At what weight should I start jogging?
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saundts
Posts: 51 Member
Hello all, I am 44 yrs old and weigh 215lbs. At what weight would do you all recommend I can start jogging?
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Replies
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Obviously not a professional, so take what I say as my opinion I don't think it's a matter of weight, per say. You have to get your body used to it (it annoys me when people say 'just go for a run' to someone obese/morbidly obese). I'm 256 now and I can jog (albeit not for a long period of time). Start out walking, then walk faster. When you're comfortable you can keep increasing speed. A slight jog, a little faster of a jog, etc.14
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Are you doing anything now? I just walk on a treadmill and up the incline to keep heart rate in target range. I burn 750 cal and watch phone tv for an hour. I'm afraid of an injury that would bench me for a while and feel walking is safer. I recently read an article recommending walking ans sprinting mixed over jogging to burn more calories with the same knee strain.7
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At whatever weight you feel comfortable with. The basic rule of thumb is that if you can do a brisk 30 minute walk, you're ready to start running. Running is about gait, not speed. When I first started running, my run was slower than my fast walk. Also, there's nothing wrong with doing interval running (1 min run, 1 min walk, repeat). If all you can do in 20 minutes is 2 one-minute runs, and have to walk the rest that's perfectly fine.
A good program is C25K, it's designed for beginners and is also meant to be repeatable for weeks that are tough. Even thier website recommends repeating weeks when one finds themselves at an impass and can't quite finish the runs for the given week.
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I was 280 when I started C25K. And over 50.9
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It depends on your current health and activity level. Work up to it gradually, but there's no reason why you can't start the process now.
Walk a block, a mile, a few miles then several miles. Increase your speed then add short increments of slow jogging. Gradually increase the distance jogged.
Your body will get accustomed to the motion and it will improve over time.
Running successfully without high risk of injury is not switch. It's a process.4 -
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TavistockToad wrote: »
I wholeheartedly endorse this advice. Weight doesn't tell us as much as our prior activity levels and performance.0 -
If there's a fancy athletic shoe place that offers "good form walking" and "good form running" classes in your area, or some other organization that does, take them. Injury prevention through good form is a good thong.
In my mind, there are two issues for an aspiring runner/jogger who's still on the heavy side. One is basic fitness; the other is joints.
Other folks have addressed the fitness angle well, above. Not an expert, but I do know that jogging/running are materially higher impact than walking. This doesn't rule out jogging while still carrying some extra weight, but it does increase risk.
Also, the older we are (I'm way older than you!
), the greater chances we already have some pre-existing joint damage. Again, this doesn't rule out jogging.
If you have any history of joint issues (arthritis, connective tissue problems, etc.), I'd suggest checking in with your doctor and maybe getting a physical therapy referral to do selective remedial work before making a big start on jogging.
Likewise, if you experience any joint pain or other sharp localized pain (not just sore muscles) while working toward more jogging, get it checked out. Some pains are injuries that will worsen with more jogging, some aren't; and as we age, recovery is a little slower (costs more recovery time) and rebuilding is also a bit slower, so avoiding injuries or treating them quickly are both sensible bets.
With those caveats, I agree with those encouraging you to start a sensible and gradual couch to 5k (C25K) program or similar anytime.
Best wishes!8 -
And one more thing since it hasnt been mentioned yet: Try to run on softer surfaces if you can (grass, dirt etc)9
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I am a urban runner and run on pavement because it is softer than concrete. I get great shoes and retire them at 350 miles (runtastic app tracks my shoe miles). My current shoe is Hoka and they are known to have a lot of cushion. I try to run as if I am running on eggs and trying not to break them. OP, I recommend walking briskly until you get to about three miles daily and then phase in short runs at intervals. extend the interval until you can run the three miles without walking and get used to it. If you like you can add more miles after you can run and carry on a conversation. I love to get out at 5 am and have the city to myself.4
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The one you're at right now!3
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As others have suggested, it's less about age and/or weight, but rather more about your health and conditioning.2
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I’m 5’2” and currently 185 pounds, and have just started. Got me some good shoes and supportive clothing (important for a woman!) and I was good to go.
I only felt I was able to start though because I felt like my walks were getting too easy, and I needed an extra challenge. I’d started with 20min walks at a moderate pace, and worked my way up to over an hour at a good pace, so I was needing something new to focus on!8 -
If there's a fancy athletic shoe place that offers "good form walking" and "good form running" classes in your area, or some other organization that does, take them. Injury prevention through good form is a good thong.
In my mind, there are two issues for an aspiring runner/jogger who's still on the heavy side. One is basic fitness; the other is joints.
Other folks have addressed the fitness angle well, above. Not an expert, but I do know that jogging/running are materially higher impact than walking. This doesn't rule out jogging while still carrying some extra weight, but it does increase risk.
Also, the older we are (I'm way older than you! ), the greater chances we already have some pre-existing joint damage. Again, this doesn't rule out jogging.
If you have any history of joint issues (arthritis, connective tissue problems, etc.), I'd suggest checking in with your doctor and maybe getting a physical therapy referral to do selective remedial work before making a big start on jogging.
Likewise, if you experience any joint pain or other sharp localized pain (not just sore muscles) while working toward more jogging, get it checked out. Some pains are injuries that will worsen with more jogging, some aren't; and as we age, recovery is a little slower (costs more recovery time) and rebuilding is also a bit slower, so avoiding injuries or treating them quickly are both sensible bets.
