Need jogging tips! Help!

Ramberta

Okay, so, I realize that running/jogging isn't the best activity for those who are very overweight. I'm 255. But sometimes speedwalking just isn't enough of a burn for me-- I do *want* to run on occasion, and it gets my heart rate up so much faster and it stays up for longer. However, I know that running improperly will damage me, so...

When I jog/run, should I be staying as straight/bob-free as possible, or should I kind of roll with the movements of my body and shift my weight? Should I be landing on the balls of my feet, or more towards the heels? Does standing up straight make it easier, or should I let myself lean forward a little? Are my arms supposed to move a lot or be kept to the sides? I know that stretching beforehand is a must, but what about stretching after? What are some key stretches that should never be overlooked?

Any tips/tricks/warnings are much appreciated, though of course everything will be taken with a grain of salt :P I'd go ask a doctor, but I'm uninsured.

Mokey41

Lean forward a bit, land midfoot and stay loose but not so that you're flopping all over. Keep your core straight and shoulders back so you can breathe properly. Arms at your side, bent a bit, loosely held. Make sure you have the proper shoes that have been fitted by someone who knows what they're doing. It will save you a lot of grief from injury later.

You want to warm up before you start, not stretching. Fast walking for 5 minutes is usually enough or you can do a few jumping jacks. Stretching is for after your run.

JesterMFP

These are my tips, as a beginner:
-stop calling it "jogging"! Seriously, whether it's running or jogging is a state of mind. If both feet are of the floor at the same time, you're running.
-get good shoes - spend money on decent ones and get fitted for your running style. Not everyone needs the same kinds of shoes.
-start slow, and in the beginning, keep going slower than you think you should be
-stretching beforehand is not a must; it's actually better not to stretch your muscles when they haven't been warmed up. Not everyone stretches after. I do, I've found it helps alleviate some aching I get in my hips.
-www.runnersworld.co.uk/ is a good website for advice and tip. I got some stretches off there. They also have forums on there.
-Just take it slow. Have plenty of rest days (I only run 3x a week, max) and stop and rest properly if you get injured.
worth waiting to lose a bit more. You should be able to tell soon enough though.
-to be honest, I haven't really figured out much of the other stuff you're asking. I just kind of set off and hoped it would sort itself out. Runners world and other dedicated running websites will have some good tips though.

Good luck!

Blondie_05

These are my tips, as a beginner:
-stop calling it "jogging"! Seriously, whether it's running or jogging is a state of mind. If both feet are of the floor at the same time, you're running.
-get good shoes - spend money on decent ones and get fitted for your running style. Not everyone needs the same kinds of shoes.
-start slow, and in the beginning, keep going slower than you think you should be
-stretching beforehand is not a must; it's actually better not to stretch your muscles when they haven't been warmed up. Not everyone stretches after. I do, I've found it helps alleviate some aching I get in my hips.
-www.runnersworld.co.uk/ is a good website for advice and tip. I got some stretches off there. They also have forums on there.
-Just take it slow. Have plenty of rest days (I only run 3x a week, max) and stop and rest properly if you get injured.
worth waiting to lose a bit more. You should be able to tell soon enough though.
-to be honest, I haven't really figured out much of the other stuff you're asking. I just kind of set off and hoped it would sort itself out. Runners world and other dedicated running websites will have some good tips though.

Good luck!

^ I honestly love your answer here & am going to be using your tips! :flowerforyou:

isis8319

I second stretching after you run. When I ran track that is what they told us to do. We would run a around the track first and then stretch and then we would do our real run and then stretch again. I'm not sure about the other stuff. I just do what feels right. I think being straight might feel a little awkward.

madtownjeremy

I'm 6'5", 330 which puts me 100+ lbs overweight...and yet I run 3-4 miles 3 days a week, plus a 7-8 mile run on Saturdays. The weight's coming down slowly but surely (started at 350 or so), so keep at it...it really is great once your body gets used to it.

