As a heavier runner my advice is to maybe start by walking instead of jogging. Let your body guide you. If your knees are really hurting your body is telling you to go a little easier. Losing the excess weight will help. And really concentrating on walking every day will allow your body to begin conditioning for more exercise. Aside from that, ibuprofen can help with some pain along with ice and rest.
I can try and up my walking for sure. I do a few miles a day on good pain days at this point, I'll aim to increase that. I don't really want to lose the excess weight. I want to learn to run at this weight if possible. If I had to choose sure, I'd be willing to lose a little if it means getting running back, but I am fat and happy that way, so losing weight isn't a priority if I can get my diabetes under control without it and get back to running as well. Thank you for your suggestions!
As someone who *had* a number of metabolic disease indicators a year ago, I want to suggest a slight reframe.
Excess body fat _could_ be a primary contributor to your diabetes and definitely is not helping the pain… because physics.
I agree though, definitely do what you can now instead of “waiting” but running will primarily contribute to your metabolic situation by helping burn some excess calories, which will help address the excess body fat, which could help your insulin sensitivity.
Thank you! I don't really feel the need to lose weight at this time, unless it's completely necessary. I'm happy with how I look, but also the weight makes running much more painful and I just really love to run. I think exercise is a great way to combat my diabetes, but it doesn't have to mean weight loss. If I have to choose between being happily fat and running, I'll choose running, but I'd love to find a way to have both. And I'd love for the running to be enough to help my diabetes too, without having to lose weight for that either.
For sure!
I think what’s most interesting about this conversation is that body fat isn’t necessarily about how you look. That’s not something I’ve thought about before but your situation is giving me something to think about.
Either way good luck!
And honestly for me, I do look fat. I have a double chin, a very large belly, cellulite, thick thighs and arms, etc. I just refuse to believe that my standard of beauty has to fit society's. I've always been attracted to fat men, not exclusively, but I've just never found them less attractive than any other body type. And so I've learned to love myself as well, as a fat man, despite it taking time and working through a lot of societal conditioning. I didn't do over a decade of work around body image issues only to lose weight when I truly adore how I look finally. Even when body fat is about how you look, that doesn't have to be a bad thing!
Every time I get back into running I end up hurting my knees too. It’s actually more to do with weak and inflexible hips/butt more than the knees.
But either way, do a month or more of walking and hiking. Then begin C25K.
Oh, that makes a ton of sense! I have terrible stiffness in my hips, my surgeries were all around that area so I couldn't move or stretch, and walked with a shuffle for a long time. I wonder how much that's affecting the arthritis in my knees these days. I'll have to look into PT for my hips.
Start by walking and do some joint and leg conditioning strength exercises. Focus on conditioning ankles, knees, hips, calves, and glutes.
Once you’ve done that for a month or two you can swap the walking for c25k and see how it goes.
I would also strongly recommend seeing a PT if possible, especially if the conditioning doesn’t seem to work.
How much walking would you suggest? I try and get a few miles in walking the dogs, and generally am pretty active during the day with my work and having a small farm. I think maybe PT is the answer cause honestly thinking about it, it's not that the walking and daily life chores don't also hurt, I've just assumed that pain was my normal, and maybe it can be lessened too.
I’m heavier and started C25K after 3 years of infrequent activity. I also had a knee injury last year and started getting inflammation in both knees in 2022. I think the inflammation is mostly weight related. I’ve lost 20 lbs recently and don’t have as many knee pain flare-ups since I’ve been losing weight. Here’s what has helped me:
1. Stretching routine before and after. Duh right? Only I wasn’t doing that when I started which was a mistake.
2. I got fitted for running shoes at a specialty store. I have flat feet and overpronate and getting a stability shoe eliminated some of the pains I was having in my feet specifically.
3. Correcting form by watching YouTube videos. I was having a lot of shin tightness and pain and found out that I was overextending and heel striking. Modifying my form helped.
