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Walking every day v Couch to 5K

leolion77
leolion77 Posts: 10 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys - wondering if anyone could give me some advice.
Need to loose 3 stone (lost 9lb in last 3 weeks:smile: )
Have been doing 1-2 hours walking on a treadmill each day and loving it - I work up a sweat but don't really feel tired after it and it has become addictive - I cant wait to get on it!!!

However I want to progress to running - initially a 5k and hopefully a local 10K in August. All the training programs I have seen suggest only running 3-4 times a week and I was wondering which of the two methods are the most effective of loosing more weight. Do I continue daily exercise or ramp it up and do 3 harder sessions per week.

All advice would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Replies

  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Once you start to increase mileage and pace you'll want to give yourself time to recover, and avoid overloading the joints. That'll lead you to reducing the number of sessions that you do.

    For what it's worth I'd be ready to kill after that length of time on a treadmill, so if you're coping then you're well placed.

    A C25K programme shouldn't stretch you too much initially, although you'll find the challenge increases rapidly. It's a route that I'd recommend as one of the biggest issues for new runners is injury, and doing a structured programme can help avoid that. Certainly the case for me as I used to suffer shin splints very badly, but using a structured programme I've got to 35-40km per week.

    5-6 months is achievable for 10k distance, but it doesn't leave much room if you do need to repeat sessions or take it easy for a bit. No reason not to go for it though.

    Personally I used the NHS C25K podcast and then followed that with the Bridge to 10K podcast. I took 12 weeks instead of 9 to get to 5 Km, and then about 8 instead of 5 to get to 10km.
  • leolion77
    leolion77 Posts: 10 Member
    Cheers for the advice mate - hoping that pushing myself harder for those 3 sessions will compensate for the lack of calories burnt by the missing days!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Cheers for the advice mate - hoping that pushing myself harder for those 3 sessions will compensate for the lack of calories burnt by the missing days!
    There's nothing that says you can't still walk on the days between runs, because you certainly can! You just don't want to RUN every day because your joints need recovery time. As long as you stick to something low-impact on the days between runs, and walking qualifies, you can certainly stay active every day. Personally, I'd try something like strength training instead of walking on those days. You'll want to make sure your legs are strong enough to handle the load that running places on them. Weak thigh muscles can contribute to knee issues for runners.
  • jonnyman41
    jonnyman41 Posts: 1,032 Member
    I would advise trying the couch to 5 k and walking on the days that you don't run as that is not too taxing for the body but maybe walking for a little less time. C25k is highly addictive and lots of fun
  • leolion77
    leolion77 Posts: 10 Member
    Cheers guys - that's very helpful and encouraging - Have been on the treadmill every day for a month so far (which is the longest since I was 16! ) and I want to keep going without getting injured so all this advice really helps.

    Thanks everyone!
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Personally, I'd try something like strength training instead of walking on those days. You'll want to make sure your legs are strong enough to handle the load that running places on them. Weak thigh muscles can contribute to knee issues for runners.

    I'd support the reistance training suggestion, while it's not a big calorie burner you can adjust that by managing your food intake, rather than burning a lot out.

    Runners injuries are frequently associated with muscular imbalance, and form. Resistance training help to avoid that:

    Running doesn't conventionally strengthen the glutes or the muscles on the shins, so compensating for that helps. Similarly core strengthening helps with form and efficiency. Upper body resistance training isn't as significant but helps with form.

    I use bodyweight training as a solid system, rather than bothering with weights.

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