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I come down on the side of not risking knee and other joint problems by jogging while that much overweight. One way of increasing the intensity of a cardio workout while still walking is to use a treadmill and increase the elevation. After more weight is lost, jogging can be introduced gradually and carefully by jogging a minute, walking a minute, and repeat over and over, and by giving your joints time to recover by not jogging two days in a row.
I come down on the side of not risking knee and other joint problems by jogging while that much overweight. One way of increasing the intensity of a cardio workout while still walking is to use a treadmill and increase the elevation. After more weight is lost, jogging can be introduced gradually and carefully by jogging a minute, walking a minute, and repeat over and over, and by giving your joints time to recover by not jogging two days in a row.
Why does walking have to involve a treadmill? What's wrong with the great outdoors? The OP should just get a pedometer and try to increase her number of steps per day including those doing routine tasks to 10,000+. That, combined with a good diet, will probably be all she needs to start making real progress.
Walking burns a higher percentage of fat per calorie burned. I think above all you should listen to your body. Didn't you say it hurt to run? That is your answer. You are not in shape enough yet for it and as is, the weight is too much for your fitness level. Walking, swimming or bike riding will help get your body ready for if you want to run later on. When you are smaller you are going to have to workout longer or harder to get the same calorie burn at your higher weights. So that would be a good time to start running. Its easiest on your joints to wait and it can pick up the calorie burning slack. A lot of people who lose get frustrated when they get to lower weights because it takes more exercise to cover the same amount of calories.
So far I have lost some weight from WW. But to me walking is somewhat boring. Do you think I should start out walking everyday for 45 minutes? Or should i just start jogging? I can jog up to only 5 minutes. I am 5'2 233.8
I've briefly glanced through all the comments......everybody is different, and rightly so....all bodies are different so the advice is going to be varied---some are more in shape, some are more tolerant to heat, some are taller, some are shorter, some are more chubby, some are very healthy, some are lean, some are stocky, some have longer legs and running is no problem, some are very muscular and not built for running as much as others, some have health issues, some listen to doctors, some self-diagnose when issues arise, some are top heavy, some are pear-shaped, some weigh exactly the same as their neighbor but their legs are bigger than the neighbor's and their thighs rub more when they run and get a rash, some go to air-conditioned gyms and have trainers, some spray on OFF and hike with nature, some remember to stock up on protein before they exercise, some believe in vitamins, some don't, some forget to carry water bottles and wonder why they get so tired, some are 22 years old, some are older, some exercise every day, some don't......everybody is different and what works for one might not necessarily work for another.
Exercise doesn't always have to be 'work'. Try a variety of things so you won't get bored. Park farther from the entrance of a store so you have to walk farther....push the cart down the aisle even if you don't need anything in the aisle. Dancing burns up a lot of calories and so does zumba, (sp. And it's okay if you look like a spaz during the zumba class....everybody does, but they have a good time anyway).......mowing the lawn does---especially with a manual reel mower, swimming, (not hard on the joints, you even burn up calories if you just stand on the bottom and try to run to the end of the pool), tennis, jumping rope, (don't wear out your knees though---it can be just as hard on the knee joints as running)......average gardening burns up a few calories, not a lot......
To spice up a 'regular' walk: get a dog or borrow a neighbor's....take him for a stroll---unless he's ancient, he'll go as fast as you allow.....you always meet people along the way if you have a dog so it's not boring--unless he's mean-looking, they'll want to pet him.....
Music helps, but if you can't afford an ipod, hum a song......my sister and I used to jog in a park decades ago, long before ipods were invented......we used to hum the Harlem Globetrotters song....don't ask me why, but it was catchy, easy to hum even when out of breath and we had fun doing it.....
Here is the best advice of all....experiment...do what is best for your body.....and whatever you do, don't give up! Take breaks here and there and don't be hard on yourself when you do....but don't quit.
Walking burns a higher percentage of fat per calorie burned. I think above all you should listen to your body. Didn't you say it hurt to run? That is your answer. You are not in shape enough yet for it and as is, the weight is too much for your fitness level. Walking, swimming or bike riding will help get your body ready for if you want to run later on. When you are smaller you are going to have to workout longer or harder to get the same calorie burn at your higher weights. So that would be a good time to start running. Its easiest on your joints to wait and it can pick up the calorie burning slack. A lot of people who lose get frustrated when they get to lower weights because it takes more exercise to cover the same amount of calories.
