I woke up one day just after turning 40 and shortly after separating from my wife feeling quite miserable. I had wallowed in the depths of depression and indulged in self medicating with lots of alcohol. The alcohol consumption led to hangovers, not only of the transient headache variety, but also of the “I can’t fit in my pants” variety. Anyway, I woke up, went to the mirror, looked at myself ans decided that wasn’t the way I wanted to continue on. So, I decided to start a couch to 5K… It really sucked the first couple of times I went out to run, but I was determined to continue. Each week I got a bit better, and each week I lost a bit of weight. I also noticed that my mood was dramatically better after a run.
Finally, it was time for my 5K - and it didn’t suck! I actually did a decent job for my age group.
Fast forward a few years where I have continued down this path of doing 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathons and I find myself down 11 kilos in weight and up 60 kilos in a new partner - in part due to being in a better state of mind due to regular exercise.
Personally, I think aren't many better return on investment activities than spending half an hour every day on a morning jog.
You can run more than that but I think half an hour steady state easy run each morning gives you 80% of results. If you love running (I do), knock yourself out. But that half an hour is enough to do wonders to your health over long periods of time with minimum chance for negative consequences. By easy run I mean one when nothing aches and you can converse easily throughout the run.
I think a lot of people go hard on it and overdo it and then get injured or stop it for other reasons. It is better to make those runs easy and enjoyable so that you can keep running daily forever.
I have also started 4/20 intermittent fasting 3 months ago and keto a month ago and I can tell you, I have never felt better. And this even when I do 10k run in the morning on an empty stomach after 18h of not eating anything.
I agree with you, but there's one big "Oh, right..." in there.
Up until a year and a half ago, I had never enjoyed a jog in my life. I had done plenty of "jogging" during school years, as part of gym class, but nobody had ever explained to me difference between a pleasant jog and running until you drop.
I stopped exercising for many years. Then started powerlifting. A couple of years ago I decided that I should take a walk every day. Then that I should do at least 10.000 steps a day. A year and a half ago, I figured I could probably do a very light run. I enjoyed it. Then I started running at least every other day (during summer). Stoppped during winter. Picked it up again last spring. Now I'm again awaiting spring.
It took 41 years of my life before I realized what a light run was. I think most people don't run because they have never actually learned what a light run is. It's always flat out.
I highly recommend "80/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster By Training Slower" by Matt Fitzgerald. Don't let the title put anyone off -- it's about performance, but most of the book is about the value of going SLOW.
Like you, I was never really a runner, although I did get into running when I met my current partner, who is a runner. I think what's complicated for most not-fit people is that they only have one running "speed'. I only had one running speed until I was almost 40. There was walking, and then there was running. Obviously there was also "sprinting" but we all recognize that's unsustainable. I think for most of us, "running" is what a runner would call a tempo run -- say 80% of your maximum heartrate, something you feel you can sustain more-or-less indefinitely, but that's hard.
When you're not-obese-but-out-of-shape, you might walk a mile in 15-17 minutes, and a run would be in the 10-12 minute range. It's hard to actually go any slower than that and still be running. And as you slowly get more fit, your runs get down to (say), a 9 minute mile, an 8 minute mile. But you never realize you can (and should!) scale back to that 10 or 12 minute mile. You'll be able to run every day instead of every few days. You'll get the health benefits without the injuries. And the side benefit is that, if you add speed work, you'll get faster more quickly than if you just ran at 'running speed' all the time.
The couch to 5k program listed mentions mixing walking and running -- this is a great alternative to a "slow run" for those who still only have 1 speed.
My "I can run forever" speed is more like 13 minute miles now, up from 14 minute miles. And it took me a long time to be able to motor for a 5k at a 14 minute/mile pace and not struggle mentally or physically at all. And I'm in the not-obese-but-out-of-shape category.
I think some of the ability to differentiate a light run from a hard run requires having a degree of baseline fitness. A lot of people who are not especially fit will find that they can run quickly for a minute or two, or very slowly for maybe ten minutes, but either way they find themselves completely winded and sore. Folks will read advice online about running at a pace where you can have a conversation, but find that there's literally no pace above a walk where this is possible for them.
I was interested in running for years, but found the walk breaks that the Couch to 5k program uses to deal with this issue to be tedious. I tried it a few times, but it didn't stick until years later after I'd started a gym habit and built a good base. When New Years came around, I was used to going to the gym before work every morning, and it was really disruptive when my gym was suddenly insanely packed with resolutioners, so I just put my stuff in a locker and tried going outside for a run. With the base I'd built in the gym, I found I could run quickly for a few minutes, but when running slowly I could go for 30+ minutes without a break instead of ten, and it finally stuck (that was 4 years ago).
Yep. This is the thing that I wish somebody told me when I first ventured to start running.
Light run is when I run with somebody else and I still can have a pleasant conversation.
I take phonecalls when I am running and I had situations where people were surprised when I told them I am running (they expected me to be panting probably).
IMO there is no need to run any harder than that if your goal is maximising your wellbeing (unless your wellbeing comes from winning races...)
The other option is run faster but intermittently.
It came as a surprise to me that many people are self-conscious about stopping to walk during running -- that's how I've always done it! I never thought anything of it because I have always been in shape as 100m / 200m sprinter... I'd encourage others to try this, because although I love running, I also could never really get into jogging.
A friend used to do ultramarathons. If we were out for a run and she didn't wish to run a hill, she would say, "ultra rules", and we would walk the hill. She covered 100 miles in less than 24 hours in one race I helped with, and she had not the least self-consciousness about walking.
> IMO there is no need to run any harder than that if your goal is maximising your wellbeing (unless your wellbeing comes from winning races...)
Interestingly the best (or second best) bike racer in the world, Tadej Pogačar, is very big into "zone 2" training, in which the idea is you optimize your aerobic engine by spending the majority of your training time in zone 2 and no faster.
While the zone 2 can be measured formerly with a lot of fancy equipment that monitors the gases you breath out and levels of lactic acid in your blood, the casual guideline for finding your zone 2 is a workout at the level where you can just barely hold a conversation while doing it. The casual definition of zone 1 is you can easily hold a conversation, zone 3 is you can say a few words but can't hold a conversation, and zone 4 is you are breathing so hard you can barely talk.
So basically, even if your wellbeing does come from winning races, zone 2 training might also be the best thing to do (at least for the majority of your workout times).
Two weeks ago I was heading to go for a run and my 8 year old declared he was coming with me (this was 630AM on a school day). We did 1.25 miles but the most interesting thing he said was that we weren’t running, we were just jogging. It was a slow 12’ pace… slower than I’d go solo but I didn’t want to wear him out.
Anyway, this bias you mention seems to be taught/ingrained at a young age!
Yes, this is exactly the pattern you see in the r/c25k subreddit. Lots of people hit a wall (usually around week 5 or 6, where you start running for longer stretches of time) because they’re running too fast. The most unintuitive part of this program is pacing yourself.