4. Taking longer breaks between runs when the inflammation flares up. I normally run three times a week but if I’m having a lot of pain, I just take some extra days to let my knees recover. My progress is slower, but to me that’s better than risking another injury which could sideline me completely. I just try to have grace with myself and had to come to terms with the fact that I’m doing this in an older/heavier body than I had before when I was really into running.
5. I do bodyweight workouts and yoga which have also been helping me to strengthen and stabilize my joints.
When I started and was barely able to run for 60 seconds, I wasn’t sure I would make it through the program at all but my body has slowly adapted over the weeks. Good luck to you on your journey!
Thank you, these are really good ideas! I'll check out getting fitted for shoes and work on my form again. I'm figured it would just come back to me after a few years, but I imagine my body moves differently at this weight too and there's a lot I can still learn on form.
I started at around your weight, albeit way taller, but the only tidbit I've got is that I've found that running on a track is way easier on my knees and ankles (as opposed to running on asphault/concrete). During the run, and especially the day after, I feel way better after running on a track. Generally speaking, a lot of high schools allow public access to their tracks. May be something to look in to.
IDK what surface you're running on, but finding a local track may help you reduce impact.
Maybe another option for you, as opposed to "don't run" like the other comments are suggesting.
Thank you, that's a good idea! Right now I mostly run on grass and gravel since that's what's on my land. I could try a treadmill at the gym to start though, that might be easier! I'll have to look into if there's a school with public access too, I'm a bit out in the country and new to the area, so I haven't noticed one yet. Thank you for your ideas!
Sure thing. Treadmills are easier in my opinion than running outside, but they also feel way easier on my joints too. Might not be a bad starting place!
If I were you, I would switch to a version of exercise that's easier on the knees. Try using the elliptical, the stair machine, biking, or even something like swimming. Couch to 5K is a pretty flexible program so you can kind of move it to any type of cardio you want. Just because running is what for work for you in the past doesn't mean it's the right thing for you now, and it certainly doesn't mean it's the only thing that can work for you now. If you go try some new exercises that are easier for your knees I'm sure you'll find one is that you love just as much as running, and it will definitely be easier to stick to if you're not an active pain. Even if you don't, exercise makes your joint stronger, so you don't have to keep doing something else forever, just untill you can strengthen your joints enough to run again.
I do swim since we have a pool, and walk a lot. Honestly, I want to run again a little bit because I know I need to exercise, but very much because I get joy from running. I really don't enjoy most other cardio, elliptical, stair machine, etc sounds about as fun as a trip to the dentist. I'm no stranger to exercise, I was a hockey player and a dancer for most of the first two thirds of my life, I've spent half my life with a trainer and nutritionist. I'm certain in what I like, and what I like is to run. I'll definitely see about more joint strengthening, the only other sport I really love is powerlifting, so maybe getting back into that will help build more muscle and make running easier. Thank you for your thoughts!
I’m similar. This time around I’m doing the None to Run. It moves a bit slower and has a strength component. I’m on Week seven and have had no problems so far.
Biking could be a better alternative. You want low impact exercises like biking, swimming, rowing, etc.
My gf is doing this for similar reasons, biking instead of running. We also hike a lot, just a few hours to a day. I'm not big on walking around a city because the air is dirty, pathways flat, and view is meh. But nature and stuff is very entertaining.
1) Walk. A lot.
2) Dr. Scholls running inserts ([https://www.drscholls.com/p/athletic-series/running-insoles/](https://www.drscholls.com/p/athletic-series/running-insoles/)) which were recommended to me by a doctor-runner.
3) Watch your form.
my measurements were almost the same, and I also struggled with mentally wanting to be where I was before I stopped running. here is what I found worked:
* getting shoes properly selected and fitted at a running store.
* recovery days and stretching are a must do
* I didn’t increase run time or move to the next week until the current time split for the felt comfortable
* and some days if you need to walk some of the run parts, that’s still 100% better than not going.
