Jogging for the first time in 40 years - sheer torture!

[simon43]

I'm trying to get fit and healthy and lose some flab, (as mentioned in some other recent posts of mine).

 

I've always been good at walking long distances, no problem.

 

3 weeks ago, I started to cycle each day.  I used to cycle in Phuket and I've got back into the rythm after a week.

 

Now I started to jog for the first time in maybe 40 years.

 

Boy! Sticking knives into my body would be less tortuous 

 

I'm not talking about 'real' jogging.  Despite cycling and exercising every day, an indication of how out-of-condition I really am is demonstrated by me jogging slowly for no more than 100 metres, then having to walk briskly for the next 100 metres, and then jogging again, willing myself to reach another 100 metre marker.

 

There's no pain in any specific area, just an all-over feeling of 'Jesus Christ, I am totally out of condition!!' (BTW, I had a full health check-up about 1 year ago in Phuket, all healthy, heart good, doctor said I had BP of a much-younger guy, but please do a little exercise)

 

I'm going to will and push myself to do this, because I know that my body (and doctor) will thank me if I can get rid of the tummy flab and get my heart and body components into shape.

 

It's hard going right now, but I know it will get easier.

 

 

[Aforek]

Good : jogging is very good for body and brain ; 100 m, then 150 m and so on, soon you can run 10 mn,15 mn and so on

I jog several times a week, before I was tired and now it's really a pleasure, not tired at all

courage and don't stop !

[lopburi3]

Good?  Maybe not so much when you mention old and overweight.  Make sure your knees can take the punishment.  

[shadowofacloud]

Great decision.

 

Running (in any form) is a wonderful way to get back in shape. Just remember to take it very slowly (buying an HRM may be a good idea), alternate running and walking in the first weeks (months) and definitely get proper shoes. The last part is crucial, since if you are running on concrete/asphalt surfaces, your joints will get some severe punishment. It is also worth going to a dedicated running shop to get your feet analyzed - find out whether you are a pronator/supinator/neutral (http://stretchcoach.com/articles/pronation-supination/), as this will affect the shoes you run in and maybe even your running style.

 

Anyway, good luck! If you've got any questions - feel free to ask. I did a few years of marathon and ultramarathon running a while back and gathered lots of experience AFA training is concerned.

Edited February 25, 2017 by shadowofacloud

[JHolmesJr]

Id exercise caution….the last thing you need is a new kneecap….costs a bomb.

 

Running places a lot of stress on older joints and if you're heavy you'll make it worse.

 

Id stick to gentler stuff like walking, swimming…..maybe even 2 half hour sets on a rowing machine.

 

And none if it works if you eat  like you always did.

[simon43]

Running places a lot of stress on older joints and if you're heavy you'll make it worse.

 

I'm about 72Kg, not really overweight, just flabby...

 

@Shadowofacloud, thanks for the advice about good shoes.  I've previously had plantar fasciitis and I have made-to-measure insoles in my training shoes (which I wear to work).  Haven't had any problems for a couple of years with my heels, but I prefer to keep the insoles in place.

 

I'm in Bangkok in April and I plan to 'upgrade' my shoes and transfer the insoles to them.

 

I don't have any intention of 'serious' running, just regular jogging, walking and cycle to get into shape and to keep it that way.

 

 

[rijb]

Try interval running.  Run a little, then slow to a walk, run a little, etc.  Eventually, you'll run more and walk less.

[tominbkk]

On 2/25/2017 at 7:55 PM, rijb said:

Try interval running.  Run a little, then slow to a walk, run a little, etc.  Eventually, you'll run more and walk less.

Great for fat loss.

 

I walk about ten minutes to warm up, and then do easy sprint for 30 seconds, walk for a minute.  Rinse and repeat about 8-10 times depending on my mood and stamina.  Finsih with 10-20 minutes more walking.

[CharlieH]

Older people start running again is a recipe for disaster in my book.

 

Swimming is better as it has low impact on those joints you probably havent used to capacity in years.

