Expert: Linda Erwin, M.S. - 6/6/2007

Question
I am slightly overweight and i am planning to undertake jogging. My plan is to jog as much as i can until my body says i can do no more and then the next day do the same but run a little bit more and in that way build up some fitness and endurance. Is that an effective plan?

My final question is I'd like to do it early morning, go for a jog, come home and then go to sleep. Will sleeping affect my exercise in any way?

Thank you for your help.

Answer
Hi Zubair,
Your plan sounds like a set up for injury.  How about you walk/jog and increase your time/distance by 10% every week, not daily.  Try to go a mile for the first 4 weeks.  Start out walk/jog and then increase the jogging until you can do the whole mile.  Once you can do a mile without stopping to walk, add a 1/2 mile and increase the distance by 10 % each week till you are running for an hour.  
Make sure you warm up by walking fast for 10 minutes, then do some leg stretching and then go for the walk/jog for a mile.  When you are completely done with the jogging, do a walk for 5-7 minutes to cool down and then stretch your legs again.  That is the proper way to make sure you don't get injured.  If you come home and want to go back to sleep then do it.  My guess is that you will feel so energized that you won't want to.
Good luck!
Linda