall.

To learn more, read the brochure

Walking...A Step in the Right Direction from

the Weight-control Information Network

(WIN). (Available in English and Spanish)

Do I need to see

my health care

provider before

I start being

physically active?

You should talk to

your health care

provider if you:

● have a chronic

health problem

such as diabetes,

heart disease,

asthma, or arthritis

● have high blood

pressure, high

cholesterol, or

personal or family

history of heart

disease, or

● are a woman over

age 50 or a man

over age 40.

Chances are your

health care provider

will be pleased with

your decision to start

an activity program.

It is unlikely that you

will need a complete

medical exam before

you go out for a

short walk!

6
Gentle physical

activity is

healthy.

You do not have

to push yourself

to benefit from

physical activity.

Thirty minutes of

gentle physical

activity (like

walking) can be

just as healthy

as 15 minutes of

intense physical

activity (like fast

dancing).

Dancing (weight-bearing

or non-weight-bearing)

Dancing may help:

◆ tone your muscles

◆ improve your flexibility

◆ make your heart stronger

◆ make your lungs work better.

You can dance in a health club, in a

nightclub, or at home. To dance at home,

just move your body to some lively music!

Dancing on

your feet is a

weight-bearing

activity. Dancing

while seated lets

you move your

arms and legs

to music while

taking the

weight off your

feet. This may

be a good

choice if you

cannot stand on

your feet very

long.

See the list

of additional

resources at

the end of this

booklet for seated workout videos.

7
Water Workouts

(non-weight-bearing)

Exercising in water helps you feel:

◆ Flexible. You can bend and move your body in

water in ways you cannot on land.

◆ Strong. Working against the water will help your

body get stronger.

◆ At less risk for injury. Water makes your body

float. This keeps your joints from being pounded

or jarred and helps prevent sore muscles and

injury.

◆ Refreshed. You can keep cooler in water—even

when you are working hard.

You do not need to know how to swim to work out in

water—you can do shallow-water or deep-water

workouts without swimming.

For shallow-water workouts, the water level should

be between your waist and your chest. If the water is

too shallow, it will be hard to move your arms

underwater. If the water is deeper than chest height,

it will be hard to keep your feet touching the pool

bottom.

For deep-water workouts, most of your body is

underwater. This means that your whole body will get

a good workout. For safety and comfort, wear a

foam belt or life jacket.

Many swim centers offer classes in water workouts.

Check with the pools in your area to find the best

water workout for you.

Where to

work out.

You can

do many

physical

activities in

your home.

But there are

other fun

ways to be

active in

health clubs,

in recreation

centers, or

outdoors.

It may be

hard to be

physically

active

around other

people. Keep

in mind that

you have just

as much

right to be

healthy and

active as

anyone else.

8
See the list of additional resources at the end of this

booklet to learn more about water workouts.

Weight Training (weight-bearing

or non-weight-bearing)

Weight training builds strong muscles and bones.

Getting stronger can also help prepare you for other

kinds of physical activity. You can weight train at

home or at a fitness center.

You do not need benches or bars to begin weight

training at home. You can use a pair of hand weights

or even two soup cans.

Make sure you know the correct posture and that

your movements are slow and controlled.

Before you buy a home gym, check its weight rating

(the number of pounds it can support) to make sure it

Weight

training

rule of

thumb.

If you

cannot lift

a weight 6

times in a

row, the

weight you

are lifting

is too

heavy. If

you can

easily lift a

weight 15

times in a

row, your

weight is

too light.

9
is safe for your size. If you

want to join a fitness

center where you can use

weights, shop around for

one where you feel at

ease.

To learn more about

weight training, see the

list of additional resources

at the end of this booklet.

Bicycling (non-weight-bearing)

You can bicycle indoors on a stationary bike, or

outdoors on a road bike. Biking does not stress

any one part of the body—your weight is spread

between your arms, back, and hips.

You may want to use a recumbent bike. On this

type of bike, you sit low to the ground with your

legs reaching forward to the pedals. This may feel

better than sitting upright. The seat

on a recumbent bike is also

wider than

the seat on

an upright

bike.

Photograph courtesy

of Bicycles by

Haluzak, Sant Rosa,

California

10
For biking outdoors, you may want to try a

mountain bike. These bikes have wider tires and

are heavy. You can also buy a larger seat to put on

your bike.

Make sure the bike you buy has a weight rating at

least as high as your own weight.

