You Want to Run, but are Obese/Flat-Footed/Unfit/All 3
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mark2605
Posts: 23 Member
I posted something very similar to what follows below about 2.5 years ago when I was deep into my running (and probably a little smug). Fast forward to today, and for the usual sad reasons I won't bore anyone with, I've gained all the weight (and more) back and am super unfit again.
What is below is a programme that worked for me to get me running countless times in the past. Me right now (and when I started it in the past) is an overweight, (obese on the BMI charts) flat-footed overpronator, carrying all my weight on my abdomen, with a propensity for lower back problems.
I'm starting it again (well, I'm actually on week 3 i.e. at the start of the jogging stage), and wanted to post the info for anyone who might wish to join me.
WHO THIS PROGRAMME IS FOR
This is a programme for those who would dearly love to be able to run, but have either physical or mental barriers (or both) standing in their way, and feel like they never get anywhere when they try. If you have no issues with running and just haven't done it in a while, this is not the programme for you.
This is not a WHY RUNNING IS THE BEST FORM OF EXERCISE post (so the "lift heavy" crowd can just pre-shutup, please and thank you).
This is a programme for people for whom standardised programmes like C25K (a great programme, but not for everyone) are just too fast or intense, or don't work for whatever other reason.
DISCLAIMERS
The usual disclaimers apply: consult your doctor, I'm not a doctor, listen to your body, hug a tree, yadda yadda yadda.
THE PROGRAMME
First decide the amount of time you're going to run/jog each time. Minimum 30 minutes, maximum 1 hour (you may run longer later, but not for a long time).
To start off with, do not run on consecutive days. Monday, Wednesday, Friday is a good idea, or whatever works for you. Your joints and muscles will let you know when you're ready to run on consecutive days.
Without further ado now, the programme:
Week 1-2: ONLY WALK, but walk at a good pace.
Week 3: Walk 4 minutes, jog/run 1 minute (W4;R1). In that order. Always start off with the walking stage.
Repeat for total duration of exercise. Stay with this pattern for at least 2 weeks, or as many weeks as it takes until is starts feeling easiER (not easy). So for example, you will walk from minutes 1-4, run from 4-5, walk 5-9, run 9-10 etc. etc.
Don't feel bad about doing this or any stage longer than 2 weeks. Do not do any stage LESS than 2 weeks.
Next stage (maybe week 5, maybe later): walk 3 minutes, run 2 (W3;R2).
This is the hardest jump to make, as you're effectively doubling your running time. Don't lose heart at this point - this is not the time to drop out. As above, do this stage for at least 2 weeks, but more than likely, much longer than 2 weeks.
Next stage: W2, R3 - now you're running more than walking, but by this point your body has been conditioned for running and your fitness and conditioning will be much improved, even though you're still overweight. So while this stage might seem daunting on paper, it's probably an easier transition than W3, R2. As above, stay in this pattern for at least 2 weeks, probably more, until it feels noticeably easiER (not easy).
Penultimate stage: W1, R4 - you should be quite fit by this stage, at least relative to where you started. You need to do this, as with all stages, for at least 2 weeks, but likely much longer. You'll know you're ready to move on to just running when the 1 minute of walking is actually beginning to annoy you, and it feels more like a break in your rhythm than a relief. This will come at a different time for every person. It's a leap of faith, and only you'll know when it's time to ditch the walking entirely.
Now for some tips.
SHOES
Before starting, ensure you are fitted for correct running shoes. As an overweight person, you are highly likely to over-pronate, even if you don't naturally have flat feet. Discard any of the crap you read online about running barefoot or with minimalist shoes. This may be a good idea for that mythical running waif with perfect posture and zero excess fat, but it's probably a bad idea for you. Get stability shoes that can take a lot of the shock of you pounding the pavement.
DON'T MOVE ONTO THE NEXT STAGE TOO SOON
Moving onto the next stage is not only about your fitness, but your body conditioning. While your lungs and heart may tell you you're ready to move on, your joints and muscles may not be, and moving on too soon increases your risk of injury.
ICING AND STRETCHING
To help your joints and shins in the early stages (shin splints are almost guaranteed in the beginning), fill some polystyrene cups with water and freeze them. Once frozen, peel away the polystyrene and ice your joints (including ankles and knees), shins and muscles with them every day after your workout.
Personally, I continue to do this after every run. It shouldn't be something you only do when injured.
