Starting a new sport when you're overweight.

I'm twenty years old, 5'9", 280ish lbs,

and I want to get into a sport.

I feel like it's something that will get me active, and as a plus I'll have others relying on me to get healthy. At home I began a workout routine with a friend, but now that I've moved to a new town for school, where I know no one, I need to get active again to loose the weight.

Suggestions on a good sport for a beginner? 

I want to know this too, hopefully someone can chime in. (:

the problem with entering team sports as an adult is that most of the people you'll be playing with--even at a recreational level--already know the basics.  many are frustrated competetive athletes (i.e.: thought they were better than they were or were actually good but were sidelined by injury or other).  if you haven't played before, you want to at least go in with the rules and principles.

i suggest you look for something non-competetive to start; you don't want to be discouraged on your first day.  you could do a clinic of some sort: soccer or running.  or you could find a walking or hiking group.  sign up for some yoga or nia classes. 

if your community has a sailing club, look into regular meets.  they're often short crew members, and you can just show up at the right time and place.  rowing is another great community/individual/team sport with long-term potential.

there are so many options.  you really have to figure out what your community has to offer!

I personally would suggest roller skating. I'm involved with Roller Derby and it's GREAT exercise. Though, it is a bit competitive. I'd say start off just regular skating/blading, it's great cardio, gets you places and it's social -once you get your friends to join in.

Derby is pretty darn competitive, though but, at least the girls on my team, are super supportive. Also, it pays to be a bit of a larger girl, ESPECIALLY if you're a pivot or blocker, though you still have to be healthy to play. But I tell you what, you have a bad day, it just pays to knock the heck out of another person on skates.

I wish you luck though no matter what you choose :)

Hi

My name is Bragi, and I am from Iceland.  I am pretty new to this cal-count thing.  The reason I started using this site is that I had to rethink my approach to staying healthy due to a knee injury from training while beeing to heavy. 

I recomend you take up bicycling and/or swimming.  Both can be done uncompetitively, solo or in a group.  The best part is that these sports won't stress your joints and ligaments to much while you shed those extra lbs and build strength and stamina.

When your shape gets better you will feel the urge to try different things, like running and whatever.  Indulge.

Good luck on your journey.

B

As long as you have a good attitude and a willingness to participate, I'd say the field is pretty open.  Ultimate frisbee is pretty cool.  If you're into contact sports, seriously consider giving rugby a shot--it's a bit complicated at first, but they're always super supportive.  I hear martial arts isn't so bad, either.

I notice you're a college student--check around to see what sort of intramurals or club sports are around.  Talk to the person in charge and see if you click with them, and if they're willing to get you up to speed on the basics.  It's more fun being around nice people than not!

Dodgeball............ SERIUOSLY!

The local YMCA here has started a league for adults.  What better way than to get back to we all should know?  And should be fun too..... 

I'm signing my kids up for the kid league and I'm going to the adult league. 

Who cares if I'm not the macho steroid type that I picture from the movie of the same name?  I'm there for fun and fitness..... trying to talk some of my friends into also and they are all interested!

Maybe a good way to start an introduction with new friends...."hey, I'm thinking of joining _____ and was looking for a partner in crime.  Interested?"

Whichever you choose, have fun!

football/soccer.

or what i think is referred to here as beer-league baseball. they have loads of games and the whole point is going out later... those who like the game and just like a less serious atmosphere just skip the party :)

or tennis of course, if you have a friend who will meet with you~

Master's Swimming.  Even if you don't swim well, most teams will get you up to speed for competition -- and Master's level swimmers come in ALL shapes and sizes.  You are never too old, too fat, too slow to compete in a Master's swim meet -- I have pictures to prove it.  And swimming is a great all around exercise.  You can go to usms.org to try and find a team in your area, if you are interested.

Seconding Roller Derby. It's perfect. Sure, a higher chance of catastrophic injury, but otherwise it meets all the criteria.

It does depend, somewhat, on where you are in the country. More collegy towns will be less friendly for the more collegey sports. Smaller towns will be good for the traditional sports. With the "kid sports are cool" resurgance (now somewhat on the dieout, but still around) in major urban areas, that's what gives you ideal options.