To learn more about bicycling, see the list of

additional resources at the end of this booklet.

Stretching (weight-bearing

or non-weight-bearing)

Stretching may help you:

◆ be more flexible

◆ feel more relaxed

◆ improve your blood flow

◆ keep your muscles from getting tight after

doing other physical activities.

You do not have to set aside a special time or

place to stretch. At home or at work, stand up,

push your arms toward the ceiling, and stretch.

Stretch slowly and only enough to feel tightness—

not until you feel pain. Hold the stretch, without

bouncing, for about 30 seconds. Do not stretch

cold muscles.

Yoga and tai chi are types of stretching. They help

you breathe deeply, relax, and get rid of stress.

Questions

to ask when

choosing

a fitness

center.

● Can the

treadmills

or benches

support

people who

are large?

● Do the

fitness staff

know how

to work

with people

of larger

sizes?

● Can I take

time to see

how I like

the center

before I

sign up?

● Is the aim

to have fun

and get

healthy—

not to lose

weight?

11
Your local fitness center

may offer yoga, tai chi,

or other stretching

classes. You may want

to start with “gentle”

classes, like those

aimed at seniors.

See the list of additional

resources at the end of this booklet to learn more

about these physical activities for large people.

Lifestyle Activities

Lifestyle physical activities do not have to be planned.

You can make small changes to make your day more

physically active and improve your health. For

example,

◆ Take 2- to 3-minute walking breaks at work a few

times a day.

◆ Put away the TV remote control—get up to change

the channel.

◆ March in place during TV commercials.

◆ Sit in a rocking chair and push off the floor with

your feet.

◆ Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Doing chores like lawn mowing, leaf raking,

gardening, and housework may also improve your

health.

Applaud

yourself!

If you can

do only a

few or none

of these

activities,

it’s OK.

Remember

to appreciate

what you can

do, even if

you think it

is a small

amount. Just

moving any

part of your

body—even

for a short

time—may

make you

healthier. 12
Safety Tips

Try these tips for safe physical activity.

Stop your activity right away if you:

◆ have pain, tightness, or pressure in your

chest or left neck, shoulder, or arm

◆ feel dizzy or sick

◆ break out in a cold sweat

◆ have muscle cramps

◆ feel pain in your joints, feet, ankles, or

legs. You could hurt yourself if you ignore

the pain.

Ask your health care provider what to do

if you have any of these symptoms.

Slow down if you feel out of breath.

You should be able to talk during your

activity, without gasping for breath.

Drink lots of water before, during,

and after physical activity (even water

workouts) to replace the water you

lose by sweating.

Do not do hard exercise for 2 hours

after a big meal (but taking a walk is

OK). If you eat small meals, you can

be physically active more often.

Drink

plenty of

water

Water helps

every cell

and organ

in your

body work.

It cushions

your joints,

helps keep

you regular,

and keeps

your body

cool.

13
Wear the right clothes:

◆ Wear lightweight, loose-fitting tops so you can

move easily.

◆ Wear clothes made of fabrics that absorb sweat

and remove it from your skin.

◆ Never wear rubber or plastic suits. Plastic suits

could hold the sweat on your skin and make your

body overheat.

◆ Women should wear a good support bra.

◆ Wear supportive athletic shoes for weight-bearing

activities.

◆ Wear a knit hat to keep you warm when you are

physically active outdoors in cold weather. Wear a

tightly woven, wide-brimmed hat in hot weather to

help keep you cool and protect you from the sun.

◆ Wear sunscreen when you are physically active

outdoors.

Healthy, fit bodies come

in all sizes. Whatever

your size or shape, get

physically active now

and keep moving for a

healthier life!

Photo by Ira Fox

14
Additional Resources

Inclusion of resources is for information only and

does not imply endorsement by the Government.

Publications (Fitness-Related)

Walking . . . A Step in the Right Direction.

NIH Publication No. 01-4155. 2001. This pamphlet

explains how to start a walking program, presents a

sample program, and shows stretches for warming up

and cooling down. Available in English and Spanish

from WIN, www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/nutrit.htm.

Active Living Every Day: 20 Weeks to Lifelong

Vitality

Steven N. Blair, Andrea L. Dunn, Bess H. Marcus, Ruth

Ann Carpenter, and Peter Jaret, Human Kinetics, 2001.

