Thread: Running, very overweight

I am just looking for some advise really. I am very very overweight at the minute, 19 stone at 5 foot 2!!! I am working hard at weight loss and getting fit using EA acyive but have a real desire to start running. I did try but to be honest it hurt my shins so badly!!! I did try running in a park on the concrete paths but think something more structured on a track with an athletics club might be better. I have found an athletics club that say you can start walking but a bit nervous as so slef concious. I just wondered what is the biggest other people have been when started something like this. I want to be fit!!!

My bf has problems with his shins and he's barely a stone overweight. I'd say start simple and slowly and see how you go. Perhaps try C25K, and take longer. I'm repeating weeks to do it at my own pace as i know i'm not fit (or used to impact exercise) enough to do it as quickly as it says

I have similar issues. I have settled for brisk walking at the moment. Just come back from a walk. Will look at upgrading to running in a few months.

I would definitely start off with walking. Walking has been shown to be just as beneficial for health, fitness and weight loss as running, albeit it's not as intense.

I was around 20 stone (5' 9") at the start of the year, and started off walking a mile a day, and gradually increased it to two miles after a week or so.

I started going to a gym when I reached about 17 stone, and used the treadmill for walking for the first few weeks, as well as the cross-trainer and resistance machines.

I didn't begin running until I was about 16.5 stone, and even then I would get a sore ankle each time.

Now I am about 15 stone, and can run for about 20-30 minutes, however I still get a bit of ankle pain afterwards, although nowhere near as bad as it was, and I'm hoping that the lighter I get, the less discomfort from my joints.

Running is very intensive, so the concerns would be the impact it would have on your CV system if you've not done it before or for a while, and haven't worked up to it yet, as well as the real strains running while overweight will cause to your muscles and joints. Knee, ankle and hip injuries can be very common when running, and a bad injury can really set you back, not to mention muscle tears or ligament damage.

So, best idea would be to take it very easy, very slowly, curb your desire to run for the time being, and build up to running gradually, step by step increasing fitness and losing more weight first.

To be honest at your weight i would start off just walking.
When you run, you pound down with up to 7 times your body weight. so that impact is going through your knee and hip joints. at the moment you may only feel it in your shins but if you continue, eventually you will aggravate your knees and hips.

I started running on the treadmill at the gym when I was still 21 stone. I've allways been a "sporty" person but like you have suffered with shin pains (I used to play American Football and would get really bad shin splints).

This time around though I don't seem to get as many problems, I make sure I stretch properly and do it most days even when I'm not running. I've gone from running for 1 minute and thinking I'm dieing to being able to do 3.5 miles (not in one stint, using the C25K method of run, brisk walk rinse repeat). The longest I've ran in one go is 14 minutes which was well over 1 mile in distance and I'm still really big (20 stone).

Just wanted to let you know it is possible to run even whilst being big

When I started running I would walk between two lamposts and then run to the next then walk etc,maybe you could start by doing a light walk then a brisk then a light and gradually build up to running.

I have been experimenting with the Couch the 5 K plan as everyone seems to rave about it. Im about 20 stone (not sure, buying some scales tomorrow!) I have the podcast version on my Iphone and I find I can get through about half of it keeping up before getting very out of breath. I have a short rest then continue or power walk for the rest of the time that I would have been doing the programme. I figure If I'm walking, I'm getting there, the first time I do the plan without a rest or walking instead of running is gonna be a great accomplishment

HTH

im not classed as overweight and even i struggle with runniing, i find it very painful but this is due to medical reasons, i get pains in my hips and legs after running 3 miles so i dont do more than that