Obese and wanting to do couch to 25k

[whattodo2019]

i'm really over weight and v unfit. I can hardly walk up hill without being v out of breath let alone run on the flat for 10 steps....
How on earth could i ever do couch to 25k????
Any suggestions??

Start by walking daily, a little, then increasing the time/distance until you are walking an hour a day.

I agree with pp. Start with walking every day, read up online about how to walk properly (stomach sucked in a bit to support and strengthen your core, stand straight with shoulders back and relaxed). Walking is fab exercise if you engage your foot properly:

Strike the ground first with your heel.
Roll through the step from heel to toe.
Push off with your toes.
Bring the back leg forward to strike again with the heel

It actually hurts your shins a bit at first! But it builds speed and leg strength and is good preparation for running.

You need a good flexible shoe and a water bottle to sip from. Then go for it.

One day you'll feel ready to jog a little bit, and then there will be no stopping you.

I was obese this time last year and completed couch-to-5k in autumn - in combination with a low calorie diet I am no longer obese and might even get to being not overweight at all soon.

I started by taking daily walks using ankle weights to increase the muscle effort needed, and made sure my route included hills.

Week 1 of c25k is to go on a half hour walk with occasional bursts of running for 60 seconds at a time - I think 6 times?. You can do your own "week zero" (run for 40 seconds at a time 5 times during your walk) and "week minus one" (run for 20 seconds at a time 4 times during your walk) to build up to that if you need. It's fine to take it slowly.

Make sure you do plenty of warm up and cool down stretching on each muscle in your legs, and make sure your shoes have plenty of shock-absorbtion. The impact of running on knees that aren't used to it can cause injury and you need to be careful as injured knees can have a huge impact on quality of life. Don't let that put you off though, just be careful.

Start with walking, I think you'll struggle with c25k unless you can walk 5k at a brisk pace.

Slowly and surely. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, just a little bit more than you’re completely comfortable with each day and it will come.

All the best.

Yes I’d agree that C25K actually ramps up quite quickly unless there is a baseline level of fitness there - I was extremely fit before 2 pregnancies and fairly significant pelvic floor injury after first one, but I’m not overweight and tend to regain fitness quite quickly, and even I am quite surprised at the speed at which it increases the interval times.

I would start with a walking programme - there was also an amazing inspirational thread on here about a lady who decided she was going to walk up a big set of steps in her hometown each day to help her lose weight and get fit - she was brilliant, can anyone remember it to link it?!

Nearly had a heart attack at the thought of 25k running (then I realised I was reading it wrong - or that you’re really ambitious - never say never, once people get the running bug).

I started C25K in May and managed to mangle my knee by the end of week 3. I have been out of it for 6 weeks now in a knee brace. I would highly suggest doing a walking challenge first to build up your stamina a bit and then make sure you have proper running shoes for your feet. I suffer from overpronation and therefore needed stability shoes, I didn't realise this until I tore a ligament in my knee.

To get back into it I've just signed up for the March the Month Prostate Cancer UK challenge which is 11,000 steps a day throughout September. I'll do this along side repeats of week 1 and 2 of C25K until I have the strength back in my knee.

If you think you're going too slow, but are struggling GO SLOWER. A fast walk is better than nothing at all. Go at your pace, repeat weeks if you need to. Don't worry about strictly following the programme.

Do the c25k if you feel it’s a good programme for you.

Instead of running just increase your pace a bit, so slow walking, 1min a bit faster, etc. When you’ve don the whole programme start again but introduce a slow jog…repeat as necessary.

Or if you want something a bit more targeted get a heart rate monitor, and on the “runs” increase pace until you see a rise in HR.

Fwiw I’ve bought a rowing machine as when I’m at my heaviest my joints can’t take too much walking and rowing. Plus psychologically I think I am sitting down 😂 so it’s not as hard to actually get started. Built up now to 5-10k’s, slow, but steady progress.

I would start by building up to comfortably being able to walk for an hour a day. I would then do couch to 25k but instead of running in the running bits just walk faster then and slower during the walk parts. Repeat as many times as you need until you are ok to start running. Also when you do start run the run parts very slowly and keep repeating to build up speed.

Be careful though as you can injure yourself so build up as slowly as possible.

However, kudos to you, you can do it.

I was about 18.5st when I started C25K and my BMI about 44. What helped me was ensuring I had my gait assessed at a running shop so I had decent shoes, and investing in decent quality sportswear that wicked and decent running socks. Nike do some decent plus size stuff which I invested in after I'd been going for a few weeks. I had a break in the middle as I hurt my knee but then started again and it was fine. Also don't get hung up on doing 5k in half an hour. I just focus now on being able to do the distance rather then the speed. I can run comfortably now for about 8k but I don't give a fig how long it takes me. I lost a couple of stone doing it and that made it easier. Pregnant right now so not running but will start again after the baby's here. In the first trimester I replaced running with doing C25K sessions as a power walk. Go for it.

I am fat and fifty-odd with weak knees and a prolapse.

