- photo credit – http://fatwonderwoman.blogspot.com/
Researchers from the Center for Obesity Research and Education and the department of kinesiology at Temple University found that obese women face a significant number of barriers when it comes to exercise, more so than their normal weight counterparts.
The Study
278 women, both normal weight and obese, were enrolled in a 12 month physical activity encouragement study.
Throughout the study, the women were questioned to determine what factors might be keeping them from exercising.
Some of those factors were:
- Feeling self-conscious;
- Not wanting to fail;
- Fearing injury;
- Perceived poor health
- Having minor aches or pains
- Feeling too overweight to exercise
Results
Throughout the study, the obese women reported more barriers to exercise than the “normal” weight women.
Additionally, the obese women with the most barriers to exercise were the least likely to be exercising at the conclusion of the study.
Conclusion
Whether or not those barriers to exercise were real or imagined, they present a real problem.
Exercise may or may not be an effective treatment for obesity. But there is little doubt that exercise provides numerous health benefits to those willing and able to put in the effort.
If obese women (or other groups – disabled, seniors) are less likely to exercise due to perceived barriers, they are more likely to suffer from various chronic conditions above and beyond obesity.
Finding a way to minimize these barriers to exercise is vital if we are going to continue to market exercise as a method of health promotion / disease prevention.
Reducing these barriers to exercise may explain why the Curves chain of fitness centers has been such a huge success. While Curves may not be the most sophisticated health club chain, they do present an atmosphere that is “female-friendly”.
In a similar vein, “senior-friendly” health clubs are beginning to pop up around the country.
Who knows, in a few years, niche fitness clubs may be as popular as fast food restaurants.
But then again, maybe if we had fewer fast food restaurants, we wouldn’t need the niche fitness clubs.
Oh well…
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I have more barriers? Oh, wonderful.
Or give everyone blinders at the gym, so they can’t give dirty looks to the chunky woman with a beet-red face sweating profusely next to them.
and I say that from being that chunky woman.
I used to workout at an all women gym. Loved it. After a year of going to that gym, I started exercising on my own regularly even after I moved away from the women’s gym. There is just something in the environment that is less intimidating for a beginner.
I’ve always liked the raggae song, “Many Rivers to Cross!” The original was a lament. Then I heard another version that was Oh Yeah!! Another River to Cross! I’m crossing it! It’s all about perspective.
DR, I really like your site, but it’s such a massive computer load that even with very good high speed, it is trouble on the system
Where do you get those pictures.
Anyway I think that is a problem. You go to the gym to get in shape, but think you are expected to be in shape before you go.
In my stereotypical world, many women seem to want to socialize. I assume some might like to work with like-minded people, similarly shaped people. I guess that goes for either sex, but jocks rule at most gyms. What about group sessions such as pilates, stationary bike groups etc?
I agree that there must be a way to minimize or reduce those barriers. In the end, the gym is not for everyone – some are happier getting their exercise in the fresh air outdoors. Just walking for 15 – 20 minutes each day can do a lot to help with weight loss. Once the weight starts to drop, a person may be more encouraged to participate in more physical activities.
I think this is true, but also pretty obvious. My wife gained weight very quickly after we were married. At first she tried to control it, but she would end up gaining back more weight than she lost. As she got fatter and heavier, she also became less active, which just adds to the weight problem. She must now weight about 300 pounds and has difficulty getting around so exercise would be difficult and embarassing in a group setting.
It’s a real problem. My wife stayed slender till about age 35, but only through constant fasting. Then, about twenty years ago, she stopped fasting and gradually tripled her weight. The extreme gain destroyed the cartilage in her joints, and now she is simply unable to exercise at all. She has managed, through a strict low carbohydrate regimen, to reduce her BMI from almost 60 to 45, but meaningful exercise is still not possible.