Forums >General Running>Running to loose weight
Hi,
About a month ago, I decided to start running to loose weight.
I started by walking daily on a treadmill at 2 miles in 30 mins for about 2 weeks.
This week I increased the speed and I am running 2 miles in 20 mins.
I am trying to know if I am over doing the running. When I am running I dont feel tired, but the front and back of my leg (shin and calves I guess) are in discomfort (hurts) once I am done and rested, I feel ok and the pain doesnt really exist anymore.
So pls advise me:
Is the daily run bad?
Is the pain normal, if yes, when would I know it is bad?
Am I over working myself?
Thank you
SMART Approach
You will know if over doing it. You may want to be a bit more gradual in your ramp up. Aches are normal but not if they persist or worsen. Perhaps run every other day or mix in walk breaks as you continue to adapt. It takes many weeks or even months for your heart and body to adapt to the stressses of running. Just have a gradual progression of miles and pace and and adequate recovery. Keep it going and don't devalue strength training which likely has a better effect on body composition and metabolism.
Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery
Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training
Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique
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As a special dictionary envoy in charge of corrections, I must mention that "loose" is a word meaning the opposite of tight, where "lose" is a word that conveys something is missing.
Spelling errors aside, you can expect to have aches and pains and soreness as you do new activities. This is completely normal process of breaking down to build up. If it comes to the point where you are limping, or the pain is in the joints rather than the soft tissue (muscles), reduce your activity for a day or two. For fitness oriented running, perhaps run every other day, and do weights or cycling on the off days.
60-64 age group - University of Oregon alumni - Irreverent and Annoying
One day at a time
Great job on trying to lose weight! I'm in the same boat.
One reminder: It's easy to overestimate how many calories you're burning by exercising, including running. I've read about studies of people wearing Fitbits or similar devices, and often they have MORE trouble losing weight! My theory is that someone sees they've walked 10,248 steps for the day and thinks, "Great! I can have a piece of cake after dinner!" So be sure to track your calories carefully.
You might find that while you run more and burn more calories, you eat more. This happens to a lot of people. It's actually quite natural for you to crave more food because your body is doing more work. The key is to eat more of good foods like fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and not more sweets, fried foods, white bread, etc.
I have had years when I run a lot more than I typically run, but I'm not necessarily lighter (lower body weight) during those years.
The great thing about running is that even if you are NOT losing weight, you are getting fitter.
Good luck.
Great job! Don't over-do it. Less is far better than too much. Less just means you aren't progressing an optimum rate (whatever that is?). Too much (over-training) leads to illness and/or injury and/or quitting.
Next; do you like running? If so, great. If not...running isn't a very time-efficient form of exercise for all around fitness and fat loss. Something like circuit training working every part of the body with a mix of free-weights and body weight exercises with very short rest periods would build more muscle, burn more fat, and develop more all around fitness (strength, strength-endurance, aerobic and anaerobic).
I would suggest depending on what you like more; either running 3x per week with 2 circuit training sessions or the reverse, 3 circuits and 2 runs. In any case, work in some upper and lower body strength training (both pushing and pulling exercises). No gym membership needed (I've never had one), a pull up bar and gravity is all you need. You can even mix the 2. Run a mile, do 10 pull ups, 30 push ups, 40 squats, run a mile. For the pull ups and push ups, do a version at your level like push ups from the knees, pull ups under a waist height bar etc.
Biomimeticist
If you're overweight, then in no way would I suggest you run. It's said that we walk with an impact force to our bodies equaling twice our bodyweight. We run with an impact force of 4X our bodyweight. So the uneducated would tell you that every pound over your optimum bodyweight is four extra pounds to manage and absorb in ground impact.
The fact that you have access to a treadmill is what you can use to better train and lose weight. The joke of the machine is that they become expensive clothes hangers after six months.
Why?
Because you won't run faster, you'll start to increase the incline of the machine, which induces forward lean. When the pain becomes unbearable, people blame the machine, not how they walk.
If you try the masking tape exercise of this article, it teaches how to walk properly at incline with no forward lean. If you can learn that, then you can easily achieve running heart rates at a walking speed. The treadmill is the most misunderstood piece of equipment in any gym, learn the balance skills of the article, and you can literally walk away more pounds faster than you ever could running.
With far less pain
https://www.military.com/military-fitness/running/evolution-of-learning-how-to-run-distance
Once you can manage a running heart rate for the time frame of any race, speed is easy, bring down incline, pick up speed...
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