Jogging With Shin Splints/Knee Pain

for shin splints check your shoes and check your form

getting winded : slow down. that should help some at least enough that you can start a program like C25K to build up your endurance and aerobic capacity

I had shin splints for about 2 months. Really bad, I could hardly walk. I ran them out. I ran on grass till I was ok. Never had them since.

Okay, this is definitely all good. Thank you to everyone for the support and advice! Running shoes are definitely something I will have to start saving up for immediately. I will also have to look into C25K as well!

Thanks!

running shoes dont have to be expensive. just make sure you are getting ones that offer the best support for you and your stride. when it's time for me to get new footwear i will usually check site like eastbay.com because sometimes i can find good cushioning shoes in the 30-40$ range on sale

Lots of good stuff about shoes because shoes are important. They can help. Part of the shin splint issue is about the strength/fatigue of those muscles. It is not the total story but it is a key part.

A couple of other things. The rate of calorie burn goes up compared to walking and as you get more fit, comes down (muscles get more efficient, delivery of oxygen to the muscles gets more efficient, your weight comes down, etc.).

You say you easily get winded. That should be a red-flag warning for a medical check and maybe a stress test. As much as you might really want to jog, putting yourself into a situation where you'll be doing the long "dirt nap" will bring an end to all those wants and desires.

Beyond the basic medical approval/supervision, can you walk briskly (say 4 mph, or 1 mile every 15 minutes)? And can you do that for at least 30 minutes non-stop? If you can't, you are really opening yourself up to injury. Running/jogging uses many of the same muscles that walking uses. It also uses some that aren't stressed so much in walking.

I walked for 3 years before I was really ready to try and add running. My walking/hiking produced a huge weight loss and cardio gain so that when I was ready to run (again), it made it relatively easy. In April 2013, I entered and ran my first 10K since 1985. I was not fast but I could easily run it. Seven months later I completed my first marathon. I hadn't thought that I'd actually run another race, much less a marathon, when I went and ran that race in April 2013. I used a Galloway training plan and run/walk method and finished with a smile on my face; tired, but knowing that I had could do this again. Six weeks from now I run my second. In April I will run my third. And then I'll go into a maintenance mode over the summer. But the running (for me), required a good walking base.

Galloway (mentioned above, and whose technique I have used to run a marathon) would tell you need to work on your cardio foundation. Galloway suggests that you really aren't ready for the next step to incorporate jogging until you can walk briskly continuously for at least 50 minutes...every single day.

Others that also advocate for walk/run combinations have similar views.

I would suggest that you take a look at your goals and read a couple of good books about incorporating this into your life. Books by John Bingham (who I find very entertaining) and Galloway are easy to find and easy to read. Bingham, in particular, focuses on doing an assessment of your ability and what you wish to accomplish. His story about becoming an "adult-onset" athlete is both informative about what not to do and how things can go wrong, and amusing.

But beyond all of this, know that it is likely "doable." But you do have to figure out the sequence that works for you so that you don't burn out, get frustrated and just quit.

That's my two cents worth for Christmas.

I don't think a 19 year old with a goal of losing 20lbs needs a stress test...

I agree, no stress test. Op, slow down! Common rookie mistake is to run much too fast. I did when I was starting. C25k will help you figure out a sustainable running pace.

Shin splints, yes get fitted for shoes at a proper running store. But I also wanted to point out that sometimes our day to day shoes can actually be the problem. I realized during the government shut down this year that I was pain free, when I went back to work shin splints started again. It was my work heels causing it. I got new daytime shoes and now though both pairs of my running shoes have 400+ miles on them, I'm pain free.

I don't think a 19 year old with a goal of losing 20lbs needs a stress test...

Perhaps not. Frankly, what she describes in only a few words suggests that she would not be a candidate for a maximal output stress test because it would be too stressful and too dangerous to conduct.

That's something a medical professional would have a trained opinion about. The main point, however, is that when someone that is 19 years old with a goal of losing 20 pounds describes themselves as getting very winded with relatively little effort, that is something that probably should be examined to rule out some underlying medical issue and/or to recommend some approach to reach that goal that fits within and expands physical capabilities.. It does guarantee that all issues will be caught by seeking such advice, but it is a wise first step and is one that you see in every fitness program even if you choose to ignore it.

Along with all of the other great advice that has been given, be sure you are doing some stretching exercises prior to your walk/runs. Google "stretching exercises for shin splints" to get some good suggestions on what to do. It is quite common to get shin spints in the early stages of walking and running.....especially if you have not done it in a while. I have certainly experienced them.....the good news is they usually go away after a few days/weeks of more activity. Good luck and yes...you can do it. Do not give up.