Want to start jogging but really unfit!!?

Question

I want to start jogging but am really unfit.. I'm a normal weight and not over weight. Any advice on breathing excercises or how to make it easier?

Answer 1

There's much advice you can give on improving your breathing really, as this will improve as your fitness improves. One small tip though is to breath in through your nose and out through your mouth - this fills your lungs more.

Other advice is to not have too high expections at the beginning - don't push yourself too far. It'll take a few weeks for your muscles to get used to working again, so build yourself up slowly. And if you feel yourself getting tired while out jogging then try walking for a bit, and then carrying on jogging again when you feel ready.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Do small sprints- jog for some time but when you find that you cant do anymore slow down and walk (power walk so your still going the same speed generally) Do cycling, or swimming or just walk for a certain time each day and jog for a certain time each day.

Maintain it and keep yourself doing it so you don't become more unfit then gradually develop stamina and keep it going- you'll soon be fit, and good at sports! Just keep with it even though its difficult!

Trust me I used to be really unfit but gradually I've changed!

ALSO to make it easier you can find a sport you like, join a club, go out for walks, go cycling, do sporty stuff with your mates! You'll enjoy it while you are becoming fit that way (me and my friends enjoy it!!!!)

Answer 3

The best way to start jogging is to pop on your trainers and just go for it. The way I would start out is to find a route of maybe 3 to 4 miles to jog round and try to get round it. Jog when you can and when you are too tired to then walk to recover and set off jogging again. Make it a goal to jog the whole distance in 30 minutes. Each time you go round it try to run a little further before you need to stop and walk.

Take it nice and easy to start with and as your fitness builds you will be able to increase the speed that you run.

As for your breathing, your body sort of knows what to do. Things like in through the mouth and out through the nose sound good until you are running and forget to concentrate on breathing - then your body takes over and does what it thinks is best.

The more you go out the easier it will be. having said that though, try not to go out every day, have a rest day here and there and try not to let running take over your life - make sure you still do other things as well

Answer 4

You could join a gym, that way you will be able to jog (treadmill) but also use other machines, i.e. rower, bike, cross trainer which will get you even fitter.

Plus normally the gym will write you up a program and tell you what you need to do for how long, how many reps etc. to help you achieve a good level of fitness.

But if you do just want to jog, you should breathe through your noise when you're running. Especially if it's cold.

Answer 5

Try the Couch to 5k running program, I did and it's fantastic. I literally went from doing nothing, to being able to run 5km in 9 weeks! The program is really easy, gets harder as you progress and really works!

Will only take max 1.5 hours out of your week! 1 hour to begin!

See below link

Answer 6

I am probably the worst/slowest walker in the world my suggestion is  try jog walk jog walk etc but go in a block so you at the beginning you are not too far from base then increase your distance gradually if you are overweight then I would suggest you run on grass as part of rehabilitation running athletes will start running on grass it is much more forgiving than concrete or even  an athletic track say a park where you can do the similar good luck remember some exercise is better than none

Answer 7

try cycling instead, it is a bit easier if you're just starting to exercise

Answer 8

Too many people have been turned off of running simply by trying to start off too fast. Their bodies rebel, and they wind up miserable, wondering why anyone would possibly want to do this to themselves.

You should ease into your running program gradually. In fact, the beginners' program we outline here is less of a running regimen than a walking and jogging program. The idea is to transform you from couch potato to runner, getting you running three miles on a regular basis in just two months.

It's easy to get impatient, and you may feel tempted to skip ahead in the program, but hold yourself back. Don't try to do more, even if you feel you can. If, on the other hand, you find the program too strenuous, just stretch it out. Don't feel pressured to continue faster than you're able. Repeat weeks if needed and move ahead only when you feel you're ready.



A few minutes each week

Each session should take about 20 or 30 minutes, three times a week. That just happens to be the same amount of moderate exercise recommended by numerous studies for optimum fitness. This program will get you fit. (Runners who do more than this amount are doing it for more than fitness, and before long you might find yourself doing the same as well).

Be sure to space out these three days throughout the week to give yourself a chance to rest and recover between efforts. And don't worry about how fast you're going. Running faster can wait until your bones are stronger and your body is fitter. For now focus on gradually increasing the time or distance you run.

Answer 9

i am in the same situation i have started walking for miles and will gradually build it up

Answer 10

Start if with small runs to see what you can do. Don't push yourself too hard at the beginning. It helps to stretch out your legs before running and its a good idea to bring an ipod. You should also wear light clothing. Stitches suck, so don't jog after meals and breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth.

Or, like the other answer said, you could cycle if you  have a bike.  

Answer 11

try just going walking to start with. Then build up your distance and speed until you're happy to jog. No point in rushing these things, but if you overburden yourself at the start, you will lose motivation quickly.  

Answer 12

you should buy a treadmill for now lol

Answer 13

you should start out slow. dont do jogging all the way through, do intervals.

e.g. 2 mins powerwalking, 2 mins running. and so on and so forth. you could do this for an hour, but if you cant do so YET, i suggest you do at least 30 mins. good luck!

Answer 14

Practice makes perfect.  Well not perfect, but you know what I mean.

As already said, pop on your trainers and do it.  The fitness will pick up quite quickly.  The main things that will happen is that your heart will become stronger and your lung capacity will improve.  Neither are particularly visible to anyone else, but you'll certainly be able to notice the change.  In terms of breathing, it will become less laboured as your fitness picks up, but if you really want to do breathing exercises, yoga can help.

Your weight may go up as you build muscle.  Your waist won't get any bigger, but as muscle weighs more than fat, you may notice your legs get bigger.  Nothing to worry about, but that's one to bear in mind if it happens.

Start off sensibly.  It's useful to have goals in mind before you start too.  You aren't overweight, just unfit, so why not think about aiming to do a 5K (3.1 mile) race?

Yes, you may well think that's impossible, and it is.  For now.  I'll tell you my story...

I used to be a sprinter in my teens, but my adolescent years were filled with many unhealthy activities and no exercise.  In January 2004, 16kg overweight and aged 34, I started running again, and at that point I couldn't manage any more than 2 minutes at a slow jog on a treadmill before I needed a break.  Slowly I built up to being able to cope with 10 minutes non-stop, and over the next 6 months I lost 20kg which in turn helped me build the speed and distance up.  In April 2005 I took to the roads and started to increase my distance.  Then in the May being able to run 4 miles non-stop, I had this clever idea of running a half marathon in July 2005.  I hadn't really built up my distance enough by the time it came around, but I'd decided to raise money for the local hospitals paediatric unit.  A work colleague told me to "think of the babies" if it got too much.  It was on my mind for the last 5 miles of the 13-mile race.  To date I've done 35 races.

In retrospect a half-marathon was a little too ambitious.  I incurred an injury from increasing the distance too quickly, so I would spare you that pain(!); a 5K race would have been a better starting point.

It's worth buying some decent running shoes if you haven't already.

Another tip is to keep some sort of diary.  It might seem pointless now, but once your doing half marathons in under 2 hours then it's great to look back at how you've improved!

If you want advice on aspects of running, the Runners World website is a great source of information.  A training schedule for beginner to 5K is linked below, together with an article on your first 5K.  They're from the British site, but 5K is 5K wherever you live.  Both the US and UK sites also have an 'events finder' if you want to find a race close to where you live.

Good luck and hope this helped.