I can't run

myfightforfitness

My question is: why can't I run? Like I can run for about 30 seconds on the treadmill but anymore than that my chest feels like it's going to explode and my breathing gets extremely difficult. My legs feel fine when I'm running indicating that I could run for a lot longer which I really want to but I just can't catch a breath! I tried to run at slower speeds and higher speeds but I still feel the same. I can't run.

I'm in my early 20's and weigh 207 lbs

jandsstevenson887

I think it will get easier as you lose weight but I have a hard time running on a treadmill at any weight. I would much rather run outside.

janejellyroll

Can you run/walk? When I began running, I would literally run for 30 seconds, walk to recover, and then run again. There are structured programs out there that will gradually increase your running time. I never could have run more than a few minutes when I started. Now I can run for a couple of hours if I want to.

puffbrat

It could be a matter of endurance and just needing more training. You should also look online at proper breathing techniques for running. Sometimes if I don't pay attention, I start breathing shallowly and wear out much more quickly than if I am breathing correctly.

puffbrat

It could be a matter of endurance and just needing more training. I agree with @janejellyroll about doing a run/walk combo. You should also look online at proper breathing techniques for running. Sometimes if I don't pay attention, I start breathing shallowly and wear out much more quickly than if I am breathing correctly.

madhatter2013

Neither can I BUT I can squat my weight all day. How does that work?

myfightforfitness

jandsstevenson887 wrote: »

I think it will get easier as you lose weight but I have a hard time running on a treadmill at any weight. I would much rather run outside.

Hey! When I was 40lbs heavier I couldn't run so I thought it would be easier now but it's just the same lol guess I'll have to lose more weight. thanks for the advice

hekla90

Have you seen a doctor? If you're having chest pain you might need to have your cardiac function evaluated. It might not be safe for you to run right now. Having that bad of pain and getting seriously short of breath could indicate a serious issue.

myfightforfitness

janejellyroll wrote: »

Can you run/walk? When I began running, I would literally run for 30 seconds, walk to recover, and then run again. There are structured programs out there that will gradually increase your running time. I never could have run more than a few minutes when I started. Now I can run for a couple of hours if I want to.

Yeah that's exactly what I do! Run for 30 seconds and walk until I catch my breath. Do you have any tips to try run for longer? Or will it naturally happen when I lose more weight? Thanks for the advice

Expatmommy79

At 195 I could run 3 min.

With no training I tried again at 165. I did 8 mins non stop.

I'm now doing c25k. Week 1 is 60 sec running 90 sec walking for 20 minutes.

I'm on week 2. 90 sec running, 2 min walking.

I would definitely try it if you are interested in running. It's a free Ap.

myfightforfitness

puffbrat wrote: »

It could be a matter of endurance and just needing more training. You should also look online at proper breathing techniques for running. Sometimes if I don't pay attention, I start breathing shallowly and wear out much more quickly than if I am breathing correctly.

Will check out the breathing techniques thank you

takobutt

myfightforfitness wrote: »

My question is: why can't I run? Like I can run for about 30 seconds on the treadmill but anymore than that my chest feels like it's going to explode and my breathing gets extremely difficult. My legs feel fine when I'm running indicating that I could run for a lot longer which I really want to but I just can't catch a breath! I tried to run at slower speeds and higher speeds but I still feel the same. I can't run.

I'm in my early 20's and weigh 207 lbs

first week : start at a speed youre comfortable with but still makes you sweat. (if you really cant run or jog then start by walking , its perfectly fine)
Then, every week following this, make your speed slightly faster until you can run.
Also dont forget to strength train.

myfightforfitness

hekla90 wrote: »

Have you seen a doctor? If you're having chest pain you might need to have your cardiac function evaluated. It might not be safe for you to run right now. Having that bad of pain and getting seriously short of breath could indicate a serious issue.

Hey thanks for your response! It's not exactly chest pains but like my chest feels heavy because I'm breathing so hard (sorry it's really hard to explain lol)

Aine8046

Slow down! And then slow down evenmore! At what speed are you running?

amusedmonkey

When I first started I could not even walk for 10 straight minutes without being out of breath. It has to do with your weight and cardiovascular fitness, which improves with time by losing weight and doing more cardio. You are also going too fast for your fitness level. Run as slow as possible at first (I started running slower than I could walk!) and follow a gradual running program.

Here is a reasonable program (don't be afraid of repeating weeks if a certain week feels too hard):

myfightforfitness

takobutt wrote: »

myfightforfitness wrote: »

My question is: why can't I run? Like I can run for about 30 seconds on the treadmill but anymore than that my chest feels like it's going to explode and my breathing gets extremely difficult. My legs feel fine when I'm running indicating that I could run for a lot longer which I really want to but I just can't catch a breath! I tried to run at slower speeds and higher speeds but I still feel the same. I can't run.

I'm in my early 20's and weigh 207 lbs

first week : start at a speed youre comfortable with but still makes you sweat. (if you really cant run or jog then start by walking , its perfectly fine)
Then, every week following this, make your speed slightly faster until you can run.
Also dont forget to strength train.

Okay thanks for the great tip

JeromeBarry1

So walk. Walk at a rate which gets your heart rate up a little bit in 30 minutes, but doesn't make your chest want to explode. Do that for a month then try speeding up by 0.5 mph. Your cardiovascular system is weak. Make it work, and it will respond by getting stronger. You'll be up to running in a few months.

