A friend of mine gained some weight recently. So, in an effort to become more active, she joined me on one of my afternoon walks. About a quarter mile into the walk, she decides it’s time to run. Apparently, walking was not serious enough to burn the fat she needed to burn. She did great, running for about a mile and a half. I watched her battle her way through with a great deal of respect for the girl. At the same time however, I also knew that the poor girl was in for a serious dent in her week.
When you are out of shape, running for extended periods of time really is more pain than gain initially. The muscle soreness resulting from the first 20 minute jog after a long hiatus can cause some serious discomfort. If you haven’t moved your muscles in a while, they are inefficient at operating at the capacity required to finish difficult tasks such as running or lifting heavy weights. Regular use of your bodies cardiovascular or musculoskeletal system causes the body to adapt to an increased demand for strength, coordination, and oxygen intake. Stresses on bone and muscle cause micro-tears on their respective structures, which the body then repairs and strengthens. The repair job is directed in a manner to leave to the body ready and able to handle the task again. The discomfort that my motivated friend felt for the next is associated with her muscles rebuilding from the strain of the workout and getting ready in case she decided to do that to again.
It’s never fun to be in pain for a week. It kills motivation more than anything. If you are looking to feel healthier and lighter, the smartest way is to work yourself into it. For the first week, try running for just a quarter mile. Try a half mile the second week, granted that you are not too sore form the quarter mile runs. The next week try a mile. This way the body slowly readies itself for the stress and adapts in a less painful, more efficient fashion. Also, remember that when I say “week”, I mean at least 2 times within a seven day period. By all means try more, but don’t overdo it. We repair and strengthen while we rest, so limit runs to no more than 4 or 5 times a week at most.
When you are out of shape, running for extended periods of time really is more pain than gain initially. The muscle soreness resulting from the first 20 minute jog after a long hiatus can cause some serious discomfort. If you haven’t moved your muscles in a while, they are inefficient at operating at the capacity required to finish difficult tasks such as running or lifting heavy weights. Regular use of your bodies cardiovascular or musculoskeletal system causes the body to adapt to an increased demand for strength, coordination, and oxygen intake. Stresses on bone and muscle cause micro-tears on their respective structures, which the body then repairs and strengthens. The repair job is directed in a manner to leave to the body ready and able to handle the task again. The discomfort that my motivated friend felt for the next is associated with her muscles rebuilding from the strain of the workout and getting ready in case she decided to do that to again.
It’s never fun to be in pain for a week. It kills motivation more than anything. If you are looking to feel healthier and lighter, the smartest way is to work yourself into it. For the first week, try running for just a quarter mile. Try a half mile the second week, granted that you are not too sore form the quarter mile runs. The next week try a mile. This way the body slowly readies itself for the stress and adapts in a less painful, more efficient fashion. Also, remember that when I say “week”, I mean at least 2 times within a seven day period. By all means try more, but don’t overdo it. We repair and strengthen while we rest, so limit runs to no more than 4 or 5 times a week at most.
