I can't run without dying - please help!

Whoever told you walking doesn't help you lose weight didn't know what they were talking about. I used to walk all the time...my ticker doesn't lie...I walked all the time, until I got bored of it and switched to other cardio. Don't use the misconception that walking doesn't help you lose weight as an excuse to not do anything. Walking is awesome.

Walking is a great exercise - as long as you aren't strolling along.... Many people will mix walking and jogging together to build up to running. Have you checked out Couch to 5K? It is based on that concept - mixing walking and running starting with more walking than running until you can build up to a steady pace and distance running.

Ha! We all said the same things until we ran. A mile burns the same calories, no matter how long it takes to complete. If I am injured and I can't run at least 30 minutes, I then walk an hour and a half. Walking rocks!

Try C25K and wog a while (walk/jog) Once you run for 10 minutes or more you tend to get hooked, once you run 10 miles, you can run anything...and you want to.

Not a beginner any more, but I remember those days quite well.

1) Walking is very good. The difference in calorie burn between running and walking over the same distance is not that big, and a good vigerous walk will do wonders for you.

2) Running takes time, and the best way to develop as a runner is to go so slow that it is easy, and/or take walk breaks very gradually increaseing the running time in between. This may mean more walking than running at first. Check out the C25K program as a way to get started.

i wasn't a strong runner at first either.

if you have a bike, go dust it off and start going for rides. i found that i could go further and longer on a bike without getting out of breath.

cycling is a great way to burn calories and build cardio endurance.

after a few months of cycling, one rainy morning i really wanted to go for a ride. but i wasn't comfortable cycling in the rain, so i decided to go for a run. i told myself that if i didn't feel good about the run after five minutes, i'd turn around and walk home.

thirty minutes later i was back at my door after running two miles. yes the pace/distance was horrible. but i did it.

I agree walking does burn calories especially as a very brisk pace. It is actually the base for running. look at the couch to 5K program at first your mostly walking to with short (I mean 30 sec "run") runs in it. Plus if you have vary bad knees you can look into biking or walking. Walking does work!

Running might be one of the best exercises, but if it isn't right for you then don't worry. There are other options.
Elliptical machines are similar but less impact, maybe that would be better, or cycling?

If you are determined to run them Couch to 5K might work, but personally, I couldn't do the first session when I started out. I was too out of breath and couldn't make myself go any further. I was trying to run too fast and just couldn't do more than two or three run-phases. If you do try it, look out for the podcast with music which helps with pace, that made a big difference for me.

Good luck, I hope you find something that works for you.

you have to train using the condition you're in, not train for where you want to be!

Walking is fantastic. It will help you get ready for running, and is a huge part of any Couch to 5k program, which I second - you should try it. It's often abbreviated C25K - there's usually two options to do it "time" or "distance" based, depending on whether a stop watch or track is easier for you to work with. You start off really easy, mostly walking, and by the end of about 10 weeks you're running (jogging) 3 miles straight.

Another excellent way of getting in cardio is on a bike - it may be great for your knees by helping you build up the muscles, or it may be horrible for them because it uses those joints. If they gave you PT for your patella, I'd go back to doing the exercises they gave you every day again, to be sure either way that you're setting yourself up for success.

But if your breath really is that bad, swimming might be a better idea than you think. Again, you can't just hop in the pool expecting to be able to do a lap - even if you're terribly fit! I've run most of my life, and decided on a lark to swim while I had access to a pool since a friend was so in to it - I could run 3 miles in 22 minutes but I couldn't swim one lap without having to stop to avoid drowning. I had to work up to it, starting off just trying to go a few strokes, then dog paddle the rest of the way, but in a few weeks I was able to get across nicely, taking my break on the wall instead of mid-lane. And it did AMAZING things for my breath control and running, which I totally slacked off on while I worked on the swimming. When I went back to running I was floored at how much easier it felt and how much faster I was.

So you're likely just trying to do too much too soon - slow down, go shorter distances thank you'd like (like WAAAAYYYY shorter), and take it easy on yourself. You can do this.

And in the mean time, walking is better than sitting!

I took a beginners running class and I remember how hard it was to build up from nothing to three miles. I have journal entry that I wrote down after running a half a mile; it said I couldn’t breath and I thought I was going to die. By the end of that class I was running 3 miles.

The key is keep with it and build a little each week on to what you have then once you get there don’t stop because you will loose it.

Start small and keep adding. An expert is only a beginner that never quit.

Good luck.

When I started out, I could barely walk a mile - REALLY! Now, I vary my cardio between walking 4 miles, running 4 miles (not fast - still not a good runner) and biking. I also lift and do calisthenics on the other days. Start with walking and keep at it! You will lose weight.