All well and good at the right place with the right surface, Try it in the wrong place and you may just regret it.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Older people start running again is a recipe for disaster in my book.

 

Swimming is better as it has low impact on those joints you probably havent used to capacity in years.

All well and good at the right place with the right surface, Try it in the wrong place and you may just regret it.

Agreed !

Jogging on a hard surface is definitely hard on the knees, a grassy area is ideal for new starters to strengthen the ligaments and muscles.

I know, I know, this is Thailand !! where's he gonna find some grassy land suitable for jogging I hear you all saying.

If no adequate surface available just need to take it very steady at first !

[mommysboy]

It must be torture on your feet.  You need to work in to this slowly.  Go back to a mix of light jogging and fast walking to protect your legs.  After a week or so you will begin to run more easily, and then a lot more freely.  Don't push yourself too hard. Within a month or two what seemed impossible you'll be doing ten times over.

[bangkokorbust]

Id exercise caution….the last thing you need is a new kneecap….costs a bomb.
 
Running places a lot of stress on older joints and if you're heavy you'll make it worse.
 
Id stick to gentler stuff like walking, swimming…..maybe even 2 half hour sets on a rowing machine.
 
And none if it works if you eat  like you always did.

True. Google how long it takes to burn off a doughnut and cappuccino. Jogging has to be the worst way to lose flab. Diet first, and then jog for the heart

Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using Tapatalk

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Are you running indoors or outdoors? Thai weather can be unforgiving. That being said jogging 100 meters and feeling the way you do is not normal. I'd certainly look for a second opinion regarding your health check-up.

[piersbeckett]

'Altra' are the shoes with the broad toe box designed by researching barefoot running; they've been a godsend to me in getting back to running.  Always best to start or restart with 'fartlek' (Swedish for 'speed play') running i.e. alternate fast and slow running.

[simon43]

Quote

 

I know, I know, this is Thailand !! where's he gonna find some grassy land suitable for jogging I hear you all saying.
 

 

 

Thanks for all the good advice.

 

First comment - I'm no longer living in Thailand. I live in Myanmar, in the new capital city of Naypyidaw, where the roads are wide and modern, the car traffic is minimal, and the soi dogs are scared of humans, (why is it that soi dogs are timid in all countries except Thailand?...)

 

I have always been a walker, so walking 12km at a fast pace is no problem for my legs.  But jogging is another issue and I have to say that I have never liked jogging!

 

Right now, I continue to cycle to/from work every day, making about 20km of cycling at a fast pace (I sweat like crazy, my legs ache, but my heart feels good with this exercise).

 

I follow an all-body, home exercise routine every evening at my hotel.  As I ramp up the reps etc, I'm keeping up fine with the number of reps that the program stipulates, with the exception of one-arm push-ups, (I have rotator cuff injuries in both shoulders, having fallen onto concrete several times in previous years).

 

Tomorrow, I will start to use a gym and swimming pool at a nearby hotel.  The gym work-out is really to improve my upper body tone and muscle.  It is probably a good idea to swap the jogging for the swimming pool.

 

I have a very low testosterone level (a generic thing in my family history).  I'm sure that this lack of T has helped to contribute to my lack of upper body muscle and flabby stomach.  In a few weeks, I'm over in Bangkok and I will get my T levels, PSA etc etc all checked, and then embark on a routine to boost my T levels (and maybe HGH), so that my body hormones are at a 'better' level.

 

Finally, my diet is going OK.  I have a fresh salad for lunch and a Thai chicken meal in the evening. (I have no cooking facilities, so can only get cooked chicken by visiting a restaurant.  The Thai restaurant makes a very nice chicken in tamarind sauce and green veg).

 

My flab is reducing on my stomach at a very slow rate, but it is reducing!  I reckon at least a year or more to get back into reasonable shape.

Edited March 10, 2017 by simon43

[klauskunkel]

15 hours ago, mommysboy said:

It must be torture on your feet.  You need to work in to this slowly.  Go back to a mix of light jogging and fast walking to protect your legs.  After a week or so you will begin to run more easily, and then a lot more freely.  Don't push yourself too hard. Within a month or two what seemed impossible you'll be doing ten times over.

