Sandie S-R
Well-Known Member
Found this and thought you all might find it as interesting as I did. Especially if any of you (like I did) used to exercise or work out a lot at higher weights.
Sandie
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Sandie
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November 13, 2007
Well
Exercise Advice Often Ignores Jiggle Factor
By TARA PARKER-POPE
Exercise is all about moving your body. But some body parts move more
than you want them to.
For many overweight exercisers, every step of a workout comes with an
unintended cascade of motion — breasts bounce, belly fat shakes and
thighs rub. The added jiggle and friction of moving body fat is more
than just bothersome. It can alter people's gait and make them more
prone to injuries and joint problems. The discomfort prevents many
overweight people from exercising altogether.
"Almost all of my clients end up expressing this, how uncomfortable
the bouncing around feels," said Kelly Bliss, a fitness instructor
and author in Lansdowne, Pa., who works with overweight people. "They
say, `I turn right and part of me is still going left.'"
But the jiggle factor, familiar to the overweight and the large-
breasted, has been largely ignored by exercise researchers and most
sports-gear makers. Only a handful of studies have tried to document
the challenges and strain endured by large bodies in motion.
"There's very little research on the biomechanics and locomotion of
obesity," said Ray Browning, research instructor at the University of
Colorado Health Sciences Center, who has conducted several exercise
studies of the overweight and obese.
While brisk exercise clearly offers cardiovascular benefits, less is
known about the risks and benefits of exercise to other parts of an
overweight body. In his own research, Dr. Browning has found that
when the foot of an overweight person strikes the ground, the knees
and hips endure far greater forces than the joints of a slim person.
Exercising at a faster pace increases joint loads even further,
raising the risk for arthritis and injury among the overweight.
In September, the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
published a study by Dr. Browning that compared the walking
biomechanics of 20 adults, half of them obese and half of normal
weight. Although both groups had similar strides, the heavier
exercisers landed with their feet farther apart then slim exercisers.
The wider steps may be the way overweight people stay balanced,
compensating for a larger belly or backside. Or the wider step may
simply be a function of leg thickness or large thighs rubbing
together.
This small adjustment in stride can take a physical toll, shifting
the forces of exercise to the inside knee, the part most vulnerable
to arthritis.
"When people become overweight or obese, we tell them to exercise
more, but we may want to be careful with that prescription, " Dr.
Browning said. "The last thing we want is someone with obesity to
develop arthritis in a large joint, because then their options for
physical activity are much reduced."
The uncomfortable bounce of exercise is most familiar to women,
regardless of body size. Even those of normal weight often complain
that every foot strike results in a painful reverberation through the
soft tissue of their breasts.
Recently, British exercise researchers found that breasts of all
sizes move far more during exercise than previously realized. Joanna
Scurr, a scientist at the University of Portsmouth, studied breast
biomechanics in 70 women for two years, using cameras and light beams
to measure breast movement during various activities, including
standing up from a chair, climbing stairs and jogging. Her research,
presented in September to the British Association of Sports and
Exercise Sciences, found that women experienced an average of about
four inches of total breast movement, and some experienced more than
double that amount.
And while most breast research has focused on vertical movement
during exercise, Dr. Scurr's study showed that breasts moved in three
dimensions: up and down, side to side, and even in and out as breasts
compressed against the chest and heaved outward during movement.
"It can hurt," Dr. Scurr said. "A lot of women experience both pain
and embarrassment due to breast movement while walking or jogging. It
can be a real barrier to people taking part in physical activity."
Although many women use compression bras, she continued, the better
option is an encapsulation sports bra, which has two cups that
control each breast separately.
Ms. Bliss, the fitness instructor, says large people often want to
wear light, baggy clothes while exercising, but wearing tight,
stretchy garments underneath is a better way to support large
stomachs, thighs and buttocks and reduce unwanted movement. Some
specialty clothing firms like Junonia now make large-size Lycra
tights to minimize exercise bounce. The sports bra maker Enell even
offers a $75 support vest for men with excess upper body fat.
"Any soft tissue that is unsupported should be supported," said Ms.
Bliss, whose Plus-Size Yellow Pages Web site
(www.plussizeyellowpages.com) includes links for large-size exercise gear.
Another way to reduce bounce is to switch to water-based exercise or
use recumbent equipment like step machines and bikes, which are
operated in a reclining position.
Dr. Browning says he hopes more exercise researchers will begin to
focus on the discomfort overweight people face when they work
out. "I'm in awe of these individuals who have the courage to get out
and exercise," he said. "It's not easy to do."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/ 11/13/health/nutrition/13well.html?_r=2&oref=slogin& oref=slogin
