How fast to run a mile ...................

[lizzieb2000]

Me and my husband will both be 55 in 2011 and we've decided to get fit and lose some weight together. We've set, what we consider to be, sensible targets for weight and general fitness but, sensibly, how fast should a middle-aged man or woman expect to run a mile?

[Count-A-Strong]

Running puts severe stress on the ankle and knee joints and isn't really a good way to loose weight at your age. Why not start off swimming combined with dieting to loose the first few pounds and raise your general fitness levels?

[Sqad]

I agree totally with C.A.S

[ummmm]

Running on a treadmill would be better.

Like CAS says......swimming would be better.

[factor-fiction]

Oh dear, I'm early 50s and the only exercise I get each week is a walk of about 3 miles, a 2 mile run and two games of 5-a side football.
Is this not a good idea then, sqad?
I hate swimming

[lizzieb2000]

That is all part of our plan ......... we're not going to try to run a sub-4min mile next week but work up to it. I'm 55 in November and my husband in October so we'll be doing it gently to start and have almost a year to work up to it. Are we to stop having ambitions because we're middle-aged? So, to repeat, what would be a reasonable time for someone of our age?

[ummmm]

The best way to do it is to start off doing a brisk walk. Then jog for 1 min......walk for 1 min.....and build up that way. Still not good for the joints though.

[Sqad]

factor.....seems good to me.....keep up the good work.

My support of the answer given by C.A.S was because the questioner seemed to indicate quite a demanding physical activity to BEGIN with.

[ummmm]

Oh......and make sure you have the best trainers you can afford.

[factor-fiction]

I do run but I wouldn't class myself as a runner so I'm certainly not an expert. I would say that anything under 10 minutes is good to start with but after some practice you could get down to 7 minutes or less.
I'm not sure it's necessary though or benficial to focus too much on speed- I would have thought it is better to run three miles in 30 minutes than one mile in 6 minutes

[mollykins]

Like squad says factor, it's different if you started doing it ages ago, you're a science teacher, you should understand how it'd work.

[~Wingnut~]

i'm an amateur runner and am aiming to run a 10km in 2011. I did the race for life last year and started off by runnning round the block most nights, having something to aim for made me more determined to do it and not get fed up of it too quickly.
Anyhoo I am 33 next March and at the moment it takes me 15 mins 30+secs to run 1.2miles.
Always best to get checked over by your doctor before taking on more exercise than your use to and getting appropriate footwear will be a good idea too so maybe pop along to your local running shop for advice from them.

Take it slowly to begin with, don't go too far and build it up over time but only do what your comfortable with. Always warm up before you set off too!

[lizzieb2000]

I thought this was ANSWERbank ........... perhaps it should be renamed ADVICEBANK!

[factor-fiction]

Hi molly- I'm not a science teacher: if you remember, you once said I remind you of your former science teacher.

[Sqad]

15mins.

[lizzieb2000]

Thank you ................. :-)

[mollykins]

sorry factor, someone said they were didn't they?

[mollykins]

Well you're good at science.

[Postdog]

Just read this cos it showed up on my facebook feed. Lots of good advice and lots of rudeness from the original poster. Some people eh........

[bednobs]

how has she been rude?

[DTCwordfan]

also combine it with a good diet - one of the best cookbooks for low fat recipes etc which are realllllly tasteful is the Canyon Ranch book.....and an excellent way to get the pounds off; combine it with the occasional treat whatever your weaknesses are. In my case it is cheese.....complete abstinence is not recommended.

One of my 'disciplines' is the fallow month of the booze - starting Sunday and counting a min of 28 days - have gone to 40 before.....I usually count on shedding a minimum of 5 pounds by keeping off the grape juice.