Nine out of ten people who plan on getting some form of physical activity turn to running. Of this number, four will quit running and revert to their sedentary lifestyle after a week and another two, after a month. Top three of the most cited reasons why people discontinue their regimen are expecting too much, boredom, and fatigue. These reasons reflect a lack of understanding about running.
Any beginning runner, wanting to make the activity a routine, should therefore increase their knowledge about running. The following are running for beginners tips you should know before getting physically fit:
Actively seek the advice of a medical professional. Running may seem like a harmless activity, but it can produce considerable stress to your body especially to your cardiovascular and respiratory systems. As they say, “too much, too soon is the formula for injury.” One of the most important running for beginners tips, often taken for granted, is that people who are in their forties, with an existing heart or respiratory condition, and overweight/obese should proactively seek the advice of a doctor before running—or engaging in any form of physical activity.
First in the list of running for beginners tips is to have your vital signs especially your pulse and blood pressure (BP) checked by undergoing a stress test. Your pulse is your heart rate when you are at rest. When physically active, it is normal for your pulse to increase 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, which is computed by subtracting your age from 220 for men and 226 for women. For instance, a 35-year old adult man should have 185 as the maximum heart rate; when active, his pulse should only increase to 50 to 85 percent of 185, which is 92 to 157 beats.
Blood pressure, on the other hand, has two values: the systolic (the pressure of blood on the artery wall when the heart is contracting) and the diastolic (the pressure when the heart is relaxing) with the two separated by a bar (/). The normal BP is 120/80, which should increase to 200/80 when you are involved in any strenuous activity. Having a 300/80 is a danger sign.
Be prepared for running. Being physically active requires a certain degree of preparation on your part to ensure success of the endeavor. First of the running for beginners tips on preparation is to get a new set of apparel suited for running. Among the essentials are running shoes and socks, a spandex to wear under your shorts, a sports bra for women and sports brief for men, running clothes that are ten degrees warmer than your weather, a sports cap, and dependable and properly-fitting running shoes. It is important to break in your shoes before running. This is done by walking 50 miles with your shoes on; you can wear your shoes on a regular day for 1 week.
Another aspect in the running for beginners tips on preparation is to have the right attitude toward running. Setting your goal of how much or how long you need to run in a day can be good, but never lose sight of the bigger picture. Running should not be viewed as a chore or a necessity. This will only make you frustrated when you do not meet your goal and cause you to give up. Running should be something fun: a chance to unwind, to have quality time with yourself, and meet other people interested in running.
Condition your body for running. One of the important running for beginners tips on conditioning is to have a warm up exercises before running and cool down regimen after. Sprinting right away will only result in fatigue as your body becomes overwhelmed to the sudden increase in workload especially supplying oxygen to the cells and producing ATPs (adenosine triphosphate) for energy.
Stretching exercises from head to toe can be done before and after. These exercises are also good in preventing muscle cramps. There are videos found online on the proper way to perform stretching. Another alternative is to walk slowly then briskly before your run and back to brisk and slow walking after. You can also alternate brisk waling and running so you will have time to catch your breathe.
