I want to do a 5K, but I can't walk much yet...

All kinds of couch-to-5k programs out there. They pretty much all start with walking for just a few minutes at a time. Start one, take it EASY and SLOW. Repeat weeks as necessary.

You can totally get there. It'll take several months - but you absolutely positively CAN get there.

Just have to take it slow and steady....

:drinker:

You are going to have so much fun! There's nothing better than actually walking or running to build your strength for running. You could look at some body weight exercises like "You are your own gym" if you want to do something extra.

Find a good beginner's 5K program. Couch to 5K and the Zombies 5K programs are both great. They have you start by walking and running in intervals and build you up to running a whole 5K. You can take it as slow as you need to by simply repeating sessions. A few things to keep in mind as you get started:

1. Wear good shoes. If you haven't yet, you should get fitted for running shoes which fit your foot and your running style by the first week or two of getting started. Go to a store dedicated to running that has treadmills or another method of watching you actually run. With the extra weight you're carrying, good shoes are going to be important.
2. Run slowly. Really slowly. Slower than you think running ought to be. You're working on endurance and stamina at first, not speed. Take very short strides to keep your feet underneath your body. That will reduce strain on your knees and ankles. It may feel a bit silly at first but more natural as you get used to the motion. 180 steps (both left and right) per minute is the recommended cadence but you don't necessarily need to worry about matching it at first, just keep in mind that your strides should be shorter than you think they ought to be.
3. Avoid running on concrete. If you have a running track or a dirt or grass path, those are ideal. Otherwise, stick to asphalt and not the concrete sidewalks. Yes, it seems nitpicky but concrete has absolutely no give to it so it's harder on your joints.
4. Do not do anything else high impact on the days between running. Your body needs to get used to the stresses being put on it by running, and recovery days are necessary. Low impact activities like strength training, yoga, swimming, biking or walking are all fine.
5. Have fun!

I know C25K is meant to be the amazing cure-all for people who want to do a 5K, but I'm going to say something different, because I think learning to run a 5k should be more focused on your unique, beautiful body.

First, you need to know where you are before you know how to get where you're going. Try walking, either set yourself a time or a distance that is above your current level of fitness. Do this distance until it's not enough of a challenge anymore, then go for more. No time limits, just respect your body. That's the most important thing.

I was able to walk long(ish)distances before I trained for my first 5k, but I couldn't run for (literally) longer than ten seconds. I am 5ft9.5 and weighed 210 at the time. I heard of C25K, but I decided not to do it, because how does some random program know my body? I decided to go out for a 30-45 minute walk/run as many times a week as possible (started at 3, but 2 was more manageable for me). When I went out, I would run for as long as I physically could (at the start, 10 seconds a go). Then, I would stop and walk until I could try again (and again, and again). I'd always listen to music (to drown out the sounds of my own breathing and distract me from being afraid of the other walkers/runners around me). I found it as a good marker of progress. Once I got better and could run longer (which started happening WAY faster than I anticipated), I would say to myself "just get through this song"... "now try half of this song"... and so on. I walked-ran for a long time before I could run 5km in one stretch. I will echo a previous posters advice, run SLOWER than you think you should. And, don't ever run downhill (advice from a physiotherapist).

I started this in April 2013, I was consistently running 5-7 km 1-2 times a week by October. I ran my first "official" 5km in December of 2013 at just over 30 minutes. Looking back, I should have combined strength with my training (I'm just catching up to that now). A co-worker of mine who went from no fitness to walking a Mountain Man 50km competition did all his training walking on the weekends with his kids, and during the week, doing youtube videos for bodyweight exercises to do at home (lots and lots of squats and lunges). I'm doing some bodyweight exercises prescribed by my physiotherapist (before I started running I had a knee injury), and yoga. I sprained my ankle two months ago, so I haven't been running since then, but I will be running that 5km again this December

Remember to respect your amazing body, and just get out there!