Ask The Expert
Exercise

It is true that many articles recommend walking as the best exercise for weight loss and health. But many people have physical limitations that make that difficult or impossible to do.

Start with your healthcare team:

It is important to first contact your healthcare team to discuss your limitations and get their recommendations.

• For example, your team may advise you not to do certain types of exercise.
• More importantly, you may qualify for a physical therapy consultation to assess your situation and make specific recommendations. This is not always the case, but you won’t know until you ask.

Other options:

Once you have your healthcare team’s OK, and if you do not qualify for a physical therapy referral, there are other types of exercise you can consider.

• Exercise videos: You might enjoy exercising in your home under the guidance of a video. There are videos available to meet a variety of needs, including armchair exercises. Be sure to check out the related links below for a few resources. For example, under the video link, I entered "armchair" in the search box and found videos on how to "sit and be fit".
• Swimming or water aerobics: Water exercises are great for taking the stress off of joints. Many communities offer a variety of swimming programs and water exercise classes.
• Strength training: Doing resistance exercise--such as lifting weights or using exercise weight machines—can decrease insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity, while building strength, improving coordination and balance, controlling weight and blood glucose, and increasing your overall sense of well being. You can read specific examples and descriptions in the related answer at right in the Exercise Guide.
• Yoga or Tai chi or low impact exercise classes: Many areas offer low-cost classes to meet a variety of needs. Places to look would be: the local YMCA, community centers, community colleges, local gyms, or other local organizations.

Conclusion: Even with physical limitations, there are exercises you can do. It is important to first start with your healthcare team to get their recommendations.