Running is one of the very best forms of exercise there are. A regular running habit is always going to be one of the best things you can do to keep yourself in peak physical condition, maintain a healthy body weight, and keep your mood elevated as much as possible too. But if you have not been running for a while and you are thinking of trying to get back into it and back into a bigger part of your life, that can be tough, and it can take a while to do it.
In this post, we are going to take a look at all that you need to know about taking up running. As long as you bear the following points in mind, you should find that you can become a proficient runner in no time at all.
You Can Do It
First of all, you need to make sure that you are starting off with the right motivation. One of the best ways to get motivated is to fight any sense that you might have that running is beyond you. The fact is that anyone can do it as long as they have two working legs (or even just one). With programs like Couch to 5K being a great example, you can see how pretty much anyone can get into running, whatever kind of position they might happen to start out from, so that is something that you might want to bear in mind. Keep that in mind and you should be able to make much more of a success of your running journey.
Get Medical Clearance
That being said, it is a good idea to make sure that you are physically capable of doing a lot of running, before you start doing it. The best way to do that is to get medical clearance that you are fit to run. That is a simple case of visiting your doctor and telling them that you are thinking about getting into running. They should be able to put you under various tests to ensure that you are strong enough to do it, including checking that your heart is okay and other things of that nature. This is important, as a lot of hardcore running can be dangerous if you are not careful, or if you have underlying conditions such as heart disease. Either way, this is an important way to be careful.
Invest In Good Quality Clothing
What you wear when you are running is really very important indeed. Not only does it allow you to be safer and in a better state of mind while running, it improves comfort levels too, and on the whole this means that you are going to have a much better time of it. In particular, you need to make sure that you are wearing appropriate shoes, as these are going to really help you to be comfortable and avoid sustaining any injuries to the foot or ankle. Make sure that you spend a good amount of time shopping around for the right shoes. Take into account what your feet are actually like – if you have wide feet, find the best running shoes for wide feet, and so on. This is one of the best things you can do to ensure that you are able to run comfortably and safely.
A Schedule Will Be Your Friend
If you are keen to watch your progress and see how you are improving, then you might want to think about drawing up some kind of schedule that you can follow along. This can be as gentle or as full-on as you like, but the point is that it will help you in being able to watch your progress and achieve more and more each and every day. This can be great for spurring you on, so it’s something that you are really going to want to think about. Often, having a schedule is the main thing you can do to ensure that you are able to keep it up for a good duration, which is the most important thing for most people.
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Stretch!
Finally, make sure that you are always doing the warm-up and cool-down necessary before and after every run. Even if you feel like you don’t need it, it is something that you should absolutely do. Stretching helps to keep your body limber and supple and ensures that you are not going to sustain injuries, so it’s vital that you are doing this every time.
Thank you for reading!