What I did was I started with the Couch-to-5K program. This is a really great 10 week program that takes you from "walking 10 minutes, running 30 seconds" all the way up to running 30 minutes straight through scheduled intervals. I HIGHLY recommend you look into that (I used the NHS choices C25K podcasts on iTunes...they have their own music built-in and a narrator tells you when to start and stop running, which was REALLY helpful).

I also went to a running-specific shoestore. They'll put you on a treadmill and help you pick the shoe you'll need. But personally, my advice (especially at this weight) is do your best to take shorter strides and land forefoot; your leg isn't designed to handle that kind of shock from a heel-strike. Shoot for shoes that don't have too much of a heel-toe drop, because a huge heel will basically force you to heel-strike. A Saucony or Nike with a 4-6mm heel-toe drop would be a good start.

Best of luck and friend me if you'd like to talk more!

weloveourboys

First off, you should not be stretching before your runs. It is easy to pull a muscle if you stretch without warming up. Warm up by running/jogging lightly - as in, very easy - for about 10 minutes. Then you can stretch if you want to. But it is important that you stretch after your run.

As to form, relax your upper body. Ideally your head should not be bobbing up and down, but moving forward. You shouldn't be leaning forwards or backwards, except when running up and down hills, in which case you would want to lean forward just a little (yes, even when going down hills). Your arms should not be pumping like crazy, they should stay close to your side and swing naturally. Any exaggerated arm movements is wasted energy.

Ideally you should be landing mid-sole - not heel nor balls, though balls of the feet for running up hills is fine.

Good running stretches include stretching your hamstrings - touching your toes etc., also your quads, and your IT band, which are muscles that run down the side of your legs.

When you are first starting to run (which you are now), you should run at a pace where you can hold a conversation - or conversational pace. You should not be huffing and puffing. Start out slowly, and build up slowly, to avoid injuries. Have fun!

campi_mama

Lean forward a bit, land midfoot and stay loose but not so that you're flopping all over. Keep your core straight and shoulders back so you can breathe properly. Arms at your side, bent a bit, loosely held. Make sure you have the proper shoes that have been fitted by someone who knows what they're doing. It will save you a lot of grief from injury later.

You want to warm up before you start, not stretching. Fast walking for 5 minutes is usually enough or you can do a few jumping jacks. Stretching is for after your run.

:flowerforyou:

jlapey

I heard the best way to lose weight is to walk at a pace that you can still hold a conversation. No reason to overly stress yourself. If you want more of a calorie burn, just do it for longer.

FitBeto

Tape your nipples.

elainecroft

When you are first starting to run (which you are now), you should run at a pace where you can hold a conversation - or conversational pace. You should not be huffing and puffing. Start out slowly, and build up slowly, to avoid injuries. Have fun!

Also - when you set yourself a time or distance goal, try it at a certain pace, but if you can't make your goal, this means you have to SLOW DOWN! I used to hate running and thought I couldn't do it b/c I would get winded and discouraged, but then I did Couch 2 5K program, which teaches you to build up speed over time. Seriously, for a while I felt like I was running slower than walking, but that was the speed I needed to go, and eventually was able to work my way up to running 15K and half marathons.

Also, go to a running store and get someone to fit you for shoes. Best investment ever.

Good luck!!

sammyneb

Lean forward a bit, land midfoot and stay loose but not so that you're flopping all over. Keep your core straight and shoulders back so you can breathe properly. Arms at your side, bent a bit, loosely held. Make sure you have the proper shoes that have been fitted by someone who knows what they're doing. It will save you a lot of grief from injury later.

You want to warm up before you start, not stretching. Fast walking for 5 minutes is usually enough or you can do a few jumping jacks. Stretching is for after your run.

Exactly what i was going to say!

againagain

Get the proper shoes! I can't stress it enough.

cinemafromage

You've got lots of good tips here, so follow those for sure! You can search 'proper running form' on you tube and find lots of great videos to give you an idea of proper form too!

My tip to add to the others here is this; I'm a big runner myself. I started at 275, and where I'm at now, my best distances is 8.5 miles! The secret for me to get there? Breathing!

