A little shy...

L

Lost in Dreams

0
Hi...Im new to working out, right now I just do some light weight training and I walk about 3 miles a day. I know that I should start running but I'm not in any type of shape and am worried about what people with think when they see me....I know this sounds stupid but I was wondering if anyone else ever had this problem and if so what you did to get over it?

Also could someone explain to me if and why running is better then walking?
 
Being shy is a normal human response to starting to work out. All I can say is don't be, it will pass.

The only difference in walking and running is you can get the same amount of calories burned in less time. As long as your heart rate gets up into 60-80 percent of your max, you're still getting a beneficial workout.

Running does increase your VO2 max capacity though.
 
Increasing the maximum oxygen your lungs can take in.

You know how when you run, your lungs feel like they're burning? Increasing VO2 max keeps that from happening. It basically increases lung capacity.
 
I'd like to comment that you shouldn't go overboard with running right away, particularly since you are just starting to workout for the first time in awhile. Walking is excellent for your body as well (better in fact, if you are moving the same distances... i.e. a 3 mile walk is better than a 3 mile run, but as stated above obviously a 20 min run is FAR better than a 20 min walk since you can burn more calories faster) and 3 miles per day is a very good start. Keep up the walking and slowly work your way into running. Attempting to do too much running too quickly can result in a number of problems that you don't need.

As you feel yourself and your legs getting a little stronger pick up the running more a little bit at a time and you'll find the pounds falling off before you know it. Keep in mind that a healthy diet is as important (if not more important) than exercise alone. You should be keeping an eye on your portion sizes as well as the quality of the food you are eating. Find healthy foods you enjoy and work them into every meal.

Good luck with everything, getting yourself started and developing good habits is the first and most difficult step of getting back into shape. Once you are able to develop healthy habits the rest of it will come easily and turn out to be very enjoyable.
 
One thing I forgot to mention: Try not to be shy about exercising. Let people sit on their butts and stare if they like, you're making a concious choice to go out and make a difference in your health while they have little else to do except sit and stare. Let life pass them by and pity those that would stoop to laughing or staring at you, there is no reason why anyone should be ashamed to be working out and getting into shape. If you're worried about how other people who are also out running/walking feel about you: They are thinking that you are making a smart choice and they will respect you for doing so.

Whatever people think when they see you is their problem, you only need to be concerned with yourself. Your hard work will pay off and you will become as fit and healthy as you allow yourself to be and when that day comes you can look back at those people and they can self-conciously wonder what YOU think when you see THEM.
 
What about running in the morning/evening when it's slightly darker? I'm going to start doing it as I also need some exercise. Perhaps the morning cold will help too.
 
There are a few schools of thought on this one.

Walking/Running in the morning before breakfast forces the body to tap into fat stores.

The other side of the coin says as long as you create the calorie deficit, it doesn't matter when you walk/run.

My answer would be, run/walk when you're most likely to stick with it. The more convienent your running/walking routine is, the more likely you'll be to sticking with it.
 
All so helpfull
Thanks
I think that part of my issue is that I live in town and theres always people around but maybe in the morning would be a great idea.
 
Don't run / walk at night... Unless you got some sort of flashlight / glowing sign to keep people aware of your position. I've had one to many close calls and I've been hit by a car already (though not while working out).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top