should overweight people run?

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Replies

  • abarriere
    abarriere Posts: 135 Member
    You probably have tight hip flexors, hamstringss and IT bands if you are having pain in your hips, back and knees. If you sit at your job, you probably have weak hips, I know I did.

    I have been jogging for 4 months now and have gone from 10 minutes at a time jogging, to an hour now. My best friend is my foam roller. If you want to incorporate running, it would be a good idea to roll out those areas, along with your calves to loosen everything up. It has made a huge difference in how I feel.

    Also make sure to only make gradual changes and don't do too much too soon.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    Strength train. Practice form. Build endurance.
    • Start your cardio on an elliptical. (Not holding the handles can help with the core. Elliptical can help leg strength.)
    • Lunge, squat and calf raise for leg (and core) strength.

    Once you get a good base learn to run.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    edited May 2015
    No one that is unfit should start a rigorous physical activity without consulting with their doctor first. If your doctor says you can run, go for it!

    Walking is an excellent exercise without the impact of running.
  • DevilsFan1
    DevilsFan1 Posts: 342 Member
    Try walking at a brisk pace instead of running. Keeping your heart rate elevated but not TOO elevated is the key to burning fat. Also, you need to closely monitor your diet to make sure you aren't eating back all the calories you're burning.

    I've found that cycling is the fastest way to get lean and it doesn't hurt your body as badly as running. Plus it's just more fun, IMO. :wink:
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    bfc70 wrote: »
    Running does seem to be the thing to be seen doing, but at what cost. Is there another exercise you might prefer doing?

    It's not a "thing to be seen doing". Running is also not a cure-all or appropriate for everyone, but from the number of positive stories and outcomes you can find here on MFP, clearly running is an activity that a great many overweight people have used with tremendous results.

    Running is an exercise that you can scale up or down in intensity and duration and can do from practically anywhere on the planet with minimal up front expense. You need a good pair of shoes as a must and that's about it to start.

    Since I started running in September 2014 I've worked off 24.4kg (54 pounds) which represents more than half-way to my goal weight.

    I have every expectation I'll be at my goal weight by my birthday in September and that was the ultimate goal I set myself last fall. Back then I honestly didn't know if it was achievable but since January I've come to appreciate my goal is in fact within my reach. Running will have played a major role, no, a starring role, in getting me there.

    mw-loss-series-to-May2015-1024px.jpg

    While I love cycling and cycle touring I have not found that cycling worked well for me due to seasonality. I'd tend to put the bike away when fall rains start and not really get on it again until April. What I love about running is it is cheap, can be done year round where I live (ice on surfaces is infrequent, major rain is very frequent), and I get more aerobic bang per hour of running than I tend to get from cycling.

    I also love cycling and in prior years I had tried to use regular 50K rides at a decent clip to get back into shape. This helped but for the time invested had no where near the impact that running has had for me. I also tend not to ride distance in the rain. Running I can do year round, rain or shine, where I live. Running is a low or no roadblock do-anywhere cost-is-low activity. Perfect for a get-fit campaign.

    For some running won't be an option but if you aren't your own physician, don't rely on your own thoughts on the matter; get checked out by your doc and get their input or attend a sports medicine clinic.

    In my case I've always been fairly healthy (but increasingly unfit). I went from a fit runner dad to a completely unfit sedentary fat dad. I did not then nor do I now have knee problems. I do suffer from lower back pain which is only truly problematic when... I *don't run*.

    Your aerobic / cardio pulmonary function will improve dramatically over the months if you put effort into it. My resting heart rate has dropped from 80 to 47-50. My blood pressure, which had been good for years but was just starting to climb last year (one of my "aha" moments) is again more like a healthy 30 year old's BP now. I can push a run really hard (but don't all that often as it is not necessary) and recover quickly now; had I tried that last fall I'd have puked or collapsed.

    Improved fitness will serve you well for everything else you choose to tackle.
  • kayleygrav
    kayleygrav Posts: 52 Member
    I would definitely recommend strength and weights in addition to the running. Running will shed the pounds but your skin and tone will be weak. Strengthen your body at the same time. It may take longer to see the scale drop cause you will be gaining muscle but you will be happier with your results. :)
    Best of luck.
  • bunsen_honeydew
    bunsen_honeydew Posts: 230 Member
    Pfft I'm properly obese (BMI 33) and I run.

    http://toofattorun.co.uk/

    Run if you want. Good shoes, good bra, *kitten* the haters.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    kayleygrav wrote: »
    I would definitely recommend strength and weights in addition to the running. Running will shed the pounds but your skin and tone will be weak. Strengthen your body at the same time. It may take longer to see the scale drop cause you will be gaining muscle but you will be happier with your results. :)
    Best of luck.

    Calorie deficits shed the pounds, not the running. It's just that folks who take up running or any regular high output form of energy are more likely not to replace 100% of the calories they burn. Taking on a regular fitness program of any sort likely also comes with other positive behaviour changes like renewed focus on what is in our daily diets, progress monitoring, and so on.

