Slow joggers give me tips

[StuffingMyNuts]

Just did my first slow jog today lasting 30 mins with the last 5 mins a cool down walk.

i walk the dog everyday but don’t feel like it is giving my enough cardio exercise and want to take up jogging.

But in my 50s so I am conscious of not screwing up my knees so did a slow type jog. I remember someone here posting a video of an older guy showing someone how to minimise impact but still getting heart rate up by a fast walk/slow jog rather than jogging/running but I can’t find it ☹️.

Any tips welcome as I need to sort my fitness out. Fortunately I have a flat trail near me which is shared by walkers/runners/dog owners which is very safe to use and goes for miles.

Re screwing up your knees - I used to be a runner and the running press always used to say that running was actually good for your knees. You can be proactive about protecting them by doing leg strengthening exercises like squats and lunges.

The main things to stay injury free in running is to build up your speed and distance very very gradually,

Also always warm up at the start, cool down at the end and do stretches. The warm up slowly thing is very important in winter because cold muscles are less elastic and therefore more prone to injury.

The couch to 5k programme is very good.

Anyway, enjoy it! Sadly I can no longer run due to chronic illness. I would give anything to be able to go back to it.

Thanks for the tips. I do need to get my weights out again and start strength training.

Cool for you to just get out there. Well done.

I suppose the big thing is deciding for yourself what you need to feel satisfied in this activity. It doesn't have to be a goal like getting faster or going further or for longer, it can just be a "I am happy to know I ticked that box 2 or 3 times a week" or similar aim.

You sound like a good person to try park run, btw, as long as you can completely ignore everyone else's times and just be happy you got 'round.

personally I only like to run on soft ground (not paved), to reduce burden on my knees & joints.

There’s a cheerful 30 Day Shred thread running - it’s a workout programme that incorporates lots of squats and lunges (and core strength - also good for runners).

www.mumsnet.com/talk/exercise/5359060-30-day-shred?page=4&reply=145382774

There's the Niko Niko running technique that's gentle and energy efficient.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/exercise/3273109-niko-niko-running-technique-experiences?page=1

The thread's pretty ancient (2018-2020) but it is interesting.

I've dabbled with it a few times, and it does feel good.

There's also "Jeffing" which is getting more attention which is short, frequent run/walk sessions. Similar to the earlier weeks of C25k, but shorter, and stays consistent. I ran my marathon with this method, didn't aggravate the old injury that stopped me running the previous year and enjoyed the experience, feeling good until the end.

Decent running shoes. Just because you are jogging slowly, doesn't mean you need less support. Look at ASICS or similar to avoid incurring injury.

Alternate jogging & walking.

Alternate jogging days and rest days.

I started at 48 and gradually worked up to running 10k comfortably. I took it very slowly (a couple of years) and haven't hurt myself.

Ah that nico running video was the one I was thinking about and tried to mirror this morning but I got the small steps right but can’t remember if I was landing on the right part of my feet.

Thanks everyone for your tips. Will have a read back in a bit and digest them.

Seconding the importance of really good shoes. For me, this has been transformative for my knees.

Jogging slowly puts less pressure on your joints because the amount of force that jolts through them each time you land is less than if you are going faster. I would say the best way to avoid injury is to think of yourself as going slowly by taking smaller strides instead of going slowly by slowing down each stride. Try jogging gently on the spot, then letting yourself add a little bit of forward propulsion. People sometimes try to just take big strides slowly, and that's what messes up your knees (because you end up landing on a straight leg and sending the impact up through your straight knee). I wouldn't worry about what part of your foot you're landing on, just do what comes naturally.

This was my mantra when doing Couch2 5K!

Well I did that nico slow jogging today and landing on the balls rather than my heal really did make a difference. No impact on my hips at all.

It took a lot of mental strength to ‘jog’ slow and small steps. I could cover a lot more ground in my slow to moderate walking but it did raise my heart rate higher than walking so there is a benefit. For comparison I covered 1/2 a mile less in same time today.

Just waiting for the comments from people when they overtake me when walking 😬. Will have to turn up my music and zone out 😁

Jeffing. That’s all I have to say.
i do 60:30 usually (60s run/jog and 30s walk).
it’s AMAZING. I can do a 32 min park run comfortably at that ratio. If I was non stop jogging I would die

I think my daily dog walking in forests so on mixed terrain has helped transition to jogging plus I have to sometimes sprint when he’s found a dead animal to roll in to get him to stop and follow me 😆

Pilates has really REALLY helped me to be more effective and mindful about engaging my core properly when doing other exercises, including running.

When I switch on my core, I can feel that I run with a greater stability that puts less impact on my knees. It has also massively helped me to keep my neck and shoulders in a posture that avoids the neck pain that running used to cause me.

When you engage your core, your back lengthens, your shoulders open and fall, and more of the power starts to run through your glutes and the back of your thighs, leaving the knees less jarred.

I have to keep reminding myself to correct my posture in this way. It makes my jogging more mindful - like a kind of yoga.

Getting an appropriately themed slogan t-shirt can help filtering dumb comments.

I often get "encouraging" comments when on the walk breaks when Jeffing, and have a run/ walk/ run theme vest. The comments changed from things like "don't give up" to "oh I Jeff too" which is much nicer!

My PE-teacher-induced shame about slowness and walk breaks is very long past, so it irritates me when people people inflict PE-teacher-value comments about speed and walking and continue to propagate those unhelpful myths. It's the out there and doing it that matters, not unrealistic, arbitary standards about speed and consistency that end up putting people off.

(And that's why I love parkrun; the weekly coming together of the full range of running/ walking, and how many people just get out there with various approaches)