I’m 45 years, obese and I want to start running : best running app ?

[Ralphinesonvoice]

And would I die of a heart attack 😬

@waistchallenge I feel a bit self conscious about swimming :( I’m going to go to my gp and get a referral for exercise

I was very self-conscious too but I bought a special swimsuit called Miraclesuit from the US, it had a full built in bra and thick material that held me in. Also, once you're in the water no-one can see you anyway.

Having said that, you have to go for the exercise you fancy!

C25K, it helped me go from a complete non-starter to running my first 5k 2 months later, and also enjoy it!

Once you get into it, it's worth finding a running shop to get your gait analysed. Getting a proper pair of shoes is crucial.

Nike Run Club is great too

Hi OP it’s great you are planning to take up some exercise.

re: running I would also maybe check in with a GP / women‘s health Physio first.

I would be concerned about knees/joints in general plus prolapse issues…

Walking, cycling and swimming would all be cardio that’s easier on your body to start with.

I’m 45 and a running addict and my joints are just great

C25K is good but can I also suggest Zombies! Run! for those days when you just want to be inspired to move while having a little bit of fun?

I always just walked the 'normal run' bits and then ran the 'speed up to get away from the zombies' bits. It was just entertaining enough to keep me interested and used my own music in between talking bits.

@annieannietomjoe has already mentioned Nike Run Club which I second.
@Ralphinesonvoice even if you choose another app to start running, I highly recommend that you listen to episodes 5 and 17 of Coach Bennett’s Podcast (there are more great episodes but those two are good to start with). Coach Bennett is the head coach on the Nike Run Club app and he’s an amazing and inspirational coach - and a lot of his advice goes beyond running. And in the spirit of Coach Bennett’s coaching philosophy, run to gain something (better health, fitness, mental well-being), not to lose weight. Welcome to the starting line!

I did couch to 5k as coached sessions in a local park. I was overweight and hadn’t been doing any exercise - but I did walk home from work every night - about 45 minutes at a brisk pace. I was pleasantly surprised at how fit I was - not amazing and it was still tough - but I was able to keep up.

It would be a a good idea to walk 5km three times a week for a month before you start the running. It’s still amazing exercise and it will build your muscles and stamina.

@Ralphinesonvoice have you ever heard of Japanese slow jogging? It was recommended to me by someone on a c25k forum when I was struggling at the beginning and I never thought I would be able to run for 5 minutes let alone 5km. This youtube video is a good introduction g

Theres lots of resources online if you google japanese slow running.

I felt really silly at the beginning because I would walk faster than I would jog but I never built up the sweat walking as I did while jogging even though I was walking faster.

I highly recommend the None to Run app…it’s a slower paced programme than C25K, I have never been able to finish C25K and I’m not even overweight. If you find C25K too hard have a look 😊

C25K for me as well, with Sarah Millican

Could you find a local running club to join OP? Often they will run C25K sessions for complete beginners - I did one with my local club a couple of years ago, and it was great. Also you could try Parkrun - no need to actually run it if you don't want to, but useful for building up general fitness.

Do you enjoy running?

I must admit when I was obese I found it painful and I didn't lose any weight (if that's your aim) even when I ran with a local club regularly. In fact I think it made my cortisol spike and I also came down with every bug under the sun, so overall it just made me unwell.

Personally I felt better tackling my diet and sleep and stress and trying to get as many steps as much as possible but by walking.

I do run now on the treadmill in the gym as part of a workout, and get outside when it's a lovely day for it, but my BMI is 27 now instead of 31 and it is so much more comfortable to run, and doesn't seem to spike any unhelpful hormones.

I started couch to 5k at the beginning of the year . I'd never run , never thought I could but at the end was running regularly. It feels such an achievement. But as others have said , go slow and steady . I had Denise Lewis as my trainer on the app and found her very encouraging.