How Beginner Runners Should Train if the Goal is Weight Loss
As already mentioned, weight loss is the #1 reason people start running, but many of those are mainly wanting to safeguard against gaining weight or maybe they want to drop ten to twenty pounds, but what about people with more than 20 pounds to lose?
In this case, assuming you have your physician’s approval, it’s even more important to progress slowly. Here are a few guidelines:
Take a month, ahead of time, to get accustomed to brisk walking. Start with easy walking and increase pace and distance until comfortably able to walk three miles. This will be an indicator that you’re ready to run a few steps.
Practice exercises for all parts of the body for a few weeks before starting any running program.
Perform balance exercises for a few weeks before starting running.
Repeat each week of the program, whatever program you use, at least twice, at least.
Why is this necessary?
Because running exerts many times more stress on the knees - and other joints - than walking. With each extra pound, that stress is exponentially increased. You can absolutely run even if you’re carrying a good bit of extra weight, but it’s important to get your body ready in order to prevent an injury. Running, in general, does not damage knees, with good form and proper training; however, extra weight greatly increases the likelihood of injury to all joints. Following the guidelines above, first, will help prevent that. Although, there’s still no guarantee.
Prerequisite Walking:
Walking burns just as many calories, per mile, as running. Most people don’t realize that. Of course, running burns more calories per hour because it’s possible to cover more miles.
Please keep this in mind and commit to a fully executed daily walking regimen as a prerequisite.
Walking is great exercise, recommended by virtually every doctor as a worthwhile way to achieve fitness; therefore, I encourage emphasis on walking for fitness for at least a few weeks because this will strengthen all parts of the body, and combined with the other guidelines above, will get you as ready as possible.
I’ve seen too many people, desperate to lose weight, start running, get enthusiastic about it, and then suffer an injury, maybe knee pain, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, or hip pain. That always breaks my heart.
It’s so worth it, though. I’ve known many people whose lives and bodies have been transformed, not just by running, but more importantly, by adopting the healthy lifestyle that goes with it.
When you gain some confidence from even a little bit of running, you start to change your self image, and you start to feel different, in a great way. That provides critical motivation.
Improved fitness bleeds over into all other aspects of life. You’ll look down at the grocery cart and realize its contents are not what they would have been a few months before. It’s a whole personal improvement package.