I would suggest activity rather than a sport.

For me it is walking. I can speed it up or slow it down. When I feel that I am running out of gas I add five more minutes. I can walk anywhere,  at a mall, in my neighborhood,at a track even in my own home. If the weather is bad I can still walk.

Stay busy, by making a list of things to do. School probably already fills this void. Add a class where you are in a gym or exercise class. Pick something that you would like and don't over extend yourself. Start at a slow pace and then make it more challenging as you get stronger.

I hope this helps you !  Hang in there!  

I would suggest orienteering.  Although this is not found everywhere it is a sport that you can do walking or running.  Most often done alone, but with others around.  You can do it as recreation or competition.  You are using your brain to read the map so the fact that you are getting some exercise in seems to escape you at times.

Orienteering - a thinking sport where you take a map and a compass and find a preset course in the woods, or park, or city.

I would get into soccer... learn the basics and play defense in the beginning.  I've never played soccer competitively but played every day when I was in Jamaica last week at the resort with 6 guys who were professional players in Jamaica and 2 who had played in the 98 and 02 World Cup.  Eventually, I was picking up on the strategy and developing foot skills and was able to score some goals... plus it's a LOT of fun and an excellent workout.

Volleyball - most places have a recreational volleyball league that you can join a singles team with other people just like you looking to get out and do something active to meet people. In my league you don't need to have any experience and the rules are posted online (it's pretty easy to pick up the gyst though - over the net - lol). It's also not as physically demanding as say soccer or rugby would be depending on your fitness level.

I'd also suggest trying to find a walking group as someone else above mentioned. I walk with a group Sunday mornings and it sure gets you out of bed when you know they are waiting for you!

Kudos on looking for something active to do!

I second trhawley -- it doesn't matter what you do as long as your enjoying it. 

My favorite sport is bowling.  It can be competitive or not.  You can join a league just about anywhere (and now is the time to do it... fall season is starting in a couple of weeks).  It can be done year round, and you don't need a whole lot in the way of equipment.  (Of course, if you get into it it's like anything else and you can spend hundreds of dollars on equipment if you want)

Lots of people don't think of it as a sport, but when I bowl it's usually a 2 person team.  We don't sit down, we keep moving most of the time and we bowl 3 games in about a1.5 hours.  It's also a sport you can continue for most of your life, and enjoy at many levels of health/weight.  I know 80 year old women who bowl, and I coach 3-6 year olds.  It's a lot of fun and very social. 

Hah... bowling... a sport?

Ultimate frisbee is fun... much more cardio benefit than say... frisbee golf.

Tennis is always good if you can find a partner.  Even if you don't know the rules, you can just hit the ball back and forth.  It's not THAT hard to learn either.  It's a whole lot of fun, too!

ANYTHING you enjoy will be a great benefit, so aim for something you enjoy. Don't be afraid to try different sports, too, although it takes a while to figure out if what you hate is the effort (which is always the worst at first) or you just aren't into the game.

Even golf would be fine as long as you walk the course. Moving around, keeping limber, etc., really helps. Also, it helps kill a couple of hours where you aren't thinking about or able to eat!

Good luck. Let us know what you try. Don't be self-conscious about your weight because anyone with sense will be admiring  your gumption and senseless people aren't worth a thought!!

I'd say bicycling like someone mentioned earlier... That's what I took up in college. I made a ton of friends and even got decent enough to ride with the school's mountain bike team for a while. I had people calling me two and three times a day to go on rides either on trails or around campus (urban assault), so motivation and a partner were never ever an issue! The beauty is you can go as hard or easy as you want and you can more or less set your own pace.

As others said, as long as you enjoy it and get active, who cares what the activity is? I also did co-ed softball in college, which was a lot of fun and a great way to meet people!

I've seen roller derby, it looks amazingly fun.

Now... if only I knew how to roller skate.

Baby steps people, baby steps.

Thanks for all your input everyone,

I really really appreciate it.