How can I start running?

Don’t overdo at first. Work up to it slowly. Do you have a track at your school? Also do you work with weights?

The best exercise ever for lung capacity was the over the headlift it’s amazing for lung capacity.

Yes, do not over do it or you could pull a muscle or tear a ligament. I am a mature woman but the same build as you and my routine has been a 55 minute, 3 mile walk/jog mix. You should start the first month or so with brisk walking, walk backwards uphill, a real kicker, and intersperse with short bouts of jogging. Full on running is very hard on your knees, ankles, and, as a girl, you need a really good support bra as well.

On this routine and sticking to a good diet you can easily drop 10 lbs. in about 3–6 weeks.
I would start an every other day routine and once you are in better condition you can then add days, but do not go over 5–6 a week tops. You need to give your body a break a day or two a week IMO.

Try the couch to 5k program.

Don’t worry about losing weight. You don’t need to lose weight.

Running should help you lose weight. You need to stretch after exercise to prevent getting sore. You can stretch before also if you want, but sore muscles have to do with lactic acid building in the muscle during exercise, and stretching after moves the acid out of the muscle.

To avoid injury, make sure your muscles are warm before you full out run. Keep your legs well dressed in cold weather.

Hilly is a problem, all I can say is you can always join a gym, buy a treadmill, or walk/run in the mall before store hours, or find flatter terrain maybe near your house that doesn’t take long to drive to? A track at the high school?

As with any exercise, make sure you are in overall good health. I assume you see a doctor regularly and would know if you had any big red flags for exercising.

Start out just walking for an hour. Find out how far you went and next week walk 10 % further in an hour. Keep it up until you have to run to improve your distance.

Go to runnersworld.com, they have many suggestions for beginner running programs. Alternating walking and running is a good way to start. There is also the 30–20-10 method to improve your endurance and speed. You run easy for 30 sec, run harder for 20 and all out for 10 then repeat. You don’t do any one thing long enough to get bored or totally puffed.

I never stretch and never have in my 40 years of running. There are many schools of thought as to whether it is beneficial or not. I have never had any serious injuries from running. The same is true of running shoes or running barefoot or in a zero drop type shoe, you have to see what works for you.

If you like to read about running, there is a great book. It is non fiction but reads like fiction, full of interesting characters (mostly ultra marathoners and they are a crazy bunch for sure). I have it on my iphone and listen while I run. It is called “Born to Run – A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen” written by Christopher McDougall.

Have fun and let us know how you go. I am entered in a 12k in October and am training hard for a pb! (at age 67)