To fat to run?

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  • juliedozier
    juliedozier Posts: 184 Member
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    Oh hell no! I started running at 230+ pounds. One of my friends suggested I wait until I lost a little more weight. Ha! That motivated me to work harder. You can do it! Just take it slow and work your way up! Good luck!
  • kmross2007
    kmross2007 Posts: 6 Member
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    Lookup the Couch 2 5k program. It's a 9 week program that will take you from not being a runner to running (or jogging) a 5k. It's a challenging program if you're not in shape like me, but it's doable. You don't have to complete it in 9 weeks...you can go at your own pace. Just be sure to take it slow. I made the mistake of going to fast too soon and ended up with a serious injury. If you do it right, you can run.

    I was going to suggest this as well. You are never too fat to run. The question is, are you healthy/strong enough to run? Go for a walk and try to run for 30 seconds and see how you feel. Do that a few times during your walk. If at the end you still feel ok, give C25k a shot. It's a really great program!
  • kimbux
    kimbux Posts: 154 Member
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    You're only too fat to run if you think you are..... just do it! I am 50+ lbs overweight and have run 4 marathons and many half-marathons. I like to eat - what can I say!! Good Luck!
  • witeowl
    witeowl Posts: 89
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    I've become a "runner" twice in my life. Both times, I was around 100 pounds overweight when I started running. I started with c25k (couch to 5k) both times. So, no, you're not "too fat", but whether running is okay for you is only something you and your doctor can be sure of.
  • cwilliams080676
    cwilliams080676 Posts: 118 Member
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    I love to run. I am currently about 55 pounds over where I want to be. I've been jogging a long time. I jog 5 minutes walk 2 minutes ect.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I'd work on building strength, flexibility, and general fitness before running. I think of running as being pretty demanding in terms of strength and ability to withstand impact, and I don't believe it's exceptionally great as far as calorie burning exercise goes.

    Here's an article by Rachel Cosgrove that I found interesting:

    http://members.rachelcosgrove.com/public/180.cfm
  • krhn
    krhn Posts: 781 Member
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    If you can't run, walk...

    Go swimming if its based on joint problems... Release/reduces stress on them!
  • vet272
    vet272 Posts: 183
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    Thanks all
  • vet272
    vet272 Posts: 183
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    54 year old male, starting wt.: 255. So I had two things against me. I'm old AND fat! I started walking last summer and very gradually, THAT'S VERY VERY gradually started doing a slow "trot." When I became fatigued I slowed down. I use a treadmill so I tried adding incline which made me work a little harder. I ran my first 5K in March in 35:08 (the real runners will laugh at how slow that is), but I RAN/trotted the whole thing. I'm still at about 230, and finished my second run Saturday in 32:52. Still slow, but at my age, who cares! My legs hurt for a day or two afterward, but their getting better. If I would drop another 20 lbs it would help, but I'm enjoying what I'm doing so I'm sticking with it. The key for me was to take it very slowly and gradually. You can do this!


    Wow! And thanks
  • vet272
    vet272 Posts: 183
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    Update - started C25K today! Along with baby in a stroller hehe. Anyway, was fab so thanks to all for ur support and afvice
  • easternNCchick
    easternNCchick Posts: 198 Member
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    good to hear it is going well! Take it easy. C25K is hard core, at my weight I cannot do it. Im a little over 50lbs overweight and using Zombies, Run 5k trainer. Just listen to your body and run how its comfortable to you
  • vet272
    vet272 Posts: 183
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    good to hear it is going well! Take it easy. C25K is hard core, at my weight I cannot do it. Im a little over 50lbs overweight and using Zombies, Run 5k trainer. Just listen to your body and run how its comfortable to you


