Dubai: Gym workouts are key to weight-loss programmes for the big majority, but gym visits are all about weight gain for those who are just too thin.

Poor eating habits, body type or certain diets may be to blame for people being underweight but regular gym workouts could help build muscle and enhance body strength among this category, said Kim Quetua, a personal trainer at Fitness 360.

“Many members who are underweight are weaker than normal clients, so in order to gain weight we chose workouts that focus on endurance, strength, and stability,” she said.

After a full-body analysis based on a breakdown of body muscle, fat, and mass, the client’s endurance is assessed and a workout plan is designed to increase body muscle and fat.

Workouts include lunges, cycling, and cardiovascular exercises, along with classes such as pilates and body balance that focus on building core strength.

Quetua, who is currently training several gym members who are underweight, said that, along with a workout routine, the right calorie intake is key to building muscle weight.

“If an underweight client works out without eating right, they will end up harming their bodies and could end up losing more weight,” she said.

Nadine Aoun, specialist nutritionist at Medcare Hospital, said that an underweight person should seek the help of a trainer to increase muscle mass and a dietician to help achieve weight gain by following a healthy lifestyle.

“Add healthy calories such as good sources of fat like olive oil, avocados and raw unsalted nuts to your diet. Also eat nutrient-dense food instead of eating a lot of empty calories and junk food, and consider high-protein meats, which can help build your muscle,” advised Nadine. Nutritious carbohydrates, such as brown rice and other whole grains as well as healthy fats found in dairy products should also be part of a diet aimed at gaining weight.

Dangerous weight-loss diets

Nadine also cautioned against certain weight-loss diets. Such diets that look for fast weight reduction are dangerous in that they could lead a person to become underweight or anorexic in the long-term. Liquid diets fall in this category, she said, adding that such diets are based only on drinks and lack in many vitamins and minerals.

She pointed out that some people follow very low calorie diets (VLCD) that are only recommended to obese people under the supervision of a doctor, while others follow fad diets, which are weight-loss plans that don’t result in long-term weight loss.

However, people often confuse being underweight with being anorexic. Dr Sreekumar S, a general practitioner at Aster DM Healthcare, said that in people suffering from anorexia, the desire to lose weight becomes more important than anything else. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that makes people lose more weight than is considered healthy for their age and height.

“Those suffering from anorexia may even lose the ability to see themselves as they truly are, as the disorder is associated with a distorted body self-image,” said Dr Sreekumar.

Treating those who are underweight is a lot simpler. Treatment methods involve managing the calory intake through food and the calories burned through physical activity.

Still, for most people, managing this simple equation is far more complex.

“An underweight individual needs to focus on eating more meals throughout the day. For instance, instead of the basic three meals, they should aim for five to six in combination with snacks,” said Dr Sreekumar, adding that beyond consuming more calories in a day than are expended.

People who are underweight need to combine an increased calory intake with strengthening exercises that focus on toning and building strong bones and muscles in order to add lean mass to the body.

Emirati Nadia Abdullah, 22, said she joined the gym three months ago with the aim of gaining muscle weight. “I’ve been underweight for the past three years and realised I need to exercise to gain strength.”

Nadia pointed out that, being underweight, she used to suffer from a weak upper body, curved posture, and low endurance. “I would get tired just taking a flight of stairs and I had an arched back. Following a designed gym workout plan and attending pilates classes has changed that,” she said.

Nadia says she goes to the gym three to four times a week and can feel her strength gradually increase as she does balance postures and cardio exercises.

Noor Morad, 23, said she started going to the gym to gain weight and increase her stamina. “I was always underweight, I never exercised in my life, and I only worked a lot and spent hours driving back from Dubai to Sharjah every day. But going to the gym has changed my health and psychological well-being,” she said.

Noor said she was able to see and feel the difference just two months after starting her three-day-per-week workout routine and attending several body pump classes. “My body is more toned, I have reached my ideal weight, and walking around the whole mall is no longer a challenge!”