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...

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.

I think you need a different trainer next time you go!

I'm overweight, and I'm doing the whole couch25k thing, so whatever!!!!

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

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.

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.

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. :o

-Nik

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

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.

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.

I am an instructor to., I don't ever recommend running to anyone in the beginning either. I leave it up to them depending on their level of fitness. Some people can pick it up right away, some can't. It also depends on how active a person has been throughout their life. But I will agree that it a lot of stress on the knees.

While I agree that there are other really good, low impact workouts that are easier on the body than running and burn as many calories, I still say that if you want to run, then go for it. Start off slowly, wear good shoes, talk to your doctor and do some research on good form. I know that weightlifting works, and so I do it, but I never look forward to the weight room in the same way I look forward to a good run. I guess I would hate for someone to read this thread and use it as an excuse for not trying a workout they might really enjoy.

And as for wear and tear on the body, I think with every physical activity there is an inherent risk of injury. I totally blew out my knee on a bicycle and just last night I watched a guy throw his back out in the free weight room. Injuries happen in every sport. So do I think a person who wants to start running should avoid it because of a possible injury? No, I do not.

I wasn't saying you should avoid all activities that carry a risk of injury. My point was simply that most people who are overweight tend to be grossly under-prepared for the kind of stress running puts on their bodies. There are other lower-impact activities that will achieve the same results without wearing down the body. And I agree that everything has to be done with the right form, and sometimes this means throwing your ego aside.

If running is what gets you up and moving, then make sure you're prepared to do it right, and then do it. :)

-Nik

I used to work with a trainer and I was about 305 when I started with them. They didn't want me running either but it was only because I didn't even have the endurance to walk far. so they had me work up my walking but then had me start jogging. I lost that endurance when I started gaining weight again, but I plan on starting jogging again soon. I say if you have the ability to walk comfortably than give it a try. good luck to you.

I currently am 116 pounds overweight. I have been working out since the beginning of the year. I tried running 5 months ago, and was discouraged that I couldn't. Since that time, I have strength trained, done a variety of cardio workouts, worked with the elliptical and the spin bike. So I decided to try running again. It's not easy, but it doesn't hurt like it once did. I'm by no means an expert on running, and not a doctor. I decided to do the Couch to 5K program by Cool Running, and so far I LOVE IT! It eases you into it. Small intervals, and increasing each week. I continue to stregth train even more, so that I do not hurt myself. I do not push too hard, or go to fast. I hope that it does not hurt me too bad in the future, because it feels great right now. I think it would be far worse for me to be unhealthy and severly obese for the rest of my life (as I'm only 32), than trying to run ... but everyone is different.

I too talked to my doctor before doing all of this. When I first began workouts, I had terrible knee pain - due to arthritis. I was told that it would most likely get better with the more weight I lost. So I stuck to my guns and my knees rarely hurt now.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Ease into it. The elliptical machines are a great way to start off!

Congrats Adria!
I think you and running were meant for each other. The Couch to 5K is a wonderful program, I'm so happy you are enjoying it. Keep us posted on your progress.

I think the trainer is probably giving you sound advice, though he may be overly cautious, he was there with you in person and had a lot more information available to base that decision on than us (and as a fitness professional is potentially highly educated, a lot of the personal trainers are pretty much just people who happen to be in good shape, and may not be all that qualified really... but there are also a lot of them that have so much physiology education they are half way to being doctors).

Now the good news, even without doing a lot of running your ability to run will greatly improve as you get to a good bodyweight for your build. I ran for over a year without much improvement, seems like I couldn't handle much more than a mile, there was a bit of gradual improvement, my main exercise was weightlifting but I always felt like the goal isn't just to look good, it's to actually be a functional athlete (which running is kind of a symbol of), well, that slow progression in running started to take off after a while, when I started getting close to my goal weight and somewhat lean (still overweight) but I found the difference between being able to run a fairly fast 1.5 miles and running 3 miles, was about 10 lbs for me. At 217 lbs I could do a respectable 1.5 miles (probably less than 10 mins) and at 207, 3 miles was surprisingly easy (mostly the fact that I could do 3 miles non-stop at my natural pace is surprising).

So my own advice would be stick to ellipticals and bikes, weights, and diet, a little running if it's comfortable is fine, but it's probably going to be better and easier overall to progress in running once your weight is more in line with your body type (which may or may not fall into the 'ideal weight' range of BMI or other measurements). Conditioning in running is something that builds up quickly and fades quickly, but your weight will drastically limit your endurance, your lungs don't grow from exercise, it's more about the rest of your body not having to consume as much oxygen to feed your muscles to keep up the activity.

Running is a great workout, but it is very unforgiving on the knees and the lower legs. I was told by a DR when I had surgery on my knee that it was better to walk at a steady controlled pace then to run where your feet are pounding the pavement cause your trying to keep going.
I took his suggestion and walked 2.5 miles 3 days a week for about 1.5 months then got bored and started jogging alittle while staying in a controlled pace where I was going heel to toe. I started in May, in Sept I ran a 5K in 30mins. For the record I was 285lbs when I started and was down to 235lbs in Sept. Unfortunitly back to 240 but starting again now that its nice out.

Work up to it
 

Here's a good program called "The couch to 5k training program"

How To Become A Runner


There are similar type programs around, spreading the workouts out, over about 10 weeks. Do what works best for you. But notice that they all incorporate a good deal of walking at first.

Why your PT said what he did
 

I'm a Personal Trainer, and I kind of agree with what your PT said, although I don't agree with the way he told you

This is the route I take with an overweight client who wants to run

1. We undertake a weight management program that depletes weight that is safe (or safer) on the joints, we also introduce foods that will add to the clients energy

2. We undertake a postural and corrective exercise program that mobilses the joints and opens biomechanical pathways meaning bad technique and movement pattern do not get locked in and create problems in years to come

3. We build cardiovascular endurance on a non impact piece of equipment (spin bike)

Once the objectives have been achieved, then we can move on to running, although I mainly use metabolic resistance training with clients as my target market is in the "looking good" mindset which you can't really achieve with running alone

Hope this helps

Rich

The PT is correct. Running/ Jogging is an advanced activity and if you are considerably overweight to obese or above jogging or running can put undue stress on your knees and feet and cause injury - if not now perhaps in a few weeks/ months and then you won't be able to do the activity until these injuries are gone. Muscularskeletal injuries can take weeks to months or even years to repair.

I got shin splints and plantar Fasciitis from just walking and it took 2 years of wearing custom orthotics before I could enjoy walking again. The shin splints took even longer. I am just now beginning to jog a bit with my dog but I am only 10 lbs overweight according to BMI charts.

You don't say how overweight you are but if the PT feels you are too heavy to begin this activity I would take heed.

If you want to begin building cardio vascular endurance start small and build up - start with waking, elliptical or even recumbant bike or swimming. These don't put the stress on the lower body like running does. As your weight decreases and you get healthy then look into a couch 2 5K program and gradually ease into running.