With those caveats, I agree with those encouraging you to start a sensible and gradual couch to 5k (C25K) program or similar anytime.
Best wishes!
I’ll second the joint issues point. Regardless of weight, joint issues can happen and they are a big deal with running.
I really really wanted to run, but my knees have told me no, and it’s just my draw. I’ve had knee issues for several years and running will not be for me, even at goal weight.
While many people have stories of being 300lbs and just starting with C25K or other slow walking-to-running progress and it goes amazing, because they have good joints.2 -
Tell be honest a lot of doctors that I have talked to suggest bot to jog or run because it can put a lot of stress on you heart11
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I run and I'm fat. Just start with a learn-to-run program and remember to slow down
. 2 -
Yeah, I'm not going to start running until I can be sure nothing's going to bounce up and hit me in the eye...Leannep2201 wrote: »I’m 5’2” and currently 185 pounds, and have just started. Got me some good shoes and supportive clothing (important for a woman!)
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I would also suggest C25K and the supportive clothing it really does make a difference. If you try the C25K just remember these two things you can always repeat a session and when you start you go slow but whatever you think slow is - No, slower than that I started at slower run speed than my walking speed, it can take time for your body to adjust to the movement of running. Also, listen to your body it will guide you. 2
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If there's a fancy athletic shoe place that offers "good form walking" and "good form running" classes in your area, or some other organization that does, take them. Injury prevention through good form is a good thong.
In my mind, there are two issues for an aspiring runner/jogger who's still on the heavy side. One is basic fitness; the other is joints.
Other folks have addressed the fitness angle well, above. Not an expert, but I do know that jogging/running are materially higher impact than walking. This doesn't rule out jogging while still carrying some extra weight, but it does increase risk.
Also, the older we are (I'm way older than you! ), the greater chances we already have some pre-existing joint damage. Again, this doesn't rule out jogging.
If you have any history of joint issues (arthritis, connective tissue problems, etc.), I'd suggest checking in with your doctor and maybe getting a physical therapy referral to do selective remedial work before making a big start on jogging.
Likewise, if you experience any joint pain or other sharp localized pain (not just sore muscles) while working toward more jogging, get it checked out. Some pains are injuries that will worsen with more jogging, some aren't; and as we age, recovery is a little slower (costs more recovery time) and rebuilding is also a bit slower, so avoiding injuries or treating them quickly are both sensible bets.
With those caveats, I agree with those encouraging you to start a sensible and gradual couch to 5k (C25K) program or similar anytime.
Best wishes!
I’ll second the joint issues point. Regardless of weight, joint issues can happen and they are a big deal with running.
I really really wanted to run, but my knees have told me no, and it’s just my draw. I’ve had knee issues for several years and running will not be for me, even at goal weight.
While many people have stories of being 300lbs and just starting with C25K or other slow walking-to-running progress and it goes amazing, because they have good joints.
I used to go out and go from no running to 2 or 3 miles using the no pain no gain style. My knees killed me a I assumed that I can't run. When I took up a GPS based game Ingress.com I did shout runs with a pause in between. I ended up doing 6 or 7 miles each morning and it hit me, I can run now. No more knee pain and I do at least 12 miles a week. I did get up to 35 miles a week at one point and have done three half marathons. The slow gradual build up was the key for me.5 -
Hello all, I am 44 yrs old and weigh 215lbs. At what weight would do you all recommend I can start jogging?
I think the short answer is when you feel ready to. :-)
I was so overweight that I never thought I could run. But I could and I did!
I started running when I was about 200lb. But of course I couldn't really run or even jog then, so I began with walking. Then increased the walking pace over months. (I didn't have a sports watch then, but if I was doing it now, I'd use it on walks to help keep my heart rate in the cardio zone.) Then I did Couch to 5k, where you just jog for 60 seconds at first. It's a 9 week programme, but I think it took me something like 20 weeks to finish it because I had to repeat weeks over and over until I could do them without feeling like it might kill me. :-)
Once I got to being able to run 5k (3 miles) I was having a bit of trouble with my knees, but I'd also lost weight. That meant that the impact going through my joints as I ran was reduced. It was still a lot though. I used a knee brace, and as the weight came off, my knee bothered me less and less and I didn't need the support brace any more. And the more I ran, the more muscle I built up where I needed it, which reduced the chances of injury and pain. I was also doing a bit of weight training, which also helped.
I ran a half marathon a year ago, at about 175 ish pounds. That still sounds ridiculous, but I did it, and without walking or stopping too! No pain during or afterwards except a day or two of hip pain, which is fairly normal, I think, and I'll bet that it's almost always caused by one of those things.
BUT, as I was training for this year's half marathon, I did injure my knee. I don't think this was related to damage caused by being obese for 40 years though. It was poor diet, lack of cross training, overtraining, and not listening to my body that did it. All runners get an injury of some sort, at some point, I think.
That's all just a very long way of saying that you can jog and run at any size. See the Women's Running magazine for proof and inspiration - they often feature overweight and even obese runners. Just listen to your body and make sure you're properly prepared (protein, good running shoes, limbering up, stretching, all that stuff) and go at your own pace. Running can be amazing (it can also be horrible, but then it's usually amazing straight after). If you feel like you can, then you can!6
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