A common misconception most people have is in order to lose weight, you should run. Yes, running is one of the most effective form of exercise for cardiovascular health and to burn calories. It also has plenty of physiological benefits such as muscle tone, improvement on your VO2max and many more too. However, it is also one of the most injury prone exercises if not done properly, or excessively.
Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against running. In fact, I’ve completed half marathons, half Ironman races and many running events. I however do not encourage my clients who are overweight to lose weight by running. If my client’s goal is to run, I will make sure that they lose the excess weight first, followed by mastering a good running gait and strengthening the necessary muscle group. Here’s why.
For every pound you carry, your hip and knee takes on up to 5 times of loaded stress. So if you’re 10 pounds overweight, your knee feels like 50lbs on your frame. These small amounts of extra weight are amplified across your knees, hips and ankles, causing accelerated damage across your lower proximity joints and connective tissues. Running is a high impact sport. So if you start running with the excess load, your hips, knees and ankles are actually taking in more stress, every stride you take. This is the reason why most physical trainers and orthopedic doctors don’t recommend running excessively.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO INSTEAD
Before I compete in any running events, I always make sure that my body is ready for the distance I signed up for by building mileage gradually and strengthening the necessary muscle group, months before the race. I also try to be at my optimum weight so that I can perform my best without injuring myself.
If you really want to take up running, lose the excess weight first. There are many other exercises that are safer than running and as effective such as elliptical, cycling, slow jog on a treadmill, walking and swimming. Mix it up with some strength training and eat portioned, healthy diet according to your body’s requirements. You may lose drastic weight in a short period by running a lot but you WILL get injured down the road. And if you do, you may become temporarily immobile and risk putting on the extra pounds again. A safer and effective approach ensures that you’re constantly active for the long run – pain free.
