jogging for fat people?

[Fat Bastard]

im 235lbs 5'10 with a lot of fat. i usually ride my bike for cardio because its easy on the joints. but my bike is messed up right now so im getting it fixed.

is it ok for a fat **** like me to be jogging or is it too harmful to my joints? i was jogging today and i got shin splints pretty bad.

i still want to be exercising when im 40 so i dont want to do any long term damage.

also sometimes i do jump rope but someone told me thats a bad idea for fattys because it damages the joints. is that true?

[ab-swing asianbabe]

listen to your body

high impact exercises such as jogging or skipping can indeed be harmful to your joints. For the time being, try the elliptical, rowing or bike machines, they will cause you less pain.

or try brisk walking uphill instead (always make sure there is always at least one foot in contact with the floor)

you should also look at what you're eating and think about resistance training as well

[quest55720]

I am the same height and weigh 241 LBs and I use the tredmill for most of my cardio. I remember being 300+ lbs the first few months on the tredmill were hell with shin splint pain that I could hardly stand. I just kept on it and the pain eventually went away. In the last month I have gone over 6 miles in 65 minutes on the tredmill. You can jog for cardio just have to fight though the initial pain of it all. It was all worth it in my opinion I was on the bike before the tredmill but my endurence just sky rocketed once I started walking then jogging. It is up to you running is about heart and desire IMO for us really overweight people.

[haleluyah]

according to me. Jogging is by most the best cardio exercise. Other "machines" are good. but the workload you feel after doing 45 mins of constant joggin and 45 mins of bicycle is diff. i would go for jogging no matter what.

[nithos]

I am 6'1, 240 and I jog/run/sprint rather often without any issues. It just a matter of what your body is conditioned for.

Just start out with brisk walking, then move up as you can.

[reflexions]

im 235lbs 5'10 with a lot of fat. i usually ride my bike for cardio because its easy on the joints. but my bike is messed up right now so im getting it fixed.

is it ok for a fat **** like me to be jogging or is it too harmful to my joints? i was jogging today and i got shin splints pretty bad.

i still want to be exercising when im 40 so i dont want to do any long term damage.

also sometimes i do jump rope but someone told me thats a bad idea for fattys because it damages the joints. is that true?

Im about just under 18stone. Is stopped jogging at about 13-14stone. I felt that is was taking a toll on my joints. I perfer (when I do cardio) ski machine anyhow. This balence's out the pressure between muscle & joints, so neither are really in distress.

[MAS2208]

Jogging is without a doubt the best form of cardio IMO, especially outside away from the treadmills. I began jogging at 17yo 6' 265lbs when HS football was over and I needed to lose weight. After continuing to hit the weights and run daily I dropped 75lbs in 1 year w/o any problems at all due to proper stretching and knowing when to stop (had a good friend who runs Div1 CC coach me too). The best things to do are get quality high cushion running shoes (Asics Nimbus/NB 1023), extra cushion insoles (Spenco), and find somewhere to run locally that is not pavement - either the grass around a soccer field or a wood chip trail.

[AphtaLyfe]

When I was overweight and started running I got lots of joint pain and shin splits as well. Eventually all of that goes away as your joints strengthen and your weight begins to drop.

Or you could just do low impact cardio, I just prefer jogging over anything else.

[KeepintheFaith]

I was nearly 300lbs when I began jogging and the results are exponential for success because simultaneously you are getting your lungs stronger, your legs stronger AND losing weight. I gets easier as you go down the scale, but as the others have said, listen to your body. I did experience shin splints and had to use a stairmaster for a while, but we are talking big picture here and if you are heading in the right direction that is the main thing. Don't try to do more than you are capable of nor beat yourself up psycologically over scaling back on occasion either.

[Fat Bastard]

thank you very much for the replies.

[mickgreen58]

im 235lbs 5'10 with a lot of fat. i usually ride my bike for cardio because its easy on the joints. but my bike is messed up right now so im getting it fixed.

is it ok for a fat **** like me to be jogging or is it too harmful to my joints? i was jogging today and i got shin splints pretty bad.

i still want to be exercising when im 40 so i dont want to do any long term damage.

also sometimes i do jump rope but someone told me thats a bad idea for fattys because it damages the joints. is that true?

When I started jogging 2-3 Miles daily 3 years ago, I was about 255 lbs and got all the way down to 192 lbs (got back up to 220 afterwards and now im back to 202 lbs).

I made some poor mistakes when I first started jogging. I ran on concrete and I wasnt wearing the right shoes. If I were you, I would go to a running store and get fitted with proper shoes and also try to find a surface like dirt to run on.