Personally I think (I don't do!) I'd rather go harder/faster/longer less often. Getting ready for and then showering etc. after such a brief activity every day is just annoying isn't it?
I shower every day anyway, so I don't count shower time as cost of running. I head out first thing in the morning immediately after I get up and then shower immediately after I come back. Which I think is a terrific way to start my day.
Does it take time? Yes, it does, but only if you look at it in this simplistic way. Even if I did not enjoy running itself, it makes the rest of the day feel better for me which I think makes up for the time "wasted".
I also use my runs to listen to news, audiobooks or podcasts. I am walking every day in the evening and I use that time to listen to audiobooks and also get some grocery, etc. -- trying to get as much from the time I spent on walks as possible.
If I don't listen to something I am trying to be productive by rethinking things that happened to me, preparing arguments for upcoming meetings, thinking through other problems that I have at the moment.
I try to run every day. And I try to run hard every other day, but if I don't feel like running hard one day that's ok. On the hard runs all I do is run. I can't think, I just need to focus on maintaining my pace (when I notice that I'm putting together a coherent string of thoughts it's my cue to go faster).
But on my slow days I think. And it's wonderful. I don't know how many problems I've solved during my runs, but it's a lot. Something about getting outside and moving somehow unties knots in my thinking. And if I don't have a problem to solve I might review some recent stuff I've been studying. I might for example pretend I'm doing a presentation on the topic. Since I'm out there and can't write anything down I have to repeat everything in my head, and that repetition makes it stick. (Works if I'm preparing an actual presentation too!)
Because of this I usually try to go running after 1-2 hours of work. This way when I go running I usually have some material fresh in my mind. Working from home is obviously a big advantage.
I stopped running when I got my current job because there was so much work I wanted to do and didn't think I had the time. Huge mistake. I started running again in August and have been keeping it up since then, and my work has improved a lot.
This probably doesn't work for everyone, but it's an experience worth searching out!
You may be one of those types who enjoy interval training more than longer, steadier, more "laid back" efforts.
Apparently, if you match it to your fitness/ recovery levels (and goals if you have them), doing quality over quantity can be just as good as – and in some cases better than – doing more volume at less intensity.
I personally prefer cycling at a more laid back pace. But if I were back on some run-training regimen, I'd prefer less volume with more intensity workouts. Because I enjoy cycling, and kinda dread running.
But I heard mixing both, in terms of volume and quality, will have the most optimal results in terms of performance gains.
Maybe you know all this already, but just ya know, throwing it out there.
4 minutes run hard enough to push heart rate to 90%, 3 minutes recover, repeat 4 times; about 45 minutes, every other day if you're old and need the recovery.
I've found that simply incorporating a few miles of brisk walking into your routine with a moderately heavy backpack and good posture (no/minimal slouching or leaning forward) is reasonably effective exercise, particularly if it's at all hilly.
I think it works out similarly to low-intensity deadlifting and squatting, and becomes much easier if you also lift consistently.
I've since learned that there's actually a specific name for this kind of workout: rucking. It's apparently fairly popular with many benefits; people even buy specially designed packs and weights.
> I think a lot of people go hard on it and overdo it and then get injured or stop it for other reasons.
Yes, I think C25K and the "just run" sentiment in general is missing half a dozen asterisks about this aspect. Like "except don't run on concrete for the first year", or "except do this progression of exercises for feet and tendons for 3 months before you start doing continuous 2-3k", or just "hire a trainer to get you started".
I've never been overweight, been active as a kid, was in increasingly good physical shape throughout my 3 attempts to start running over the years and got injured for months every time.
By the last attempt I was taking multi-hour walks as a habit, lifting weights 5 days a week, watching my sleep and diet. And heart rate monitor has shown that I straight up didn't have this magical "easy run" heart rate zone available - brisk walk was well below 120 bpm and even jogging in place got me over 130.
C25K is great for what it is, but I feel what it is is not enough to start running safely.
Interval training is different, it's supposed to spike your heart rate for short(er) periods, so that makes sense. When people are talking about running easy or being able to have a conversation, they usually are talking about low to moderate intensity aerobic zone or "zone 2", which goes to 75-80% HRmax depending on who you're asking. Some would even explicitly recommend 120-130 bpm range.
Plantar fasciitis, shin splints and some minor, I assume, tendon inflammation above ankle joint. PF was the worst - icing, stretching, rolling, exercises - nothing helped, only went away after switching from casual/dress shoes to sneakers for daily. Shin splints seemed to have went away in couple weeks with some massage and exercises, but came back after 1-2 runs on multiple attempts. Last injury coincided with me receiving an old elliptical from parents as a gift, so I didn't need to run for cardio anymore.
And now I'm a refugee and my running trails back home were in the zone russians dropped cluster munitions on. So it's not looking good for running going forward, lol.
Yeah the shoes we wear most of the day do matter a lot.
Don't recall having plantar fasciitis or shin splints; but spent a lot of time on steps doing many many single leg heel raises, to work around achilles tendon and calf muscle pain.
I think phrasing it as “30 minutes of light runnning” is a great way to explain it. A lot of people get turned off by “3 miles” or “5km” and it doesn’t account for slower paces.
A great way to start is to commit to 15 minutes of run/walk time 3-4x a week. When I decided to start, I did one long block where I’d run one way and walk back for 20 minutes. A few weeks later I’d run 7 minutes out (with occasional breaks at first) and 8 minutes back.
The goal is to feel good afterwards - not like crap. It’s better to do a workout at 80% of your capacity and want more than to go 105% and feel like butt. You want to develop a positive association in your brain so that you crave a run.
So number one piece of advice - go slow! If it helps, get a watch with a heart rate monitor and keep it below your 80% level. Worry about your times after the first 5k.
I think the problem with anything we do like weight loss strategies or healthy diet or exercise is adherence.
Long time ago, when I would start something I would try all the way. Loose all crappy food or not at all. The problem is that these would only last as long as my enthusiasm.
This is a disaster, because it means I just spent a bunch of effort on a project that brings no long term results.
So nowadays I always think how I can bring most results with as little resources (resources being my effort/focus) and then how I can get as much bang for the buck long term.
Running must be sustainable. That's why I run easy, every day. I could run every other day but there is something magical in building strong habits. In my case I no longer think about it -- I get up, I empty myself, I weigh myself, I head out the door for a run, I come back, take a shower, drink coffee. This is my morning routine and the only decision I make is what to put on based on the weather.
And it can't feel hard. And you need to have good shoes and clothes for any weather.
All nutrition advice in the world will not help if you will not stick to it. So I resolved to not start punishing myself by removing foods that I like, but rather I started by learning new foods that I can like but are also healthy. Over time, with more and more healthy foods I know I started pushing out the unhealthy ones.
"Running, even 5-10 minutes per day and slow speeds <6 mph, is associated with markedly reduced risks of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease."
I think all those studies that say running even 5-10 minutes makes you almost invulnerable from death should be taken with caution.
