Jogging: How to start?

[CeciliaK88]

I guess my question would be, what is a good way to condition myself to be able to jog slowly for even five minutes?

I can walk for 8 hours and not bat an eye. I can spend an hour on the bike at a moderate pace with a decent resistance without struggle while still raising my heart rate. But the moment my feet hit the pavement I start feeling that burn. It's not in my body, it's in my lungs and heart, spreads into a head/ear ache if I don't stop. Slow paced jogging for two minutes, walking for four, then try to jog again I start feeling ill pushing for two more minutes, and I start coughing. My breathing is fine and even the whole time, I don't smoke, I am always well hydrated. I slowed down and stopped once I realized it was more than just struggling to get that last leg of the track in and actually feeling sick, no desire to hurt myself.

Some people have told me "go til you puke!" or "keep trying and just stop every time you feel sick" but that all sounds unhealthy, there's got to be a better way.

[philribeiro1]

im trying to get into jogging too, just run a 1/2 mile, should take you about 4 mins, run it 3-5 times a week and in a month hopefully youll be able to run a mile, i hate running so much

[CeciliaK88]

I loooove running, I just get hit so quick with such a sharp pain in my chest that I have to stop. I wish it was just me giving up, I could change my attitude about it. I want to run with my dog so bad it's not even funny.

[philribeiro1]

if you stick with it youll get better, i dont advise to run till you throw up, your body throws up for a reason, its saying your overdoing it.

Youll get stronger and more stamina just stick with it, run about 1/2 mile 5 days a week (mile if you can) and slowly build it up

[conradhpft]

How long have you been jogging for? A couple weeks, months? Running is a full body exercise, sometimes it can take a while to get use to, especially at first.

I suggest doing something similar to what you're already doing, and just to keep at it. Jog as far as you can, when you get that pain then stop and walk until you can jog again. It's fine if you jog for 30 sec today, because the goal is 35 sec tomorrow. It's all relative to your ability. Go out for about 30min-1hr and just jog, walk, jog, walk as much as you can, even if it's more walking than jogging. As long as you add more jogging and do a little less walking each week AND stay consistent, then you'll be running the entire time soon enough.

[retiredrunner]

Hmm. Normally I'd say just start out slow and gradually try to increase your jog times, much like linear strength progression... but if you're constantly feeling acute headaches while just jogging for a few minutes at a time, maybe you should go check with a doctor and see if anything's going on. I can understand lung burn, but headaches sounds a bit concerning.

[Alec92]

I'm actually exactly the same, but I found what works for me, is I jog between one light pole, then when I reach the next, I walk to the next one, and then jog between the next one and so on.
I don't know what the distance between street lights are in America, but in Australia it works for me, the distances aren't too long :P
Hope it helps!

[CeciliaK88]

I've been to the doctor, several by now, who all just give me a resounding "You are out of shape." Thank you, medical science, your knowledge astounds me sometimes. I'm willing to bet the headache is from my BP jumping too high because I am absolutely not used to jogging at all. No where near the same as being on a bike.

I suppose everyone is right, I just need to set up a jogging schedule to add to my workout routine and keep going. Woo! Determined as ever!

I'm the total new kid on the block here by the way, so I appreciate the responses and patience. I'm sure it's been asked a bazillion times before.

[PeterGibbons316]

I'd quit jogging and find some other cardio that you actually enjoy. Ride a bike or get an elliptical or something.

You are probably trying to go way too fast. Check your heart rate as you jog - try to keep it between 75-85% of your max heart rate. Get a heart rate monitor with a chest strap if you are serious and can afford it. Most people that try to start running start off way too fast. Honestly your jogging speed when you start shouldn't be a whole lot faster than a brisk walk.

[CeciliaK88]

It's a slooow jog. But that brings up a good point. A slow jog is still faster than a brisk walk. I'll try that too.

[attackoftheChiz]

I suppose everyone is right, I just need to set up a jogging schedule to add to my workout routine and keep going. Woo! Determined as ever!

I'm the total new kid on the block here by the way, so I appreciate the responses and patience. I'm sure it's been asked a bazillion times before.

i used to be in the same road as yours. i can only jog for half a kilometer (sorry i use the metric system) before my heart beats so hard i start to feel a tight pain in my chest. accompany that with a dry mouth and throat which would make you cough as hell when you try to breathe via mouth.

my approach was doing it little by little. i jogged for a couple of meters first until my heart can go no further (not to the point that i described above, try to feel your body up to where it can go without harming yourself). i noted my distance and always try to surpass it when i jog the following day (i don't jog technically everyday just on weekdays; just moderate pace, not HIIT style). i also prepare my body prior to a jog. i make sure that my stomach is not full and not hungry also, i'm well hydrated and took my supplements at least 30 minutes before my jog. i just did that everyday and now i can run 3-5 kms without my heart getting burned out. my only limitation to my jog/run now is my legs and that's what i'm trying to improve on.

for me jogging is a great form of cardio. you can jog at the different areas so you can always have a change in environment. i don't get bored and i'm not stationary. best of all i get to see other joggers, some just like i was when i started and some who are a lot better than me. it gets me motivated. i get to see a view of my past and the future at the same time.

