Reasons we don't exercise

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Am I too heavy to run?

No, you are not too heavy to run. In fact, many races have a category called Clydesdale for men over 200 lbs and Athenas (or Filly) for women over 145 lbs. Nearly all people starting their running careers in middle age are at least a few pounds overweight. Losing that weight is one of the main reasons they want to run.

If you're 40+ and haven't exercised for a while, if you sit most of the day, eat too much, and drink a few too many beers, chances are you are overweight. Might be 5lbs, might be 15 or 20lbs.

You'll feel that weight when you run. Your chest and stomach wobble, your arms are heavy, your neck feels thick. Running will help you get rid of the excess baggage. The more you run, the more you'll lose, and the fitter and faster you'll become.

Frank Shorter, Olympic gold medalist, marathon

By combining running with healthy eating habits, you'll lose the weight even faster. Your stomach flab is stubborn and will be the last to disappear, which is why it's a good idea to target that area with specific exercises in addition to running.

If you are very heavy, more than 30 lbs overweight, you should begin running slowly and cautiously. When you're very heavy, running on a hard surface pounds your joints. It's hard work on your feet, ankles, and knees.

If you have heart trouble, see a doctor first. If he knows about fitness training, he'll tell you what you should and shouldn't do. If he doesn't know much about exercise, there are plenty of doctors that do.

Being seriously overweight doesn't mean you can't become a runner, but it's a good idea to begin by walking, gradually building up to a brisk pace, then run slowly for a few minutes each time. There's no shame in that. All exercise is good, and walking is very good exercise.

When I started running, I couldn't run for more than 10 minutes before I was out of breath. My first month was spent walking 10 minutes, then running for 10, then walking again. At first, I walk-ran for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Then I upped it to an hour of walk-running five days a week.

After about a month, I could run a mile without stopping. But three miles was too much for me. Six months after starting running, I took part in my first 5k. I finished 9th in my age group, men 45-50, in 23 mins 26 secs.

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