    As for muscle, I guarantee running builds muscle but we don't want to be lopsided runners so I definitely agree with you that filling in the gaps with other training is important. I'm doing body weight work at home but have promised myself to hit the gym once in awhile if home renos aren't filling the need sufficiently.
  • b_magill
    b_magill Posts: 72 Member
    I'm an LMT and see a lot of people who injure themselves running. I'm not saying all running is bad or that all runners are idiots, or anything like that. But PLEASE, please, please make sure you start slow and make proper form a priority. A knee surgery is going to set you back a heck of a lot further than not running will, KWIM?
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    According to my doctor: No, because it will bash up your joints and possibly give you stress fractures. Go for low impact or no impact.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    b_magill wrote: »
    But PLEASE, please, please make sure you start slow and make proper form a priority. A knee surgery is going to set you back a heck of a lot further than not running will, KWIM?

    +1.

    Joining a local running clinic would be a good, no, GREAT, idea for most. In many areas you can find one that caters to all levels including heavy folks who can't, yet, run. A good clinic will feature a proper plan designed to reduce the risk of injury, and a many offer qualified speakers and instruction on form, stretching, and other topics.

    No clinic in your area? Read up, ask questions.

    I fear injury more than anything, because a serious sports injury (not from running!) is what started me down a 8+ year path of weight gain.



  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    gothchiq wrote: »
    According to my doctor: No, because it will bash up your joints and possibly give you stress fractures. Go for low impact or no impact.

    In your opinion was that advice specifically tailored for YOU due to your extensive medical history or was the doctor giving out advice broadly for the entire population of the planet?

    If the latter, your doctor sounds fairly clueless on the topic. That's not uncommon among GPs.

    See a sports med specialist and ask her/him instead.
  • nik_nak_83
    nik_nak_83 Posts: 37 Member
    Thanks everyone for all the posts!!! So much good advice! Much appreciated x
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited May 2015
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    girlinahat wrote: »
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    girlinahat wrote: »
    ...the impact on your knees which running will do.

    Nonsense

    running will impact your knees, it can't not. foot hits ground, shock goes through bones and knees.

    And the musculo-skeletal system absorbs shock loading. There are a number of issues about how one lands that may influence how that shock loading is absorbed in the system, and these can be mitigated as well.

    The "musculo-skeletal system"? Different tissues do different things. Cartilage absorbs the stress, and it's prone to wear. Strength training can help, sure, I imagine it can reduce some stress, but can stronger muscles do what cartilage does? I'd be interested to know more about the % difference it makes in shock reduction. (Similarly for the relative contribution of foot strike etc.)
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I am by BMI, "overweight", just coming out of "morbidly obese" and "obese". I am running. To reassure my daughter, I took a class and learned how to do it right. I also got advice from my physiotherapist. I run because I love it.

    My knees are suffering because my hips are too tight and my core is too weak. I do stretching exercises prescribed and a yoga class every week.

    It pays to work on those core muscles now.

    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/361132463846856684/

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    nik_nak_83 wrote: »
    I am overweight, there I said it! I have recently taken up running but man it hurts! It hurts my lower back and my.hips and my knees, but running I the 'thing' to be seen doing right? My question is, am I doing myself more harm than good?

    What is this "thing" you speak of? Your exercise should be about you and what you enjoy doing and about what you want to accomplish from a fitness standpoint. I personally hate running...if I'm running, something very bad is chasing me. On the other hand, I can spend hours on my bike logging numerous miles with no issue. If what you're doing is causing you pain and/or is just plain unenjoyable for you, how are you going to commit to a lifetime of fitness?

    IMO, if you're substantially overweight, I'd opt for something lower impact...running is high impact to begin with, and it's going to be that much more so if you're heavy. Like I said, I'd probably opt for something lower impact and then start doing some running once I cut a bit.

    Beyond that, shoes are incredibly important...if you want to run you should get properly fitted at a running store where they can analyze your gait. If you're going to run, you can't cheap out on the shoes.
  • DawnEmbers
    DawnEmbers Posts: 2,451 Member
    One certainly can but it does help to work your way up as opposed to just running all of a sudden.

    I started with just walking in September and tried to jog a couple minutes to see if I could. It was hard and awkward at over 200 lbs. Still, on occasion during my cardio sessions, including on the treadmill, I would jog for a song. I have been lifting weights since the very end of October as well. Now, I just finished week 7 of Couch to 5k training and jogged 25 minutes for 3 days this week.

    I also have bad knees (had problems with them starting in 6th grade basketball), problems with right hip from hurting it bowling years ago and arthritis in my lower back (also from bowling as are a few arm issues, but I still love bowling, lol). I take my jogs slow, have shoes that work well for my feet and am building up. I might even do 10k training next. Any doctor I've seen has basically said to be careful but hasn't said not to do anything. I even can barbell squat my body weight for 3 reps now. (I did 3 reps with 165 lbs as that was just above my body weight at the time when I tried.)

    I will say, it has gotten easier to jog after losing some weight. It was far more awkward/challenging at 200 lbs than it is now, at 159. I'm still obese for my height but almost to the overweight mark cause yeah, I'm short. So, as others have said it can be done.

    :smile:
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,010 Member
    Why not? I was overweight when I started running. As long as your doctor says it's fine, go for it. If you enjoy it :)
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    sistrsprkl wrote: »
    Why not? I was overweight when I started running. As long as your doctor says it's fine, go for it. If you enjoy it :)

    +1

    Many, many, people slog through the hard early going and become running fans.

    Never know until you try!
  • rrruuunnn
    rrruuunnn Posts: 15 Member
    Try walking on incline. I did that for a couple years to build my cardio. I wasn't overweight. And you get to work those behind muscles like butt hamstring back and calves.

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