Week 7 and struggling

[Yoyojogger]

I am an older jogger trying to get fitter but struggling at the moment. I jog very slowly but am struggling for breath on these longer jogs. Non smoker and thought I was progressing well but seem to have come across a brick wall. Successfully completed two 25' but last two attempts had to stop after 10' or do for a short break. Any suggestions or help appreciated?

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Yoyojogger,

Well done for doing your jogs. We have a very motivating thread in our forum currently by moreless , and I am going to give you the link here, incase you'd like to join us:

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

I know there is also lots of support available for joggers and runners in the C25K forum too, so that might also be worth a look.

Welcome to the Weight Loss NHS forum - where you have posted today, and I would also suggest having a look at our Welcome Newbie post - for inspiration on the weight loss side of things, but I'm not sure if you have goals to lose weight, or whether you are purely looking at improving your fitness via jogging.

I think you're doing really well, and hope you get some helpful replies today and support for your aims.

Lowcal

[Yoyojogger in reply to Zest]

Hi, I didn't know I was on the weight loss forum. Thought it was the Couch to 5k one. Thanks for your help. I am 60 years old and trying to lose weight and get fitter. The arrival of 2 grandchildren has made me want to be around and active as they grow up. Best wishes

[Zest Healthy BMI in reply to Yoyojogger]

Well, feel free to join in with this forum, in addition to the Couch to 5k one - the great thing about Health Unlocked is that there are lots of communities to benefit from.

Congratulations on the arrival of your 2 Grandchildren, and I'd like to wish you a long and active life enjoying them growing up.

[Aileen10]

Hi Yoyojogger,

Walking is good for you too. Have you tried alternating between jogging and walking? You can do this either by time or distance. Over time you can slowly increase the lengths of the jogs and decrease the walking times and you'll get better at knowing when your body can go faster or slower.

If you aim to alternate it doesn't feel like failure- simply a part of the long term plan.

Good luck!

Aileen

[Yoyojogger in reply to Aileen10]

Thank you for your encouragement and advice, which makes sense. Probably feeling like I should be making better progress. Thank you

[DartmoorDumpling Restart Feb 2024]

Last time I tried jogging, I was too heavy and suffered pain in my hip joints so have been reluctant to run since.

However, to get fitter and lose weight, I have done a lot of walking, particularly over rough ground and uphill!

I can now jog a short distance without puffing and without any knee or hip pain so maybe I might start to do a bit more - my dogs love to run with me!

We have to keep working at it, little and often, and alternate as suggested by Aileen10 with walking, particularly up and down hills as this uses a whole load of muscles and improves your lung capacity without too much strain on the system.

[Yoyojogger in reply to DartmoorDumpling]

Thank you for taking the time to offer advice and encouragement. I've not posted before but am amazed at the support I am receiving. Best wishes

[Hidden]

I'm afraid I've never really cracked this but when it gets difficult to breath I find if I turn my head slightly to the right or left it does help a little (I have no idea why this works). If it's really bad I count out loud quietly, if that does not work I shout out the numbers! By the time I'm at about the number 60 I've got my breathing back. I find the more I think about being out of breath the worse it gets so I need to use strategies that make me focus on something else.

[Polly2723 Maintainer]

Hi Yoyojogger , if you find you're struggling, it might be worth having yourself checked out by your GP. Me & my hubby recently completed the C25k programme & he really struggled in the earlier weeks. Following an appointment with his GP, turns out he has exercise-induced asthma, & was given an inhaler to use before runs, which has helped him a lot. Well done & keep running 🏃

[Yoyojogger in reply to Polly2723]

Thanks for the advice. I shall make an appointment to see my Doc. Best wishes

[Yoyojogger]

Thanks to the advice and encouraging comments from Healthunlocked friends I have just completed Week 7's Run 3. Didn't think I would get there. That's the power of these forums. Thank You