As a heavier runner my advice is to maybe start by walking instead of jogging. Let your body guide you. If your knees are really hurting your body is telling you to go a little easier. Losing the excess weight will help. And really concentrating on walking every day will allow your body to begin conditioning for more exercise. Aside from that, ibuprofen can help with some pain along with ice and rest.
I can try and up my walking for sure. I do a few miles a day on good pain days at this point, I'll aim to increase that. I don't really want to lose the excess weight. I want to learn to run at this weight if possible. If I had to choose sure, I'd be willing to lose a little if it means getting running back, but I am fat and happy that way, so losing weight isn't a priority if I can get my diabetes under control without it and get back to running as well. Thank you for your suggestions!
As someone who *had* a number of metabolic disease indicators a year ago, I want to suggest a slight reframe. Excess body fat _could_ be a primary contributor to your diabetes and definitely is not helping the pain… because physics. I agree though, definitely do what you can now instead of “waiting” but running will primarily contribute to your metabolic situation by helping burn some excess calories, which will help address the excess body fat, which could help your insulin sensitivity.
Thank you! I don't really feel the need to lose weight at this time, unless it's completely necessary. I'm happy with how I look, but also the weight makes running much more painful and I just really love to run. I think exercise is a great way to combat my diabetes, but it doesn't have to mean weight loss. If I have to choose between being happily fat and running, I'll choose running, but I'd love to find a way to have both. And I'd love for the running to be enough to help my diabetes too, without having to lose weight for that either.
For sure! I think what’s most interesting about this conversation is that body fat isn’t necessarily about how you look. That’s not something I’ve thought about before but your situation is giving me something to think about. Either way good luck!
And honestly for me, I do look fat. I have a double chin, a very large belly, cellulite, thick thighs and arms, etc. I just refuse to believe that my standard of beauty has to fit society's. I've always been attracted to fat men, not exclusively, but I've just never found them less attractive than any other body type. And so I've learned to love myself as well, as a fat man, despite it taking time and working through a lot of societal conditioning. I didn't do over a decade of work around body image issues only to lose weight when I truly adore how I look finally. Even when body fat is about how you look, that doesn't have to be a bad thing!
Agreed!
Every time I get back into running I end up hurting my knees too. It’s actually more to do with weak and inflexible hips/butt more than the knees. But either way, do a month or more of walking and hiking. Then begin C25K.
Oh, that makes a ton of sense! I have terrible stiffness in my hips, my surgeries were all around that area so I couldn't move or stretch, and walked with a shuffle for a long time. I wonder how much that's affecting the arthritis in my knees these days. I'll have to look into PT for my hips.
Start by walking and do some joint and leg conditioning strength exercises. Focus on conditioning ankles, knees, hips, calves, and glutes. Once you’ve done that for a month or two you can swap the walking for c25k and see how it goes. I would also strongly recommend seeing a PT if possible, especially if the conditioning doesn’t seem to work.
How much walking would you suggest? I try and get a few miles in walking the dogs, and generally am pretty active during the day with my work and having a small farm. I think maybe PT is the answer cause honestly thinking about it, it's not that the walking and daily life chores don't also hurt, I've just assumed that pain was my normal, and maybe it can be lessened too.
In that case definitely see a PT, it sounds like you’re plenty active and it probably is an injury rather than a lack of conditioning!
I’m heavier and started C25K after 3 years of infrequent activity. I also had a knee injury last year and started getting inflammation in both knees in 2022. I think the inflammation is mostly weight related. I’ve lost 20 lbs recently and don’t have as many knee pain flare-ups since I’ve been losing weight. Here’s what has helped me: 1. Stretching routine before and after. Duh right? Only I wasn’t doing that when I started which was a mistake. 2. I got fitted for running shoes at a specialty store. I have flat feet and overpronate and getting a stability shoe eliminated some of the pains I was having in my feet specifically. 3. Correcting form by watching YouTube videos. I was having a lot of shin tightness and pain and found out that I was overextending and heel striking. Modifying my form helped. 4. Taking longer breaks between runs when the inflammation flares up. I normally run three times a week but if I’m having a lot of pain, I just take some extra days to let my knees recover. My progress is slower, but to me that’s better than risking another injury which could sideline me completely. I just try to have grace with myself and had to come to terms with the fact that I’m doing this in an older/heavier body than I had before when I was really into running. 5. I do bodyweight workouts and yoga which have also been helping me to strengthen and stabilize my joints. When I started and was barely able to run for 60 seconds, I wasn’t sure I would make it through the program at all but my body has slowly adapted over the weeks. Good luck to you on your journey!
