Embarking on the fitness path can be a long road filled with struggles and hurdles, especially if you are an overweight person. Overweight people are less likely to stick with most training programs due to their inability to keep up during the early stages of the training. However following the right training strategies can help any overweight person to start and keep exercising without increasing the risk of injury of losing the enthusiasm for the training.
Running may not be the best option for obese people who want to get into a better shape without risking injury, since its high impact nature repel most beginner exercisers. Nevertheless, by applying some of the running strategies I am going to share with you, you can make running pain a thing of the past and start enjoying good stamina without forcing yourself into submission.
As a result, if you are an obese person who wants to start a running program, then here are few guidelines that can help tremendously:
Make the Decision
Most overweight people don’t run just because they believe they can’t and shouldn’t . Still, if you want to run, you need to make the decision now, not later. It is in the moments of decisions that our destiny is shaped and today you are the sum totall of all the decisions you made in your whole life, now it’s time to take some responsibility for your past actions and make the right choice.
As a result, you need to make the mental and physical decision to run. The best way you can do this is by setting S.M.A.R.T. running goals. Your goals should be specific, measurable, action oriented, realistic and set within a timeframe; hence the acronym. Grab a piece of paper and jog down what’s on your mind and heart.
Take it Slowly
The magical key to a successful endeavor is fast implementation. Setting goals without taking action is a mere waste of time and energy, hence you need to get your feet wet and start the physical exercise. But wait, don’t just jump in! You need to follow the right training strategy.
If you are totally out of shape, then your body won’t be able to withstand the activity of running. Therefore, you may need first to start with some walking sessions. The best training options for beginner runners is to apply the walk-run-walk method.
In this simple training method, you run straight for one minute, then take it down a notch and walk for the next minute and so on. And as you get more comfortable, you can make the running intervals longer and shorten up the walking segments, until you can run straight for 30 minutes without grasping for a breath on each step.
You should also keep a comfortable and easy pace. One way you could make sure of that is do the conversational test whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed. If you can’t keep a conversation while running without much huffing and puffing , then you may be doing too much and need to slow down a bit.
Consistency is Key
Going for a run every now and then is not enough, in fact it will only add to the frustration and anger you may have started with in the first place. Consequently, achieving consistency with your running program is a major part of your running program success.
You could achieve consistency by first keeping your motivation for the training in check. Most beginner runners stop training due to early injury and discomfort, but if you take is slowly on yourself and follow the walk-run-method, you won’t have to wind up like that.
