Exercise and Fitness Education Clinic
Get moving and stand up to obesity
WHAT IS THE GOAL?
Obesity is a complex and multi-factorial disease that is influenced by multiple lifestyle factors. A sedentary lifestyle paired with poor eating habits and genetic and endocrine-metabolic factors often represent significant obstacles for patients.
Excess weight often causes:
- Poor coordination.
- Balance problems.
- Lack of or limited mobility.
- Social problems and isolation.
- Respiratory problems.
Benefits of physical activity:
- Increases energy expenditure.
- Helps control appetite and reduce calorie intake.
- Improves metabolic profile.
- Limits the onset or progression of type 2 diabetes.
- Controls and reduces high blood pressure.
- Reduces LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
- Increases HDL cholesterol.
- Increases bone density.
- Improves respiratory capacity.
- Improves self-esteem and quality of life.
- Helps combat anxiety and stress.
- Makes the immune system more effective.
- Helps maintain long-term weight loss.
- Improves strength and muscle function.
- Reduces low-grade chronic inflammation linked to obesity.
- Improves the quality of articular collagen.
- Increases tendon resistance.
- Reduces visceral fat.
WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?
Before starting training, the specialist will perform a strength test or cardiac stress test with the patient which, in addition to assessing their cardiovascular condition, will help determine the appropriate type of exercise, duration, and intensity. The personal trainer or exercise and fitness educator will be aware of the potential medical contraindications that must be taken into consideration when starting exercise to ensure training is safe, effective, and adapted to suit each patient.
The key to prescribing physical activity will always be to go from less to more. Initially, any high-impact activity will be avoided, including running or jumping, as this requires prior muscle training and the joints will not be ready to support so much effort. This will help prevent damaging our joint health. As the program progresses, the complexity of the training will increase to include new exercises and increased frequency and intensity.
It is important to do some sort of physical activity on a regular basis, at least 3-4 times per week. Strict monitoring of compliance with the program will be key.
Some of the exercises that are regularly included in the obesity treatment programs include:
- Squats (with the help of a bench): Sets: 3 Repetitions: 15 Intensity: moderate Rest: 45 seconds between sets.
- Rowing (on a rowing machine): Sets: 3 Repetitions: 15 Intensity: moderate Rest: 45 seconds between sets.
- Steps (30 cm): Sets: 3 Repetitions: 15 Intensity: moderate Rest: 45 seconds between sets.
- Wall push-ups: Sets: 3 Repetitions: 15 Intensity: moderate Rest: 45 seconds between sets.
- Bicycle (cardiovascular): at least 30 minutes at moderate intensity (60-70% of maximum heart rate). Medium perceived exertion.
- Bicycle with intervals (cardiovascular): between 10 and 20 minutes with sprint intervals and breaks at certain points. Medium-high perceived exertion.
It is absolutely essential to warm up beforehand and to cool down after finishing a training session.
YOUR TREATMENT, STEP BY STEP
CONSULTATION WITH THE ENDOCRINOLOGIST
- General patient medical history.
- Evaluation of the degree of obesity (family and personal history, precipitating factors, and prior treatment).
- Evaluation and early detection of associated comorbidities.
- Physical examination and body measurements.
- Diagnosis, therapeutic plan, and goal-setting.
CONSULTATION WITH THE NUTRITIONIST
- Medical history of the patient with obesity.
- Comprehensive patient assessment.
- TEE calculation (Total Energy Expenditure).
- Design of different types of diets for each of the patient's treatment phases.
- Work on areas of improvement detected in the patient's eating habits.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION
- Psychological treatment and support.
- Identification of any potential psychological problems the patient may have.
- Patient support in the preparation of life/habit changes following surgery.
- Goal planning, impulse and stimuli control.
CONSULTATION WITH PERSONAL TRAINER
- Evaluation of the patient's physical condition.
- Program to improve and adapt the patient's physical activity and sport activities.
- Evaluation of progress and program implementation.
- Sport-related guidelines for weight loss and to improve quality of life.
- Patient monitoring.
IN-PERSON MONITORING PLAN
Weekly, monthly, or yearly depending on the characteristics of each program.
We use telemedicine in our clinics to facilitate access to our healthcare professionals to prevent our patients from making unnecessary trips to the clinic and avoid wasting time.
FAQs
IS IT TRUE THAT THE MORE I SWEAT, THE MORE WEIGHT I LOSE?
Not in the right way. Sweat is water that the body expels to prevent a rise in body temperature caused by exercise. This is NOT related to the fat that is "burned" during training. More sweat does not equal more fat lost.
WHY DO I HAVE TO EXERCISE MORE IF I ALREADY WALK 30 MINUTES PER DAY?
While walking for 30 minutes per day is better than doing nothing, that doesn't mean it is enough exercise. We must bear in mind that interrupting every hour we spend sitting with at least 10 minutes of walking or some type of low-intensity physical activity is the minimum for reducing the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, though it doesn't fully eliminate them. So no, 30 minutes of walking is not sufficient.
AT FIRST I COULD ONLY EXERCISE FOR 20 MINUTES BEFORE GETTING TIRED. NOW I CAN EXERCISE FOR 2 HOURS WITHOUT TIRING BUT I CAN'T SEEM TO LOSE MORE WEIGHT. WHY IS THIS?
In terms of losing weight and improving our health, exercise intensity is much more important that duration. Any activity that we can maintain for two hours or more without getting tired is a low-intensity activity. This can help mitigate a sedentary lifestyle, but it doesn't counteract it. Any activity that we can maintain for little more than twenty minutes and which tires us out is a medium-intensity activity and its effects counteract and are the opposite of those of a sedentary lifestyle.
I NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT, CAN I ONLY DO CARDIO EXERCISE?
This is a common approach that is a big mistake. Although cardio is associated with burning calories, limiting ourselves to only performing cardio-based exercise leads to losing our hard-earned muscle mass. Complementing cardio with strength training not only prevents loss of muscle mass, but it also improves performance, increasing its capacity to burn calories during cardio exercise, and, among many other benefits, it is an excellent protector against joint, muscle, and bone-related injuries.
Angel Salas, 60 años (Madrid)
"He perdido 25 kilos, pero no solo es el peso, yo tenía problemas de hipertensión y problemas cardiacos.
Hay que perder el miedo a ir al médico, así van a obtener los mismos resultados que yo, o mejores"
Tratamiento integral sin cirugía
Medical team
Prestigious experts in the treatment of obesity and overweight
We have a comprehensive clinic and multidisciplinary team comprised of multiple specialists: expert surgeons in metabolic and bariatric surgery techniques, endocrinologists, nutritionists, psychologists, specialists in exercise and fitness education, and more.
In addition, our patients can choose from a wide range of services at the Quirónsalud Sagrado Corazón Hospital, and the experts they may need from any specialized units: Intensive Care, Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, Radiology, etc.