I need to chime in on some of this. Please realize that while low intensity exercise does burn a higher percentage of fat per calorie (say 50% of 100 calories = 50 calories of fat), it still is NOT THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY to burn fat. High intensity exercise may burn a lower percentage of fat per cal, but because you are burning three times the calories, you actually lose more fat (say 25% of 300 cal = 75 cal of fat). High intensity exercise also is going to overload muscles and produce an increase in lean muscle mass, which in turn burns more calories.
I agree that caution is in order given the OP's weight. Perhaps swimming or water aerobics might be a better alternative initially, and certainly listen to your body if you're experiencing joint pain. But DO try to seek out higher intensity forms of training that you can do safely.
Why does walking have to involve a treadmill? What's wrong with the great outdoors? The OP should just get a pedometer and try to increase her number of steps per day including those doing routine tasks to 10,000+. That, combined with a good diet, will probably be all she needs to start making real progress.
Walking doesn't have to involve a treadmill, and there is nothing wrong with the great outdoors. I am just saying that one way to increase the intensity of (walking) exercise without increasing the pace into jogging territory is to walk uphill. There may or not be hills near a given person's home, and using a treadmill may be the easiest and simplest way to add elevation to one's walking. Additionally, with a treadmill one can add the elevation in very small increments. A further advantage of gym membership and/or treadmill use is for the days when it's too hot, too cold, too smoggy, or too rainy to want to walk (or jog) out of doors. It's not all one or all the other; people can use the gym and still enjoy the great outdoors when conditions are favorable.
I need to chime in on some of this. Please realize that while low intensity exercise does burn a higher percentage of fat per calorie (say 50% of 100 calories = 50 calories of fat), it still is NOT THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY to burn fat. High intensity exercise may burn a lower percentage of fat per cal, but because you are burning three times the calories, you actually lose more fat (say 25% of 300 cal = 75 cal of fat). High intensity exercise also is going to overload muscles and produce an increase in lean muscle mass, which in turn burns more calories.
I agree that caution is in order given the OP's weight. Perhaps swimming or water aerobics might be a better alternative initially, and certainly listen to your body if you're experiencing joint pain. But DO try to seek out higher intensity forms of training that you can do safely.
When you lose more fat and keep more lean tissue the weight loss becomes easier and usually more consistent. I personally have experimented with both.
Another bonus of low intensity is that its easier so you are more likely to stick with it and not over do the workout. Fast loss is not the best loss to keep it off and to let your skin adjust to your body shrinking. I think its best to lose slowly if you have a lot to lose because you can get accustomed to the change more gently and that makes life change easier to stick to as well. But most of all fast loss really kills your skin.
When you lose more fat and keep more lean tissue the weight loss becomes easier and usually more consistent. I personally have experimented with both.
Another bonus of low intensity is that its easier so you are more likely to stick with it and not over do the workout. Fast loss is not the best loss to keep it off and to let your skin adjust to your body shrinking. I think its best to lose slowly if you have a lot to lose because you can get accustomed to the change more gently and that makes life change easier to stick to as well. But most of all fast loss really kills your skin.
I'm a little confused by your response. Your link actually back ups my initial statement that high intensity exercise burns more calories and, as a result, more total fat than low intensity exercise. The myth of the "fat burning zone" is a myth precisely because it puts the fat burning zone at lower intensity (based on the earlier research that showed low intensity burns a higher percentage of fat.
The article says nothing about losing both fat and muscle. Here is how that works. Exercise (particularly weight bearing, resistance based, high intensity training) is important because SEDENTARY dieters lose both lean mass (muscle) and fat. The only way to tilt weight loss toward fat loss and preserve lean body mass is to EXERCISE.
I do agree with your last point that slower weight loss is more likely to produce lasting results than rapid weight loss.
I tried to jog at a pace but only last 1 minute and then my legs were hurting and then it got sore where i couldn't power walk. But I did a workout video had a stop a couple of times but then i went right back in there after getting a drink of water
I tried to jog at a pace but only last 1 minute and then my legs were hurting and then it got sore where i couldn't power walk. But I did a workout video had a stop a couple of times but then i went right back in there after getting a drink of water
Good for you!! Just keep at it. Before you know it, you'll be in the 100s.
One minute jog is good, you can just totally walk for a while after that. Then, when youre ready again, you can run again even if its only for a 10-15 seconds. Main thing is to not give up.
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