Stretching afterwards is something for you to do if you want to do it. There are studies saying it helps prevent injury and other studies saying it's useless. I personally like to stretch the major muscle groups and lower back, but that's me. Do what feels right for you.
BREATHING
Do what works for you. I like to aim for inhaling through nose and exhaling through mouth. As your heart rate climbs, this may no longer be possible. Using both mouth and nose is also fine.
POSTURE
Don't get too stressed out about your posture, and again, don't fall down the rabbit hole of people opining on minimalist running. However, do try to remember the following:
- keep your core as engaged as you can while both running and walking. This doesn't mean the same as sucking your stomach in. Just activate the abdominal muscles;
- keep your shoulders down and your hands loose. Loose means you could be holding a bag of chips and not crunch any of them up.
- Move your arms in front of you however it feels natural. Arm movement can help, especially going uphill, but don't overthing this.
- Keep your head slightly down and looking in front of you about 10 - 15 metres
- vary your running route
SHOULD I DO ALL THIS ON A TREADMILL?
Ideally, no. Treadmill workouts give great cardio, but it is not actually running. If you view someone on the treadmill in slow motion (you can find videos like this on YouTube), the action is closer to jumping (i.e. jumping to keep from falling off) than true running, where you are propelling yourself forward.
Also, if you can run outside, you will find it much more mentally stimulating and rewarding. But if a treadmill is your only option, it's a helluva lot better than doing nothing.
YOUR SPEED AND DISTANCE
Until you can comfortably run for an hour (comfortably means the ability to talk to someone while doing it), SPEED AND DISTANCE ARE IRRELEVANT. I repeat, SPEED AND DISTANCE ARE IRRELEVANT. Do not worry about running faster or further. Focus on the time (you will need a watch, DUH).
I use the word "run" above, but really, there is no speed too slow, as long as you are doing a running motion and not a walking one (running motion means both feet off the ground, even if it's only for a fraction of a second).
It doesn't matter if it is so slow that senior citizens using walkers are passing you during your "running" minutes. The important thing is the running motion. So, if your run is a mere shuffle or slow jog, it doesn't matter, as long as you're able to do it for an hour. There is plenty of time later for worrying about speed or increasing your distance (and you will address those things, don't worry), but it is not the time to do so before you can "run" non-stop for an hour. As I said above, all these tips are just my experience.
STICKING TO THE PROGRAMME
As you get fitter and slimmer, the programme might start to seem boring or slow. I urge you to stick to it. The SEEING HOW LONG YOU CAN RUN methodology just doesn't work. It doesn't work mid-programme any more than it does right in the beginning on your first day. I think we've all tried to see how far we can run immediately and felt like dying 30 seconds in.
This is regimented and borderline boring, but it pays dividends.
CROSS-TRAINING
Do your best to incorporate cross training to work other muscle groups (e.g. swimming), or strength training. Squats and lunges will do your hamstrings and quads and glutes a world of good and minimise the incidence of injury.
Good luck to all (including myself!).
What is below is a programme that worked for me to get me running countless times in the past. Me right now (and when I started it in the past) is an overweight, (obese on the BMI charts) flat-footed overpronator, carrying all my weight on my abdomen, with a propensity for lower back problems.
I'm starting it again (well, I'm actually on week 3 i.e. at the start of the jogging stage), and wanted to post the info for anyone who might wish to join me.
WHO THIS PROGRAMME IS FOR
This is a programme for those who would dearly love to be able to run, but have either physical or mental barriers (or both) standing in their way, and feel like they never get anywhere when they try. If you have no issues with running and just haven't done it in a while, this is not the programme for you.
This is not a WHY RUNNING IS THE BEST FORM OF EXERCISE post (so the "lift heavy" crowd can just pre-shutup, please and thank you).
This is a programme for people for whom standardised programmes like C25K (a great programme, but not for everyone) are just too fast or intense, or don't work for whatever other reason.
DISCLAIMERS
The usual disclaimers apply: consult your doctor, I'm not a doctor, listen to your body, hug a tree, yadda yadda yadda.
THE PROGRAMME
First decide the amount of time you're going to run/jog each time. Minimum 30 minutes, maximum 1 hour (you may run longer later, but not for a long time).
To start off with, do not run on consecutive days. Monday, Wednesday, Friday is a good idea, or whatever works for you. Your joints and muscles will let you know when you're ready to run on consecutive days.