I agree. Very important to toughen your feet, a whole bunch of small bones in there all interconnected, which bruise easily. When I started to run 15 years ago, I made the mistake of running all out every day for 4 weeks, and on the fifth I couldn't even walk because of immense pain... Took six weeks before all was ok. Now I run marathons. 

[Acharn]

Listen to your body. I'm 79 and live in an area where I don't have a real opportunity to walk outside for any distance. If I do ten laps in front of my house it adds up to about a mile. I quit doing that a couple of years ago and now am doing in-house walk aerobics.

When I started jogging 40 years ago I was in the Army and followed their Run For Your Life program. Basically it was exercise one day, rest for two days, repeat. At first the program was just "walk one mile." Then it went to "Walk one mile in twenty minutes." The time kept getting shorter. It seems to me after you got to "One mile in fourteen minutes" it switched to "Two miles in 40 minutes."

Anyway, the thing you have to bear in mind is that if you're doing it right, and you're old, regular exercise will make a lot of those aches and pains go away, but it's easy to overestimate your current level. On the other hand, when your fitness level is so low longer rest periods don't lose as much as they used to. When I was 40 I never allowed myself to go more than two days between workouts. Now I sometimes have to go four or five days, but my fitness level seems to be improving -- slowly. It's due to low testosterone production, which also makes it hard to lose the flab.

[elgordo38]

On 2/25/2017 at 6:11 PM, simon43 said:

There's no pain in any specific area, just an all-over feeling of 'Jesus Christ, I am totally out of condition!!

Give it time it gets better. Try running real early in the morning or on a gym running machine to save your lungs. Good luck your on the right track. Stay the course. 

[evadgib]

At 72kgs how can you have any fat anywhere! :)

 

Have you considered joining the local hash? I'm told there are groups there.

 

HTH

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_House_Harriers

 

 

Edited March 10, 2017 by evadgib
Added a link

[elgordo38]

2 minutes ago, Acharn said:

Listen to your body. I'm 79 and live in an area where I don't have a real opportunity to walk outside for any distance. If I do ten laps in front of my house it adds up to about a mile. I quit doing that a couple of years ago and now am doing in-house walk aerobics.

When I started jogging 40 years ago I was in the Army and followed their Run For Your Life program. Basically it was exercise one day, rest for two days, repeat. At first the program was just "walk one mile." Then it went to "Walk one mile in twenty minutes." The time kept getting shorter. It seems to me after you got to "One mile in fourteen minutes" it switched to "Two miles in 40 minutes."

Anyway, the thing you have to bear in mind is that if you're doing it right, and you're old, regular exercise will make a lot of those aches and pains go away, but it's easy to overestimate your current level. On the other hand, when your fitness level is so low longer rest periods don't lose as much as they used to. When I was 40 I never allowed myself to go more than two days between workouts. Now I sometimes have to go four or five days, but my fitness level seems to be improving -- slowly. It's due to low testosterone production, which also makes it hard to lose the flab.

Another good answer. 

[connda]

Personally, I feel your pain (really).  Jogging has not been on my menu for over 30 years, and yet I was athletic up until my late 50s and was a professional ski instructor prior to moving to Thailand.  However, if you wish to torture yourself, you may want to start jogging on a treadmill that will absorb a lot of the shock from jogging making your experience less tooth-jarring and knee-jarring. Or you can crank that treadmill into an incline and walk at a brisk pace.  You'll get an aerobic workout without the jarring that comes with jogging.  I simply can't realistically jog anymore due to the crunchy sounds in my knees from 50 odd years of skiing.  What I do instead is walk on an inclined treadmill or I hike hills.  A treadmill works very well.  Also, regarding getting in shape while losing fat and gain mass: short-duration, high-intense exercise will stimulate both.  I.e, do wind-sprints on your bike.  My current regime uses a stationary bike and an incline treadmill and alternate my aerobics between high-intense sessions and medium-intense sessions.  The high intensity training and resistance training will stimulate T production.  Add to that yoga, and modify your eating habits.  Personally I'm seeing results in strength, endurance, aerobic capacity, and flexibility.  I'm losing fat, I'm gaining muscle, and I feel significantly better then when I started this program about three months ago.  Just understand, you don't have to jog.  There are other ways to accomplish the task of getting back into shape. 