Also, take some water with you and when your feet, ankles and thighs start to hurt, as one poster says, listen to them and give them a break. You dont want to sacrifice a 2-3 weeks because of a serious injury just to push yourself for a few extra minutes a day.

- Mike G.

[alblocker]

as everyone else just fight through the shin splits, they go away after a month or so

[Marx2000]

I made some poor mistakes when I first started jogging. I ran on concrete and I wasnt wearing the right shoes. If I were you, I would go to a running store and get fitted with proper shoes and also try to find a surface like dirt to run on.

- Mike G.

Yes a good running show can be your best friend while cutting. I wish mine weren't so worn out, its time for a new pair soon, good think I have 6 more pounds to gain before the cutting begins.

[Dahon]

I have arthritis on my knee. I began running on the treadmill a few weeks ago. I can go 5.0 for 20 minutes without a problem. I don't feel knee pains at all. However, if I squat, leg press or do other leg exercises, I feel some pain on my right knee. The only problem I have with jogging for a long time is that sometimes I feel a pain in my stomach. Anyone else have this problem?

[haleluyah]

I have arthritis on my knee. I began running on the treadmill a few weeks ago. I can go 5.0 for 20 minutes without a problem. I don't feel knee pains at all. However, if I squat, leg press or do other leg exercises, I feel some pain on my right knee. The only problem I have with jogging for a long time is that sometimes I feel a pain in my stomach. Anyone else have this problem?

The secret is jog with that pain in your stomach. Eventually, it will go away. And also true that jogging outside of treadmills machines creates better effect.

Also, jogging brings you strong and define legs. i see major development on my calves and quads and i never weight train my legs.

[AphtaLyfe]

The pain in your stomach is probably a cramp. Once you get into the groove of running 4 days a week the cramps will pretty much go away. Your body needs time to adjust to the constant up and down motion you do while running.

Also I find that jogging on a track gives me less cramps than on a tread mill.

[Confucius Taoka]

How long you guys run for?

I run for anywhere about 15 to 30 minutes

[haleluyah]

HIIT for ~30 mins 4 times a week or 45 mins constant jog

[mickgreen58]

Outside, 30 minutes.

On the treadmill about 40 minutes at 6.5.

- Mike G.

[ianitrix]

It seems alot of people are having problems with there shins when they run. Here is a tip my chiropracter told me to do, she said to ice each shin 7 minutes 3 times each. Which means start off on the left shin and after 7 minutes switch to the right one. Repeat 3 times each leg, believe me it does work.

[ianitrix]

I also found a good article on how to maximize fat loss for people who want to lose weight. Instead of posting the link i will just cut and paste:


People hoping to improve their performance (and their overall health) by trimming body fat have two options. They can eat less fat and/or total calories, or they can increase the rate at which they metabolize fat during workouts. Since many runners are already either watching their fat intake or unwilling to give up certain favorite foods, the fat-burning approach is often more effective.

Many so-called "experts" recommend that the best way to burn more fat is to run slowly during workouts. You've probably heard advice about training in your "fat-burning zone," said to correspond to a heart rate of just 50 to 65 percent of maximum heart rate (MHR). This is equivalent to a running pace about 2 minutes per mile slower than your marathon race pace. In other words, very slow.

At first glance, such slow running seems like a great idea. A recent University of Texas study found that when athletes exercised at only 50 percent of their MHR, fat provided 90 percent of the calories burned. When the athletes sped up to 75 percent of MHR, fat provided "only" 60 percent of calories.

However, the higher-intensity session actually burned more total fat calories! This happened because the 50-percent workout burned only 7 calories per minute, while the 75-percent workout burned 14 calories per minute. A little simple math reveals that the harder workout consumed 8.4 fat calories per minute (60 percent of 14) versus just 6.3 fat calories (90 percent of 7) for the slow workout.

A study reported in last month's "Health Watch" column reached similar conclusions. In that intriguing experiment, world-famous fat researchers from Laval University in Quebec City, Quebec, reported that intense exercise led to a ninefold greater loss of body fat, per calorie burned, than less intense exercise. The scientists at Laval had earlier shown that vigorous exercisers are thinner than moderate exercisers who burn the same number of calories. From these studies, you might conclude that you should run at top speed to maximize your fat-burning potential. Not so. Above 85 percent of MHR, fat metabolism begins to drop. It appears that 75 to 85 percent of MHR is the ideal range for fat-burning.

