8 Useful Tips for Running Overweight or Obesity

8 Useful Tips for Running Overweight or Obesity

Take note now of the guidelines you must follow to start running and some tips to make it easier for you to progress and reach your goals.

#1. Stroll, walk and walk

It may surprise you, but the first thing you will have to do is DON'T RUN. If you have led a sedentary life and your level of overweight is high, you will have to start walking. Think that your body is not used to exercise and your muscles and organs (heart, lungs) must gradually adapt to these efforts.

Take a walk at least 3-4 days a week for about 30-40 minutes for the first few weeks. If your weight is high or your advanced age, you better spend the first two months just walking. In this way you will get your body used to exercise and gradually strengthen your muscles and joints of the lower body. Gradually increase the number of walks per week and their duration.

#2. Combine Running with other Exercises

You're not going to start running yet, we have something to do first. In order for our joints to adequately support the impact of our weight when running, we must strengthen them. So for the walks that you have been doing for weeks, you are going to alternate a day of muscle strengthening.

You can join a gym and use machines or do exercises at home to gain strength (especially in the lower body). If you prefer, you can also combine it with other sports such as cycling or swimming. Both will serve to strengthen muscles and joints without receiving an impact on them.

#3. Take a CA-CO Training

Once you have overcome the first weeks or months of walking, have strengthened your body and feel comfortable walking at a fast but controlled pace, it is time to move on. For this, it is recommended that you opt for the CACO method.

This training consists of alternating fast walking with running at a slow pace. An example would be to do two sets by walking 10 minutes, running 3, and walking another 5-10 minutes. As you feel more comfortable during the jogging minutes, you should gradually increase its duration. The objective is that at the end you can jog for at least 1 km.

#4. Choose Soft Grounds and Short Strides

Our goal is not to over-crush our joints, which already suffer from themselves by supporting our extra weight. For this we can use several tricks to reduce the impact, such as choosing soft running surfaces. Therefore, avoid running on hard terrain such as asphalt or tiles and opt for others such as grass or dirt.

Try to take short strides for less impact when running, and adopt a good posture. If you lean your back back, your lower back will suffer too much, so it tilts your body slightly forward. Another trick to get less impact is to choose routes that include slopes. Don't look for slopes that are too hard, but slightly sloping.

#5. Don't forget the Warming and Hydration

You can't leave out the initial warm-up phase. Even if you only go for a walk, you have to warm up properly with a gentle walk and dynamic stretches. Similarly, at the end of your exercise day you should stretch correctly. Take it seriously, warming up and stretching are essential practices to avoid unwanted injuries.

On the other hand, don't forget to drink water. Don't believe that myth about you must sweat and sweat to lose weight faster. Your body needs hydration and when you eliminate liquids, you must replace them. Just drink water. At the moment you do not need isotonic or energy drinks, they usually have too many calories that you do not need right now.

# 6. Before any Annoyance, Rest

Don't push yourself, never try to give more than you can, and don't push yourself too hard. When you notice unusual pain that doesn't go away, you should stop to avoid injury. Think that your body is used to a sedentary life and you should give it time to acclimatize to your new rhythm of life.

If you have discomfort in the bones, muscles or joints of the lower body you should take a break. Try not to exercise that area for several days and then go back to your routine. You can work the upper body or the core area. If you still do not see improvement, see your doctor or physical therapist to assess the situation and advise a treatment.

# 7. Set yourself Real Goals

Learning to run is a long process, where patience and willpower will be essential. You will progress gradually and you will notice changes little by little, so try to be realistic. If you want to go too fast, all you can do is get discouraged too soon.

What you should try is to always stay motivated. Record all your progress and soon you will perceive that you gain self-esteem and you feel better about yourself. Your health and physique will improve only if you set yourself realistic goals.

# 8. Combine Exercise and Diet (ALWAYS)

You already know this well. Surely you have dieted more than once, so do not leave it aside. If in addition to running you want to lose weight, you must combine all that exercise with a healthy and balanced diet. Doing only exercise or using reducing creams and eating the same as always, we will NEVER manage to lose weight.

For this, it is best that you always go to a nutritionist who, according to your degree of overweight, food intolerances or other aspects, marks a personalized and effective diet. And to avoid typical beginner runner mistakes, don't miss this article.