The Truth, Just so You Know

All of my life, I have been told of the benefits of physical activity.  The benefits are very true.  I'm not going to deny them at all. Working out is good for you. As our country gets heavier and more and more people are reaching high levels of obesity, we will hear more reports about the benefits of exercise. Again, I agree. There are many benefits.

But here is the other truth, just so you know . . .

If you are a heavy person, say, 200+ lbs overweight, and you haven't been doing anything much in the way of physical for a long time, there is something else you need to understand.

Exercise is going to cause you pain. A lot of pain.

I'm not just talking about how it will hurt while you are doing your activities. It will hurt then as well, but that is more of an exhausted kind of pain. This will come later, and the irony will be that it comes because the exercise is successful.

When you are several hundred pounds or more overweight, your body has made adjustments for this. Your bones are used to certain pressure, possibly splayed out in places to accommodate your bulk.  Your back is set at a certain sway, your feet altered to keep you from stumbling all the time. Our bodies are amazingly adaptable. Your body has adapted to your size.  It's usually had a long time to make these adjustments, so, for the most part, you probably didn't notice them.

When you begin to work out, you start changing your body.  Fat leaves. Muscles become stronger. The power it takes to move you from place to place alters. All of these are good things, but they come at a price.  These changes necessitate other changes, in your shape, in how you stand, in how your muscles react.  And these changes? They hurt like a bitch.

One day, my outer right thigh was in so much pain I couldn't drive.  One day, my back was so stiff I couldn't find a comfortable sitting position.  Two days ago, my calves were cramping and hurting so much, walking was torture. Every step caused me so much pain I could have cried.

The reason I am telling you about this is because, if you are very obese,  you need to understand that this is PART of the process. This pain will happen and it is hellish. It will make you want to cry and give up.  Seriously, it's that bad.

Don't stop though. As much as it hurts, the adjustments do happen and the pain does stop. In the moment, it is horrible.  In the moment, there is nothing you will want more than to just bury your head in a pillow and never try to walk again. The moment passes though, and it does get better.  You can get stronger and remember, you already are strong.

So yes, there are benefits to exercising. There is also a lot of pain. Horrible, horrible pain.  The pain goes away though. The benefits stay with you.