Wow! 8 stone is not much!

You should also make sure you have really good shoes before you do jogging. Running is quite hard on your joints so you need a lot of cushioning. Another reason walking is better - you can get the same results with a lot less wear and tear.

I walk, for those reasons, after I screwed up my knee running. Galadria does marathons.

I'd say that's pretty good to start out. If you're sick after a run, especially after just starting out, you need to take it a little easier. I'll probably catch flak for this, but I've never thought walking was even close to running as far as exercise. For one, it is not the same quality of cardiovascular exercise. Also, if you were to to the same distance walking as you can running, you could very well be walking for a LONG time. I'd say stick with running, slowly increase your distance over several weeks, and if you get to feeling sick, short of breathe, or dizzy during a run, walk for a bit. Pick out a landmark and make a decision to walk to it, then pick up the pace again after that. Keeps from walking for a real long time, which is tempting.

Oh yeah, as mentioned before, shoes are key. If you are serious about it, go to a specialty store and have them fit you for the right type, or you'll end up with problems eventually.

Running is a completely different exercize from running and it works different muscles too. Running is healthier for you I think, except for on your knees. Running gets you in shape better, as well.

What I know about jogging, it's pretty simple, you put one leg in front of the other and repeat either until you have arrived at your destination or you collapse from exhaustion...

[img]smile.gif[/img]

Are you really sure about that one Larry? ;) To derive the blood pressure from your pulse you need to multiply the pulse with the resistance of the blood vessels, which is rather hard to find out. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Meg, I wouldn't worry about your blood pressure at your age and especially since you only weigh 50kg. If anything it could be on the lower side. Do you feel dizzy when standing still for a while? Do you feel dizzy when getting up from bed or a chair all the time (getting out of bed in the mornings does not count)? Attalus, our local expert physician, probably has several more pieces of knowledge about this. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Btw, swimming is the ultimate exercise should you have problems with running. It may be boring to most people but you work out every part of your body at the same time and you don't get short of breath. I also find it relaxing and very soothing.

I disagree. [img]tongue.gif[/img]


EDIT: Feeling that I should tribute something on-topic to this conversation: At schooldays, I mostly run a distance of 3,2 kilometres(2 miles) before school and my time is about 12-14 minutes. But I'm 15 years old and weigh 55 kilograms, so we're kinda on a different scale. ;)

[ 08-07-2004, 04:20 PM: Message edited by: uss ]

<font color=skyblue>yeah, I mixed up the words pulse and pressure which are two different things. It was the pulse I was trying to refer to, which is what our teacher taught us to use for determining the effect of the running on our hearts and weighing that against our physical health.

Sorry for the confusive post.</font>