Of course, if your current fitness doesn't permit you to run very far at 75 to 85 percent of MHR, you'll still reap weight-loss benefits if you do longer workouts at lower intensities. With this in mind, we've created the following five workouts--some fast, some slow--to help you maximize fat-burning on the run.

If you have just 30 minutes for a workout, jog easily for 10 minutes and then run at 85 percent of your MHR for the final 20 minutes (this is approximately equivalent to your 10-mile race pace).

For an hour-long workout, run at 75 to 80 percent of MHR (approximately your marathon race pace).

Once a week, run for 90 minutes at 70 to 75 percent of MHR (about a minute per mile slower than your marathon race pace).

Every two to three weeks, run for 2 hours in this manner: run 60 minutes at 75 percent of your MHR (slightly slower than your marathon race pace), walk slowly for 15 minutes, then run 45 minutes more at about 75 percent of MHR.

Once a month, wait 3 hours after eating dinner, then run for 60 minutes at 75 percent of your MHR. The next morning, before breakfast, run another hour at 75 percent of MHR. The morning run will force your carbohydrate-depleted body to burn extra fat.

[Wolfga]

That's some interesting data. What's your source, ianitrix?

[MDX]

My final project for my BS degree was on this. This information is 100% correct, I tested 10 people myself.

[AphtaLyfe]

2 1/2 miles - 3 miles. Sometimes I do it fast, sometimes slow. Usually I finish in in around 25minutes.

[ianitrix]

That's some interesting data. What's your source, ianitrix?

I found the article at runnersworld.com

[RyanCollins]

Try the Elyptical, it's like running but smoother. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, it's pretty much running floating in the air. Hahaha.

[smith79]

Hi there.

The good news is that it is more than likely that you can start a jogging routine. You'd have to be in seriously bad shape not to be. However, the key is to follow a good, structured routine that isn't going to tax you too much to begin with, but which WILL allow you gentle progress over an extended period of time.

The first thing to do - and believe me, this IS the most important thing to do - is to go to a specialist shoe shop and get measured for the best pair of trainers tailored for your individual feet. The staff will know what they're on about, and it's so very important that you do this. If you don't, then you will suffer Foot Hell as you get all sorts of cuts, bruises, blisters and bumps. Next, you should get yourself a decent pair of jogging pants and a couple of wick t-shirts if you can. That's really all you need. And a cheap, basic stop watch if you have one.

Once you have that sorted, then you can start this running plan. It will take you 10 weeks to do, and by the end of it you should be able to jog consistently for around 20-40 minutes. There are two things to bear in mind regarding this plan: firstly, "jogging" is really defined by your own abilities; don't knock yourself out with a fast pace. "Jogging" can mean just trotting slightly faster than walking - do what you're comfortable with. Secondly, ensure that you complete EVERY part of this plan. Don't skip a day, otherwise you'll never make it.

Okay, so here it is: (do it every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.)

Week 1: Jog for 60 seconds. Walk for 3 minutes. Repeat 3 times for a total of 16 minutes.

Week 2: Jog for 60 seconds. Walk for 2 minutes. Repeat 5 times for a total of 18 minutes.

Week 3: Jog for 60 seconds. Walk for 2 minutes. Repeat 6 times for a total of 21 minutes.

Week 4: Jog for 60 seconds. Walk for 2 minutes. Repeat 7 times for a total of 24 minutes.

Week 5: Jog for 60 seconds. Walk for 2 minutes. Repeat 8 times for a total of 27 minutes.

Week 6: Jog for 2 minutes. Walk for 2 minutes. Repeat 6 times for a total of 28 minutes.

Week 7: Jog for 2 minutes. Walk for 2 minutes. Repeat 7 times for a total of 32 minutes.

Week 8: Jog for 3 minutes. Walk for 2 minutes. Repeat 6 times for a total of 35 minutes.

Week 9: Jog for 3 minutes. Walk for 1 minute. Repeat 8 times for a total of 36 minutes.

Week 10: On MONDAY and WEDNESDAY, do the Week 9 routine. On FRIDAY, jog for 3 minutes. Walk for 1 minute. Repeat 9 times for a total of 40 minutes.


Like I said earlier, ensure that you complete every day as stated. At times it may seem too easy for you, as though you could do more than scheduled. Do not do more than is what written. Just suck it up for 10 weeks and by the end of it, you will be quite an accomplished runner (and, I daresay, quite a bit lighter!). Make sure you do a decent set of stretches before and after every running workout (you can find basic routines with a quick search on the net).

Finally? Persist, persist, persist! Knowledge is nothing without action. If you wish to become a runner, then this is what you have to do. Almost anyone could do this plan, so excuses are few and far between