Is it possible to ski and skate in obesity? Answered by a cardiologist and orthopedist

Overweight and obese people often wonder how safe winter activities, particularly skiing and skating, are for them. Of course, physical activity with excess weight will be useful, but how will the joints and heart react to such a load? Let’s deal with the experts.

• Opinion of an orthopedic traumatologist

• Cardiologist’s opinion

Opinion of an orthopedic traumatologist

Candidate of Medical Sciences, doctor-surgeon, orthopedic traumatologist

“There is definitely no direct prohibition, in addition, there are different degrees of obesity, which imply their own restrictions.”

There is a direct correlation between weight and pressure on the joints – the greater it is, the greater the mechanical load. And any sport increases this impact. Nevertheless, when we talk specifically about skiing and skating, we should take into account that this is primarily a sliding load, which in itself is not so harmful to the joints, in contrast to impact and jumping.

However, it should be taken into account that above we are talking about the amateur level of sports, because when we are talking about professional training for three or four hours seven days a week, the loads there are enormous even with a “normal” BMI (body mass index).

It is important to take a sensible approach to such sports and remember that any physical activity should not cause pain. You should not forget to warm up before exercising.

One of the safest options for obesity is swimming, which does not put pressure on the joints. You can also consider TRX hinge exercises and other formats with body weight loading, without additional weights.

Regardless of the sport, it is important to remember: if any exercise causes pain, it is definitely not worth ignoring it and practicing through “can’t”. It is necessary to consult a doctor orthopedic traumatologist to find out what the cause is, and modify the load, based on the results of the examination, so that the sport was really useful.

Cardiologist’s opinion

MD, cardiovascular surgeon, phlebologist

“Skiing and skating in obesity is possible, but with some reservations.”

Obesity can affect heart and vascular health differently in each person. Therefore, before embarking on new forms of physical activity, you should have an idea of the state of your cardiovascular system. For this purpose it is enough to do ECG (electrocardiography) and ECHO (echocardiography) once a year within the framework of medical examination, to monitor cholesterol levels and to keep an eye on blood pressure.

Since both skiing and skating are cardio exercises, it is important to start small, gradually increasing the time of exercise. This will allow the cardiovascular system to adapt smoothly and not experience overload, improve endurance and overall condition.

Serious limitations to these types of activities are the presence of diagnosed hypertension, arrhythmia and coronary heart disease, which often accompany people with obesity. As a result, too intense exercise can provoke threatening pressure spikes, shortness of breath and angina attacks.

In these cases, a doctor’s authorization and monitoring of the condition during exercise are necessary, as the risks are quite high. The most gentle and affordable alternative in this case is regular walking.