#fatblr

Starting point:

Intervals are your friend! You can move for longer with breaks, and it will help you improve your cardio.

Get yourself to where you're comfortable walking for 60-90 minutes. Outside is ideal, but treadmills absolutely work (just give yourself an incline of 1 or 1.5 so when you do go outside you are used to terrain that isn't just flat).

You might already be comfortable with that, or you might be working on this for a while, and that's ok! Listen to your body. Depending on how heavy you are, especially pay attention to your joints like your knees and your hips. Running is hard on them.

Learn how to warm up before you move and then stretch after. Use this time to build up the habit.

Then we can start to learn how to run!

I would start with couch to five k (c25k). It's an interval program that says it will take 8 weeks, expect it to take 12. Don't worry if it takes longer, but aim for three runs a week.

It might take longer because you're busy, but also you should repeat runs and entire weeks if you can't do them or the runs are too uncomfortable. Repeating a training session so you improve your fitness comfortably is training smart and reduces your chance of injury.

Also do not expect yourself to be able to run 5 k at the end, but you will be able to run for 30 minutes. That's already a hell of an accomplishment.

Running 5k will probably take you 35 to 45 minutes. That's ok!

Good playlists and entertaining podcasts are your friend.

Focus on keeping your form relaxed and in check. If you can't do it while in good form, you can't do it. That's ok! Start it again next time, or take a breather and start the interval again.

This is where you develop the habit of running and start to get into shape. Once you develop the habit, congratulations! You're now a runner.

After you complete c25k I would get nike run club.

I love a guided run, not everyone does. Even if you don't love a guided run, I recommend going through the "first run" series. These will introduce you to the types of runs that you should be doing.

Again, aim for two or three runs a week. (Three will keep you progressing, but one or two can keep you in shape in my experience).

Figure out what types of runs you enjoy. I love an interval run, but maybe you love a long run, or a tempo run, or a recovery run. You get to find out your favourite types of running! I love learning this about myself.

I've done that, now what?

Now you make your own goals!

The general rule is you can improve pace/time or distance/duration, but not both. Focus on whichever you want. I spent last summer focusing on distance so I could run a 10k in the fall, and this winter I've focused on pace to get my 5k time down.

Other thoughts

Improving your cardio is good for you! It means your heart will be stronger and this will help you long term. You do not have to improve your cardio through running.

I run because I love running and I hate seeing people think they can't run because they are fat. You probably can.

That said; swimming is easier on your joints, so is an elliptical machine, cycling is great if you want to go far and see places, and walking is good for you.

High impact sports bras suck but have improved so much in the past 10 years alone. Sports bras are shockingly new pieces of clothing (barely 50 years old!) and are always getting better.