    I'm 50lbs over too. Just taking it slow and steady.
  • TheOneWithTheY
    TheOneWithTheY Posts: 12
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    I started the C25K program when I decided I wanted to run. Started it very overweight, and got through it without injury - and now I am addicted to running. Spend the $ on good shoes, which helps. You can do it on a treadmill if you're not ready to run it outside. Love that program, it's what got me to run.
  • livingfortheone
    livingfortheone Posts: 273 Member
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    To the OP...
    After my knee reconstruction in '84, I gained well over 165 pounds over the next 20 years. Most of it was gained emotionally, but having the bad knee and not being an athlete anymore, I kept eating as if I were. When I hit my 40s and the metabolism slowed to a crawl, I knew I was in trouble.
    Long story short... start where you can... walking. Just get moving, even a little bit. It's not about how fast you walk, it''s about how long (timewise)..
    Start walking for 10 minutes in the evening, every evening.. and add 5 minutes every week until you are walking a whole hour a day. You'll be amazed as how the length of time walking, improves the speed of your walking/jogging/running naturally.
  • SkinnyBubbaGaar
    SkinnyBubbaGaar Posts: 389 Member
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    Such very good info and motivation in this thread. Thanks y'all.

    I'm 50 and currently at 275 lbs and down from a peak weight of 346 lbs. The weight so far has come off through changing my eating patterns and from getting back to swimming.

    Was an athlete in HS (Water Polo and Swimming) and College (Rowing) and let it all slip away after graduating in 1985.

    Was always much more comfortable in the water, but did have to run daily (anywhere from 1 to 6 miles) during my rowing years. Was always terribly slow on the runs, however, and hated every minute.

    All of the years of swimming has the positive - and negative - effect that I'm really efficient with my technique and I've come to the realization that (as much as I hate it) I need to get running/jogging back into the PA repertoire in order to mix things up for better results.

    That said, I went out running (ok, actually more of jog/walk truth be told) for the 1st time in decades on Thursday evening.

    1.75 miles total - VERY slowly.

    Currently carrying about 75#'s more than I would like to be on my frame so I certainly did feel the burden of lugging all of that extra "baggage".

    Jogging was at an embarrassing slow pace, and ended up alternating walk-jog-walk intervals but, hey, it's a start right?

    Definitely felt it in my legs yesterday, but nothing that a nice warm bubble-bath and some Epsom salts couldn't handle.

    Looks like I will try and make a commitment to keep this in the weekly rotation a few days a week in addition to the swimming.

    Don't really have designs or interest in signing up for any competitive 5Ks, but everyone's suggestions of the C25K program has my interest in checking that out to slowly get back into the swing of things in the running/jogging depart.

    Thanks for those suggestions.
  • sh0emann
    sh0emann Posts: 46
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    "Bring up my post" - it's bumps the post up.

    Wow, never new it was an acronym for that haha, thanks for that.
  • SkinnyGirlPending
    SkinnyGirlPending Posts: 20
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    Sounds odd but I am about 80 lbs overweight. Cannot run. I jump rope. I started out with 30 second bursts and now I can go for a good minute or two of really hard jump roping, rest for 30 seconds and start again. It's easier on my knees and just less painful overall. Sounds odd, but
  • Samstan101
    Samstan101 Posts: 699 Member
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    I'm 280lbs (started at 303lbs 8 weeks ago) and have done 2 sessions of week 3 of C25K. Its taken me 6 weeks to get to it as I find my knees ache after a session and so am taking it slow. In between I swim (2-4km a week) and have just started strength training once a week. Along with a calorie controlled diet its working brilliantly and I already feel so much better and am sleeping better.

    I'd definitely echo what others have said and take it slow and listen to your body. Enjoy it :)
  • lindseygibeault
    lindseygibeault Posts: 30
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    I was 50 pounds over weight when I started my journey. I am now 30 pounds away from m goal :) I did lots of cardio like running( easiest to start out for me was to jog in place and do some jumping jacks as well), walking fast, dancing anything that got my heart beat up and my blood flowing. Remember diet is 80% exercise is 20%.
  • SweetestLibby
    SweetestLibby Posts: 607 Member
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    good to hear it is going well! Take it easy. C25K is hard core, at my weight I cannot do it. Im a little over 50lbs overweight and using Zombies, Run 5k trainer. Just listen to your body and run how its comfortable to you


    I'm 50lbs over too. Just taking it slow and steady.

    That's the way to do it! I was running at 215 lbs. It may not have been very fast but I was doing it. 94 lbs later I'm still running. I found a pace that was comfortable and focused on distance - even if it was just running a few more yards on each run. As I lost weight I was able to work on speed.

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