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fat people shouldn't run

Old 05-08-2010, 12:35 PM
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Default fat people shouldn't run

So, I joined a gym this past week, and they gave me two complimentary sessions with a personal trainer. I met with him yesterday, and he mostly told me stuff I already knew, but showed me a few good moves and proper form with some of the machines. However, he completely shocked me when he said it wasn't a good idea to jog/run on the treadmill! He said I should wait until I lose the fat first, then work on endurance. WHAT? I really don't want to wait to start building cardio endurance. When I reach my goal weight, I want to be ready to do a 5k if I want. I want to enjoy jogging at that point so maintenance isn't such a pain. He emphasized the importance of strength training, which I knew and have been incorporating (I plan on doing much more now that I have access to great facilities!), but he was pretty set against working on cardio equipment. His argument was that larger people usually don't have proper form (especially the hips), and do more damage than good.

how does everyone else feel about that? It disappoints me...
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Old 05-08-2010, 12:57 PM
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I'm fat and I run. I'm guessing that this "trainer" guy has never been fat and for whatever reason he doesn't want the liability of having you run and possibly hurt yourself. I say ignore him, if you want to run then run. And next time you get use your free "trainer" pass, specifically ask for some one else, some one that doesn't discriminate against fat people. Ultimately running is just about the best way to burn calories in the shortest amount of time at the gym. The only thing I've done that was close to the same amount is swimming, which tends to give me really bad leg cramps. The elliptical is also a really good burner and it's a little easier on the knees, so you might start with that and gain some endurance while you work up to your 5K.
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Old 05-08-2010, 03:33 PM
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I think you need a different trainer next time you go!

I'm overweight, and I'm doing the whole couch25k thing, so whatever!!!!
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Old 05-09-2010, 03:41 AM
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Actually, I think your trainer is being responsible. Look, for every extra pounds of body weight, you add an extra 4 pounds of pressure on your knees when you walk---when you run, it's an extra 10 pounds. So if you are only 25 pounds overweight, but you run, you're adding an extra 250 pounds of pressure on your knees.. and that's on top of what would be your normal weight.

The people above who are running now, will be paying for it in 20-30 years, with increased risk of osteoarthritis and knee replacement surgery.

There are plenty of low-impact cardio activities you can do if you really want to work on that. Try a spinning class or the elliptical trainer.

Knee Health - Bad Habits That Could Be Destroying Your Knee Joints - RealAge

You might also check into burst training...long bouts of cardio is on the way out as a health fad, with more and more studies showing it's not really effective, and does some long term damage.
Here's a link. There are others on the side. Dr. Al Sears also has a book out on this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym7d2MzZ96I

Last edited by jerihurd; 05-09-2010 at 03:50 AM.
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Old 05-09-2010, 04:15 AM
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You know how every workout DVD has a screen in the very beginning that says "check with your doctor before you begin an exercise regimen"? Well, I asked my doc about running and her advice was "I think it would be great for you". I have very bad knees, one of them has been reassembled more than once. And even still my doc's advice was "go for it". But I should also explain that my doc is a very serious athlete, she runs marathons and participates in Ironman competitions - and wins. She also happens to be 10 years older than me and in the best shape of her life.

Personally I think you have to do what is best for you. Check with your doctor, and if it's a go, start very slowly. Okay maybe long term it will be hard on your knees, but probably not any harder than carrying around all the extra weight. I suppose it's a trade off.
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Old 05-09-2010, 04:45 AM
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personally, my knees are great! I am also taking spin classes, which are a good challenge so far, but i'm still going to jog twice a week to start building up.
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Old 05-09-2010, 06:49 AM
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I disagree meeker, running is harder on the knees than simply carrying around extra weight on a daily basis. The fact is there is sound science behind recommending overweight individuals to not run, not just some blatant "fat people discrimination" on the part of the trainer. Like jerihurd said, running is extremely high impact - 25 pounds of extra weight puts 100 pounds extra load on your joints when you're just walking around, which shoots up to 250 when you run. That's a lot of wear and tear.