I'm doing C25K on the crosstrainer in the gym and can now do 28 mins at my running pace (W8R1). Every run I get a new PB with no injuries, no thinking about how to put my feet in front of me - just a massive sense of achievement that I will build on when I finish the programme in two weeks time.

In short - get some good tunes in your ears and do it any way that means you'll complete it. You're only competing with yesterday's you.

I did couch25k in lockdown 1, I was/am size 16-18 with BMI 35 ish. I didn’t find it that hard, it’s a good way to get into exercise as it starts off so easy and gently and is effective in getting you to progress swiftly.

I would say if you have dodgy knees don't go straight into it. Voice of bitter experience.

yes, start with walking.
once you can comfortably walk for half an hour or longer you can start on c25k.

get decent shoes to minimise the risk of injury (doesn't have to be exprnsive, decathlon have decent basic ones for about 50£)

@Callmecordelia

I would say if you have dodgy knees don't go straight into it. Voice of bitter experience.

Definitely this.

Do a walking programme first.

I think it’s perfectly achievable. The joy of C25k is the gentle way it gets you to running without you noticing.

You don’t do 5k on the first time or actually at all. It’s a 30 min session. So depends how fast you get.

I’d recommend Jo Wiley as your “trainer voice” she’s so encouraging. I did C25k in lockdown.

You can stay on a run before you feel ready to move up. Yo can do week 1 run 1 for weeks til you feel you want to go further. To start with you walk 60secs and jog slowly for 60 secs. It’s so supportive on the app.

Go for it!

The British Heart Foundation has a walking plan that starts with 10 minutes walking.

Every day you something is better than doing nothing. I'm v overweight and I started out doing the running sections on a rebounder. You can add extra weeks in as much as you need, don't be put off by the speed of C25k just adapt it to you. I'm with @GOODCAT, I'd suggest starting with fast walking in the running intervals.

Personally I would be perfectly happy never progressing beyond 9 mins running, 1 min walking, and repeating for 5k.

Also, I agree with PPs, get decent trainers on the early side. Treat them as safety gear, not a reward.

I'd work on being able to briskly walk for roughly 45 mins first, it will make the running bursts easier.
Walking C25k first is a good suggestion. Alternatively parkrun have a "parkwalk" plan which is a similar principle.

(Parkrun is accessible to walkers too and common finish times for the final finisher is 50-60 mins, sometimes longer, so worth a look, it's a good goal to have)

When you are ready for C25k it is 60s x6 at first. It is normal to find it hard, but the programme really works at building up to 30 mins of running. It is worth noting that few women will complete it at 5k in that time and more likely 3-4k

I think it’s couch to 5k op, not to 25k, I assume you’re meaning.

I think you need to tackle your diet at the same time in all honesty. It’s going to be very difficult to get fit without tackling it.

You need to start slowly, it’s surprising how quickly muscles build. Doing something small every day, even just a walk, and building on it, whilst addressing your diet would be the way to go.

Decent shoes trainers
Start slow. Just try walking 100 m and back to start each day
Then start week one but walk slowly and walk faster when it says run
Repeat week one until it feels easy
See it as a 9 x 3 week programme 3 weeks for each week Repeat each one
Repeat each week until it is easy.

Walk before you can run. Get used to walking first before attempting c25k. Tbh I don't think c25k is the best idea if you are quite unfit: it jumps up too quickly. This programme might be a better idea as it eases you in with walking first and doesn't increase the running segments so quickly:
www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/beginners/a772727/how-to-start-running-today/

The thing to remember is that however hard it is, you always just have to push yourself just a bit. You don't have to walk up x hill or run x distance or go at x pace. Your body decides for you, in the moment, what you should do.

If you pick something that you can do now, that pushes you (walk up the stairs/walk uphill for 30 seconds), and do it a few times over a few days, you will find that quite quickly, it won't be so much of a challenge anymore. Always keep the level of challenge the same, so, as soon as it gets easier, up the dosage (walk up a bigger flight of stairs/walk uphill for 40 seconds) After a while, you'll find that 30 minutes walking is fine, so you can throw in a 5 second run a few times. Then when that's fine, a 10 second run.

There's a lot of rigidity in training programmes, but as a very beginner, the most important thing is to learn how to listen to your body, and pace yourself. It'll save you many an injury, and it'll stand you in good stead in a couple of years when you're running a marathon The first time you go out with the sole intention of 'training' will be the hardest. Get it done this weekend. It gets easier from there, and you get to decide the level of difficulty.

Half the battle is getting started!
I would do a couple of weeks doing week 1 pattern of C25K program replacing the run times with a fast walk before starting.
I missed if you said your age but if you’re young you’ll probably surprise yourself with what you can do.
Pick a nice flat safe place to run.
I did C25K when I was younger but have dodgy Achilles so repeated some weeks.
I just got new shoes and plan to start again when the weather here is cooler but will do each week twice before moving to the next pattern to avoid injury. I’m over 10 years older with a bad back now
Make the most of what you’ve got health wise!!