Q: I have been following my doctor's recommendation to lose weight and exercise more. I was about 68 pounds overweight, but in the past 15 weeks I have lost 18 pounds and reduced my blood pressure from 140/90 to 117/76. About eight weeks ago, I started running twice a week, and can now run two miles with relative ease. When I told my doctor this, he suggested I should bike, use a cross-training machine, or use a stair climber instead. Is something wrong with running? - O.H., Fort Collins, CO

A: Congratulations, O.H., on your improved health status. That is an awesome accomplishment. Running is the sport of choice for many people; however, it can be hard on the joints of the body. Not having spoken to your doctor, I do not know his exact reasons for averting you from running. But since you are still considerably overweight, he or she is probably trying to save your joints while helping you to lose weight and develop healthy exercise habits.

When you run, your body exerts about eight times its body weight with every step you take. That pressure is absorbed through your feet, ankles, knees, muscles of your legs, hips and into your lower back. This amounts to a lot of extra pressure being exerted on these structures. Over time, you could start to develop knee, foot, hip or back pain. Low- or no-impact activities such as biking and stair climbing on a machine involve less pressure, so they help you avoid injury that could ultimately upset your weight loss goal.

Biking, stair-climbing machines and elliptical machines provide a great cardiovascular and calorie-burning workout. They will help keep you motivated by providing different types of exercises for different days. In addition, you can get the feel of running on many of the elliptical machines on the market. You will be working muscles in different ways with these machines and they will not put additional stress on your muscles, bones and tendons. In addition, the elliptical machines can be used going forward and backward. This allows you to target different muscles of your lower body. You should continue to see your weight decline and your cardiovascular fitness level improve as you continue to exercise.

Talk to your doctor to find out his or her reasons for suggesting that you do not run. Ask if this is forever or until you lose some more weight. My guess is that once you have lost sufficient weight, you'll be able to take up running again. You definitely deserve a gold star for your efforts and dedication so far. Good luck in your continued endeavors to improve your health and fitness. I'd love to hear from you again as you journey towards your ultimate goal.

Source: fitlinxx.com