The start of a New Year is typically accompanied by a New Year’s resolutions or two and, more often than not, those resolutions involve creating some sort of healthier lifestyle. If your goal was to get fit, lose weight, or exercise more in the New Year, then running may be the perfect activity for you. It’s never too late to start running, even if you’ve never done it before. Below are are 5 tips to help every beginner get started.
1) Start With a Plan and Keep a Training Log
If you’ve never run before, it’s best to ease your way into it by starting out slow and short. Incorporating a weekly walk/jog plan in the beginning is a great way to start the journey. A helpful way to keep track of runs and stick to your plan is to create a training log to record weekly runs and compare time, pace, and distance. As time goes on, you can progress to longer and/or faster runs as you start building up your stamina and endurance.
2) Fuel Your Body
Proper nutrition and hydration are imperative when it comes to any workout, especially running. Since carbohydrates are the bodies energy source, fueling your body with carbs before a run will allow for better, optimal performance for the duration of the run. Along with pre-run carbs, an adequate amount of water before a run will help hydrate the body and avoid cramping throughout the run. For longer runs, it’s always a good idea to bring water to drink during the run to maintain your body's hydration.
3) Warm-Up, Cool Down, and Recover
The best way to prevent injuries is to properly stretch before and after a run. The warm-up and cool-down are important aspects of a run and will help your body prepare for and recover from running. Another important step to avoid injury is to rest when your body needs it. It’s easy to get caught up in the “go, go, go” mentality of a new routine, but don’t forget to listen to your body. If your body isn’t used to running, it will need ample time to recover, rest and rejuvenate in between runs for optimal performance.
4) Invest in Running Shoes
Stop by your local, specialty running store and get fitted for an actual pair of running shoes. Everyone’s feet are different, so finding a running shoe that supports your particular foot-type is a must. The wrong pair of running shoes could lead to uncomfortable runs, knee and hip pain, and even injury. With that said, it’s best practice to let an expert help you choose the correct shoe for you. We know running shoes aren’t cheap, so be sure to take care of them by placing remodeez shoe inserts in them after every run to keep them smelling good and to help them last longer.
5) Consider Social Run Clubs
Some people may like running alone, but if you’re someone who would prefer a running partner, consider joining a local run club in your area. Meeting up with a group of runners once or twice a week can help keep you motivated, especially in the beginning of your running journey. Not only will it help you stick to your running plan, but it’ll also allow you to meet new people and socialize while staying active.
Ready to start running? You’ve got this!