Keep your head up, don't look down at your feet! This opens up your airways!

Concentrate on breathing in for 4 counts, out for 3. (This is what worked for me, you can experiment till it feels natural for you.) Really concentrate on the counts though, if you don't you'll start to 'pant' which doesn't work out well!

When you breath in, concentrate on filling your stomach with air and not your chest! This will help a lot! It will cure side stitches too!

Kasaya20

Ditto to what the above posts recommend (except the nipple one; that is mainly for guys! If you have a great sports bra you are all set ) .

I would strongly encourage that you first get fitted with shoes to avoid injuries. As you run try to relax your upper body and land mid-foot (although this could be hard depending on your stride; you can have someone at the shoe store evaluate your stride and let you know). Feel free to ask as many questions as you want when you go to get your shoes fitted; one thing about runners they love to talk about running! Runners World has some great tips that you can follow, so check them out online.

I prefer to do dynamic stretches before my runs instead of static ones. Dynamic stretching gets the blood flowing to your joints, prepares you for your run and is known to prevent common running injuries. These include, leg kick backs, squats, walking lunges & leg swings. A few minutes of these pre run and you will be all warmed up for your run. Save the static stretching for post run.

Make sure you hydrate during your runs; everyone’s hydration patterns are different. While others are able to go for a 45min run without taking a sip of water not everyone can do that. You will learn as you go along what works best for you.

Most importantly have fun and use running as an escape from the rest of the world. It will be hard in the beginning but if you stick with it you will fall in love with it. Happy running:happy:

1holegrouper

Lean forward a bit, land midfoot and stay loose but not so that you're flopping all over. Keep your core straight and shoulders back so you can breathe properly. Arms at your side, bent a bit, loosely held. Make sure you have the proper shoes that have been fitted by someone who knows what they're doing. It will save you a lot of grief from injury later.

You want to warm up before you start, not stretching. Fast walking for 5 minutes is usually enough or you can do a few jumping jacks. Stretching is for after your run.

Another vote for this^^ BUT, I wouldn't say bent a bit arms, they should be at about 90 degrees at the elbows.

The main thing about form is not to think about it too much. If you do while running, ironically, you can get injured. When you look ahead about 15 yards or so, instead of just in front of your feet, you will often naturally fall into a good form. Leaning forward is done at the ankles, not at the waist.

Besides form your shoes are the most important. A properly fitted shoe can also help your running form. A running specialty store can analyze your gait, foot type, body type and goals and find the best shoe for you at the time. It is not necessarily a certain brand or price.

The warm up, as mentioned is VERY important, not just to prevent injury but it will also give you more energy during your run. Yes, call it a RUN

mfpcopine

You could try a weighted vest, which would make walking more of an exercise. I bought one from this company a couple of years ago:

http://www.mirweightedvest.com/

Use caution re the added weight and your joints. The good thing about such a vest is that the weight is balanced.

The value of stretching is in dispute. Most sources say it's better to stretch after running, but many specialists think it's no longer necessary to stretch immediately afterwards. The consensus seems to be that you shouldn't do it immediately before unless you have a specific issue.

Ramberta

You've got lots of good tips here, so follow those for sure! You can search 'proper running form' on you tube and find lots of great videos to give you an idea of proper form too!

My tip to add to the others here is this; I'm a big runner myself. I started at 275, and where I'm at now, my best distances is 8.5 miles! The secret for me to get there? Breathing!

Keep your head up, don't look down at your feet! This opens up your airways!

Concentrate on breathing in for 4 counts, out for 3. (This is what worked for me, you can experiment till it feels natural for you.) Really concentrate on the counts though, if you don't you'll start to 'pant' which doesn't work out well!

When you breath in, concentrate on filling your stomach with air and not your chest! This will help a lot! It will cure side stitches too!

I've got this part down already, but thanks! I know breathing's super important when running I usually just do 2 and 2, or 2 and 3. For some reason my inhales are shorter.

Also to everyone who recommended good shoes, I've got those too

Ramberta

Thanks for all the tips! I will be using them.