Never exercised, last ran in sports day about 30 years ago. Overweight, Fibromyalgia and several other health issues. This is not going to be easy.
First week never realised how long 60 seconds was 😱 struggling for a minute how on earth do people manage hours 🤔
Anyway I’m now week 4! Just going to keep trying and up the pain meds if needed.
My Moto: “rather be strong and in pain than weak and in pain”.
Any one else trying to run with chronic pain/fatigue conditions? 🏃🏼♀️ 🏃♂️
Hi, I don't have the additional challenges that you face but I just wanted to express my admiration and support. You are doing really well. keep on running 
Thank you, feels good to be trying if nothing else I’m happy for what ever I achieve x
Well done for getting out there with your health conditions.
Keep it nice and slow, listen to your body, take extra rest days if you need to. This isn't a race to the finish line, you can take as long as you and your body need.
Best of luck and keep posting on your progress. You're doing great!
Thank you, taking two-three rest days in between, only in competition with myself, week 5 here I come 🏃🏼♀️
Welcome to the forum and well done on getting started.
This guide to the plan is essential reading healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
Enjoy your journey.
Hi Gingerlea1 , and a huge well done on getting started! 😊❤️
I never had Fibromyalgia, but was labelled as having chronic pain by the NHS for nearly 20 years due to a surgical fusion in my neck causing a lot of nerve pain issues. (For about 10 years I could barely walk.) One thing about pain is that the more exercise you can manage the more natural pain-busting chemicals your body releases, which can even help reduce the need for pain meds in the longerterm. 😊
So stick to the great “slow and steady” mantra given on this forum, listen to your body, and just see where you get to. You might really surprise yourself! 😃
Despite impact up my spine from running being seen as something I’d not manage, even though I was doing lots of low impact exercise, I started Couch 2 5k slowly, and I concentrated on taking very short, very light steps.
This worked well, but if I got into difficulties then I’d dial things back a notch and take an extra day or so of rest before my next run. One thing to always remember is that there is no such thing as too slow. So if you start to feel things grumbling, try slowing down even more and see if that helps ease things. Initially I only ever ran in the early morning, just after I’d got out of bed, as my pain levels were lowest then.
I graduated C25k in April, then moved on to the sister Bridge to 10k forum and graduated to 10k. I now do up to 15k runs, and start a half marathon training plan on Monday. I still take light short steps (but so do most distance runners), but my spine seems to have got used to the idea now, as I can even run in the evenings. I may still need to lie down after runs more than other runners, but who cares!
So don’t worry too much about whether people with pain conditions can run. The NHS C25k programme is a great, gradual way to start running for people with all sorts of health issues, and it really does work. Good luck! 😊❤️
Thank you for this, you have done amazing. My neck causing me the most pain after runs triggering migraines but I’ll keep at it. X
If it’s impact up your neck that’s causing you issues, Gingerlea1 , one great tip is to imagine a helium balloon attached to your head and stretching your neck upwards as much as it can as you run - think of trying to stretch out your neck with your chin slightly tucked in to get the best stretch. That helps to pull apart all the structures in your neck, and always helps mine avoid locking up (and locking up the back of my skull with it).
Another thing that really helped me, but which won’t suit everyone, is that I decided to start C25k deliberately using a forefoot striking gait. (ie I land each foot on roughly the ball of the foot, leaning forward more like a sprinter, rather than landing on the heel or mid foot.) I find that allows me to shock absorb better using the flexing of my feet, and that it really reduces the shock going up my spine. It did cause me some knee issues on uneven running surfaces initially though, and it’s taken a longtime for me to be certain it was a good plan for me for longer distances. (Over time my knees are getting stronger, so they don’t seem to complain as much now.)
As GoogleMe says below, softer surfaces can also help reduce impact. Minimalist footwear also works for some, but I gave up trying that style of walking to reduce impact after failed attempts years ago.
Just experiment with finding what works best for you, and don’t worry about going back a few weeks in C25k if you do decide to try changing something. (One guy graduated recently, then decided he needed to change his running style in order to avoid injuries, so he restarted C25k from Week 1 with the new style. It’s a great way to slowly develop a sustainable way of running.)
If you feel changing how your feet strike the ground isn’t for you, then really concentrate on kissing the ground as lightly as possible with your feet to reduce impact, and on extending your spine upwards. 😊❤️
Wow so much to think about, thank you for all this advise I will start experimenting. X
Bravo you! I have similar issues and suffer from post-exertional malaise but C25K turned out to be a much better option to support weight loss and improve underlying fitness than eg walking. I loved that rest days were compulsory which meshed really well with my condition so I could assess how I was coping as serious adverse effects can take a while to kick in. I take care about the surfaces I run on (usually stick to off road, really feel it when I don't) and use minimalist footwear and find that helps.
It hasn't helped my condition as such and I still need to spend most of my life in bed (and I think probably reduce other activities to cope), but it did cure the painful shins I'd had for years and I liked feeling able to do something about my cardiac and bone health as you don't get a free pass to avoid those risks just because you're exercise impaired. Also... fun!
Never thought much of ground surface, but it’s a good point. I find tread mill best but usually end up running during dog walk, so park footpaths x
Interesting... I think the treadmill would be a literally fast track to undoing everything for me. I just about sealed the deal on decades of seriously disabling illness by the most toe in the water of gym use.
I don't have pain issues but I have autoimmune fatigue from hashimotos. I hadn't exercised in a couple of years when I started C25 as I had been really unwell. At my lowest, even walking a few hundred meters felt like a marathon. I have just completed Week 7 (20 minute run) and since being on the programme have also been motivated to restart going to gym and yoga classes. I mostly feel fantastic and energised. I still have bad days though, I have to listen to my body and take extra rest days if I feel like a crash coming on. And my runs are pretty slow!
That’s amazing, I never get that thing where people say I feel so energised after exercise all I feel afterwards and sometimes even during exercise is tired! X
I have Hashimoto’s too, so it’ll be interesting to see how I cope. First run today!
Good luck!
Hi there, I’m like you re: sport. I have osteoarthritis and am very overweight. I did my first run today, and my thumb is hurting! 🤣🤣🤣
Running number ..first one ever
First time running in the rain
First time running 5k
First time for everything!
Running club.... First time, eek!