[Lencho]

Lenco's fail-safe guide to get into jogging:

1. Don't jog
2. Instead, lift weights and forget the fact that taking up jogging ever even crossed your mind
3. ???
4. Profit

[svartberg]

What about power walking ?
That's most of my cardio nowadays, is a great inbetween walk/jogging.

[godsamurai]

I prefer jogging(?) or hiking at the local mountain at the park reason being

1) u get fresh air from natural trees, also more oxygen (heard its good for people with lung, heart problem)
2) it works out leg more because ur going up and down

i also tend to walk bare feet, heard it's good for health (like getting massage on foot by rocks) and might improve posture.

[kenonidas]

Google couch to 5k also known as c2k.

its a great running program for complete newbs and should see you jogging 5km (3 miles) in 2 months and its designed for slovenly folk so you shouldn't have any issue following it

[repsandsets]

I started running relatively late in life, at the age of 37. Before that, I'd never run a mile in my whole life. I was over weight and out of shape. Now I run 10k every day, and I'm in the best shape of my life.

The solution for me was simple: run a tiny amount every day, and increment it very slowly. So when I started, all I could managed was two laps around the block. I did that every day for a couple of weeks, then incremented it to 3 laps. A couple more weeks and then four, and so on.

After a few months, I was comfortably up to 10k a day, with a long run every Saturday. Rather than doing laps on the block, I'd go on more interesting runs to explore the city. Now I run marathons for fun.

So, what I'd suggest is:

- Start with what you can comfortably manage
- do it every day
- Increment it very gradually

You'll be amazed how fast you develop.

If you still get pains in your chest though, I'd go back to your docs - and if they're no help, find a better doctor!

[chazzy1864]

I'd suggest starting out by putting one foot in front of the other.

[IDrinkBloodLOL]

Get medical clearance just in case all of your symptoms are the result of some medical problem.

If you check out, go running as often as you can stand for as much as you can stand and no more. There's no need to push yourself too hard, because your body will readily adapt whether you take it slow and easy or try to kill yourself. Thus, IMO, there's no point trying to kill yourself.

What you will find is that over time your body will just stop giving you crap when you run. The level of exercise that gave you mild discomfort before will start to give you no discomfort and even become easy. That's how you want to go about it.

That kind of training practice is how my big fat ass can go running for 45+ minutes at a time without dying.

[Jrob69]

I'd suggest starting out by putting one foot in front of the other.

Thats what im saying, surprised it took 16 posts for someone to put it up.

[Jasonw1178]

I used to be horrible about distance running. I could sprint, but had no endurance. I would start, and my legs were okay, but I just ran out of breath. I concluded that I had "small lungs" because it just felt that I had no lung capacity. Now, I can do a multi-mile run like it's nobody's business. How did I get here? I can tell you.

There are some little mountains in Georgia near where I live, about a mile up hill at a time. I started out by just hiking, making my goal to go up non stop. Then increased my stride (length of step), which worked more muscles, especially the glutes. I increased speed. I kept my heart rate and breathing rate up as high as I could stand. Then is started running the not so steep parts, fast hiking the rest. Running down the hill. Did this a long time, then tried running a flater trail. Took me a while to learn to pace myself, but I got there.

Here is another idea. Find a trail or road course, about a mile long where there are things to use as markers. Make a routine of jogging as far as you can, then fast walking until you can jog again. Note the areas you start and stop. Gradually push yourself to run alittle further each time, and/or begin a little earlier. Gradually you make more of the course jogging than walking, until eventually you are jogging the whole trail! Then, start seeing how many laps you can jog, maybe it's just a fraction of the course more each time, but each little bit is a little bit more. Soon you'll be like an energizer bunny!

EDIT: Perhaps the first round on the trail, just walk at a brisk rate. Then next time, add a little jogging, don't push yourself the first few times. Just keep adding more jogging until you find your max, then improve from there.

Oh and always make the first part of your course a walking course to get the blood pumping. Just getting up and jogging will be a failure. I can run miles at a time, but I don't just get up and start running. I always start with stretching, then a brisk walk, then start jogging slow. My second mile is always faster than my first, the third it gets faster.