Without further ado now, the programme:
Week 1-2: ONLY WALK, but walk at a good pace.
Week 3: Walk 4 minutes, jog/run 1 minute (W4;R1). In that order. Always start off with the walking stage.
Repeat for total duration of exercise. Stay with this pattern for at least 2 weeks, or as many weeks as it takes until is starts feeling easiER (not easy). So for example, you will walk from minutes 1-4, run from 4-5, walk 5-9, run 9-10 etc. etc.
Don't feel bad about doing this or any stage longer than 2 weeks. Do not do any stage LESS than 2 weeks.
Next stage (maybe week 5, maybe later): walk 3 minutes, run 2 (W3;R2).
This is the hardest jump to make, as you're effectively doubling your running time. Don't lose heart at this point - this is not the time to drop out. As above, do this stage for at least 2 weeks, but more than likely, much longer than 2 weeks.
Next stage: W2, R3 - now you're running more than walking, but by this point your body has been conditioned for running and your fitness and conditioning will be much improved, even though you're still overweight. So while this stage might seem daunting on paper, it's probably an easier transition than W3, R2. As above, stay in this pattern for at least 2 weeks, probably more, until it feels noticeably easiER (not easy).
Penultimate stage: W1, R4 - you should be quite fit by this stage, at least relative to where you started. You need to do this, as with all stages, for at least 2 weeks, but likely much longer. You'll know you're ready to move on to just running when the 1 minute of walking is actually beginning to annoy you, and it feels more like a break in your rhythm than a relief. This will come at a different time for every person. It's a leap of faith, and only you'll know when it's time to ditch the walking entirely.
Now for some tips.
SHOES
Before starting, ensure you are fitted for correct running shoes. As an overweight person, you are highly likely to over-pronate, even if you don't naturally have flat feet. Discard any of the crap you read online about running barefoot or with minimalist shoes. This may be a good idea for that mythical running waif with perfect posture and zero excess fat, but it's probably a bad idea for you. Get stability shoes that can take a lot of the shock of you pounding the pavement.
DON'T MOVE ONTO THE NEXT STAGE TOO SOON
Moving onto the next stage is not only about your fitness, but your body conditioning. While your lungs and heart may tell you you're ready to move on, your joints and muscles may not be, and moving on too soon increases your risk of injury.
ICING AND STRETCHING
To help your joints and shins in the early stages (shin splints are almost guaranteed in the beginning), fill some polystyrene cups with water and freeze them. Once frozen, peel away the polystyrene and ice your joints (including ankles and knees), shins and muscles with them every day after your workout.
Personally, I continue to do this after every run. It shouldn't be something you only do when injured.
Stretching afterwards is something for you to do if you want to do it. There are studies saying it helps prevent injury and other studies saying it's useless. I personally like to stretch the major muscle groups and lower back, but that's me. Do what feels right for you.
BREATHING
Do what works for you. I like to aim for inhaling through nose and exhaling through mouth. As your heart rate climbs, this may no longer be possible. Using both mouth and nose is also fine.
POSTURE
Don't get too stressed out about your posture, and again, don't fall down the rabbit hole of people opining on minimalist running. However, do try to remember the following:
- keep your core as engaged as you can while both running and walking. This doesn't mean the same as sucking your stomach in. Just activate the abdominal muscles;
- keep your shoulders down and your hands loose. Loose means you could be holding a bag of chips and not crunch any of them up.
- Move your arms in front of you however it feels natural. Arm movement can help, especially going uphill, but don't overthing this.
- Keep your head slightly down and looking in front of you about 10 - 15 metres
- vary your running route
SHOULD I DO ALL THIS ON A TREADMILL?
Ideally, no. Treadmill workouts give great cardio, but it is not actually running. If you view someone on the treadmill in slow motion (you can find videos like this on YouTube), the action is closer to jumping (i.e. jumping to keep from falling off) than true running, where you are propelling yourself forward.
Also, if you can run outside, you will find it much more mentally stimulating and rewarding. But if a treadmill is your only option, it's a helluva lot better than doing nothing.
YOUR SPEED AND DISTANCE
Until you can comfortably run for an hour (comfortably means the ability to talk to someone while doing it), SPEED AND DISTANCE ARE IRRELEVANT. I repeat, SPEED AND DISTANCE ARE IRRELEVANT. Do not worry about running faster or further. Focus on the time (you will need a watch, DUH).
