Running?

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XiaoRuRu
XiaoRuRu Posts: 83
in Motivation and Support
So I've heard that running is one of the best ways to lose weight. But I'm not a runner. I never was. Even when I was a child and super active and healthy, if the gym teacher made us run I was huffing and puffing at the back of the pack. It's not something I was ever able to do and I don't enjoy it when I do run.

I know this is whiny and some of you are going to say "never say never, you can do it!" just don't go there. That's not going to convince me to try after my history with it. Without a job, I cannot afford the money to go to a gym or a rec center to use the pool so sadly those are no go too.

Are there any other effective straight cardio options?
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Replies

  • BobbyDaniel
    BobbyDaniel Posts: 1,460 Member
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    I lost about 30 pounds a few years ago by walking about an hour a day, about a 15 minute a mile pace, in a community with some pretty big hills. So that is effective.
    If you do want to consider running, and I get your feelings because I was always the same way, consider the Couch to 5K program. I never ran, hated running and thought I would never run any further than to my mail box in the rain and decided to give C25K a try. Almost a year later I'm running at least 3 miles on my short runs and working toward a 1/2 marathon.
    I'm not going to say "you can do it", but would say you might surprise yourself!
  • xAdrianax
    xAdrianax Posts: 269 Member
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    I have never been a runner...until now! I used to hide at school for cross country and 5 months ago i couldnt even run to the end of my road.

    Last week i ran 5 miles, tonight im gonna run 7!

    You really have got to just build it up, if you comitt to running 3 times a week and increasing by 5-10 mins you will be so surprised!

    I started off with 10 minutes (nearly dies) 3 times a week and then upped it slightly
  • Sweet13_Princess
    Sweet13_Princess Posts: 1,207 Member
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    What about workout DVDs? If you have Netflix, they have a pretty extensive collection. Maybe you have friends who workout and you could swap videos back and forth. If you have a Wii or Xbox, you can do some of the fitness games on there. Also, if you have children, there are lots of fun games you can play with them to get your heart rate up.

    Honestly, I'm not trying to change your mind about running.... I still dislike doing it. But I've found that signing up for a 5K is a great motivator toget yourself out there. Some people use the C25K program to improve their running endurance. I'm up to 30 minutes, but I really hate it.*LOL*

    Shannon
  • julietye
    julietye Posts: 3
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    I was one of those "I never want to run" people until yesterday I decided to try C25K (Couch to 5K). So ... I made it through day one and am looking forward to day 2. I am one month away from turning 50, so it is never too late to try something new. You can get a basic outline of the program for free from the internet. (I know you said not to go there--but just sharing my experience.)
  • Jconner30
    Jconner30 Posts: 311
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    I wasnt a runner either but now I am :) Running is one of the quickest ways to boost your metabolism and increase your stamina. If you are going to run, start out with a 1/2 mile or so and then walk/run it until you can run the whole thing. SLOWLY increase your distance. Dont kill yourself! Run slow at first and then slowly increase your time. Before long, you will be running 8 milers like they are nothing :)

    When I first started running in February of this year, I was around 285. I weighed in at 217 the other day :) Thats 68 pounds lost!!!

    I did a 15.45 mile run 2 weeks ago and I am going to do it again on Saturday. I am doing a full marathon on my birthday (November 13th) - the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon!!!
  • Amo_Angelus
    Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
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    I'm totally with you. I'm a printer, I had to be in chool because there were far more bullies than there was me, so I had to be able to outrun them if they ganged up, which they frequently did. I was the fastest sprinter at my school, but running? God no, I wa always at the back of the track with my best friend, we hated it and we often just walked. I've often thought about trying harder, but every time I try I remember why I hate it.

    Dance on the other hand? When I danced regulary I could eat anything I wanted to and I remained underweight. I weighed only 126lb till I reached 20! Which at 5'10" is very light! It was nothing to do with diet, and my lifestyle aside from dance revolved around the internet and playstation...then the bar. I did several styles of dance, pop, cheerleading, salsa and belly dance to name a few, and I always burned a sweat, always had fun and never ever put weight on.

