Exercise with injury...

[georgejungle]

I posted a few weeks ago about trying to

get healthy and cutting out soda (even though

i was addicted to 2-3 a day) But i'm finding it hard

to lose weight. I'd say i'm 10-15 lbs overweight...

 

I used to be a runner. I've tried running again,

but my feet have been hurting. Tried inserts in

my shoes, looking into newer shoes, but I feel

so sluggish and it's hard to run with this

extra weight...

[Pyro]

I posted a few weeks ago about trying to

get healthy and cutting out soda (even though

i was addicted to 2-3 a day) But i'm finding it hard

to lose weight. I'd say i'm 10-15 lbs overweight...

 

I used to be a runner. I've tried running again,

but my feet have been hurting. Tried inserts in

my shoes, looking into newer shoes, but I feel

so sluggish and it's hard to run with this

extra weight...

 

Definitely find some shoes that you will be comfortable running in, but if you are just starting out again, then be prepared for aches and pains until you are use to it. I had shin splints for about 5-6 weeks before they went away.

[georgejungle]

oh o.k., cool. Then i'm not alone.

 

Yeah, it's funny, maybe it's because i'm older

now, but i feel the aches and pains a lot more

in my early 30's. It's not like being 22 anymore, ha.

 

But yeah, i've been trying to run and get active,

but it's been rough. I feel heavy and sluggish.

I tore a little muscle or something in

my left foot, then it hurt and I couldn't (and didn't want to)

run on it and make it worse. But i'm going

to look into better shoes. I've been eating healthy

now, cut out Junk, Cut out Soda to maybe 1 or 2

ONLY on the weekends and have been trying to run,

and drink tons of water, but the pains set me back

a little.

 

But i'm NOT giving up. I'll work thru them

[Pyro]

oh o.k., cool. Then i'm not alone.

 

Yeah, it's funny, maybe it's because i'm older

now, but i feel the aches and pains a lot more

in my early 30's. It's not like being 22 anymore, ha.

 

But yeah, i've been trying to run and get active,

but it's been rough. I feel heavy and sluggish.

I tore a little muscle or something in

my left foot, then it hurt and I couldn't (and didn't want to)

run on it and make it worse. But i'm going

to look into better shoes. I've been eating healthy

now, cut out Junk, Cut out Soda to maybe 1 or 2

ONLY on the weekends and have been trying to run,

and drink tons of water, but the pains set me back

a little.

 

But i'm NOT giving up. I'll work thru them

 

Don't run if you have a torn muscle in your foot. That could cause permanent injury.

[ruby_gloom]

the secret to weight loss is to eat less (read: less calories) and to exercise. by eating less alone, you will lose weight after a while, but the weight that you lose will not be fat, but muscle--and this is not the way to safely lose weight. plus, by losing weight in this way, you will almost always put it back on.

 

therefore, you have to exercise. any activity that gets your body moving and sweating is good, really. the point is to burn off more calories that you take in (per day), so that you can burn the stored calories/fat, prompting you to lose weight.

 

also, keep in mind that losing weight is not only eating less and exercising more for the given time that it takes you to lose weight. you can't just lose weight and go right back into the same old pattern that prompted your weight gain or else you will gain it all back. after you reach your ideal weight (think adequate BMI for your height), you need to keep a healthy lifestyle, which means eating better and exercising more than before you lost the weight in order to maintain yourself.

 

oh, and about your torn muscle--

 

i suggest that you get it looked at.

 

there are three degrees of muscle rupture, and the last one (3rd degree) can cause internal bleeding. from your post, it seems that it just hurts when you walk (maybe you just pulled a muscle/hamstring) meaning that you are able to contract the injured muscle, so it is therefore unlikely that you have this degree of rupture.

 

but you should get it checked out just in case.

 

regardless, you should avoid overexerting your injured muscle or else you will delay its healing, if not damage it further.

 

if you are going to continue running, you must pick adequate shoes. your feet/legs already bear all of the weight of your body and demanding exercises like running put even more stress on them. that is why you need comfortable running shoes that have adequate support for your feet, especially at and around the arch and heel of your foot.

 

running shoes don't just make running easier by providing comfort, but they also offer the extra support your feet need during demanding exercise, thus rendering it safer.

 

also, you must warm up and stretch before you start running, especially if your body is not conditioned/used to running. if you don't, then you are more likely to tear a muscle, which can cause pain and discomfort or other more serious consequences (ie: internal bleeding).

 

warming up and stretching will help by gradually increasing blood flow to your muscles and by lengthening them thus preparing them for action.

 

because, when at rest, your muscles are only about 15 percent saturated with blood and, during exercise, the saturation may increase to about 70 percent, you need to warm up and stretch in between to properly distribute and raise the percentage of blood flow saturation. if not, the sudden increase will be to drastic, leaving your muscles unprepared and leading to cramps, pulls, and tears.

 

additionally, keep in mind that you must not overexert yourself. if you are just starting to run as a method of losing weight, chances are your muscles are not well prepared. as such, you need to start off slowly, both in speed and in distance, and gradually up both as your body gets conditioned and has a higher threshold.

 

and since the build up of lactic acid in exercise tends to decrease muscle strength, you putting more fatigue by working too hard will only increase the chances of muscle tear.

 

so, before you start exercising (especially by running), warm up, stretch, start off slowly, increase as you go, and try to maintain a steady pace for as long as you can. dashing and sprinting is relatively ineffective if you are not conditioned for it because you'll just get tired really quickly. the trick here is to keep on running for as long as you can--at a pace your are comfortable with--rather that sprinting, taking a long break, and sprinting again.

 

but yea. take a look at that tear so you can be sure you're alright--and definitely don't run you are still hurting.