C25k

I have completed it and am doing it again now as I have gotten WAY out of shape! It works if you trust it will and just do what it says. If you are not physically active at all, you may want to walk 30 minutes a day for a week to see how you do. I have always been able to walk pretty much forever, so that was not a concern for me.

If you feel comfortable, just jump right into day 1. You can always change to more walking and less jogging/running if you start it then realize it's too much for you at once. Just make sure you don't over do it. (:

I jumped right into it, and seriously thought day 1 would straight up kill me lol. But here I am at the end of week 3 feeling great!

Kevalicious99 wrote: »

I injured myself doing C25k in the spring .. and it took me 4 months to fully recover. Runners I find try to brush this under the rug, and don't talk about it .. but running injuries are very very common. Stick to brisk walking, virtually all the benefits and a very small chance of issues with injuries. I was not overweight at the time either .. and was quite fit. It happens.

We as humans were literally born to run. That is the mode of locomotion that we have adapted to over hundreds of thousands of years, and we certainly have not undergone any major physiological changes that would have altered this fact.

Sure, we are fatter and un-fitter than never before, and as such need to be careful when starting out with any exercise. Running is no exception. If you think that you can go from being a complete couch potato from running marathon training and hill sprints over a weekend, you are bound to hurt yourself. The C25K program accounts for this, though. It starts you off slow, but if you haven't even been walking for a while, just go ahead and take brisk 30-45 minute walks 3-4 times a week for a few weeks.

Also, never, ever skip the warmups. In fact, since the actual training for each day is so short (20-30 minutes) I would recommend that you increase the warmup from 5 minutes to 15-20 minutes of brisk walking instead. Not only is it safer, but I find that my big old diesel engine is so slow cranking that 5 minutes just isn't enough of a warmup for me, and I really struggle for the first 5 minutes or so, but have no problems finishing after I power through the beginning. (I'm at week 7 of the program, BTW.)

elphie754 wrote: »

1stplace4health wrote: »

I regularly walk so when I started the program it was easy. Always stretch after your workout while your muscles are warm or you will injure yourself next run.

Any specific stretches I should be doing? I was never a runner so I honestly have no idea. I used to dance years ago, so I know those stretches but not sure if they would be beneficial for running.

I do yoga poses and just general stretching. I do stretches for the quads, hamstrings, calves, hips, buttocks, back, and abs. I find when I run I use my core as well to stabilize so that can get stiff too. You can look any of these up on line. My favorites are Pigeon Pose, and Downward Facing Dog.

elphie754 wrote: »

BruceHedtke wrote: »

ColorRunnerArianna wrote: »

If you feel comfortable, just jump right into day 1. You can always change to more walking and less jogging/running if you start it then realize it's too much for you at once. Just make sure you don't over do it. (:

Yes, this.

When it prompts you to run, if you feel like you're not ready or need a little more of a breather, just keep walking until you feel up to running. Or start walking before your jogging segment is up. You can repeat days/weeks as many times as you need to. As you become more fit, you'll be able to run longer distances.

I have a feeling I may be redoing most of the days at first. I'm going to try not go progress to the next day until i can do that day completely and feel like it got easier if that makes sense. I am just going to jump right in to day one tomorrow. 60 seconds of jogging can't be any worse than 5 flights of stairs lol.

cindytw wrote: »

elphie754 wrote: »

1stplace4health wrote: »

I regularly walk so when I started the program it was easy. Always stretch after your workout while your muscles are warm or you will injure yourself next run.

Any specific stretches I should be doing? I was never a runner so I honestly have no idea. I used to dance years ago, so I know those stretches but not sure if they would be beneficial for running.

I do yoga poses and just general stretching. I do stretches for the quads, hamstrings, calves, hips, buttocks, back, and abs. I find when I run I use my core as well to stabilize so that can get stiff too. You can look any of these up on line. My favorites are Pigeon Pose, and Downward Facing Dog.

Okay, thank you. Usually when I look up stretches I can never figure out what exactly I'm supposed to do if there are no diagrams lol.

Yeah try Youtube, I can't either! Nor can I tell you effectively! I did find a lot on Youtube when I had a Psoas issue (hip flexor).

elphie754 wrote: »

1stplace4health wrote: »

I regularly walk so when I started the program it was easy. Always stretch after your workout while your muscles are warm or you will injure yourself next run.

Any specific stretches I should be doing? I was never a runner so I honestly have no idea. I used to dance years ago, so I know those stretches but not sure if they would be beneficial for running.

Here are some good exercises: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF8x_SIPRYo

Not crazy about the hip flexor stretch, though. This is a better description of how it should be done: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQmpO9VT2X4

In addition to that, when you shower after your run do some hot-cold baths for your shins. Turn the water all the way to cold, rinse your shin with the cold water for a minute or so. Then turn the water back up to normal and rinse again until you feel the warmth returning to your leg. Repeat for 3-4 times for both legs. This is great for preventing shin splints.

I did it, ran my first 5 k this week. It was fantastic!

I started a similar program eight weeks ago. They said if I could run for at least one minute, I was ready for the program. So I went on the treadmill to see if I could do it. I did.

I am amazed how fast my body has adapted to the new demands. I can now run for eight minutes without stopping.