    If I were to pick one activity for loosing weight it'd be dance. I still don't get enough time to do it much, so I walk 4 miles a day instead, but dance is my ultimate go to.
  • framywest
    framywest Posts: 2
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    I had to give up running recently because of an injury, and had to search for another activity too. I second the suggestion of walking with as many hills as possible. Really use your arms to pump your way up the inclines. If walking in your neighborhood is unsafe or it's too dark to go by yourself when you have the time to do it, I recommend a treadmill that has incline capability. You can often find good ones for cheap on craiglist, and it'll be a fraction of the price of a gym. Hope this helps!!!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    What do you enjoy? Swimming is one of the best cardio exercises (IMO) and doesn't require any fancy/expensive equipment. Biking is good too.
  • drdenise
    drdenise Posts: 87 Member
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    Biking, power walking, rollerblading.........but seriously, don't nix running! I have never been a runner (was a sprinter in high school, ran the 400 meter mostly). I had never run more than 2 miles in my life (hate running) until May. I decided to train for a triathlon, as I needed a goal, and I wanted a challenge. So running it was! I now can run 4.5 miles at a pace of 9 1/2 minute miles (around 6.5 mph), and when I started it was pushing it to run 5 mph for 5 minutes. I am now hooked. :)
  • DisneyAddictRW
    DisneyAddictRW Posts: 800 Member
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    I NEVER did any sports in high school and was never active. I didn't even enjoy going for walks. November 2009 I started walking. I added in running the last block of the route I took. Over time I added an extra 20ft as I could. I wouldn't have called it running more like a fast walk/jog pace. July 2010 my sister who was a runner in high school said she thought people were stupid for running anything more than a 10K. Said it was a waste of time. For some reason it made me snap and I wanted to prove to her it wasn't stupid. I just kept up what I was doing. In January 2011 I ran my first half marathon Jan 8th and my first full marathon Jan 9th. I've stuck with it since and I still fight to get the first 1.5 miles in but after that I could go miles and miles! I know you don't want to hear it but honestly for me it's a mental game if I say I can do it I can but as soon as I get moody about it I talk myself into not doing too.
  • XiaoRuRu
    XiaoRuRu Posts: 83
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    Ok so if I do c25k, how do you log those minutes?
  • arlo1028
    arlo1028 Posts: 76 Member
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    You can always go out for a walk, on a track , around the block. If you feel up to it run for 30 seconds or jog. Pace at this point doesn't matter since you're a beginner. Breathing is the challenge, after you've learned to control it, you will be able to run longer and faster. After 30 secs continue walking fast pace and see how you feel. Just don't completely stop, keep moving!! Then you can go to a minute, if you feel up to it. Once you can run for a long period of time, then you can increase speed and start the same way! (from 30secs) BONUS: intervals are a big fat burner! :bigsmile:
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    C25k is great but even if you find that to be to regimented and uncomfortable but like the idea of running intervals, feel free to do it at your own pace. That's what I did and it still helped me build up to running farther and faster. Walk to warm up, run as far as you can, then walk until you catch your breath, then run again.

    One other tip, unless your goal is to run sprints, something a lot of us needed to learn was to pace our running. When I started out doing intervals, I thought running meant going as fast as you can but I would lose my breath really quickly that way. It made me hate running outside - treadmill running was great because I could set and adjust my speed - but without those controls it was like I was lost. My friend told me to take shorter paces and slow down and it really worked! Also, it may help to pace your breathing- I time mine with my steps- inhale two steps, exhale two steps.

    Once you've tried it all and still hate running - there's really nothing wrong with walking. Just try to include hills to get your heart rate up and keep your pace as fast as you can for good calorie burn.
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
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    I know you haven't enjoyed running in the past but maybe with the Couch to 5k (C25K) program you could really get into it the first time in your life? Walk/Run intervals is definitely the way to get started.

    Other cardio to do on the cheap: Jillian Michael DVDs like 30DS, Ripped in 30. You can buy these for about $10 at walmart.
  • BobbyDaniel
    BobbyDaniel Posts: 1,460 Member
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    Ok so if I do c25k, how do you log those minutes?

    Best bet is to use a heart rate monitor to keep track of your calories that way, or do a search for "run/walk" or something similar on the MFP data base, there may be something there for that.
  • Sweet13_Princess
    Sweet13_Princess Posts: 1,207 Member
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    I don't have a heart rate monitor and I don't really like the idea of having one, just because it's a hassle to tote along and wear. I use the calorie count on the treadmill at the gym and apply it to days when I workout around our housing development. I'm sure it's not 100% accurate, but as long as I have an estimate, I'm happy.

    Shannon
  • lcnelson
    lcnelson Posts: 279 Member
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    You could go to Youtube and watch the Zumba videos and learn right along with them. I agree with most of the previous posts about walking. It gets you moving and you just might be surprised how much it inspires you to perhaps jog, I don't have time or money for the gym, so I started walking in March and found it did not get my heartrate up after the first month. I ended up doing the C2K and ran my first 5k in 2 months.

    If you had told me 6 months ago I would be a runner, I would have said I had a better chance of becoming the President of the United States. I am now up to 9 miles in 90 minutes and am pushing for 10 by the end of the month,

    Don't underestimate yourself!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    All cardio is effective. Running doesn't cause weight loss. People lose weight without any exercise at all. I GAINED when I started running and haven't been able to get it off, even though my diet is good.

    If you don't enjoy or don't want to run, don't. Walk briskly, use the elliptical, take dance classes, swim ... I could go on, but you get the idea.

    If you WANT to try running, then go for it. But don't think you have to.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    What do you enjoy? Swimming is one of the best cardio exercises (IMO) and doesn't require any fancy/expensive equipment. Biking is good too.

    Pools are pretty fancy and expensive. ;-)

    But I do love swimming.
  • hanbanx25
    hanbanx25 Posts: 9 Member
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    Hi,

    I felt exactly the same way about running last year. I am a pear shape so really bottom heavy and I am not one of those individuals who is naturally toned, it's just flab to be honest! So, when I started the gym last year I started from scratch....

    10-20 minutes on a treadmill at an incline of 4 or 5 or intervals - I did this about 3 times a week for a while...Then push this to 30 minutes at a speed of 6.2 (fast paced walk)...you'll see and feel your muscles building up really quickly over the weeks and your stamina and fitness as well.

    I do a lot of leg and hip abduction exercises in the gym too alongside squats. I am not claiming to be a fitness freak but I went with what I thought my body needed and it has worked.

    Introduce interval running. so run for 1 minute. walk for 2. then increase the running over time. Believe it or not you will slowly but surely creep up to running on your own without panting for breaths!

    I tend to do a 35-40 minute run then 30 min cross trainer 3-4 times a week! It burns fat from your waist/tummy and you'll start to see a leaner you....Honestly it works!

    Hope this helps :-)

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