One problem is that people who run regularly are just different from people who do not. People who will run will make a lot of other choices that are also better for their health, for various reasons like being probably more intelligent (to see the reason), having means (to be able to carve time each day to do it consistently) and also have the willpower to stick to something that will only have positive results sometime in the future. Running might be, at least to some extent, a result of people being in better health both mentally and physically and not the cause.
Don't get me wrong, I truly believe running is good for you and I see how I get worse when I can't run and then get better when I can. But I red a bunch of those studies and pretty much every one of those studies has some problems, and basically that is because it is neigh impossible to have long term randomised study on real people on a topic like running where it is basically impossible to point finger at people and get them to adhere to your prescribed lifestyle.
This is a classic example of correlation and causation. You're basically saying that running is correlated with a longer life, not causative of it. Causality is undergraduate level science and any paper of any quality will discuss causality and correlation in depth.
For example, in the study that we are discussing here, it says
> It is possible that healthy people may run more, which could lead to reverse causality. However, we found consistent mortality benefits in runners in both healthy and unhealthy individuals
Some time ago I discovered a health issue with me and it prompted me to spend a lot of time trying to understand how proper nutrition should look like.
I discovered that almost everything I have been taught, told by doctors or red on the internet about proper nutrition is lies. And those likes usually have intelligently sounding papers behind them that are not worth the paper they are printed on. And then repeated ad nauseam by thousands of health "experts" that do not seem to be really concerned about validity of any of it other than their personal life goals.
Like the lies that you should eat breakfast to start your day or multiple meals or that fats are bad for your health or that you should limit intake of salt as much as possible. Or that you have to avoid foods that have cholesterol in them. Or that whole grain bread is healthier than the one made from white flour (it is not). Or that you need to eat fiber to have healthy gut flora or to avoid constipation (I have mercilessly removed all carbs of any kind from my diet for over a month and my gut flora is perfectly ok and there is no constipation).
You know, all that stuff that we have been bombarded with from childhood.
I know all about correlation and causation (actually, I studied theoretical math and have a lot of experience with statistics. I have even given a lecture on logic to first year students once when I was asked to do it by my prof).
Let's just say, there is a lot more ways to make improper than proper inferences from your study. And that saying you know about causation absolutely does not mean the person who did the study actually understands it and took it into account properly. And also that a lot of people start with an opinion or a vested interest to show a particular result and then are trying hard to prove what they already "know".
In the end the problem is that all those people who make those studies are forced to crank out results or perish in their field. Conducting a study very carefully and honestly costs many times more effort than just getting it to a point where somebody will take and publish it.
One of the things I've always wondered about, and I don't know if there is a good scientific answer for it (haven't looked deeply), is if you end up committing to running 5 to 10 minutes a day will you end up turning into the type of person you're describing eventually.
I guess my question is that is it likely a person would get the outsized health benefits because they commit to the minor health change which then causes them to commit to more later.
There's definitely a lot of psychological interplay with running and willpower/self discipline. I think I read somewhere that there are disproportionate number of professionals/PhDs/otherwise successful people who are into ultra running, in part because they have the resources and flexibility needed for the training, but also because the ability to delay gratification and work towards a long term goal is required in both venues.
On a more micro level, a good run can make the rest of life's challenges much less daunting...as I say to my wife: busy days seem a lot less overwhelming if you start them by dragging yourself out of a warm bed to run 8 miles in freezing rain.
Steve Magness has a great book on the topic called Do Hard Things. It’s a great read, but makes extra sense for folks who run of engage in hard endurance exercise.
I never liked running or walking much, I think due to a kind of impatience where it feels like I'm going too slow. If someone relates to this you might love ebikes. A lot more fun and you can get as much exercise as you want to out into it. And you can ride them on the road where it might be dangerous or awkward to walk.
I did this about four years ago. I hated it. Even running with my collie or listening to audio books didn't help. It just felt like a miserable chore, every time I put on my running shoes. In the end I just quit.
Now I hike every weekend, at least 10 miles, which lets me go out with family and friends. I also do various martial arts with my son, which as a shared activity is so much more enjoyable.
The only time I'll run again is if I'm being chased.
Did you get all the way through the program? Did you have good quality running shoes? I remember it being miserable at the start, but after I finished the program (and was going beyond 5k up to around 12k) it started feeling amazing. It was really strange. It went from painful to just plain addictive!
But then Canadian winters intervened and I got out of the habit and never got back to it again. Since then I’ve had a pretty bad ankle injury (at work, not from working out) and I miss running so much!
I'll never tell people they have to, but winter running can be really enjoyable. I committed this year to doing as much of my training outside through the Canadian winter as possible, and so far it's been a dream. I ran through the storm that ripped through Ontario right before Christmas and caught myself thinking that I wasn't sure how much worse conditions would have to be for me to stop having a good time.
Like the beginning of your comment, it ultimately comes down to gear. An ankle injury is a good reason to not push yourself running, but the weather need not be :)
Yeah, when the weather is right winter running can be amazing. The perfect is running in like -4 C with crisp air and everything covered in snow or frost.
The amount of light exposure you get is incredible, with the crisp air and the all-white world reflecting the sunshine. So good against seasonal depression
Yeah man I love winter running/walking! I went out during the -45C wind chills too. That's why I had to get some ski goggles. My eyes were freezing shut! Plus during blizzards the snow is like little razors on my eyeballs.
That's the last bit of winter gear I think I needed. There's something about it though that I love. I can't force myself to get to the gym a block away but I'll go outside in blizzard conditions and really enjoy myself!
Not every sport is for everyone. I feel the same. I even ran some 10Ks, but I hate every second of it. Maybe I'm too heavy or my joints are already screwed up too much, but I much prefer weight lifting and basketball.
Obviously not everyone like running (I especially get the boredom argument) but I doubt your joints are screwed up if you do weight lifting (stresses the joints quite a bit) and basketball (totally massacres joints). If your joins can survive basketball then your joints should have zero issues with running unless it is something very specific.
Basketball and similar activities probably are what killed my joints. I have MRI pictures of my knees and lower back showing different kinds of damages in each and had sprained ankles several times. These were gradual damages according to my doctor. My hips have felt funny lately, too.
These days, I can barely walk for three days after playing basketball or running, but weight lifting still works.
Anyway, all I can say is that running always made me feel much worse than the short sprints and jumps in basketball, whatever the precise reason may be.
Yeah, I got up to 5k. I think that most of the problem was running the same route every time. There's no new experience, it's just a slog on the same roads and paths. When I know I'm going out on a hike, I pick really nice places to go, where there's beautiful scenery. I take my son, my nephew, and friends. We go to the pub afterwards. Also it's not an after work activity, but a dedicated day. Half the year in the UK, before you start work, or after you clock off, its dark.
I am sorry you hated it. The first time I started running I hated it too. But that was just because I did not know how to run or what to expect. I think my very first run was something like 250m after which I through the shoes and vowed never to try again.
But once I learned how to run, calibrated my expectation on how running looks like (I was trying way too hard before) and got my body couple months to adjust I started genuinely loving it even though initially I was forcing myself to do it for health reasons.