I use the word "run" above, but really, there is no speed too slow, as long as you are doing a running motion and not a walking one (running motion means both feet off the ground, even if it's only for a fraction of a second).
It doesn't matter if it is so slow that senior citizens using walkers are passing you during your "running" minutes. The important thing is the running motion. So, if your run is a mere shuffle or slow jog, it doesn't matter, as long as you're able to do it for an hour. There is plenty of time later for worrying about speed or increasing your distance (and you will address those things, don't worry), but it is not the time to do so before you can "run" non-stop for an hour. As I said above, all these tips are just my experience.
STICKING TO THE PROGRAMME
As you get fitter and slimmer, the programme might start to seem boring or slow. I urge you to stick to it. The SEEING HOW LONG YOU CAN RUN methodology just doesn't work. It doesn't work mid-programme any more than it does right in the beginning on your first day. I think we've all tried to see how far we can run immediately and felt like dying 30 seconds in.
This is regimented and borderline boring, but it pays dividends.
CROSS-TRAINING
Do your best to incorporate cross training to work other muscle groups (e.g. swimming), or strength training. Squats and lunges will do your hamstrings and quads and glutes a world of good and minimise the incidence of injury.
Good luck to all (including myself!).
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Replies
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Bumping, but only because I wish I had had something like this to read when I first tried running, not because I want attention or replies.0
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Huh. I'm a runner, but I also lift heavy. I'm not sure if I belong here, but in for what's to come.
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This is a really great guide.. I just finished reading through it. Now I am d) all of the above things you mentioned.. plus one. I am asthmatic so running was always a problem for me, but in highschool I played rugby.. and that is flat out running getting your *kitten* tackled to the ground and then forcing yourself to get back up and flat out run again.. so I KNOW I can do it.. its just I've let myself go so bad that I can't breath... for example today, not even an hour ago, my daughters school called me to come get her because she was sick. I walked there, race walked almost (school is 20 min decently paced walk away) and not even half way there I was panting and wheezing because I could barely breath.. so I think with your program I'd be able to pace it out for weeks and then move up and not only train my body to get used to running again but train my lungs to work with me as well.. One day I will play rugby again... ONE DAY
Thank you for posting this, It's wonderful. I'll be starting it soon0 -
This is not a WHY RUNNING IS THE BEST FORM OF EXERCISE post (so the "lift heavy" crowd can just pre-shutup, please and thank you).
I got this far before I stopped reading.
You're gonna make a lot of friends by telling all of the lifters to shut up...
I lift and run just like JTick.
^so yeah, that instead kthnx0 -
Are there any specific tips for terrain issues or otherwise? Winter is coming up, and I imagine myself slipping on the ice a lot. Fortunately, I'll have extra padding for the cold weather anyway.0
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This is not a WHY RUNNING IS THE BEST FORM OF EXERCISE post (so the "lift heavy" crowd can just pre-shutup, please and thank you).
I got this far before I stopped reading.
You're gonna make a lot of friends by telling all of the lifters to shut up...
I lift and run just like JTick.
^so yeah, that instead kthnx
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Are there any specific tips for terrain issues or otherwise? Winter is coming up, and I imagine myself slipping on the ice a lot. Fortunately, I'll have extra padding for the cold weather anyway.
Check out yaktrax.0 -
bump0
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Are there any specific tips for terrain issues or otherwise? Winter is coming up, and I imagine myself slipping on the ice a lot. Fortunately, I'll have extra padding for the cold weather anyway.
Check out yaktrax.
Depending on how much snow/ice, if yaktrak aren't enough, look at Kahtoola micro-spikes0 -
Thanks for the post. I really wanted to/want to become a runner, but I felt like C25K was too ....slow for me and wanted to just jump in. Last week, I did an hour of walking 2 minutes/ jogging one minute, but one day I just decided to cut loose and jog. I was surprised how long I went. I was jogging at a speed slightly above my fastest walking speed, so I decided to jog outside the next day. I surprised myself again. I jogged outside at 11 a.m. around my neighborhood. I jogged 0.76 miles in 13 minutes, twice. This was my fastest walking pace, but I was jogging! Then, two days later I decided to go to the track. I jogged 2.25 miles in 35 minutes. I felt like I could have gone longer, but I started to become aware of my right knee. It didn't hurt, but it felt "loose" [for lack of a better explanation], so I stopped.