This book offers a step-by-step plan for getting and

staying active. The information, suggested activities,

and self-help tools in each chapter were successfully

tested with people who followed the plan and learned

to make activity a part of their daily lives. The 20

chapters correspond to the 20 weeks of the program,

but readers are encouraged to go at their own pace.

Available from www.humankinetics.com, or your local

or online bookstore.

Great Shape: The First Fitness Guide for Large

Women.

Pat Lyons and Debby Burgard. iUniverse, 2000. This

book urges women to be physically active for fun,

fitness, and positive body image instead of for weight

loss. The authors describe a healthy lifestyle program

including walking, swimming, dancing, martial arts,

bicycling, and more. Available from www.iUniverse.com

or your local or online bookstore.

15
Just the Weigh You Are: How to Be Fit and Healthy

Whatever Your Size.

Steven Jonas and Linda Konner. Houghton Mifflin Co.,

Ltd., 1998. This book presents a plan for total fitness

and healthy living no matter what your size. Chapters

focus on accepting oneself, improving nutrition without

dieting, managing stress, and doing moderate physical

activity. Available from your local or online bookstore.

Don’t Weight: Eat Healthy and Get Moving NOW!

Kelly Bliss. Infinity Publishing, 2002. This book provides

motivation and information for healthy eating and plussize fitness. It also teaches problem solving techniques.

It offers information that can help the large person plan

and achieve a fitness program that can be sustained for

a lifetime. Available from KellyBliss.com, P.O. Box 572,

Lansdowne, PA 19050; phone: 1-877-KellyBliss; Web:

www.KellyBliss.com; or your local or online bookstore.

Water Exercise.

Martha D. White. Human Kinetics, 1995. This book

presents water exercises for fitness and muscle tone as

well as exercises for injuries, postsurgical rehabilitation,

and other special needs. Available from Human

Kinetics, P.O. Box 5076, Champaign, IL 61825; phone:

1-800-747-4457; Web: www.humankinetics.com; or

your local or online bookstore.

Easy Does It Yoga.

Alice Christensen, American Yoga Association. Fireside,

1999. This book presents a program of exercises,

breathing, meditation, philosophy, and nutrition for

older adults and those with physical limitations. Simple

chair exercises and more challenging standing and

floor exercises are described. Available from the

American Yoga Association, P.O. Box 19986, Sarasota,

FL 34276; phone: (941) 927-4977; Web:

www.americanyogaassociation.org; or your local or

online bookstore.

16
Real Fitness for Real Women: A Unique Workout

Program for the Plus-Size Woman.

Rochelle Rice. Warner Books, 2001. This book

describes a 6-week introductory fitness program that

includes warm-ups, aerobics, strength training and

stretching techniques, and meditation. Photos of plussized women demonstrate the exercises. The book also

addresses getting motivated, creating support,

evaluating current abilities, and increasing selfacceptance. Available from www.rochellerice.com or

your local or online bookstore.

Other Publications

Ample Hygiene for Ample People.

Nancy Summer. Willendorf Press, 1997. This booklet

offers tips for dealing with reach problems, chafing,

skin fold irritations, and more. Available from the

National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, P.O.

Box 188620, Sacramento, CA 95818; phone: (916)

558-6880; Web: www.amplestuff.com.

Plus Size Yellow Pages.

Over 3000 online resources for fitness clothes up to 6X,

casual wear up to 10X, bikes, bike seats, kayaks, sports

bras, supportive tights/leggings, supportive fitness

shoes, and much more.

Web: www.PlusSizeYellowPages.com.

Size Wise: A Catalog of More Than 1000 Resources

for Living With Confidence and Comfort at Any

Size.

Judy Sullivan. Avon, 1997. This book describes

resources that offer products or services for large

people. It tells where to buy items like swimsuits, bicycle

seats, and walking shoes. It also has information on

exercise classes and sports instruction for large people

throughout the United States, Britain, and Canada.

Available from www.sizewise.com or your local

bookstore.

17
Videos

Yoga for Round Bodies, Volumes 1 and 2.

Linda DeMarco and Genia Pauli Haddon. These videos

offer a fitness system based on Kripalu yoga to

promote strength, flexibility, stress relief, and

cardiovascular health. Round-bodied instructors tailor

classic yoga postures to large people at both beginner

and intermediate levels in each video. Available from

Plus Publications, Box 265-W, Scotland, CT 06264;

phone: 1-800-436-9642; or www.amazon.com.

Chair Dancing.

