Running when morbidly obese

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  • bkinsey1979
    bkinsey1979 Posts: 10 Member
    C25K and be okay with yourself if you need two or three or more rounds of week 1.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    It also depends on how strong you are now. Some people might be able to run at 300 lbs, but it seems risky to me. I couldn't run at all until I got to 200 and even that was difficult. Now at 161 I just finished C25K and it was a breeze. I've been rebuilding my strength for almost 2 years, very weak to begin with, and that has made a huge difference. However, I walked the whole time, and still do, 4-5 miles per day. I remind myself, it doesn't really matter whether I run or not, but I DO want to be able to walk the rest of my life. Nearly every runner I know has sustained injuries that affect their walking ability. Just be patient.
  • MYhealthyjourney70
    MYhealthyjourney70 Posts: 276 Member
    i've done c25k and it's good... i've had to redo weeks until i do it consistently and that's ok.. just take it slow.. good luck
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    Also just started C25K. I'd recommend being able to easily walk 30-45 minutes straight at a brisk pace before you start a running program.
    I tried about 30 pounds ago, and had pain because I really just wasn't fit enough. I've done a few fitness classes since, including a boot camp class. Now the first few running sessions have just felt really good!
  • mmteixeira
    mmteixeira Posts: 118 Member
    edited May 2016
    As many have said above, focus on calorie intake and walking to start. Last June I was 314 lbs, I used MyFitnessPal to track food and started eating clean. At the same time, I started walking the golf course twice a week. After 3 months and 30 lbs lost, I started doing P90 and the 21 Day Fix - slowly but still able to do them. In January I was down to about 260 lbs and started a Couch to 5K plan. I had to repeat certain weeks multiple times. Today I am at 212 lbs and will run my first 5K next weekend. If I did it, you can... :smile:

    Focus on your nutrition and diet first and start walking - the running will come. Don't rush it, listen to your body so you don't get hurt. Be patient as it will take some time... if you make up your mind to do it, you can and will...
  • Nikki10129
    Nikki10129 Posts: 292 Member
    I'm all for C25K, it's an awesome program, I'm using it to get back into running so I take it slowly and don't push myself in a way that makes me hate it, but I would recommend getting a good walking routine going before even starting this program. Like people have mentioned, running is pretty hard on the joints, especially if you're quite a bit overweight, it's better to lose some weight before you start so you can do it pain free when you start, because the more you're hurting the less likely you are to keep up with it, or be inclined to do it again.

    Also, like someone mentioned, walking is a great form of exercise and low impact, a great way to start yourself off. Plus, as someone who has ran regularly and played sports growing up, I went out for a walk with my mom and her WW friends, and damn that was hard, the pace those ladies keep is faster than my jog :lol: You can get plenty of exercise from walks, and they're enjoyable. I'd start with walking (especially if you haven't yet), increasing your distance and work up from there.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
    Normally I jump all over people who say running is hard on your joints but at your weight (unless you're 7 feet tall) I agree completely with the walk first advice.

    Your first focus should be on losing some weight while improving your fitness at the same time, once you're able to walk 30 minutes or more comfortably then you may want to consider adding some very slow, short running intervals (maybe something like walk 10 run 1) I would also suggest, if possible, you incorporate strength training into your routine at the earliest opportunity (hips, glutes, core) asa way of preventing injuries.
  • mccraee
    mccraee Posts: 199 Member
    I agree that walking is a great place to start. Just start putting on some miles. Invest in some good running shoes (go to a local running store) and start figuring out what to wear on your excursions. Get in the habit of going out. Take your workout seriously. Schedule it and get out there 3-5 times per week. Figure out what gets in the way of your exercise goals and start blasting the excuses (how do I know about this part?). Figure out how to eat to sustain your exercise. When to eat, what, what to drink & when. Eventually you might get bored so you might want to seek new places to put on some miles. Seek out friends who will go out with you. Your local running store might have groups that go out at your pace and this can be fun for a change of path

    You can increase the miles. You can increase your intensity by seeking out some hills or speeding up. You can vary the length of time that you increase intensity to work at different levels (walking really fast for 1 minute or 5 minutes are very different workouts).

    Eventually, you might fit in some running. Run to the next light pole or the corner or whatever is a good place to start. I have done couch to 5K. It is great. Repeat weeks if it get too hard, but don't quit

    Regardless, you can do a marathon without ever running. There are marathons that cater to folks who want to do this, but not all do. Once you're covering 15 or more miles, you'll be able to estimate your marathon finish time and can look at how long the race keeps the course open.
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
    minizebu wrote: »
    Sometimes people have a misperception that walking is somehow "not enough". But, walking is excellent exercise, especially for people who have been inactive for some time.

    Just start walking! Start off slowly and build up your stamina over time.

    Meanwhile, eat at a reasonable deficit.

    At some point you will feel ready to step things up. You can try incline walking, or walking at faster speeds or walk/jog intervals.

    You don't need to worry about a formal running program until much later.

    This.

    I started with walking at 230 lbs. I increased time, speed and incline as it got easier. I never planned on being a runner, but I wanted to run a mile just once in my life so I added in C25K when I was around 170 pounds. Now, less than a year after running a mile for the first time in my life I'm at 140 lbs and will run my first half marathon in a few weeks. I am 43 years old and run over 25 miles a week with no pain. 90 pounds and two years ago my knees and hips and feet would hurt after just doing the grocery shopping.

    Take it slow and keep pushing a little more every day.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Don't get running shoes for walking. Get walking shoes. They can be structured differently, depending on the design, because the mechanics are different.
  • KathyApplebaum
    KathyApplebaum Posts: 188 Member
    edited May 2016
    I started C25K when I was 268lbs. (I already had a good walking base.) I spent a whole lot of time repeating weeks 1 & 2, with my "runs" being super slow jogs, but I was gradually getting fitter and fitter. Allow yourself to repeat a week as many times as you need -- it's all good. Getting out there 3x every single week and doing the mileage is far more important than your pace.

    Now I weigh 168 and run half marathons. It can be done. :)
  • Wicked_Seraph
    Wicked_Seraph Posts: 388 Member
    What is your mobility like right now? If you find it challenging to walk long distances, I would strongly encourage you to work to feeling very comfortable with walking before working up to running. YMMV, but using an elliptical might also be helpful!

    When you can comfortably walk with no pain or discomfort, I would recommend a C25K-type of program. I use Zombies5K and love it. These types of programs work very well in building up your endurance - both mental and physical! I don't know if C25K does it, but Z5K also incorporates things like knee and heel lifts into the running drills to build your muscle strength. Although these programs are designed to take 8 weeks, don't hesitate to take more time if you need to. I've spent MONTHS on Z5K because of schedule limitations to where I could often only do one session a week... but I don't think I'm any worse off for it. If you need/want to repeat weeks until you feel confident enough to progress, then do so! It's not a race - just enjoy the journey and surpassing your own expectations :)

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