Tips for Running @ 250lbs+?

Good pair of shoes, and listen to your body. Great things will come with patience and persistence.

Good luck.

Well I didn't start at 250, but I started running at 216, so pretty close

SHOES SHOES SHOES are the #1 thing. I cannot even stress this enough. Get fitted by a professional.

Also - take it SLOW. When I first started, my running pace was the SAME as my walking pace - about a 15 minute mile. I just jogged rather than walked so it got my heart rate up a lot more. I took it super super slowly. I also did a LOT of intervals.. I would walk for 1:30 then jog for 30 seconds and repeat that for 30 minutes. Then I went 1 min/1 min, then 1:30/1:30 etc....

35 lbs later, I'm still not fast, I'm running 12-12:30 miles but that's still a big increase in pace. It's taken me about 5 months so it gets there slowly but surely. I have about 30 more to go and would love to be able to run a 10 min/mile someday! I recently did a 5 miler in 62 miles and when I started I could barely run 1/2 mile so there's progress for sure!

Good luck!!!

I'm 256 pounds and I'm TRYING to start running. I'm doing the c25k program but I have to spend significantly longer on each week because obviously it's a lot harder on my fat old body than some slightly out of shape 20something couch potato.... but anyway.. I got fitted for good running shoes at the newbalance store and I went to goodformrunning.com. The way they show you how to run is designed to reduce impact on your body. It does not feel natural at first to use a midfoot strike instead of a heel strike, but with careful practice you start to get used to it.

Why not try lifting heavy instead of running. For one you burn more calories after the wotkout is over and you get to eat more without starving. It's a group call eat more to weigh less that will help you.

my tip would be to do some sort of exercise than is less harmful on the joints.

Running is like doing an alternating hop for 1000's of reps. How about if you had to do all of the hops on the right leg first, then the left? Ridiculous right? Well you are putting your body through the same amount of impact with running.

i would walk, cross train, swim, kettlebells or some other lower impact exercise.

And I was over 200lbs and did a lot of running. Knees do not like me running anymore.

Good shoes first and foremost and I would recommend that you start with walking. I found that while walking, I would throw in short stints of running and then back to walking. I believe the C25K does something similar to this (I didn't use it, so not sure), but I would definitely recommend that you start with walking. Increase your walking pace as you go and as you are comfortable, start with a slow job. Listen to your body, try to push yourself a little more each time and you will find you are eventually running and then running for longer periods of time. Just don't try to do too much too soon or you may get injured and be out all together.

If you can, visit a running store and have them assist in fitting you in a shoe. They can help by getting you on a treadmill and watching you run to ensure you have a shoe that will most benefit your style (over-pronation, under-pronation, etc).

Best of luck to you.

I absolutely love this question and the responses are very insightful. I started running at 270lbs and here are the things that were tremendously helpful to me:

1. Wearing 2 sports bras
2. Having amazing tunes with a higher bpm. I can't hear new music wiout evalutating the beats per minute and determining if it is a good one for my fast walk/slower jog
3. Compression pants
4. Professionally fitted shoes (I suggest someplace for you like Porland Running Company. They evaluate your walk and get you the right fit - this is crucial!)
5. Socks... the right socks are important. I like padded bottoms, thin tops and moisture wicking.
6. 5ks - look into registering a race that you can walk or run in. Work your butt off to get ready for it. Celebrate your success of completing it. Schedule another one in the future and try to beat that time. Rinse and repeat.

These are just some of my ideas. Couch to 5k is a good program, but like someone already mentioned, it takes us longer to accomplish it than the program is tailored for.

Most of all - have fun! If you get pleasure from being outdoors - do it there. If you prefer the treadmill (like me, it's more controlled and I can get lost in my head) then go with that.

I agree with some of the comments on here regarding other methods of exercise. This is a comment by Strength and Conditioning coach Phil Learney. Note that while I enjoy running, I do not think it is for everyone and there are other, more effective methods of training that are more optimal for fat loss:

Any trainer out there adopting running as a method of weight loss needs to THINK about what actually happens to your client:

During each foot strike the body is exposed to repeated impact forces estimated to be two to three times the body weight of the runner. Applying this fact to a 150-pound runner, who has an average of 400 foot-strikes per foot per mile, during a one-mile run each foot would endure between 60 and 90 tons of force. Typical runners training from 40 to 80 miles per week could expect to expose their bodies to approximately 16,000 to 32,000 impacts per leg per week, equivalent to about 2400 to 7200 tons of force. This is an astounding amount of stress to the lower extremities that increases the likelihood of injury.

Impact Forces at the Knee Joint – A Comparative Study on Running Styles
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida
May 2001

The thought that weight training in children could bend bones is just plain stupid when impact sports, gymnastics, dance and running are perfectly acceptable and very rarely malform bones yet forces FAR exceed what could be generated in a weights room. Studies have even shown that these kind of forces are beneficial for development.

Resistance training reinforces good mechanical awareness and ensures good structural balance around joints. Activities such as gymnastics create great motor control.

If your trainer is telling you to run to lose weight I would question their methodology.

bump

Tips for running: don't. Lift weights, if you want to do cardio you should swim because it's low impact and you can choose your intensity level.

Tips: Don't listen to that guy.....

Strongly recommend quad, hip, iband, hamstring and calf strengthening before you start running. Your joints are going to take a pounding and your muscles need some additional oomph to help stabilize them. What you can do in your mid-20's even at high weight will sometimes bite you in your mid-50's at normal weight. It's not just about what you want to do right now; you're in this for the long haul.

That said, everybody else has it - good shoes, professionally fitted; do some reading on form (or better still, find a coach to help get you going), walk for a long time before you start to run, etc. ALWAYS stretch before and after, walking included.

Good on ya' for your ambition and drive, and good luck!!

I saw a poster once that said "Get in shape to run, not run to get in shape" At the time I didn't understand, but now it makes more sense.

You "want to run"......I say great, go for it. You have your goal, but the road to get there may take time and several steps. No doubt about it people of weight can run, but they worked up to it. If you are just starting into fitness, running may not be the place to start. If you have been lifting and doing other forms of cardio then pounding pavement may not be far off.

For me my mental barriers to run were tough. It takes strong mental control to run distance. Second it was very painful training my body to take the impact of running. Sore knees, ankles, lower back, and feet all were issues early on. I think I would have been better off to have cut some more weight before I started running.

Best wishes!!!

Don't do it... Just stick to walking for the time being, your not going to gain anything for the risk you take.
Just by walking your going to strengthen muscles and tendons.

I uses to race 5ks and I don't run now and I'm 6'1" 255lbs. I walk I bike i swim but I don't run at least not yet.

I agree with the others don't skimp on shoes...

Good luck

Are you accustomed to walking?
Have you been walking for several months already?

http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/condition.html

Do at your own pace.
Repeat weeks as many times as necessary

First 8-weeks Conditioning program, walk-only

Second 8-weeks Condition program, repeat it, but do the "jog" segments.

Go too easy, go too slow, go too short
:-)

:-)

I don't want to be discouraging in any way whatsoever but I would suggest swimming instead. You can still "run" in the water and spare your knees, ankles and feet. At the very least, you could be safely and in a fun way toning up the muscles that you would need for actual running. Like someone else said, the risks outweigh the benefits.