I am contemplating starting running again, but I wonder if I should wait until I'm at a lesser weight as to avoid putting unnecessary stress on my joints. I'm in my 20s and strength training, but still...
Out of curiosity, what were your BMI's when you began running?
For anyone who started/completed the C25k program, how did you find it at your highest running weight?
IDK about bmi; I was still about 20 pounds into the "obese category" when I started running last time around. Now I'm going to start sooner. I've seen a bunch of people on this site who start well over 250, and there's no reason why I shouldn't do the same.
I started C25K at 265 pounds. I am doing HIIT now more than just steady-state cardio, so I quit the C25K, but I am running intervals of up to 6.7 mph (for about a minute!), then I cycle back down to a fast walking pace of about 3.4 mph for about 2 minutes.
No issue with joints on the running, though I have a not-perfectly-healthy knee that bothers me a little when I do certain weight lifts. (But still not enough to stop me from that either!)
So - my BMI was about 44 when I started running again, and was lower, but about 37 when I last started a running program that I stuck with for roughly a year, and I was running up to 8 miles on my long runs then.
I would suggest seeing how you feel, and making sure you include rest days. But I will tell you - I feel like a bad-_ _ _ when I crank the treadmill up to 6.7 (even if it's only for a minute!)
Last edited by LaurieDawn; 07-22-2012 at 08:55 PM.
Last month I started running at 265 lbs. In the last 6 months I had developed knee pain, so I was very mindful of listening to my body during my runs. I have since lost 19 lbs and all of my knee pain is gone! It's incredible. Listen to your body and go for it!
BMI is 35 and I've been running for 6 weeks using the C25K program. This week I've been having some knee issues (which I'm 90% sure is due to an iliotibial band injury). I'm training for a 5K on September 9th and if I can't shake this then I'm going to try and find lower impact cardio. I appreciate running though and wish I didn't have to deal with this, if I have to quit I will it try running again when I'm a lower weight.
I started couch to 5K at 193, so a BMI of just under 30. I walked for a couple months before starting to try to run. I also got fitted for sneakers at a running store, and bought an industrial strength sports bra (Panache). I held off on starting til that weight because I have bad knees and feet - ACL repair in 1 knee, chondromalacia in the other, and plantar fasciitis in both feet. So far no problems! I repeat 1 workout each week before moving on, so although I started 5 weeks ago, I've just finished week 4.
The best advice I have is start with good sneakers, run slow, and listen to your body. Good luck!
i started running at about 205 pounds, i think, possibly a bit higher....i was doing 3-4 minute intervals of running at 4.7 and walking at 3.0...i then took about a month break because i worked up to running faster and messed up my knee
now i'm at 190 and am doing intervals of 6.0, running a quarter mile, walking for 30 seconds, running another quarter mile at 6.0 for however much total distance i want to put in...this helps break up the boredom and helps me control my breathing/potential asthma attack much better
i do notice impact pain even with good shoes and so i work on increasing my speed VERY VERY slowly although i know i COULD increase faster, but i wont because i dont want to make the same mistake and re-injure my knee again
BMI of 27. I had a lot of pain when I first started running, quads and shins. I cut back on it, and know now to rest, ice, take ibupofen and stretch more if I start to get shin pain instead of trying to run through it.
I've had knee pains before from training for a marathon, but once those were mostly gone, I started running again, but using Chi Running posture. My knee pains haven't come back. I also do strength training to make sure my muscles get challenged in other ways.
I was upwards of 260 when I began to walk/run/jog... I'm now running 5K's almost every weekend. I just listend to my knees, and if it seemed like it was going to be too much, I slowed down and walked. C25K helped tons.
I started running last week, I do 1min to 1min 30sec intervals for now and I will increase it by 30 seconds each week. I do get shin pain but I stretch it out and it helps a lot.
I was about 235 when I started running. One of my knees is a little wonky from a rugby injury when I was younger, but I really didn't get much pain. Losing weight has made running easier, though, so they work hand in hand!
If you're looking to start, though.. just work up to it! Walk and run intervals helped me a lot. It's important just to listen to your body, too.. speeding up if you can, or slowing down if you have to.
My BMI was about 39 when I started running and I had to do the C25k several times before I was successful with it. I couldn't get past the point where I was running more than 5 minutes or so at a time.
I did have problems with my right knee and ironically enough, the thing that fixed it was running in minimalist shoes. You wouldn't look at someone like me and think, "What this girl needs is less padding in her shoes!" but running in Vibram Five Fingers and then later Brooks PureConnect shoes completely wiped out my knee issues.
Now my BMI is 32 and I am running 5-6 miles at a time. I am training for a half-marathon this fall.
What I found was that most of the skinny people I know who started running had lots of work to do with improving their cardiovascular fitness but my improvement came with muscle strength. You have to be strong to move a heavy body quickly. But I did keep going and now my running stride is a lot less shuffle-y and I am a lot faster.
I think you can run now, if you respect your body.
Running and BMI