 

Good for you.  Make it a habit and enjoy!  

Edited March 10, 2017 by connda

[paulsingle]

18 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Older people start running again is a recipe for disaster in my book.

 

Swimming is better as it has low impact on those joints you probably havent used to capacity in years.

All well and good at the right place with the right surface, Try it in the wrong place and you may just regret it.

Running is too uncomfortable for me. I'm 59 years old, 5'8" and 102 kg. Most people guess my weight to be about 10kgs less so I carry it well.

I'm fit enough to play an hour of squash or badminton and I love cycling and swimming. 2km swim in under an hour or 40km cycle ride in under 2 hours. 

I have running shoes which I got from a running shop after running on the machine to analyse my gait.

I was 10kgs lighter when I got the shoes and could manage a 5km run albeit in 30 minutes. 

If I run now I believe I am very likely to damage my knees. 

If I lost 10kgs I then running would be a good thing but I'm not motivated enough to make the sacrifices to lose the weight.

I love cycling around Phuket and have found a great 25 metre pool as well as great beaches for swimming. 

[Belzybob]

On 25/02/2017 at 8:35 PM, JHolmesJr said:

Id exercise caution….the last thing you need is a new kneecap….costs a bomb.

 

Running places a lot of stress on older joints and if you're heavy you'll make it worse.

 

Id stick to gentler stuff like walking, swimming…..maybe even 2 half hour sets on a rowing machine.

 

And none if it works if you eat  like you always did.

Absolutely endorse this post, jogging on roads is a sure fire way to damage the knees. Find somewhere with a uphill grade and use that for brisk walking, much better for you.

Edited March 10, 2017 by Belzybob

[gavinreynolds]

Good on you! It will get easier but you need to improve slowly and steadily.  I did the same thing when I was 60, using a great podcast from the UK NHS - "Couch to 5K" which takes you from nothing to running 5km in 30min over a period of 9 weeks. Strongly recommend it... http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k.aspx

[cyberfarang]

7 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

Thanks for all the good advice.

 

First comment - I'm no longer living in Thailand. I live in Myanmar, in the new capital city of Naypyidaw, where the roads are wide and modern, the car traffic is minimal, and the soi dogs are scared of humans, (why is it that soi dogs are timid in all countries except Thailand?...)

 

I have always been a walker, so walking 12km at a fast pace is no problem for my legs.  But jogging is another issue and I have to say that I have never liked jogging!

 

Right now, I continue to cycle to/from work every day, making about 20km of cycling at a fast pace (I sweat like crazy, my legs ache, but my heart feels good with this exercise).

 

I follow an all-body, home exercise routine every evening at my hotel.  As I ramp up the reps etc, I'm keeping up fine with the number of reps that the program stipulates, with the exception of one-arm push-ups, (I have rotator cuff injuries in both shoulders, having fallen onto concrete several times in previous years).

 

Tomorrow, I will start to use a gym and swimming pool at a nearby hotel.  The gym work-out is really to improve my upper body tone and muscle.  It is probably a good idea to swap the jogging for the swimming pool.

 

I have a very low testosterone level (a generic thing in my family history).  I'm sure that this lack of T has helped to contribute to my lack of upper body muscle and flabby stomach.  In a few weeks, I'm over in Bangkok and I will get my T levels, PSA etc etc all checked, and then embark on a routine to boost my T levels (and maybe HGH), so that my body hormones are at a 'better' level.

 

Finally, my diet is going OK.  I have a fresh salad for lunch and a Thai chicken meal in the evening. (I have no cooking facilities, so can only get cooked chicken by visiting a restaurant.  The Thai restaurant makes a very nice chicken in tamarind sauce and green veg).

 

My flab is reducing on my stomach at a very slow rate, but it is reducing!  I reckon at least a year or more to get back into reasonable shape.

