Weight Gaining Exercises

Just like some people find it difficult to lose weight, the same way, some find it hard to gain weight. Although being lean is good for health, being underweight is not, and it is just as bad as being overweight. Not sure if you are underweight? You can find that out by calculating your body mass index (BMI), with the help of your height and weight. There are several BMI calculators available online that you can use. If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, that means you weigh normal as per your height. However, if it is less than 18.5, it means you are underweight.

• Having a lower than normal weight can put you at risk of several health issues. Such risks include:
• Malnutrition
• Deficiency of vital vitamins and minerals
• Anemia
• Osteoporosis
• Weak immune system
• Development issues in kids and teenagers
• Irregular periods, and even infertility

Gladly, just like there are ways to lose ways, there are means to gain the same. Other than improving your nutrition, you should exercise to bulk up! Yes, you read that right. Working out, which helps you lose those kilos, can help you gain weight too. But before looking at such exercises, let us first find out the possible reasons why you are losing weight, or are finding it difficult to gain it.

Reasons For Weight Loss

Stressful situations and trauma in life can make you lose weight, such as divorce, or losing a loved one. Even minor changes can make you lose weight, such as a recent job change, or a change in place. Another reason is if you have an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, in which your relationship with food changes. 

However, if you are eating right and exercising well, there can be a medical condition, even a severe one, behind the weight loss. The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has listed the following:

• Depression: While suffering from depression, for many people, food becomes their coping mechanism. While some lose their appetite, leading to weight loss.
• Hyperthyroidism: The thyroid gland, which is a butterfly-shaped gland present in the neck, releases thyroid hormones. These hormones regulate the body’s metabolism. In the case of hyperthyroidism, this thyroid gland becomes overactive, thus the body’s metabolic rate increases, which means your body will burn calories quickly, leading to weight loss, despite a good appetite.
• Cancer is another reason for weight loss.

Other Reasons

Weight loss can also result from:

• The side effect of certain medications. 
• In case of alcohol or drug abuse. 
• If you suffer from a disease linked to the heart, lungs, kidneys, or liver.
• If you suffer from diabetes
• An inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
• If you have trouble swallowing.
• If there is a problem in your digestive system, such as stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, etc.

Workout Options To Gain Weight

There are ways to gain weight. Here are some exercises that might help:

Pushups:

• Lie down on your stomach.
• Put your hands down, with your palms facing the floor, and shoulders-distance apart.
• Gently rise so much so that your arms are straight.
• Make sure your legs and back are straight, and you form a straight line from your head to toe.
• Then, gently lower yourself down, till your nose is about to touch the floor.
• Again rise up, and repeat the same exercise for the number of times you can.

Pullups

• You will need a pullup bar for this one.
• Hold the pullup bar with a firm grip.
• Your arms should be shoulder-distance apart.
• Gently pull yourself up so that your feet are above the ground.
• Now, continue pulling yourself up till your chin is above the bar.
• Gently, lower down, and repeat the same a couple of times.

Squats

• Stand straight with your legs hips distance apart.
• Put your hands on your waist and tuck your core muscles in.
• Then, gently lower down, while keeping your upper body as straight as you can.
• You need to lower down till the thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Then, rise up and repeat the same a few more times.

Lunges

• Stand straight and tuck your abdominal muscles in.
• Take one leg forward as if you are taking a step.
• Keeping your upper body straight, lower down till the thigh of the extended leg is parallel to the floor.
• Rise up again, and repeat the same on the same leg as many times as you can.
• Repeat the same on the opposite leg.

Deadlift

• Stand straight with your legs shoulders-distance apart.
• Hold the weight bar with a firm grip.
• Note that your back shouldn’t be curved, but straight, and your hips should be lower than your shoulders. 
• Next, gently lift the weight bar first until your knees, then till your hips.
• Gently lower and put the bar back.

Although you can do these exercises the number of times your body allows, however, you must follow your trainer’s recommendation on this one.

Other Tips To Gain Weight

Now that we have gone through some exercises that help you gain weight, here are some other tips for the same:

• Since you are trying to gain weight, you must avoid those exercises that make you gain the same. For example, cardiovascular and aerobic exercises. 
• Although eating more might seem like a great option to gain weight, but not if you load on highly processed foods, which are high in fats and sugars. Instead, you should have a diet rich in healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and proteins. The foods you should include in your diet include eggs, full-fat dairy, fat-rich fruits, whole grains, nuts, chicken, and fish.
• Eat frequently by having smaller meals between the larger regular ones. 
• Never drink water right before meals. It makes you full, thus lowering your appetite for food. This will make it difficult for you to gain weight. 
• Stress can not only make you gain unhealthy weight, but it can also make you lose weight. Hence, you must manage stress to gain way in a healthy way. Meditate, do Yoga, or breathe deeply when stressed out. 
• Proper sleep is crucial to maintain a healthy body weight. Try to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep daily. 
• Set small and realistic goals that you can achieve, as setting humungous ones and trying to achieve them all at once can make you lose motivation midway and cause burnout. 

Gaining weight, just like losing it, is a long process, which requires patience, consistency, and hard work. But persevering will take you to your ideal weight goal, which will both increase your confidence, as well as your quality of life. 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/unintentional-weight-loss/

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/weight-and-muscle-gain