I'm a 53 year old man. 6 ft tall, currently 168 pounds.

At my annual physical in early April, I was 182 pounds and was diagnosed as pre-diabetic and prehypertensive.

Although I have exercised on and off over the last several years, I have failed to get into a long-term "rhythm" of workouts.

I have now been out running 2 or 3 days every week since the beginning of April. I feel my stamina is still lacking but getting better.

I have a watch that can track my heart rate, so this is what my workouts have begun to look like:

Start out at a jog for 1 to 1.4 miles. Heart rate gets between 155 and 163

Walk for 100 to 200 paces, or until my heart rate drops below 145.

Jog for 200 paces, then walk 100 to 200 paces, or until my heart rate drops back below 145.

Repeat until I've covered 3 to 3.5 miles total.

I plan to work up, but am not sure what I should work on first:

Increasing first run from 1.4 miles to 2

Increase distance of jogging segments.

Decrease distance of walking segments.

Do something completely different because this is absolutely the wrong way to work out.

My mile pace when jogging is just under 10 minutes

I'm not sure if this will work since you mentioned your heart rate issue but for me sprints have helped increase my speed and stamina on runs.

I do a 10 minute warm up mile. Then 10 sets of sprint/walk a minute/sprint/walk a minute, etc.

I don't know if the heart rate is an issue, it is just how I am determining when to start jogging again.

How long are your sprints?

I think what your doing is great if you're happy with it. Keep building as you plan but I think you're on a good track as long as you keep it up.

Maybe take a look at how the couch to 5k programs are structured. In the past, I started with a 5k program then built up to a half marathon program. I skipped the 10k program, but those are out there too. The couch to 5k programs really do work.

I agree if you're happy with what you're doing keep it going.

Other suggestion would be to slow down and see what your hr does.

Sounds like you should decrease your pace on your jogging. Sub 10 min for someone just getting back into it, is too fast.

Hard to judge your heart rate, because we all have different zones. Walk run is effective until you can consistently run. Run 4 min and walk one.

This is a way to figure out your zones. 30 minute threshold test is a good way. Typically my every day running pace is 2-3 min mile slower than the test. https://www.myprocoach.net/blog/how-to-test-threshold-running-pace/

Dad-O-Lot said:

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How long are your sprints?

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Pretty short. My first one might be 30 seconds but it diminishes from there. On a full max out sprint my body drains fast.

I've done a treadmill version of this where I "sprint" for 60 seconds and walk for 60 seconds but my treadmill sprint isn't really a sprint. It's just a fast pace run. I'm scared to go uber fast on a treadmill.

aggie1819 said:

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Sounds like you should decrease your pace on your jogging. Sub 10 min for someone just getting back into it, is too fast.

Hard to judge your heart rate, because we all have different zones. Walk run is effective until you can consistently run. Run 4 min and walk one.

This is a way to figure out your zones. 30 minute threshold test is a good way. Typically my every day running pace is 2-3 min mile slower than the test. https://www.myprocoach.net/blog/how-to-test-threshold-running-pace/

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I have been going out 2 to 3 times a week since the beginning of April. I only recently (last 2 weeks) got up to a sub 10 minute mile.

Today I jogged 1.5 miles, then walk/jogged another 2.5 miles. Kept to a similar pattern. Jogged 300 paces, walked until my heart rate dropped below 145, then jog another 300 paces, repeat for 2.5 miles.

When your knees start to give out...move to HIIT training that has less impact on the joints.

From a health point of view weight lifting and HIIT are better for you than slow/long workouts and can often be done in a shorter amount of time.