starting running routine

Question
Hello,
I am 41 years old and very out of shape and over weight.  My neighbor is going to be giving me a treadmill.  I would like to get in to better health and lose some weight.  I am diabetic and have some other health issues.  My questions are:
1.  What should my starting length of time be?
2.  How often should I do it each week?
3.  Do you know of any websites that give ideas on a routine to use to lose weight and get better in shape?
Thank you in advance for your time.

Answer
Hi John,
First off, kudos for you for wanting to get into shape. This is a decision that, if you stay with it, will change your life essentially forever. Now that being said, onto your questions...

Since you're starting out without a past with exercise, starts in low times and speeds. Walk for 10 minutes your first day, maybe on 3 or 4 MPH, whatever you feel comfortable doing. You could keep increasing your workout difficulty every week, or every 4 days, every 2 weeks. By increasing the difficulty, I mean you could bump up the speed by .5, or go for 3 extra minutes.

You know your body better than I do, or any other person, so it's important you listen it; what this means is push yourself, but don't overdo yourself. Working out will more than likely be a surprise to your body, so you'll feel soreness. That's normal, but if you really injure yourself, stop walking or jogging altogether. Stressing an injury won't help it. For the soreness, ibuprofen and ice will help for soreness. Biofreeze is better than icyhot, but don't overdo that, and wear gloves when you put it on.

As for workouts in a week, the best I can recommend is every day! Consistency is key in getting into shape. That being said, people have busy lives and can't exercise each day. There will be days when you want and feel like you deserve a break, and that's just fine. I'd give yourself one day off a week, but if you are going to do more than that, make sure you aren't going 2 days in a row without any physical activity.

I don't know of any websites that personalize routines for you; I honestly don't think that would be adequate either, as you are going to know how much you can workout more than a computer will. myfitnesspal.com is spectacular for keeping track of your progress and the food you eat each day. When you sign up, they ask you your weight and goals about losing weight and exercising, as well as how much you are on your feet during the day. After you do this, it will give you the amount of calories you should be consuming per day if you want to lose the amount per week you entered. This number they give is the total number you should eat MINUS the amount you should burn. You are eating more, but they are factoring in your workout. It also tells you the amount of calories you should burn during a workout session - don't focus only the calories though, focus on your body and the workout.

What I love most about this site is this; you can look up any food you eat, and it will tell you how many calories are in it, as well as other substances. I'd recommend you learn about the other components to food, but this message is getting long enough! If you're interested, let me know. You can also track your workouts. I don't do this part, I only track my food with this website, but I'm sure you could check it out. There is also a fitnesspal app for iPhone and iPod touch.

Best of luck, and congrats again for wanting to get started!
-Rose