Learning to Jog Newbie!! Help please!
 

I've decided not only to get back into the gym full force as i used to but i want to learn how to jog. I printed out an 11 week step process for jogging. Is that the best way to learn? It says 4:30 min walk, then jog 30 sec. and do that a week. Then the next week is walk 4 min and jog a minute and so on.

Is that a better way i should be learning/starting to jog? I'm also wondering if i'm too heavy to jog :(

You could try the couch to 5k program. It starts you off with a 1min walk and 30sec jog I believe. Here is the link:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

There are many free podcasts that you can download to your MP3 player of your I-pod which will help you with the timing.

Good luck!

Programs like this are GREAT for getting you going as a jogger...love them. Just slowly decrease the amount you're walking and increase the amount you're jogging, and eventually you'll get there.

I've been working on this for the last few weeks as well. The official C25K program (at least that I saw) starts you off with intervals of 60 seconds jogging and then 90 seconds walking. I tried that two days, and each time could only get through about 3 of the 60 second intervals before collapsing in horror. :dizzy:

I switched over to doing 30 second intervals of jogging with 2 minute walking intervals for a week or so, increasing the speed during both portions each time. Then the last time I tried day 1 of C25K I was able to get through all 20 minutes of 60second jogging intervals. Yay! So if you're an absolute beginner and you've already found an 11-week program with 30 second intervals, that sounds great to me. It's a lot easier to ease into 30 seconds of jogging than 60 seconds, and you'll be building up endurance either way.

Every learn to run program is intervals. If X program moves too fast for you, either repeat days or find a slower program.

It's a great way to get into running!
Just repeat weeks as needed, listen to your body and give it a little extra at the end when you don't think you can finish out the run interval and you'll be doing great!

You know it's funny, i can spin for days straight but i can't run to save my life! I get sooo winded so fast! Is there such a thing as too heavy to start jogging?

There is.

But what I suspect you're seeing is that you're expecting to be able to run immediately because you've got cardiovascular fitness (and because most 6-year-olds can run across the playground). Except spinning is not weight-bearing in quite the same way, it's not high-impact, and it's not using the same muscles. Slow it down and don't push distance or time as fast as you can--your muscles and bones need to adapt if you want to remain uninjured.

Since I'm just a little over 10 pounds more than you at about the same height, I can say that no, we're probably not too heavy to start jogging. Especially not if we take it slow. But for me also, the cardiovascular work out of jogging doesn't even begin to compare to what seems like a decent intensity workout from something like biking or seated ellipticals etc. I am also super winded and I feel like I'm constantly fighting to breathe properly. I've only done 2 days of 60-second jogging intervals so far. I think that training my lungs how to work properly is probably going to be one of the best results from learning how to jog, as that will be a skill that will be more helpful for any future activities.

Just take it slowly! Do what you can, as much as you can, without pushing yourself to the point that you hate it and will quit. Slow progress is still progress. And jogging should help us lose weight, and I'm betting that as the weight does come off even more (in addition to all the cardiovascular system improvements from the workouts) that the jogging will just get easier and easier.

Since we're at about the same starting point, would you like to be learning-how-to-jog buddies and see if we can help each other get in motion and stay motivated? :)

Could it be that you are trying to jog too fast?