Yes, obesity can often lead to reduced mobility. A higher body weight can place stress on joints, such as the knees, hips, and ankles. Over time, this can damage the cartilage surrounding your joints and cause pain and inflammation.

Obesity can affect your mobility in several ways, including:

  • Difficulty maintaining balance: Obesity can often make it hard to maintain balance and stability, as it can alter your body’s natural center of gravity.
  • Difficulty with daily tasks: Obesity can limit your muscle function and make completing daily activities hard.
  • Higher risk of falls: Excess weight can often lead to a high risk of injury due to weakened joints and trouble with balance.
  • Increased fatigue: Obesity can strain joints, making it harder to move and requiring more energy and strength. Over time, this can lead to fatigue.

If you have obesity, you can improve your mobility in many ways, such as aiming for consistent physical activity each week to strengthen your joints and muscles.

It can be helpful to start with small, low impact exercises and gradually increase the intensity. This can help build a long-term routine and avoid injury.

Consider exercises such as:

If you have obesity and are experiencing difficulty with your mobility, it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional. They can help you identify potential lifestyle adjustments or treatments that may improve your mobility.

They can also help to identify any underlying health conditions that may be contributing to or causing excess weight.

A healthcare professional may also be able to suggest mobility aids to make moving around each day easier. This can include:

  • walking frames
  • scooters
  • walking sticks
  • wheelchairs

If you are unable to attend a doctor’s appointment in person due to mobility issues, consider making a telehealth appointment.