I think running is something that you can stick to for long enough to be able to figure out if it is actually for you.
I was writing a comment very similar, I tried it and hated it, I thought running was the worst thing ever and just could not enjoy it even though I was most of the way through the program.
What I do now is go cycling/spinning for 30 mins at the gym with an audiobook, it feels like the same proper cardio, but everything else is different, I'm not outside, I don't have to watch out for anything, it's warm, by bones don't feel like they're all getting shaken about.
I have a theory that people who want to get in shape but don't know where to start will gravitate towards running, because it's what we all remember doing in grade school gym class.
Running is great, I'm not knocking it at all. But I would also try other activities to see what sticks (hiking, weightlifting, rock climbing, social sports leagues, etc.)
There's also lots of free beginner-friendly workouts on YouTube (where you follow-along with an instructor).
Running can also be very high impact on joints and if a person hasn't moved around much for quite some time might be asking them to do more than they are ready for.
Recently started running again. Hadn't run in in close to a decade, but I got back into it really quickly. However, after only a few weeks of running, I developed symptoms similar to compartment syndrome in my left leg, and now I can't run for more than 30 minutes every other week without getting really sore. I was really getting into it, too.
I think running is attractive because it's one of the most effective sports at burning energy, and it's entry level. Shoes, and some loose clothes.
In the past I've lost weight from a bunch of different sports and running worked the best. It's just the most intense pure sport, without mechanical assistance.
I'm pretty sure it is one of the least effective sports at burning energy. Humans have evolved to be highly efficient runners, therefore we exert less energy when we run (plus compared alternative we're under-using our upper bodies). Swimming is almost certainly the most effective sport for burning energy.
That being said: Losing body fat from exercise is a bad strategy anyway. Exercise is important for improved health, improved aging, combat certain diseases (like metabolic syndrome), etc. But the maths alone shows that you cannot out-run a bad diet, one McDonald's meal is more than an hour of moderate exercise regardless of type.
Body fat is lost in the kitchen, fitness is gained at the gym, people mix those two things up regularly.
> I'm pretty sure it is one of the least effective sports at burning energy.
Depends on how fast you run :)
According to [1] in terms of calories burned by a 155-pound person in 30 minutes:
Running at 5mph is equivalent to beach volleyball, ice hockey and basketball, at 288 calories.
Running at 6mph is equivalent to kickboxing, cycling at 15 mph, vigorously swimming laps or vigorous step aerobics at 360 calories.
If you're lucky enough to be able to run a 10mph for 30 minutes (which is fast) doing so is one of the fastest ways to burn calories, burning 562 calories. The only thing listed that uses more calories is cycling >20mph.
Of course, people with their weight under control have a much easier time achieving higher speeds - someone who weighs 230 lbs isn't likely to be running at 10 mph, and they'll probably hit their weight goal before they'll hit that speed.
I agree with you that, with 270 calories in a chocolate bar, it's easy for bad diet to undo the benefits of exercise.
I've spent a lot of time running and cycling, and personally, I can burn 800 calories an hour running, and 600 cycling. I can easily sustain heartrates of 150-160bpm but struggle to break 130 swimming.
Found a few source that also put running at the top.
Running at normal sustained speeds is only 240-336, Elliptical is 270-378, Aerobics 300-420, Stationary Bicycling 315-441, etc.
Keep in mind 6 MpH is considered Vigorous, and you're talking about 10 MpH sustained to get good calorie burn which just isn't realistic outside competitive levels or for short sprints (which isn't what we're discussing).
I'm sorry that you found the one source I posted was a content farm, because I found numerous others saying the same thing.
The link you posted is an absolute joke that you're cherry picking, because the only reason to put "Bicycling, Stationary: vigorous" above "normal sustained speeds" is because you made the utterly inaccurate editorial decision to do so. You're flat out wrong if you believe a 12 minute mile (which is barely walking speed) is equivalent to "vigorous stationary cycling".
If you consulted your own chart you'd see it lists, under "training and sports activities", "Bicycling >20mph" as 693cal for a 185lb person and "Running: 10mph (6min/mile)" as 671cal which at least is close to accurate.
Unfortunately, you don't seem to be remotely familiar with the physiological demands here, so I don't know what to say. Your argument was that running couldn't possibly burn more calories because it only involved the lower body.
I kinda dread running (but will do it, and like having done it after the fact but during the runs is another story).
But in terms of being able to run anytime (with the right layering), anywhere (more or less, so long as you can avoid traffic), and with basically minimum barrier to entry in terms of gear, it's hard to beat when comparing it to other sports & fitness activities.
I still much rather would ride my bicycles hard, but I can't deny the barrier to entry is significantly higher, even if you're aiming for budget bikes (the learning curve is kinda steep in being able to spot a decent deal), let alone higher-end stuff. But oh, is it a sublime and beautiful experience on the bike.
Agreed! And to your point, I tried to include a couple of activities with a low barrier of entry in my above post. You could argue that bodyweight-only YouTube workouts have an even lower barrier of entry than running (you don't even need shoes!).
Also, a small nitpick: if someone is starting from zero, I'd argue "effectiveness" probably shouldn't be the goal...it should be finding an activity the person loves and wants to keep doing. From my own experience: For years I hated fitness and avoided it at all costs...until I found a gym with group fitness classes that I fell in love with. From there, losing weight was easy because I was just doing something I loved.
If I were starting cardio from being a couch potato I would choose walking, cycling or swimming. All of those are easier on the body, especially if you're overweight.
If you do decide to run, remember to take it easy in the beginning. It has a high impact on your joints so you need to train them gradually.
Depends on how much couch potato we are talking. I find it very hard to work up an elevated heart rate while swimming since I only know breast stroke and am not that good at it. Increasing your HR with swimming requires good technique which is a large barrier of entry. Even when I was at my least fit I would not have gotten that much from swimming or walking, presumably because I did small walking in my every day life like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. So obviously walking works wonder but only up to a point. I recommend walking and swimming for total couch potatoes but I personally I find them less useful as soon as you get a bit fit (unless you learn good swimming technique).
Biking on the other hand makes it easy to pick your desired level of effort while keeping impact on joints relatively low. As a downside, unlike running or walking, it does not do much for your back health. Your spine and back muscles benefit a lot from walking/running. So biking and walking can be a good combination, or biking and running.
And 100% agreed that your joints need to be trained gradually, your cardio and muscles improve faster than your joints. And while this is universal it is more important in running than e.g. biking.
I've just spent the last 24 hours in a hospital due to a family emergency. Seeing the other people in the hospital has really hammered home the old saying:
If you don't make time for you health now then you will be forced to make time for your illness later.
While many people find themselves in hospital through no fault of their own, it is clear from what I can hear and see that many other people could have avoided being there by taking some time each day to be active and eat/drink a bit less throughout their life.
It doesn't need to be running but it does need to be a concerted effort that gets your heart rate up and creates a little discomfort in the body (not pain, just work).
And no "running round after the kids" each day, doesn't count.
You need to realise that weight bearing exercises (this means running, walking etc) are good for bone health. Low impact activities like cycling don’t give your bones the right stimulus to stay strong. And as the other commenter has said, the impact damage is probably in the minds of people who say that running does then damage but in reality it doesn’t do damage, it is actually a benefit to bones and joints.
The “impact on the joints” is massively overstated. Run with good gait & such (there are many good instructional videos on this, but some key points are don't over-stride thinking it'll make you go faster, try not to heal strike, don't push too hard or too fast, make sure you get rest between fast or long sessions, and wear decent shoes) and your knees/ankles/other will be just fine. There is as much evidence for running helping the joins in later life (assume you start earlier) as there is for the opposite.
This is, of course, unless you have a pre-existing issue. If you have a pre-existing issue running will find it and make it worse, especially as you push out the distance.
On distance, according to some studies 5K happens to be a good point for optimising the long term health benefits – after that you see diminishing returns so don't feel pressured to go further unless you find you enjoy it.
And if you can, try get out and run in the countryside where it is pretty and you are breathing in less car fumes and similar.
If you haven’t run at all your entire life then your joints don’t have the required strength. Obviously that’s not the case for you so you wouldn’t know.
> If you haven’t run at all your entire life … Obviously that’s not the case for you
Care to make any more assumptions? I practically hadn't run until ~35 when I was significantly overweight, [checks chart] actually officially obese, currently 44 & a bit overweight¹² and running regularly (including doing the occasional ultra event). I know many people with a not dissimilar history and away from anecdata there is plenty of evidence that running is beneficial more than it is detrimental in the general population⁰.
As I said prior: “There is as much evidence for running helping the joins in later life (assume you start earlier) as there is for the opposite.”. I know I know, [citation needed], but as the claim for running being bad for the joins generally was made first: I'll show you my citations if you show me yours. Or just keep downvoting and/or stating I know nothing if that makes you feel more correct.
--
[0] of course with the caveats of “if you don't push to hard/fast too quickly” (that can cause damage, though the same can be said for any other exercise) and “if you don't have pre-existing medical issues” (the most dangerous ones here being cardio-vascular related, not joints)
[1] the excess is definitely fat, not muscle mass, unfortunately!
[2] spent a few years well within a range where I should be, but I have to concentrate to manage excess food intake³ and the last few years have had my mind on other things a lot
Get a bike trainer - wheel-on trainers are cheaper and use Zwift. If you keep with it you can upgrade later to something nicer or ride your bike outside.
Absolutely. Zwift keeps it quite interactive but I’ve heard good things about the Wahoo platform as well. Lots of structured training plans for beginners and more experienced riders alike.
It's both depending on context (including age, body type, level of fitness etc). If you build gradually towards running fast and for long distances, it's a stimulus. If you run significantly beyond your current ability, it does damage.
I think you missed my point. I wasn't comparing running to being sedentary. I was comparing running sensibly to running recklessly (as some beginners do).
This isn't exclusive to running either. It can happen with any physical activity.
Yep, after years of being a couch- and desk-potato, this got me out and running.
That, and having a young and energetic dog in the early stages of lock-down!
I've managed to stick to 5-10km every other day (though it's a challenge in the winter, admittedly), and did my first half marathon in 2:09 a couple of months ago.
Starting running has been one of the best things I've done for myself. It's one of the best ways to explore the world, and I've seen so many interesting things while running.
I started in my mid-20s with couch-to-5k. I'd never run more than a mile in my life. It took me a couple attempts to get through the program, but now I've been running pretty consistently for years. I've had a streak of running every day for over 18 months.
If you're worried about injuring yourself, my best advice would be to take it slow. Your cardiovascular fitness can improve a lot faster than your musculoskeletal system, and this leads to people feeling like they can do more than their bones and tendons can handle. And listen to your body. My worst injuries have been from ignoring a nagging pain and trying to power through it. I would have been better off taking it easy for a month or two, than being stubborn and ending up completely unable to run for months.
I've got 5 bits of advice for anyone starting out.
Firstly, just go. As the old trope says, the hardest bit is the distance between couch and front door. Don't even think about it, don't look at the weather, don't worry about that little voice in your head telling you how cold it is. Just get your kit on and go. Once you're outside you're on your way.
Secondly - give some focus to foot strike cadence: you'll see lots of "serious" runners talking about how 180 SPM (steps per minute) is the optimum, and it is - but even if you're just starting out, push your cadence up so it's above something that feels natural. Take smaller steps, take more of them. As I read somewhere: "make it feel like you're mincing along". Up hills, make the steps even smaller. Get a Garmin or similar - all good watches will give you a cadence display - if you can't, then just listen to a song before you go at a known BPM and keep it in your head as you run. Your running will feel easier, you'll be less likely to pull muscles, and you'll ultimately become a better and stronger runner because of it.
Thirdly - have a rhythm to your breathing too. There's lots written about this - my personal favourite is to breathe in for 2 steps, then breathe out for 3. When there's a hill, change this as needed, possibly 1 breath per step or even more if it's a steep one :-)
Fourth - stretching and warming up/down. You'll get a massive amount of conflicting advice on this. Some swear by a pre-run stretch, some post-run. Some don't stretch at all. Just listen to your body - this is good advice all round for running - so if you find that it suits you to start slow with no stretching / warm-up and to build your speed up, do that. If you're someone who finds this ends up with hurting / pulled muscles, try a mini warm-up first. Just listen to yourself, and not to anyone else.
Finally - as you get older (I'm 50), focus a bit more on strength and endurance rather than speed. Because I'm aerobically fit I could do a 7:30 minute mile if I pushed it, but I'd be full of muscle pain regret the next day. Just because I'm fit enough doesn't mean I should do it - instead I find it better to go a bit further, and force myself to keep the pace down a bit. Really it's the same advice as #4 - but it takes a bit of self control and learning to know what "too fast" is in any particular context.
Hey, is it bad to breathe through your mouth while running/jogging?
I had a badminton coach who advised us not to do it unless it was unavoidable. But I really struggled with it so was wondering if breathing through nose was fundamentally better for whatever reason.
Your nose is a bit better at humidifying the air before it hits your lungs, so breathing in through your nose makes your throat less likely to dry out.
But some people's noses just don't have the throughout to support running (mine are this way), so you can basically disregard the advice.
My dog wakes me up at 6am to go out potty. I get up, run him a 5k, and it takes about 30 minutes total. A walk would be 20 minutes so it’s not that much longer.
Being semi-active means my dog will conk out after his run and be well regulated the whole day. If he doesn’t get his run, he will become mischievous in order to entertain himself.
The morning run solves for several needs - including my health - and not doing the run has a built in consequence of dealing with a bored and mischievous dog for the day.
Having done Couch to 5K, I can say 9 weeks is too short. I understand that a longer, more realistic time frame would mean fewer people will attempt it, but such quick growth makes injuries more likely. Lungs and heart adopt faster than ligaments. I ended up hurting my knee, which set me back by a couple of months.
parkrun is another useful way to get up to running for 30 mins.
It's very inclusive of all abilities from walking up to club runners. Plus the weekly routine and encouragement of participating in a unfussy group activity.
The page has a link to the NHS couch to 5k app which is available for iPhone and Android. I used it and found it really helpful to have even a recorded voice pushing you on during the run. I went from no exercise at all to running 5k every other day.
Literally the people this is for are too overweight/overworked/overwhelmed to do enough physical activity to jog a couple of miles. We need all the help we can get!
I'm 42 and though always been into weight lifting, never ran for more than 30 seconds (usually to catch a train). I started on Couch to 5K on August last year, when I realised I was the one member in my team that didn't sign up for a 5K charity run in September!
Running for a whole minute on the first week was extremely challenging and physically painful in the heart. I genuinely worried thinking I was going to have a heart stroke. The second week was even harder, as I realised my first week run wasn't truth whole minute as my podcast app was set to listen to 1.3x speed, so I ran less!
Anyway, in 7 weeks I was able to do eight whole minutes and I could push myself to do more. I managed to finish the 5K charity run in 38 minutes, but due to covid wasn't able to run since.
I highly recommend this podcast and once the weather gets better I will be resuming these jogs!
Obviously if you have already checked that please disregard my comment, but running SHOULT NOT be "painful in the heart", as that is a symptom of your heart not getting enough oxygen (also called Angina). Please see a doctor before resuming your exercise (especially if you've got COVID in the meantime). It might be nothing, but it might save your life.
Thank you, indeed this was Angina, but I have kind of brushed it off and carried on running and it seems to have fixed itself, where the symptoms disappeared. I have few fellow runners who said they all had it, and it usually disappears after crossing a certain theshould in distance. Though you're right, when I read about it online all the warnings tell me not to ignore it.
> I managed to finish the 5K charity run in 38 minutes
Congratulations! That's a really impressive achievement.
If you've got a parkrun near you, it's worth going along. I just find it helps to have a regular Saturday morning run for when I start losing motivation. https://www.parkrun.org.uk/
I like some time to think about just whatever is on my mind and let my mind wander. I find it kind of relaxing.
For me, running is consuming enough that my brain can't really operate at 100%, and it's more like 75%. Sometimes this is wonderful because normally my mind tends to go overboard with stuff, but while running my mind doesn't have the appetite to make things heavy and involved.
Another thing is to just stop focusing so much on your inward thoughts and look all around you. Running is a great way to explore and observe an area because you can pick up way more detail than while driving but you can also cover more area than walking.
It also helps to avoid focusing on whether you're done. A watched pot never boils. Asking yourself "how much distance do I have left?" every 2 minutes is sure to make the run seem like it lasts forever.
Same for me, I try to make it meditative in a way. I don't use earbuds or anything, just try to continue existing and moving. Sometimes identify birds. Practice talking to myself in languages I'm studying.
In races it turns into body state monitoring and trying to determine when/if to adjust pace. Check in on form. On heart rate. Pick someone up ahead to try to catch. Count down to the next gel or electrolyte tab or water station.
I've done quite a few 2hr+ runs (half marathon to marathon) and 100 mile bike rides, and after a while for me it turns into a psychological game.
Trail running, if you haven't tried it, is much more "stimulating" I might say, depending on where you are there's a lot more focus and attention required to stay on the trail, to stay upright (slipping on mud, ending up in a river), to dodge trees and rocks as required, etc. I personally find there's much more of an aspect of being "in the zone" for trail running, and especially in races, when I miss a turn and have to stop and backtrack, it becomes really obvious that I was in some kind of "flow" state and then got pulled out of it.
I started with couch to 5K last January and after making it through the program I decided to stick with a three day cycle of running, rowing, and strength training. An Apple Watch turned out to be a great investment for me. I was able to track my runs and workouts and by downloading a couple of spotify playlists and some podcasts to listen to while running I was able to leave my phone behind when running. Some people can zone out or amuse themselves while running but I tend to need a distraction and so a decent set of wireless headphones and a phone or smartwatch are now as much of a requirement for me as a pair of running shoes.
Likewise, I actually love that feeling when you’re running and after a certain point of exertion your mind goes blank - I find it so rare to have a blank mind in day to day life. Similar feeling to when you’re skiing/snowboarding and really in the zone, though not as intense.
I do sometimes find I come up with good ideas for work/whatever when running, so it can be a good way to ponder things like that and I’ll sometimes record a short voice memo on my Apple Watch otherwise I forget what I thought of. But after 20 minutes or so I find my mind kind of defaults to blank and I like that!
The easiest option is to just speed up if you are getting bored. Exertion will clear your mind and focus it on the task at hand. There will simply be no space left in your head for feelings of boredom!
From close experience of watching friends I'd say this is unreasonably
effective and well designed fitness programme. I've seen two people
who really struggle to exercise massively benefit from c25k.
It's all in the psychology and Josh Clark is on to some good ideas wrt
motivation. I listened to a bit of the audio, of the "personal trainer
Laura" - an excellent voice artist for the role fit (I worked in radio
and know what I'm talking about). Plus there's been a few celeb
motivators doing the narration including Jo Whiley who is pleasant to
listen to and not overly jarring. Personally I'd probably prefer Lee
Ermey.
I have a question that this is probably not the best forum for:
I don't run, but know plenty of people who do. Everyone is running what I would call marathon-style, by which I mean their goals are measured in how far they can reliably run/ how fast they can do a relatively long distance, 5K being the lower bound.
To me, running shorter distances very fast seems just cooler and more exciting, say 500 meters. 100 meters seems a bit much as it's over very fast.
Why isn't this kind of running nearly as popular? And how would one get into that, rather than long distance running?
Before I started running myself I remember looking at Marathon runners and thinking "Oh they are going so slow, it's just a matter of enduring it". And then I started running myself and realized that the professional Marathon runners are basically running at a pace that feels like sprinting to me.
And that's why I don't try 1500 or 3000m distances. They are just really, really fast and unbelievably painful. A few times a year I might do a 3K as fast as I can, and I dread it. Maintaining a near sprint pace for 10-12 minutes is just crazy hard.
Also, almost every time I get some kind of injury it's because I'm doing a high intensity (fast) run.
Short distances are likely anaerobic, so a different kind of exercise from longer periods of exercise.
Anaerobic is evolved (as far as I know) as the "panic stations" exercise when it is 110% percent do-or-die situation and your body starts using inefficient no-oxygen metabolism because you need the extra energy to escape the chasing bear or whatever. It causes lots of lactic acid build up that hurts afterwards, and doing it a lot supposedly causes muscle issues unless you spend a lot of time warming down afterwards to help break it down.
Sprints are a fairly popular competitive event. It's part of track and field.
100/200/400 meters are all common sprint disciplines. 800 is sort of a sprint discipline. These competition distances are too short to provide much training benefit and you can't train at race effort 100% of the time. Competitive sprinters do a lot of volume (i.e., miles) at slower paces in addition to a lot of weight training.
> These competition distances are too short to provide much training benefit
?
"A typical Zátopek workout was 5×200, 20×400, 5×200 with 200m jogs in between. Over the years Zátopek increased his training load to include more and more repetitions getting up to 20×200, 40×400, 20×200 with 200 jogs for a workout."
5km is considered a short distance run. Within a few weeks, it's something that should be achievable in sub-20/25 minutes.
In the UK, there's a volunteer led organisation called parkrun which hosts 5km runs/races in over 1000 parks around the country every Saturday. It's quite popular. My local race consistently get 300+ entrants each week. Worth checking out: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/
5km, 10km, half marathon and marathon are the main running distances. Less than 5km is generally stuff run on athletics tracks, which falls under athletics.
> Within a few weeks, it's something that should be achievable in sub-20/25 minutes.
I wish it was that easy.
I trained hard for a year and barely made it under 24.
I guess it depends on age and if you are carrying around a bit of extra weight.
5K is a wonderful distance though. You can walk it in an hour, walk / jog it in 40, jog it in 30 .. then a whole world of gradual improvements and mind games open up to get you from there to 20 mins.
I've been running for years and my parkrun PB is just over 25 minutes, but I am also very overweight. I think, after a few weeks of Couch to 5K, getting anything under 35 minutes would be a big achievement.
One of my biggest regrets in life is not discovering how pleasant running can be until I was almost thirty. The first couple of months sucked as I was training my cardiovascular system for pretty much the first time ever. Eventually I got to the point I looked forward to twice weekly 5Ks.
The payoff has been totally worth it. Nowadays every yearly physical the doctor tells me "you're healthy as a horse." Contrast that with my physical a year earlier that suggested I was tipping into prediabetic territory.
Did plenty of strength training throughout my twenties and some vigorous high school sports, but embarrassingly had not run a mile since elementary school PE class.
My advice to younger folks: don't skip cardio. Heavy lifting alone won't really get you where you want to be unless you do 5+ days a week and are otherwise active. Get rid of the bro split and commit to at least 2 days of cardio each week instead.
Tried this some 8 or so years ago and it worked. I ran for a few years after until I started to feel like my knees were not happy — flipped then to barefoot running and that got me another few years before, again, the knees noped out.
I walk daily still, so the change of lifestyle — that is, adding time each day for exercise — was the most lasting thing to come of it.
I came to enjoy they exercise break from my daily routine. As others will profess, you get distraction-less time with your own thoughts and it feels like some kind of a lubricant for your mind.
I did this 2 years ago, it probably changed my life. I still don’t consider myself a runner but can now run a 5k in about 30 minutes on any given day. If you’re considering it go for it!
I actually took that program and was running 5k. Once I even got to 10k relatively easy. But I never get the kicks from running except those numbers achieved. The only pleasure from running for me is when I stop running and go to shower to wash all the sweat. But I can go to shower without running and that would be same pleasure without prior suffering. How do you motivate yourself to run?
See how you do and see how you feel about trying to-do a specific time. Figure out what kind-of training you need to-do that specific time in some future race, and work towards that.
— Try doing different kinds of running:
This video gives a quick 4x4 minute interval training summary
I started on this, after not running for at least 3 years, and gaining 50 lbs. I could skip right to week 4 - so your milage may vary. If you want to get in shape, throw in strength training and most importantly, a good diet.
But cardio is important. I had high blood pressure, got winded after walking up stairs, etc. more or less fixed that after 3 months with cardio.
I am approaching 40 this year and i'm interested in this, i've been looking at treadmills to get started as it seems it might make it easier for me to get into the running habit, but I haven't found one yet at a decent price that is also ultra compact/folds away, space is an issue for me.
Go outside and try running from one lamppost to the next, then walk. That's a good start, then you can build up to running past several lampposts in one go. Then keep going for five minutes.
Did this to prepare my gf for a noncompetitive run. If ytou stick to the plan it's easy even when starting from zero, and the program brings you to really running a 5K. Highly recommended.
Yeah, I have not used the program myself, I was an idiot when I started running, but I have only heard positive things about it. And the design of it looks pretty clever, it starts out very casually but it still ramps up quickly enough to give a sense of progress.
There’s a thing called runtogether in the uk, which I’ve been thinking of joining, but I’d have to drive there and back, and last time I tried it I could barely walk!
If you’re in the UK athletics clubs are fantastic and well worth joining.
Mine has training sessions twice a week with groups at different ability levels and you can join the more competitive track and cross country seasons if you feel up for it.
I ran in the National CX relays this year which was loads of fun and meant I got to run alongside olympic calibre athletes.
For improving cardio? For sure. It is a very time efficient way of increasing your cardio. For improving back health? Not really, studies indicate that walking and running give about the same benefits. Obviously if you are unfit enough you need to walk before you run or you will just have a miserable time.
Go to a specialty running store and they will help you find the shoes to help with any biomechanical issues you have (flat feet, over pronation)... plantar fasciitis is usually caused by biomechanical issues.
I hope members of this community can recognize that fitness is not this binary.
I will acknowledge my bias here-- my partner recently represented our country in the Olympics as a track athlete, and I believe I have achieved intermediate results in both running (sub-35 minute 10k) and lifting (the 1000 lbs club) which hopefully affords me some perspective from both sides of the track. We scrolled through this article this morning together and had a good laugh.
This entire article reads as an ode to muscle mass, which is not everyone's goal. Regardless, here were some zingers that stood out:
"Quite literally, the more you run, the better you are at running and the worse you are at being strong." -- I mean... And? With a more developed aerobic system, you recover faster between bursts of intense effort. You can play with your kids longer, run with your dog more, hike further... I could go on.
"Excessive amounts of endurance activity can, and almost always does produce adverse physical effects. Look at competitive marathon runners: the people who win the big races are skinny, just like the typical 80-year-old."
Outrageous. Again, Mark Rippetoe has demonstrated some misplaced association between muscle size and health. I guess you can wave your hand at an elite runner and make an asinine comment like, "Thank goodness I don't look like that!", but keep in mind that running below 3:00 min/km (4:48 min/mi) for 42.2 kilometres requires extraordinary fitness, and the contrast to "the typical 80 year old" is as silly as it is rude.
I digress. Running is magical-- put a pause on it if you're prioritizing muscle mass, but to write it off entirely is a mistake.
That article makes a good argument, but I feel like it misses the potentially more significant issue that running is an actively bad choice of exercise for a lot of people even if they want to focus on cardio. It's harder on the body than a lot of other cardio exercises, particularly for the target audience of things like "couch to 5k".
It's definitely better for you than sitting on the couch, but only if you stick with it. And trying to get couch potatoes into running seems like a good way to ensure they don't stick with exercise. Anecdotally, I know a couple of people who did couch to 5k and ended up actually doing a 5k. They looked like they were going to die at the end of the race and basically stopped exercising after. Running has the advantage of needing minimal equipment and being something you can do everywhere, and I know it works for a lot of people. But as an exercise for people who would otherwise just sit on the couch, I'm not sure it's a good choice.
Running has the advantage of cost and simplicity. A pair of running shoes and a very simple free programme like couch to 5k and you're set.
The only exercise I can think of with a lower barrier to entry is walking. Every able-bodied person knows how to run, even if they can't go very fast or far.
Strength training has a higher barrier to entry - weight training requires a gym membership or your own weight room, and you have to learn to perform specific movements correctly and safely, which requires research or paying a personal trainer. Bodyweight strength training also requires learning many not necessarily intuitive movements. Other forms of cardio also usually require an investment in expensive equipment (eg. cycling) or a membership (eg. swimming).
Running isn't recommended to sedentary people because it's an optimal exercise - it's suggested because anyone can pick it up with minimal cost and learning. And it's more time-efficient than walking.
That's a fair point...running does have a fairly low barrier to entry, which is definitely an advantage in picking it up as an exercise. I'd still lean towards walking as a better choice for sedentary people though, at least as a "get off the couch" goal. It takes longer, but the lower potential for injury and less strenuous nature of the activity might make it a better exercise habit for some folks.
I agree, but it all depends on how you define "get off the couch". Some people walk moderate amounts already and for those starting running makes a lot of sense, while others move so little in their life that walking is the best first step. It is also perfectly fine if walking is the only step, but at least in my case I felt huge health benefits from going from walking moderate amounts to running (I still walk, but a bit less).
I tended to treat jogging as synonymous with getting fit and thought of everything else as specialization you could do once you were fit if you had some other goal. When I didn't see the progress I wanted from jogging, my take was "well, next year I guess I just need to actually get serious about my running and my eating."
When this "common sense" approach wasn't working after N years I decided to try something different. A year doing 3x weekly mix of circuit training and HIIT classes with zero other exercise and no particular diet plan was drastically more effective than jogging. When I reincorporated running about nine months in, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had improved my all-time best mile from college by 30 seconds, basically for free. I am positive that if I'd spent those nine months jogging, it would not have made me better at burpees or pull-ups, but the reverse seems to have been true. In the four years since then, I've also found it much easier to maintain my weight, feel improved well-being, etc.
Running is better than not running, but it's not the end all, be all, and it might not even be what you need so if you aren't seeing progress from running, don't get discouraged or decide you just need MORE running.
This kind of comment sounds helpful at first; but, the people who are going to get the most out of the couch->5k system are more likely to be put off of all exercise all together if they're confused by saying "this is better instead, do this".
I was once a runner and I loved it!! The problem is I always had pain in my legs, joints, knees etc
cycling, hiking, strength training.
There are better forms of exercise, still, running is better than sitting on the couch and getting started with some sort of exercise is a great idea for your health.
As I understand it, running does not cause bad knees and can even help by building up muscles.
However, if you have bad joints to start with, running can be hard or impossible. In which case, pick another exercise. There are lots.
My favorite thing about running is that it requires little equipment and can be done any time at all. (My second favorite thing is that it's easy to listen to podcasts or music.)
Check with a doctor if you have any pain. There may be something they can do to enable that very convenient form of exercise. And listen to your body. If it hurts, especially in a new way, stop.
That is way too strong assertion. Not all couch potatoes have that bad posture, especially those who used to exercise in the past and stopped and bad posture does not necessarily mean bad joints. Very few of my friends who are around 40 have bad joints, including the couch potatoes. The bad joints will probably catch up with them in time but e.g. my dad was a couch potato from 45 to 67 without any issue. It was only during covid where he want from barely moving to sitting in front of his computer all the time his joints start to hurt. And, yes, his posture has always been terrible.
Agreed same. My knee is too screwed up for running anymore. I stick with cycling, swimming, hiking and the "7 minute workout" morning and evening to keep to something regular.
Exactly, but it's hard to combine them. Ideally, you want to have at least 3 running and 3 weightlifting sessions per week to keep improving. For an average person, it's too much.
Depends on your goals. My goals is to be active most days doing outdoor activities I like. Running and lifting and mobility exercises make it more comfortable to do the things I like.
That being said, I think sometimes people have this idea that maybe if they run enough one day running won't be hard (or whatever physical activity). But actually, it will always be hard. You will always breathe hard. You will always sweat. You will always be out of breath at some point if you push yourself. You will always have some maximum weight you can lift. But that's the point. Doing the hard thing is the point. That's what you have to realize it the fun interesting part. Otherwise exercise always feels like work.
Nope, that is just a matter of personal preference. Once you have ran enough you reach a level where you can just slow down a bit and running will be easy. I like the hard runs but I also like the easy relaxed runs. I recently did a casual very long run, 70 km, and the group of us ran at a relaxed pace, talked shit, stopped to eat several times and just chilled. I only started to get tired at around 62 km. It is like a hike but a bit faster (9 km/h while running) and running motion instead of walking.
Obviously if you do not want to plateau in your training you have to run hard some of the time, but not every run has to be hard.
I mean, at some point running does get easy. That’s assuming you do your easy runs at an actual easy pace though.
You’ll also find your easy pace gets faster and faster.
The hard thing is not really the point with most running and entirely misses the point. You run easy most of the time so that you can run hard when it’s necessary.
Jokes aside, running is great, but people with tens of kilos overweight should probably start with something much less destructive to joints than run. You can gain muscles much faster than connective tissues like tendons and ligaments manage to build/strengthen. Ie start with swimming or elliptic trainer
I generally agree with the advice, but anyone in good health should be able to run a 5k. It's literally 20ish minutes of exercise. Beyond that is when the negative effects of running start to come into play.
20ish minutes? Nope, it is 25-35 minutes for most people. When I could run a 20:30 5k I was in pretty good shape and that was an all out effort which left my legs tired for days. Running a 21-22 minute 5k is a great time for an amateur and nothing anyone not fit could just run, much less so during normal training.
If your concern is looking healthy and athletic, you need a decent amount of muscle mass and a low percentage of body fat. Running helps with none of that.
Doing hill strides will build some serious legs and running every day (while maintaining an appropriate diet) will be more than enough to reduce your body fat.
Reducing body fat requires careful dieting and exercise. First, you need to be in a caloric deficit, which involves eating less calories than usual. Second, when you're in a caloric deficit, you'll lose both fat and muscle. Lifting weights becomes absolutely crucial, otherwise you will lose a lot of muscle.
Hill strides don't build strong legs. I did a lot of cycling in my youth, and I thought I had strong legs—since they seemed slightly larger than average—but I didn't. When I had to do something that required actual strength, such as kicking a ball, it turned out I was rubbish.
Or pop some HMB or any other method of maintaining muscle mass while in a calorie deficit. It’s not rocket science and lifting weights is not the only method or even the thing that you might strictly want to do to achieve whatever your goals may be.
Since when is kicking a ball a measure of leg strength? How are you even measuring something that’s so relative to the desired goal?
Maybe I'm missing something... I was specifically addressing your remark that running is an adequate form of exercise to get leaner and stronger. So those are the goals.
