jogging/running

Go on about.com and look up running/jogging. The have the way to become a runner laid out perfectly. It worked for me!

Check out the 5K101 podcasts for free on iTunes. Coach Todd will help you gradually build up and motivate you too. It's the best thing you can do for your arthritis, maybe, depending on what kind you have. Good luck!

I'm doing a Couch to 5K program right now. It's working out great for me. I just advise you to really listen to your body and get your doctor's ok. Best of luck!

It spite of popular opinion, running doesn't have to be hell on knees-- both my husband and my father have knee problems, but have been running for years. Actually, running can help your knees because running is the most efficient way to lose weight, and the less weight your knees have to carry, the better they will feel. That said:

Wear a brace if you have knee problems! There are lots of knee braces designed for running. They will give you the extra support your knee needs. Get good supportive shoes, too, that will help your knee. Try using "The Shoe Dog" on Runnersworld.com, or talk to someone at a running specialty store to find the pair that will work best for you.

If you're running outside, running on trails or grassy surfaces is best-- they are a softer surface and will cushion the impact, making it easier on your knees. But if you're running in a city or town, run on the ROAD, and NOT THE SIDEWALK. Just be sure to watch for cars and observe safety laws, etc. But a road, which is made of asphalt, is a softer surface than a sidewalk, which is usually made from concrete-- so there will be less of an impact on your body if you run on the road, as opposed to the sidewalk.

Good luck!

I also have a bum knee....but I want to be running by end of summer (hopefully)
I started out walking now I am alternating every other loop around track between walking & running
increasing gradually....

Just listen to your body & go from there.....Happy running! :happy:

I recommend going to a good running shoe store and having them analyze your stride and fit you with good shoes. My daughter-in-law dragged me into one last year and made me do it, and she was right - it made a big difference. I walk at least 70 miles per week, so even though I don't do much running I do use the heck out of my legs and feet.

I severed the anterior cruciate ligament in my right knee in an accident with a horse almost 20 years ago, tore the surrounding ligaments and muscles, and was told I'd never run again. News flash: I *can* run! (Especially when properly motivated, LOL) I've jogged/run as much as 2 miles at a time in the past year but I don't do it often because at my age I consider it pushing my luck with my joints. I just wanted to find out if the walking I do had possibly improved my cardio more than expected, and was amazed at how well I did. My leg muscles were tired though, and my damaged knee relies on those muscles for stability.

If you have the option of having a joint specialist check your knees it would probably give you the best insight for how to proceed. Sometimes you can get corrective inserts for your shoes that could help, or medical advice on the best way to increase your activity level without injuring yourself further. In my case, I was advised to introduce jogging for 30 seconds at a time, every 3 minutes, at first. Then to increase speed in certain intervals. Then to slow down again and increase to 60 second jogs for a week, then increase speed, etc. I had no problems with strain or injury - but I don't have cartilage damage or arthritis and that could be a whole other ballgame.

You may want to read the book Chi Running. It's rather interesting. I've been a runner pretty much my entire life, so some of the concepts are a little different than what I am used to, but I am keeping an open mind as I finish the book and attempt to follow its style.