I was born in 1979, so I'm 34 years old this year. I have no history of consistent exercise. I'm 167 cm tall and weigh 70.5 kg. When I was 18, I was in a car accident, and my lower back can't stay under constant pressure, otherwise it starts to hurt. For example, when washing dishes — with my lower body upright and upper body slightly forward, meaning my lower back is under strain — I can only hold that posture for 2–3 minutes max before it becomes very uncomfortable. So every 1–2 minutes while washing dishes, I straighten my upper body to give my back a break. Because of this, I’ve always made excuses to avoid exercising.
But now my weight has clearly exceeded the healthy range. It’s not extremely obese, but I do want to get it under control, which is why I thought of running.
The treadmill sitting idle at home can finally come in handy. Also, I live in Dongguan, and there aren’t any suitable outdoor places nearby for running, so the treadmill it is.
That’s a general idea of my situation. I’d really appreciate it if you seasoned runners could share some tips. Thanks in advance.
1. From the 23rd of last month until today, I’ve been doing about 20 minutes of slow jogging every day at around 6–6.5 km/h, barefoot. My right ankle has been hurting for the past week, especially noticeable when going downstairs or when I stretch the arch of my foot. Walking itself is mostly fine. My left foot has no issues. I’d like to ask how serious this is — should I temporarily stop running?
2. Since I’m at home, I’ve gotten lazy about wearing shoes. Today I read on the forum that running without shoes isn’t good and can easily lead to foot injuries. Should I wear shoes for running? And if so, what kind of shoes would be more appropriate?
3. I’ve been consistently running for twenty days, haven’t changed my eating habits, but my weight has barely changed. Is my intensity too low? Also, I quit smoking two days after I started running — could that have had some effect as well?
That’s all I can think of for now. I’d really love to hear everyone’s opinions. Thanks in advance.