I can't run even a half mile?

I used to be in basketball and be in shape. It has been a few years, and now that I am in college, I want to get back into shape again. I am 20 years old and 5'6 134 lbs. I want to lose some of my belly fat that I have accumulated over the past couple years.So, to get back into shape, I thought that I could start running outside. When I start running, I literally cannot run that far before my body starts screaming at me to stop because I really feel like dying. It's like my body just shuts down and my ears become plugged. I literally cannot describe a worse feeling. It scares me because most people can start out at a 1/2-1 mile AT LEAST. I can't even do that! What is wrong with me? Is it a stamina issue? How do I fix this feeling I get when I run of "dying"??

How to Lose the Flab After Losing Weight

Recommended Answer:

Start with smaller goals. Decide how long you would like to be outside, doing exercise for, first. I suggest 30 minutes. Make sure you bring a device with a timer/clock on it. A watch or a cell phone will do just fine. So, begin your 30 minutes with 5 minutes of walking then see how long you can comfortably run for - time it - and walk for another 5 minutes when you are ready. When the second walking bout is over run again for the same length of time that you ran for the first time. Repeat this walk/run cycle until 30 minutes is up. Go home after your run and record the number of times you walked for 5 minutes and the number of times you ran for (x) minutes. Do this 3 times per week for 2 weeks. Then, on week, 3 increase your running time by 1 minute, on week 4 by another minute.For week 5, decrease your walking time to 4 minutes as you increase your running time another minute. Week 6: decrease walking time by 1 minute and increase running by another minute. Etc.When you get up to running for 10 minutes and walking for 1 minute you are a definite runner! Now it is time to see how far you are running. There are several tools online to help you gauge your distance. If you decide to continue on with running try not to increase your distance more than 10% every two weeks to avoid injury. Run with a friend, a group and/or sign up for a 5 km, 10 km, etc. race.Enjoy!

Other Answers:

• Patience. If it has been a while since exercise, it will take a wee while to get back into the swing of things. Have a look at www.c25K.com, that will sort you out for beginning running again, in no time at all you'll be doing 3 miles non stop.
• If its been a while before you got back into working out. I would not recommend running outside. It is much more harsher than running on a treadmill. Id suggest you to use the treadmill and slowly build up to the road. If treadmill is not an option, then just walk and then progress to walk at a brisk pace and then run.. Dont target 1/2 mile on day 1.. Build it up.. Its better to take slow steps towards it rather than break some muscles in the wrong way by overdoing.. Good luck.
• Run easy, walk when you need to walk and run again when you feel like it.Be consistent, try to go 2 to 3 miles at least 3 to 5 days each week.If you can be consistent you should feel much better in less than a month.You did not get out of shape in a month and it will take you longer to get back into shape.Relax, take your time but do it.
• You already got some good advice. Well, I'm not so sure about the treadmill but anyway. Here is everything you need to know to get started.I am a big proponent of the couch to 5 K running program (C25K). It's a walk to run program. If you follow it you will take out a lot of the guess work and you will know you are doing something that LOTS of people have been able to complete successfully. The C25K program slowly increases your effort over 9 weeks. It requires 30 minutes three times a week. At the end of nine weeks you should be able to run for 30 minutes and/or 3 miles. I did it and I really liked the fact that I could see each week I was making progress and I never really felt like it was too hard. Nowadays almost every runner has an iPod or something and one of the best ways to do the couch to 5K program is with them. If you don't have or want one I'll talk about interval timers in the last paragraph. There are lots of podcasts that are the C25K program that you can download to an Mp3 player. There is even a variety of music to listen to and help set your pace. Use this link http://www.c25k.com/ to view a good list of the C25K podcasts available or go to the iTunes Music store and search for “c25k”.Another way to do it is if you have an iPhone or an iPod touch, then you can download C25K apps. Most are free or cheap. I really like the “Interval Run” app for $2. It is easy to use and is pre-programmed with the C25K and several other programs. Plus you can play your own music in the background. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/interval-run/id297105174?mt=8If you don't want to bother with podcasts and Mp3 players then you'll need a sports watch with an interval timer. You might already have one. You might check your watch's manual. If you need to buy one, the Casio W756-1A is only about $20. Another alternative is a GymBoss. All it does is time intervals but it's much easier to program. It's also about $20.Couch to 5khttp://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml