Fitness-Learning To Jog

What I have heard is that you should jog/run until you are breathing hard, and than walk long enough to get your breathing under control, but not so long your heart rate drops.

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I have several friends doing the couch to 5K and they love it!

I had to learn to walk briskly first - and do it comfortably for long distances. The reason I started jogging at all was because I got bored with walking! Finally I decided to jog for short distances - to the next mailbox, to the next street light, etc. When I got myself a stopwatch, I tried jogging for thirty-second intervals, more or less, every five minutes. If you read up on it, you'll see that that is not very strenuous as programs go! (It's strenuous enough for me.)

If you need to work on form, there are web sites that may be able to help you (I can't think of one off the top of my head, but if you google "jogging" you should find something). I think learning the proper form (what to do with all of your body) helps tremendously.

I had a good walk/jog system worked out until I broke a bone in the spring, and now I'm still working on getting my stamina back from my three-month layoff!

If you want to do the run/walk briskly routine...wear a digital watch and change your pace every 5 mins: fast walk for 5 mins then run for 5 mins then fast walk for 5mins. Keep that cycle up for 30 mins plus. You might need to start out at 20 mins.
Start your jog w/a fast walk for about 15 mins to warm up your muscles.
Once your heart rate has been in the higher, fat burning pace for 15-20 mins that is when you usually start to burn fat.
The easiest thing you could do is stop into a gym and ask a trainer for his expertise w/a quick 2 min conversation. However, beware.....they will try to sign you up and don't want to waste their time. ;)

The Couch to 5K program is great. I know several moms have mentioned it. I would just like to add that you can download a lot of various music compilations that people have set up specifically for the Couch to 5K program. Everything from Christian to Pop. I like the ones where the people aren't talking all the time and I get to enjoy the music. Just Google and you will find them.

C25k (couch to 5k). I started using it in January of this year. I am 51 years old and have NEVER run in my life and always said I NEVER would. This program for Iphone, allows you to also play your music while you walk/run. It will tell you to "warm up", walk, run, cool down and then it will tell you when you have reached the 1/2 way point so you can jog any direction and just turn around when it tells you too. It is a 9 week program that you do 3 days a week. I did it daily, so I finished it quicker, but now I can easily run a 5k. I am not real fast (about 12 min miles) but I still finish faster than a lot, but speed is not an issue. Check out their web site too. Good luck and have fun!

Couch to 5k works awesome. Start by walking daily or every other day for a couple of weeks until you are in the mode of exercising. Then start the program. You will be absolutely amazed at how well you do, how excited you are to do it and how good you feel. :)

I have been trying the couch to 5k which is what you seem to be talking about. It was too difficult to watch the clock while running, so I have modified it to the technique Jen C mentioned below. I am a work in progress, but I have definitely improved more quickly than I imagined.

My husband has a heart monitor that tells you when to run and when to walk. I don't think it's based on time, but rather keeping your heart rate in the target zone. That might help instead of having to watch a clock.

I know several of my friends who have used the C25K (couch to 5K) and have been successful with it!!

Good Luck!!

I haven't read the responses, but after I read your question I had to simply tell you 'Just start.' I say that since with all the technology we have today we can get caught up in that and not moving forward. Start slow and go around your block or if not down the street. Might seem short, but it will get you to put your shoes on (Buy running shoes and not cross trainers. No need to spend $75+ since there are good shoes for less.) and get you out the door. That's hard enough for so many. Everyone is different so find the time in your day you can go every day. Make it your 'Mommy time'. You deserve it.
Happy running !

How about walk during one song, jog during the next? Then work up to jog/sprint or walk/sprint.
Form get a book called "Chi Running."

I used to count telephone poles--run/jog between two or three, then walk between two or three. You can also plan your route with markers for yourself with www.mapmyrun.com and get your actual mileage. For example, you could see one block is a quarter mile, plan to jog it, then walk the next segment, etc. At home I workout to songs a lot, as Marci suggested--like cardio for one song and then strength for another. If you have something you can listen to while jogging you could do that to, just plan the song order with how much time you want to spend walking and jogging at a time.

You've gotten some great suggestions. I've been a "runner" since high school even though I was never on the track team. I did a half marathon in June and hope to do the Dallas Half in November. FYI, I'm 43. I just wanted to tell you some things to keep in mind.

First, since you're starting out, don't push yourself too hard. Power walking is terrific conditioning and really works your rump! Most people run too fast when their objective is time, distance, and conditioning. Many years ago, I met a woman who had lost 300 pounds; yes, 300 pounds!!! She could run from here to China, and always chided me about running too fast. She said to run slowly enough to keep a conversation or sing a song. Think of the military. They usually sing some sort of song as they jog. Your goal is to condition your body, not to beat it up. Find your target heart rate and keep it there for 30 minutes. Get an Iron Man watch or heart rate monitor, some good tunes on an I-pod, and keep it simple enough to ENJOY. If you're not enjoying yourself, you won't keep doing it. If that happens, find another sport you enjoy. I run because I love it, and I just happen to get the benefit of fitness.

Oh, yeah, take water with you, even if you think you don't need it, a Kleenex since it's getting cool outside, and gum sometimes helps you keep from feeling like you need to spit like a MAN (haha! Or, who cares? Just spit for crying out loud, but aim behind you - when you're alone. haha! I should stop now) Good luck!

Www.c25k.com
download the podcast that tells you when to walk and run. I'm doing this and love it!

Prevention has some podcasts on iTunes that are good. It's music that speeds up and slows down, and a lady comes in every so often to talk you through it. I used these when I was walking 5Ks last year.