Besides the obvious challenges of being overweight or obese in our world, when it comes to exercise, plus-sized people have even more obstacles getting in their way. My clients have shared some of their experiences with exercise such as:

Intimidation at the gym

Gyms can be scary, even for the most experienced exerciser. Walking into a room full of sweaty exercisers, all of whom seem to know what they're doing is hard for many of us. My obese clients have mentioned how much more humiliating it is when you're very overweight.

Confusion about cardio

Cardio exercise can be a challenge at a gym. Some of the problems these clients have faced include: Machines that are difficult to use or cause knee or back problems.

Swimming is a recommended exercise for obese people and this is wonderful if you have a pool in your backyard, but what if you don't? Walking around in a bathing suit causes instant panic for plenty of people, but even more so if you're overweight or obese.

Recumbent bikes are another good option for obese people. The problem is, many aren't built with big enough seats and climbing onto them can be a real challenge.

Walking. This is a simple exercise that can be done anywhere, right? Tell that to one of my clients who got food thrown at her from a moving car because of her size.

Strength training issues

These are just a few of the problems my clients have encountered when they've tried strength training at the gym:

• Weight Benches are too narrow and/or too tall for larger bodies. Many seats on strength machines are too small for larger behinds.
• Getting up and down from the floor is a workout all on its own and many supine exercises cause problems breathing.
• Many clients carry weight around their bellies which make some exercises impossible.
• Traditional leg exercises such as squats and lunges are difficult for people with knee problems and balance is sometimes an issue as well.

I've put together some ideas for people who need to be more creative when it comes to exercise.

Private personal training:

Personal training is an excellent option for anyone, but especially someone who's obese and looking to lose weight and get healthy. However, because of the gym-intimidation factor, there are plenty of obese people who miss out on the opportunity to work one-on-one with an expert. One option, if you want to avoid the masses, is to work privately with a personal trainer. You can opt for hiring a trainer to come to your home or work with a trainer at a personal training studio.

Exercise at home:

Right now, there's not a lot of equipment out there specifically for obese and/or overweight people. While I believe that will change in the next few years as the demand grows, there are some options for people who prefer to exercise at home. Below are some great products I often use with many of my overweight and obese clients:

Exercise ball:
I love exercise balls. I use them with all my clients, but really enjoy using them with my obese clients to help them work on balance, stability and abdominal strength. Some of the basic exercises you can try include sitting on the ball (try watching TV for a while and you'll feel your body working a little harder than usual), marching or balancing by lifting one foot off the floor, hold and then lift the other foot. There are some great burst-resistance balls out there.

Pedometer:
If walking is your exercise of choice, a pedometer can be very motivating. One of my clients spends much of her daylight hours sitting in front of a computer at work. Though she did great in her personal training sessions, it was hard to get her to be more active in her daily life. We finally got her a pedometer and a journal and gave her a goal of getting in at least 50 steps every hour. She set an alarm to go off every hour, slapped on her pedometer and took a walk around the building. It was hit-or-miss at first, but now she walks well over 100 steps an hour and she's more productive now that she gives herself a break. She's lost 24kg with diet and exercise and having that pedometer was just one part of her success.

If you're obese or overweight, you sometimes have to be creative when it comes to exercise. There are many people talking about exercise and urging you to do it, but they aren't telling you exactly what to do if you can't do traditional exercises.

The key is to find something that is comfortable for you, something you enjoy and something you'll continue to do over time. Remember to get checked out by your doctor before you begin exercising, especially if you have any health conditions or are on any type of medication. Keep an eye out for more exercise ideas in the future as I put together some strength training workouts for you.

Ronald Abvajee is founder of My Personal Trainer Wellness, South Africa's first 'virtual gym'.