I felt like I didn't workout hard enough, but I stopped because I hurt my right knee in the past and didn't want to stop my progress. I'm good with the breathing-- breathe in thru nose, out thru mouth, was increasing my distance, and felt like I could increase my speed beyond a snail's pace, but now my knees feel a little weird. The joints keep popping and they hurt _just_ a little.
Now, I will do it the right way. I don't know if I should go back to the walk/jog intervals or not, but I will purchase some good shoes because I really don't want any injuries. I was just amazed that at my size ( 5' 5, 260 lbs) , it wasn't that difficult for me to begin jogging (at a 3.5ish mph pace). I felt like I could go faster, but I remembered to focus on distance and not speed.
Now, with my knees slightly buggine me, I see that it's more important to save your joints, than to feed your ego/ burn a calories, right?0 -
Wrap your knees! Especially on ice and especially if you have pain or looseness.0
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This is not a WHY RUNNING IS THE BEST FORM OF EXERCISE post (so the "lift heavy" crowd can just pre-shutup, please and thank you).
I got this far before I stopped reading.
True ^^ Why was that necessary. I knew right then I was wasting my time reading any further, because... rude.0 -
Icebug shoes (with the ones with actual studs). You'll ruin just about any indoor surface with these, but they're awesome for Wisconsin winters! You can get these on Amazon but they seem to also show up on a lot of overstock-type websites as well.0
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Wrap your knees! Especially on ice and especially if you have pain or looseness.
Why?0 -
Bump !
Bad knee, high arches, underpronation = trouble.
I love your sense of humor, lol. Ty for a great guide!
Ok, a noob question. I'm 43 yrs old and in excellent cardio health from spinning classes. RHR hovers around 52. But when I try running, that is REALLY hard for me. Is that cause my "running" muscles are weak ? Any suggestions on what I need to improve?0 -
SHOES
Discard any of the crap you read online about running barefoot or with minimalist shoes. This may be a good idea for that mythical running waif with perfect posture and zero excess fat, but it's probably a bad idea for you. Get stability shoes that can take a lot of the shock of you pounding the pavement.
POSTURE
Don't get too stressed out about your posture, and again, don't fall down the rabbit hole of people opining on minimalist running.
While I agree that it may not be for everyone, you should not be talking so much trash on minimalism. I am no mythical running waif with perfect posture, but if it was not for minimalist shoes and barefoot running form, I would not be running. I started running a little over three years ago at age 53 and I have had both hips replaced... traditional running shoes and the specialty shoe store experts talking about my over-pronation or whatever the crap I had/have, nearly trashed my knees, hips and back. A quick switch to zero-drop shoes and barefoot running form almost immediately alleviated those issues. Since then I have accumulated about 4,500 miles (over 1,500 this year so far) and have just started running ultras, so I know that minimalism works very well for me...and lots of other people as well... I know how divisive this subject can be, so I am not proselytizing or trying to say because it works for me it will work for everyone. I am just saying you are throwing out a very sweet baby with your anti-minimalist bathwater.... :-)0 -
Wrap your knees! Especially on ice and especially if you have pain or looseness.
Why?
For pain - ice is REALLY hard. It doesn't seem like it can be that much harder than asphalt or cement but it really is. And also your stride is going to be different than it normally is which can put more stress on your joints. This one is really just what I've heard over the years (grew up in Maine and Minnesota with running parents)
For looseness - ice is hard to grip and if you already have the wobbles which is generally a torn ligament then it's easy to have a foot slide just enough to make the tear worse. And even if you're not on ice, wrap a wobbly knee or you're asking for more tears. This I know from abusing my torn ACL until it snapped in half.0 -
Wrap your knees! Especially on ice and especially if you have pain or looseness.
Why?
For pain - ice is REALLY hard. It doesn't seem like it can be that much harder than asphalt or cement but it really is. And also your stride is going to be different than it normally is which can put more stress on your joints. This one is really just what I've heard over the years (grew up in Maine and Minnesota with running parents)
For looseness - ice is hard to grip and if you already have the wobbles which is generally a torn ligament then it's easy to have a foot slide just enough to make the tear worse. And even if you're not on ice, wrap a wobbly knee or you're asking for more tears. This I know from abusing my torn ACL until it snapped in half.
The way your original comment was worded was bad (sorry, I can't think of a better way to word that lol).
It didn't make sense and with this explanation, it's not how I originally read your comment either.0 -
It was worded poorly?0
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