Biking, walking, swimming, and elliptical are all lower impact cardio activities.

But as always I say to get the most bang for your buck in the gym lift free and lift heavy (variations on squats, deadlifts, overhead pressing). It's way lower impact than any cardio activity regardless of how much weight is on the bar, and the degree to which it forces your body to adapt to stress burns waaay more fat over time than any cardio activity. Plus you build a lot of muscle, which again, helps you burn that much more fat. And in non-steroid-enhanced women (I'm assuming most if not all of you), it's dense, shapely, hawt muscle, not grotesque, veiny, boxy muscle.

Okay, weightlifting rant over.

-Nik
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Old 05-09-2010, 12:07 PM
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I debated whether to weigh in on this topic (no pun intended). The running issue is kind of tricky. It is such a great exercise, but it can be really tough on your body. In addition to the weight issue, there is also the experience and fitness level issue to consider.

I've been 30 or so pounds over weight for many years and have completed many races with no more serious side effects than my skinnier sisters. But I have been running off and on for 30 years. I have witnessed much lighter ladies with zero running experience really struggling with soreness and over use injuries because they think that it should be easy... and it ain't. Ultimately many gave up. When I see much heavier folks running sometimes I see guys and gals who really know what they are doing and are obviously pretty fit. But I also see heavy runners with really bad form and I worry about long term, serious injury which will ultimately sideline their fitness goals.

Nessa, you hired a "pro" to help get you started again. It is quite likely that he just wasn't a good match (I think that happens a lot), but it may be that he was giving you some sound, if a bit painful advise. Look carefully at your fitness level, at just how over weight you are (30 pounds is different than 80 pounds from a joint standpoint) and your committment. If you are really committed to building strength and fitness for the long haul, it doesn't really matter whether you start your jogging today or later this summer.

Ultimately it is your decision and you are the only one who knows your body and motivation. But as many have noted here: 'tis better to start slow and enjoy the new lifestyle for ever, than to race ahead with an unrealistic game plan and get discouraged and quit.

Pam
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Old 05-09-2010, 12:31 PM
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Originally Posted by tandoorichicken
I disagree meeker, running is harder on the knees than simply carrying around extra weight on a daily basis. The fact is there is sound science behind recommending overweight individuals to not run, not just some blatant "fat people discrimination" on the part of the trainer. Like jerihurd said, running is extremely high impact - 25 pounds of extra weight puts 100 pounds extra load on your joints when you're just walking around, which shoots up to 250 when you run. That's a lot of wear and tear.

Biking, walking, swimming, and elliptical are all lower impact cardio activities.

But as always I say to get the most bang for your buck in the gym lift free and lift heavy (variations on squats, deadlifts, overhead pressing). It's way lower impact than any cardio activity regardless of how much weight is on the bar, and the degree to which it forces your body to adapt to stress burns waaay more fat over time than any cardio activity. Plus you build a lot of muscle, which again, helps you burn that much more fat. And in non-steroid-enhanced women (I'm assuming most if not all of you), it's dense, shapely, hawt muscle, not grotesque, veiny, boxy muscle.

Okay, weightlifting rant over.

-Nik
I plan on lifting weight, using the chin-up machine, and pushup bar as much as my muscles will allow me too and still heal well, especially sine I need to build my metabolism up. I also plan on getting a lot of cardio in since my metabolism is low and I need to burn the calories to lose the weight. I also wanted to make it clear that I was not saying he was discriminating against me at all. The title was to grab attention so people would read and comment.
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Old 05-09-2010, 03:13 PM
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Where medicine is concerned, it's as much an art as it is science. You can have 2 doctors tell you to do something totally different to manage the exact same condition, and have neither one be wrong. This guy probably just wasn't a good match for you. Running on a treadmill is pretty high impact, I can't do it. But I can kick butt on the arc trainer (similar to an elliptical), and boy does it feel good to work up a sweat on that! I think it's because I can't run that it feels so liberating to fly on that thing. So if running truly is out for you, that doesn't mean you can't find another way to get the cardio/endurance in. My personal philosophy is the more you can vary your workouts, the better.
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