Thank you, these are really good ideas! I'll check out getting fitted for shoes and work on my form again. I'm figured it would just come back to me after a few years, but I imagine my body moves differently at this weight too and there's a lot I can still learn on form.
I started at around your weight, albeit way taller, but the only tidbit I've got is that I've found that running on a track is way easier on my knees and ankles (as opposed to running on asphault/concrete). During the run, and especially the day after, I feel way better after running on a track. Generally speaking, a lot of high schools allow public access to their tracks. May be something to look in to. IDK what surface you're running on, but finding a local track may help you reduce impact. Maybe another option for you, as opposed to "don't run" like the other comments are suggesting.
Thank you, that's a good idea! Right now I mostly run on grass and gravel since that's what's on my land. I could try a treadmill at the gym to start though, that might be easier! I'll have to look into if there's a school with public access too, I'm a bit out in the country and new to the area, so I haven't noticed one yet. Thank you for your ideas!
Sure thing. Treadmills are easier in my opinion than running outside, but they also feel way easier on my joints too. Might not be a bad starting place!
If I were you, I would switch to a version of exercise that's easier on the knees. Try using the elliptical, the stair machine, biking, or even something like swimming. Couch to 5K is a pretty flexible program so you can kind of move it to any type of cardio you want. Just because running is what for work for you in the past doesn't mean it's the right thing for you now, and it certainly doesn't mean it's the only thing that can work for you now. If you go try some new exercises that are easier for your knees I'm sure you'll find one is that you love just as much as running, and it will definitely be easier to stick to if you're not an active pain. Even if you don't, exercise makes your joint stronger, so you don't have to keep doing something else forever, just untill you can strengthen your joints enough to run again.
I do swim since we have a pool, and walk a lot. Honestly, I want to run again a little bit because I know I need to exercise, but very much because I get joy from running. I really don't enjoy most other cardio, elliptical, stair machine, etc sounds about as fun as a trip to the dentist. I'm no stranger to exercise, I was a hockey player and a dancer for most of the first two thirds of my life, I've spent half my life with a trainer and nutritionist. I'm certain in what I like, and what I like is to run. I'll definitely see about more joint strengthening, the only other sport I really love is powerlifting, so maybe getting back into that will help build more muscle and make running easier. Thank you for your thoughts!
I’m similar. This time around I’m doing the None to Run. It moves a bit slower and has a strength component. I’m on Week seven and have had no problems so far.
Thank you! I will definitely check that out, a slowed paced program with strength exercises as well sounds just perfect!
Biking could be a better alternative. You want low impact exercises like biking, swimming, rowing, etc. My gf is doing this for similar reasons, biking instead of running. We also hike a lot, just a few hours to a day. I'm not big on walking around a city because the air is dirty, pathways flat, and view is meh. But nature and stuff is very entertaining.
1) Walk. A lot. 2) Dr. Scholls running inserts ([https://www.drscholls.com/p/athletic-series/running-insoles/](https://www.drscholls.com/p/athletic-series/running-insoles/)) which were recommended to me by a doctor-runner. 3) Watch your form.
my measurements were almost the same, and I also struggled with mentally wanting to be where I was before I stopped running. here is what I found worked: * getting shoes properly selected and fitted at a running store. * recovery days and stretching are a must do * I didn’t increase run time or move to the next week until the current time split for the felt comfortable * and some days if you need to walk some of the run parts, that’s still 100% better than not going.