Aine8046

How fast do you walk? And for how long?

myfightforfitness

Expatmommy79 wrote: »

At 195 I could run 3 min.

With no training I tried again at 165. I did 8 mins non stop.

I'm now doing c25k. Week 1 is 60 sec running 90 sec walking for 20 minutes.

I'm on week 2. 90 sec running, 2 min walking.

I would definitely try it if you are interested in running. It's a free Ap.

Thanks a lot for the recommendation just downloaded it

RA60172

A trick I used during my military days was chewing gum while running. I focused on one foot in front of the other and chewing my gum, and that forced better breathing to become more second nature. I found my breathing to be off when I focused on it.

JeromeBarry1

Losing weight by calorie restriction does nothing to improve cardiovascular function.

RA60172

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

Losing weight by calorie restriction does nothing to improve cardiovascular function.

No, but less weight = less stress on your body. I tried starting an exercise program at 220# and it was painful. I waited and have now restarted it at 197#. MUCH easier!

myfightforfitness

amusedmonkey wrote: »

When I first started I could not even walk for 10 straight minutes without being out of breath. It has to do with your weight and cardiovascular fitness, which improves with time by losing weight and doing more cardio. You are also going too fast for your fitness level. Run as slow as possible at first (I started running slower than I could walk!) and follow a gradual running program.

Here is a reasonable program (don't be afraid of repeating weeks if a certain week feels too hard):

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

So walk. Walk at a rate which gets your heart rate up a little bit in 30 minutes, but doesn't make your chest want to explode. Do that for a month then try speeding up by 0.5 mph. Your cardiovascular system is weak. Make it work, and it will respond by getting stronger. You'll be up to running in a few months.

Thanks a lot for the great advice guys the only issue is I've been trying to run for about three months now but it's not getting better. But thank you

CrossfitOCRunner

The weight loss will make all the difference. Your muscles are using oxygen at a high rate, and your level of fitness hasn't adapted yet. try the walk-run method. the couch to 5k app is great. and run slower than you think you should.

amusedmonkey

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

Losing weight by calorie restriction does nothing to improve cardiovascular function.

It doesn't, but try to run carrying a 50 pound bag and see how it feels. Shedding weight makes running relatively easier because the weight you need to shift decreases.

gobonas99

two things.

First - get off the dreadmill and go outside. Very few people in the world naturally run at the same exact pace all the time. Most people have variation in pace that can make the treadmill problematic if that variation is on the larger side (which it tends to be when you're starting out). I personally can't run on the treadmill for more than 15-20 minutes, or else my hips start to bother me because my form gets all goofy due to me adjusting my gait to the treadmill. But I can run outside with no issues, because I don't have a machine detrimentally effecting my form.

Second - do run/walk intervals. You can do something structured, like C25K, or you can do something unstructured, like FARTLEKS (basically, you pick a target and run to that target, then pick another target and walk to that target, etc - this also works as speed drills once you've built up endurance...ie sprint to target a, slow jog to target b, etc).

myfightforfitness

RA60172 wrote: »

A trick I used during my military days was chewing gum while running. I focused on one foot in front of the other and chewing my gum, and that forced better breathing to become more second nature. I found my breathing to be off when I focused on it.

Thanks but I'm too afraid of chocking on the gum lol

myfightforfitness

gobonas99 wrote: »

two things.

First - get off the dreadmill and go outside. Very few people in the world naturally run at the same exact pace all the time. Most people have variation in pace that can make the treadmill problematic if that variation is on the larger side (which it tends to be when you're starting out). I personally can't run on the treadmill for more than 15-20 minutes, or else my hips start to bother me because my form gets all goofy due to me adjusting my gait to the treadmill. But I can run outside with no issues, because I don't have a machine detrimentally effecting my form.

Second - do run/walk intervals. You can do something structured, like C25K, or you can do something unstructured, like FARTLEKS (basically, you pick a target and run to that target, then pick another target and walk to that target, etc - this also works as speed drills once you've built up endurance...ie sprint to target a, slow jog to target b, etc).

CrossfitOCRunner wrote: »

The weight loss will make all the difference. Your muscles are using oxygen at a high rate, and your level of fitness hasn't adapted yet. try the walk-run method. the couch to 5k app is great. and run slower than you think you should.

Thanks so so much for the advice!!

rsclause

Start slow and build. I would say to do some fast paced walking until you are up to three miles. You should be walking fast enough to almost get winded but should be able to talk. Do this often enough to build some strength and you should start feel that it is getting easier. Then start adding some running in and gradually increase the time. When I started I was breathing so heavy that I thought "no way", now I run races and half marathons. I never dreamed I would do that.

Ninkyou

Sounds like endurance issue to me. Back when I first began, I was lucky if I lasted 15 seconds. ALOT of walking for months later and I could finally last longer. It took me 10 months from my starting point of just walking to be able to run a 5k.

C25k might also help with that since it's intervals.

myfightforfitness

rsclause wrote: »

Start slow and build. I would say to do some fast paced walking until you are up to three miles. You should be walking fast enough to almost get winded but should be able to talk. Do this often enough to build some strength and you should start feel that it is getting easier. Then start adding some running in and gradually increase the time. When I started I was breathing so heavy that I thought "no way", now I run races and half marathons. I never dreamed I would do that.

Yes will definitely try this thank you and well done great achievement