Forums >Running 101>Questions from an Underweight Aspiring Runner
Howdy there! I'm Era and I decided to get into running. I have a lot of difficulties with confidence and body image so I wanted to try running for 30 days. I've done 2 days so far and I love the way it feels, I hit 1.45miles and it's the most proud of myself I've felt in awhile. My issue at the moment is I'm quite underweight. (5'5, 78.8lbs) It's kinda painful on my bones to run but I really want to. What could I do to gain healthy weight? Are there any specific exercises and foods that would help? Are protein shakes a good idea?Thank you very much for the help!
umm I strongly suggest seeing a doctor before beginning any exercise program if you're that far underweight; I really hope your a growing kid because a BMI of 13 is scary low.
Gaining weight is just about eating more. Find things that are calorically dense and eat all of them
1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)
an amazing likeness
Congratulations on getting out there and feeling great about it!
Please ask your Doctor or other medical advisor about your weight and overall health and work with them in preference to advice from internet strangers on something so important.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
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And if it's painful to run, don't run every day to start. Take your rest days and let your body get used to the impact of running.
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runktrun
I also strongly suggest working with a medical professional before you add in any exercise. It's great that you feel emotionally good when you run, but you need to be in a place where your body can support your activity. You also don't want to become dependent on running alone to feel good about yourself.
BMI isn't the most accurate measure of health, but any way you cut it, you're are likely at risk for a whole host of physical issues (heart damage, stress fractures, thinning hair, hormonal imbalances) at that low of a weight. I obviously don't know your medical history, so I say these are possible complications.
The best way to gain weight is to eat more, unless you have an underlying medical issue that prevents you from doing so (poor absorption, hyperthyroid, etc). It doesn't really matter what foods. There are no bad foods. There are food that provide different macro and micro nutrients in different quantities, but to get started, just eat more. If you're stressed out about eating more or feeling like you're "losing control," try to find a therapist to talk to about your concerns. There is no exercise that will help you gain weight. Not exercising would be best, but I totally understand the desire to move and be active. You'll have to balance your activity with you food.
Not running for my health, but in spite of it.
RIP Milkman
I agree with everything posted here. First, speak to a medical professional. You face some medical running issues due to your weight (assuming you are an adult) with running that put you at risk, eg fractures. I would say if you really enjoy the feeling of running, gaining weight will make you a better runner! As someone who struggled to gain weight when I was younger, protein shakes helped. They make special ones for gaining muscle mass quickly beyond the normal ones (I think they're almsot 1K calories per shake). Otherwise, just eat. Don't be picky. You need to think more like a body builder at this point than a runner.
Good luck!
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
I agree with all the comments here, you should go get a doctor.
Doing any physical work might be harmful to you.
As mentioned, strangers on the Internet giving advice is not worth much. Although underweight runners will generally get injured more, some "underweight" people by normal standards are perfectly healthy. If you're worried about it, get a doctor's advice.