Excess weight and exercise impact/pain

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goron59
goron59 Posts: 890 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm currently around 105kg and according to the (stupid) BMI system, I should be 19kg lower to get into the top end of normal.
My legs and arms are fairly lean, so most of that 19kg (~42lbs) is hanging around my chest, back and waist.

Every time I take a step when running, this weight hammers on my spine and after a few early forays in to running, has caused me a fair bit of pain.

It's been about a week now, and whilst it is getting a bit better, it's very frustrating that I can't go running without pain.

Is there anything I can do? Wear a brace of some kind? Change my running style? My doctor just says I should take it easy - not very helpful!

When running on the spot this morning, I wrapped a towel tightly around my waist and the pain went away almost completely.

Replies

  • marymooster
    marymooster Posts: 134 Member
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    ok... a brace will absolutely help since the towel gave you relief. It sounds like you have a disc that might be a bit out of place.... give up the running for now.... pilates will help yoga will help... amatsu will definately help.... all about alignment. check your posture be very concious how you stand and sit.Watch your pelvic alignment.... you may be a little tilted into your left hip. walking for a while instead of the running will be gentler until you get back in aligment.....
    hope that helps.....
  • gerwindenbesten
    gerwindenbesten Posts: 29 Member
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    Hey Goron,

    The question you should ask yourself is if running is the right excercise for you RIGHT NOW. You say it yourself that the weight of your body has a huge impact on your body, so perhaps you should try some other type of cardio, like an elliptical machine or a rowing machine. Boring, I know, but you're not hurting your body while excercising. Something I really love (and which is far from boring) is spinning (Les Mills RPM), since it's low-impact and high calorie-burn. Might be something for you as well.

    Since losing weight my running speeds have gone up considerably (over 12 km/h) and I've been running way easier. This one will work for you as well, so lose some of the baggage a low-impact way and then pick up on the running.

    Just my two cents, though...
  • goron59
    goron59 Posts: 890 Member
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    I did think that running might be RIGHT for me now as I've always avoided impact exercise, but having built up stamina through fast long distance walking, I thought I'd try moving it up a bit. Maybe now is not yet time!

    I was also hoping to cancel my £90/month gym membership (where I do swimming, eliptical, rowing, etc) and street/trail run instead.

    Yoga sounds quite appealing to me - anything that get get some suppleness back into my aging body!

    Whatever I do, I think I should go see a chiro or other specialist before doing any more road running

    Thanks for the advice :-)
  • gerwindenbesten
    gerwindenbesten Posts: 29 Member
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    Holy cr#p, 90 quid per month!!! I'm at one of the most classy gyms of my town and I'm at € 44,- per month. I do loads of Les Mills (Body Attack, Combat, Pump and RPM, I choose two or three programs a week) and I add a 10-12 km lap of running to that, which has really helped my condition. I also did Pilates, which might be what you're looking for, but I personally missed the fun-factor.

    Bad thing might be that since you've set your mind on loosing weight, you're also loosing muscles. In order to get those back you can cardio you b#tt off, but it's way easier to start lifting weights. That sucks in my book, since it's boring, but I'm afraid I have no choice. Same thing will be for you when you're about 2-3 kgs from your goal. At least, that's where I am right now.

    Hmm, come to think of it: you mentioned road running. There's a huge forest park near my home where I do most of my running, so no asphalt, which takes off a lot of the knee-bouncing. Other than that I treated myself to some nice Saucony running shoes, which really help in terms of knee-impact. Bought them at Runnersworld, which is a specialized store, so the folks there give you some decent advice. Seeing that chiro might help, but be sure to have someone who's sports-minded, so you don't get the "take it easy"-advice. Most of us here took it easy for a very long time :-)

    All the best and keep up the good work!!

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