Here’s an edited version of an article I wrote for Fit Pro magazine, (a magazine for personal trainers), early last year, Fiona Bugler

Running is the guaranteed way to lose weight quick – but how do you get your overweight client to move from plodder to runner?

The problems

• “I’m too big too run. I’ll damage my joints…”
• Don’t you have to be stick thin to be any good?
• “I feel too self conscious”

The solutions

“I’m too big too run. I’ll damage my joints…”

As professional fitness instructors we know that damage to joints and bones, and diseases such as osteoporosis can occur by avoiding weight bearing exercise – not by doing it. And studies have shown that runners are in fact less likely to suffer from osteoporosis, and that running improves bone density. (1)

However, be cautious. With every stride of the running sequence an individual will land with seven to 10 times their body weight. And it makes sense to check your client’s footwear and gait before you embark on a balls-out running programme – whatever their weight.

Get started

With a non runner, it’s a good idea to do some basic assessments. First thing to check is footwear.  The more overweight your client the more likely they are to have issues with correct footwear. Weight will alter the centre of gravity and your overweight client may have weaknesses and muscle imbalances which will affect not just their posture but the way they stand and move. Send them to a reputable shoe shop for a gait assessment. If you don’t know where to find one, a good starting point is the classified section of a running magazine.

Even when posture and gait appear to be satisfactory, it makes sense for the overweight non-runner to start slowly with a walk-run programme.

Another option for the overweight or injured client is deep water running – which has valuable fitness benefits without impact or injury. All you need is a floatation belt and a heart rate monitor.  Deep water running has been found to be a very effective way of training and has been used by footballers, and rugby players. The running action, combined with the resistance of the water can all help to improve the endurance capacity of muscular contractions and maintain aerobic fitness. (2)

Don’t you have to be stick thin to be any good?

Running requires that you lift your body off the ground with each step, propelling yourself forward. The more you weigh, the harder you have to work to lift your body, and slower you will be. If you take a look at the front line of a local 10k race and you won’t find many fat people. The bottom line is that distance running is best done by skinnies! Male marathoners are between 5ft 7 and 5ft 11 and weight between 120 and 140lbs.  (3)

In her book, Run For Life, Sam Murphy (4) outlines a formula to work out your ideal body weight: it’s 45.36kg (100lb) for the first 1.52m (5ft) of your height, and a further 2.25kg (5lb) for every 2.5cm (1in) above 1.52m (5ft). For example, if you are 1.67m (5ft 6in) tall, you’re ideal running weight would be 45.36 = (6 x 2.26) = 58.92kg (100 + (6 x5) = 130lb). But as Sam, and we agree this formula is an ideal, and shouldn’t be seen as an absolute ‘must-have’ to be a great runner.

Also, the heavier your client is, the more they will benefit from running – as the pounds fall off times will get faster, as running becomes more fluid and economical with less weight to carry around.  Because of this motivation will increase – get them to visualise literally throwing away the weight with every step they take.

Hips, knees, and sore calves… It hurts.

Like any new exercise regime, running will hurt when you first start. Muscles not used to running will be victim to small microscopic tears and inflammation, resulting in DOMS – delayed onset muscle soreness a day or two after exertion, just as they would after any new exercise programme. Reassure your client that this is normal, but teach them to understand the difference between a niggle and an injury. And of course ensure that from the start your client is practising a very thorough stretching regime. At the Running Inn we recommend Pilates, particularly for beginners – as Pilates provides a foundation of strength and sound principles which complement running.

I feel too self conscious

Runners are a rare breed in the fitness industry…they really don’t care how they look! Joking aside, feeling self-conscious is a big problem for clients. Any runner who’s trained regularly, will have endured the ‘Run Forest Run,’ taunts from gangs of teenagers, and if you’re 14st and 5ft 5in, this can be very intimidating. The answer is to run with a group. Or if your client is determined to go it alone, then she can stick to treadmill running which has the added benefit of having less impact on the skeletal system.

TIPS TO GET YOUR OVERWEIGHT CLIENT ON THE RUN

*Stats to motivate As well as the usual health benefits, running ticks all the weightloss boxes. The 100 calories per mile stat should be used with care, because obviously calories burned is dependent on weight, gender and of course, intensity of the workout. Use a sat nav watch with heart rate monitor (eg Garmin 305), or an online calorie burning calculator to show your client exactly how many calories they’re burning compared to other activities. (5)

*RACE Events such as Race For Life have really helped make running races open to all – and two million women have taken part in the event since it started. Racing brings the SMART acronym for Goals to life, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time measured. There’s nothing more motivating than a start line!

*Get form right: Teach upright posture, with a slight lean forward from the pelvis, unclenched fists, arms carried loosely between the waistline and chest.

*Count your strides. Elite middle distance to marathon runners will run at 180 strides per minute (ie 90 on each foot). According to Jack Daniels (7) most beginners will not be able to achieve this, and most will only ever achieve 160. But you can help your client by getting them to count their strides, and seeing how they can improve on this.

*Don’t forget type 2 muscle fibres – the ones that build muscle. Remember running isn’t just about 5k and beyond. If you’re client prefers short bursts to longer runs, and is more ‘muscle-bound’ why not encourage them to train like a sprinter. There are also lots of opportunities to compete on an amateur level on the track – ask at your local athletics club if you want to learn more on how to train a sprinter.

*Try running specific circuits Working through a full range of motion, and doing functional exercises will help build strength, boost lactate threshold, and will keep motivation levels high. The walk-run programme can be done outside of PT sessions. Running specific circuits will incorporate resistance work and complement the running that your client is doing when he/she is not with you.

References:

1. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1986, Vol. 255 No. 9, March 7, 1986; Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2000, Vol.32, No.8,pp. 1373-1377. But note runners also have been found to have less bone density in the upper body, so it’s important for older to runners to include upper body resistance work.
2. Running In water Med Sports Science, Vol 28, No 8.
3. New York Times article, interview with Dr Michael Joyner, of the Mayo Clinic, September 2007.
4. Run For Life by Sam Murphy, (Kyle Cathie Limited), 2003.
5. The women’s running network, http://www.womensrunningnetwork.co.uk/, UK athletics, http://www.ukathletics.net/clubs, for a running club, or Running Sisters – type into Google to find for your nearest.
6. http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/jumpsite/calculat.htm is a very useful online calorie expenditure calculator.
7. Daniels’ Running Formula by Jack Daniels, 2^nd Edition, Human Kinetics, 2005