Simon, I don`t know how old you are but you could be playing a dangerous game. If you haven`t done any jogging for 40 years and suddenly started to throw yourself into it, then you could be heading for a massive heart attack. Even professional athletes have to train and get themselves into shape before entering into competitions.

 

Several things you should be doing prior to hitting the road. Go for a medical checkup, buy a treadmill to set yourself a safe pace and then start jogging for only 15 minutes a day and work up to jogging further.  I know many of us older guys still believe that we have the same physical stamina as we had 20 plus years ago, but the fact is, we don`t and have to conduct our physical activities at a sensible pace to accommodate our age.

 

If

[catman20]

jogging on the road as a older person may not be that good for your joints, join a gym run on a machine will be better for your joints do some stretching also.

[Grubster]

On 2/25/2017 at 7:45 PM, simon43 said:

 

 

 

I'm about 72Kg, not really overweight, just flabby...

 

@Shadowofacloud, thanks for the advice about good shoes.  I've previously had plantar fasciitis and I have made-to-measure insoles in my training shoes (which I wear to work).  Haven't had any problems for a couple of years with my heels, but I prefer to keep the insoles in place.

 

I'm in Bangkok in April and I plan to 'upgrade' my shoes and transfer the insoles to them.

 

I don't have any intention of 'serious' running, just regular jogging, walking and cycle to get into shape and to keep it that way.

 

 

Running is a much more fluid motion and not pounding down on your joints and spine, Orthopedic doctors do not recommend jogging. A tread mill is also much better.

[Krataiboy]

On 2/25/2017 at 6:26 PM, Aforek said:

Good : jogging is very good for body and brain ; 100 m, then 150 m and so on, soon you can run 10 mn,15 mn and so on

I jog several times a week, before I was tired and now it's really a pleasure, not tired at all

courage and don't stop !

I just want to endorse what other posters have said about the hazards of jogging - especially on tarmac and concrete as opposed to grass. Its really hard on the knees and other joints and can literally bring you to a permanent halt. Knee ops are definitely an option of last resort.

 

I was advised to give up jogging when in my early sixties, but almost two decades later I am still walking and cycling at a respectable speed for an hour most days - though I must admit that even just moderately quick walking  is hard work compared with cycling. My bike is lucky having gears that I don't!

 

To keep arms and shoulders in shape I recommend working out with with weights and elastic stretch ropes ifor 30-40 minutes two or three times a week. Sensible routines for all ages, shapes and sizes can be found on YouTube.

 

The combination of indoor and outdoor exercises together with a reduced intake of alcohol and junk food, has definitely worked for me. At nearly 79, I am not much heavier than I was when I finished my National Service in 1961 and I'm taking a lower dosage of blood pressure medication than ever.

 

My theory is that as we age, we need to exercise more, not less to feel young and get the best out of our twilight years. With a wife half my age and a daughter at junior school I have plenty of incentive! So. . .  whether your hooked on  jogging, cycling, walking or swimming ignore the sneers of your pot-bellied peers. They're only jealous.

 

[Aforek]

44 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

I just want to endorse what other posters have said about the hazards of jogging - especially on tarmac and concrete as opposed to grass. Its really hard on the knees and other joints and can literally bring you to a permanent halt. Knee ops are definitely an option of last resort.

 

You are right  to speak of problem  of knees when running on concret ( I just didn't tell it, because the OP only spoke of jogging ) ; as for me, I am 67 , 66 kgs and I run 2-3 times a week  40 mn on ground and grass , I do also bicycle every day but jogging brings me more " ease " than the other sports, my brain is very well irrigate

 

anyway, there is no age to do exercise, but it's better to begin at 10 and all life than at 60 years old when fat already:  as told above, it is dangerous

[Laza 45]

Forget the jogging!.. To much strain on your joints.. unless you have been doing it for years and are not overweight... cycling.. great... swimming.. great... walking.. great... same for treadmill & cross trainer at the gym.. combine these with 15 or 20 min of stretches and you will rock..