New Runner
Question:
I am 5′ 4″ and weigh 12ish stones. I want to start to do some running maybe train up to a half marathon. Do u think I am too heavy to do this and will it damage my joints by doing so. I am quite happy with my body shape as it is.
Amanda
Answer:
Dear Amanda,
I would suggest that you start with a walking programme for a few weeks as an introduction to running. This will enable you to ascertain your baseline fitness level and train sufficiently hard to improve your cardiovascular and promote weight loss. Once you are comfortable with this you can then progress to a walk/run programme i.e. walking for a set time interspersed with short periods of running. From here you can gradually increase the running time until you feel ready to run continuously.
Too much of any high impact exercise can be detrimental to our weight-bearing joints so you may find it helpful to do some lower impact training like cycling or swimming.
Kind regards
Angela Benjamin MSc MCSP
Chartered Physiotherapist