Jodi Stolove. This no-impact video series is designed to

improve muscle tone, flexibility, and cardiovascular

endurance without putting stress on your knees, back,

hips, or feet. Available from Chair Dancing

International, Inc., 2658 Del Mar Heights Road, Del

Mar, CA 92014; phone: 1-800-551-4386;

Web: www.chairdancing.com.

Tai Chi Chuan.

Dawn Fleetwood. This 50-minute instructional video

features slow, gentle movements and breathing

exercises that involve all of the muscles and organs in

the body. Available from Orchid Leaf Productions, P.O.

Box 72, Flint, MI 48501; phone: (810) 235-9864.

BIG MOVES: Yoga for Chair and Bed.

Mara Nesbitt. This video is designed for people who

have difficulty getting down to or up from the floor.

Led by a plus-sized instructor, it includes stretches done

standing, sitting, and lying on a bed, plus a guided

meditation. Available from Mirage Video Productions,

P.O. Box 19141, Portland, OR 97280;

Web: www.miragevideos.com.

18
Organizations and Programs

YMCA and YWCA.

The Young Men’s Christian Association and Young

Women’s Christian Association offer physical fitness

and health awareness programs in many locations

throughout the United States. Contact YMCA of the

U.S.A., 101 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL 60606; phone:

(312) 977-0031; Web: www.ymca.net. Contact YWCA

of the U.S.A., 1015 18th St., NW, Suite 1100,

Washington, DC 20036; phone: 1-800-679-1209;

Web: www.ywca.org.

Council on Size and Weight Discrimination, Inc.

This nonprofit organization seeks to improve health

care and access to services for large people through

educational programs, media monitoring, and medical

conference attendance. Contact CSWD at: P.O. Box

305, Mount Marion, NY 12456; phone: (845) 679-

1209; Web: www.cswd.org.

National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance.

This nonprofit organization seeks to end discrimination

based on body size and to improve the quality of life

for large people. It offers a variety of publications and

videos on size acceptance, self-esteem, and health and

fitness. Contact NAAFA at: P.O. Box 188620,

Sacramento, CA 95818; phone: (916) 558-6880;

Web: www.naafa.org.

19
Websites

Body Positive.®

This site addresses issues ranging from self-esteem to

fitness to finding respectful health care providers. It

includes resources and links to related sites.

Web: www.bodypositive.com.

Big Folks Exercise and Fitness Resources

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

This site provides information on where to buy clothing,

videos, and books on physical activity and fitness for

big people. It also lists organizations and classes

worldwide for large people.

Web: www.faqs.org/faqs/fat-acceptance-faq/fitness.

Healthy Living with Bliss.TM

This site includes information on walking, swimming,

aerobics, stretching, and other fitness activities for large

and very large people. A resource section includes

fitness wear, books, exercise equipment, classes, and

information on where to buy fitness videos for large

people. There is an online workbook, eNewsletter, and

a chat with plus-size personal fitness trainer Kelly Bliss.

Web: www.KellyBliss.com.

20
Weight-control Information Network

1 WIN WAY

Bethesda, MD 20892-3665

Phone: (202) 828-1025

Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627

FAX: (202) 828-1028

Email: WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/nutrit.htm

The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a service of

the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney

Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, which is the

Federal Government’s lead agency responsible for biomedical

research on nutrition and obesity. Authorized by Congress

(Public Law 103-43), WIN provides the general public, health

professionals, the media, and Congress with up-to-date,

science-based health information on weight control, obesity,

physical activity, and related nutritional issues.

WIN answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications,

and works closely with professional and patient organizations

and Government agencies to coordinate resources about

weight control and related issues.

Publications produced by WIN are reviewed by both NIDDK

scientists and outside experts. This publication was also

reviewed by Steven Blair, P.E.D., President and Chief Executive

Officer, Cooper Institute; Robert Eckel, M.D., Professor of

Medicine, Physiology, and Biophysics, University of Colorado

Health Sciences Center; and Diego Crespo, M.S., Certified

Personal Trainer.

Special thanks to the Women of Substance Health Spa, Kelly

Bliss, M.Ed., and Rochelle Rice, M.A., of In Fitness and In

Health for providing many of the photographs in this brochure.

This publication is not copyrighted. WIN encourages users of

this brochure to duplicate and distribute as many copies as

desired.

This publication is also available at

www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/nutrit.htm.
National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Diseases

NIH Pub No. 04-4352

Reprint April 2004