Cardio after prolonged inactivity..

Tips, tricks, workouts, injury advice.
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welle

 
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by welle » Tue May 11, 2010 9:41 pm

what works for me better is instead of a slow continuous pace run, do run/walk intervals. Just run a min, walk 2 min, repeat. This will build you up back into running shape faster than trying to run 5k non-stop. You can increase run part and decrease walk part as you go...
Last edited by welle on Tue May 11, 2010 10:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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ExploreABitMore

 
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by ExploreABitMore » Tue May 11, 2010 9:48 pm

I'll second that run/walk thing. It has worked great for me in the past too. Run for 2.5, walk for 2.5 and then run for another 2.5. Now, you've done 7.5 kms and kept the heart rate up longer. Do that a cpl of times and 5 km will be easy to run. Rinse and Repeat with larger distances.

Interval training is good for getting your running speed up too, if you're into that kind of thing. Sprint as hard as you can for a bit, then jog till u catch ur breath, then sprint again, etc.

Just make sure to build up slowly after an injury - last thing you want to do is bring it back!

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Augie Medina

 
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by Augie Medina » Tue May 11, 2010 10:31 pm

Don't forget your muscular system. Start back into some resistance training with body weight, regular weights or machines. I'm in the same boat you are, having torn my achilles tendon about 5 months ago. But I still can't run so my efforts are in the gym working on aerobic and muscular (re)conditioning.

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Tue May 11, 2010 10:54 pm

Walk on a hill. Psychologically, it is probably important that the exercise doesn't look that much like your previous regimen, at least at first, else you will subconsciously set unrealistic goals. Maybe wear a heart monitor, and set an "aerobic" threshold bpm (you might have to lie about your age to keep it from beeping all the time).

A lot of folk here have come back from serious medical problems. The first step is: don't beat yourself up mentally.

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bird

 
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by bird » Wed May 12, 2010 12:38 pm

If that was your first time running in 3 months, of course it will feel like crap. Take it easy and it will come back quickly. 3 months is not that long.

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Ed F

 
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by Ed F » Wed May 12, 2010 2:02 pm

STRETCH!!!!!

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The Chief

 
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by The Chief » Wed May 12, 2010 2:31 pm

MoapaPk wrote:A lot of folk here have come back from serious medical problems. The first step is: don't beat yourself up mentally.


That is it....Maintain a positive outlook, set some realistic goals, be consistent and most importantly, be patient.

Next thing ya know, you will be in tougher shape than before your injury.

I also second all the above concerning the stretching, weight work, run/walks, hill work and then LSR's.

Good luck!

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Luciano136

 
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by Luciano136 » Wed May 12, 2010 6:41 pm

I never run. Just start with trail hiking up a hill and build it up with steeper and longer hauls. The beginning might be tough but I'm guessing it won't take too long before you are back in great shape. 3 months isn't that long.

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KBurnett

 
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by KBurnett » Wed May 12, 2010 7:47 pm

First rule is to be patient.

Mentally you can still do exactly what you were doing 3 months ago, but physically you can't. You need to accept that and then ease into your training. It won't take you as long to come back as if you were starting from never having exercised, but you need to realize that 3 months is a long time and your body is de-trained.

Once you wrap your head around this then start out slow, take a rest day when you need it and at least one a week, mix it up a bit, and be consistent. You'll be feeling like your old self in 6 weeks.

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CClaude

 
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by CClaude » Wed May 12, 2010 8:03 pm

Welle, Chief and... have good advise. Patience, having a long term out look is all important. Think of it as a lifelong process.

One thing you don't say is your current age. If you are my age and older (45 and up) if you've had a period of time of inactivity and are getting back into it, you may think a cardiovascular about a stress test by your doctor or atleast talk to him and based on your family history (some things that lead to sudden cardiac death have strong genetic ties). I'm not a doctor but I look at a lot of case histories, angiograms, histology images for my work, while looking at things like vulnerable vascular lesions.

Before telling someone I don't know on the web to go for it, I'll be more conservative. If your doctor says ok, then start with what Welle suggests with the run/walk.

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Luciano136

 
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by Luciano136 » Wed May 12, 2010 9:28 pm

sar1 wrote: Age wise I'm still 22 so no worries there.


You'll be back in no time in that case :)

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CClaude

 
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by CClaude » Wed May 12, 2010 9:29 pm

given your age, start with a run until you feel uncomfortable, then walk for a minute or two, and then pickup a run, and continue this for a given period of time (loops make it easy). Concentrate on time and not distance to begin with.

Starting out conservatively will allow you to progress without inury. Injuries are the scourage of all development.

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builttospill

 
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by builttospill » Wed May 12, 2010 10:01 pm

Definitely don't overdo the pace--if you find yourself needing to walk pretty soon after starting and frequently during the run, you're going too fast (in my opinion).

3 months is awhile, but if you're consistent, it will come back quickly, especially if you're used to the exercise regimen from the past. I'd expect you'll start feeling better in ~2 weeks, though you won't be back up to full speed for awhile longer, depending on your previous fitness level. But usually the first 3-4 days were the hardest for me after a layoff.

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