Running - Getting Started

Running is a great way to get in shape, and it benefits almost every part of your body, as well as lifts your mood. I love to run. I love how I can go outside, explore new areas, and the only equipment I need is a good pair of shoes. I personally am not a natural born runner. However, I love how with running you can start from barely exercising at all and see measurable improvements. Even though I am not a fast runner, I have participated in numerous 5K's, 12K's, half marathons, and two full marathons. The feeling as I cross the finish line and accomplish something that not many people do is exhilarating. So, this post includes some tips for those of you that may want to begin running, but do not know where to start. It will be the first of many posts I do on running.

First, to start off with the benefits (because not many of us like doing something for nothing) as found on active.com:

Improve Your Health

Believe it or not, running is actually a great way to increase your overall level of health.  Research shows that running can raise your levels of good cholesterol while also helping you increase lung function and use.  In addition, running can also boost your immune system and lower your risk of developing blood clots.


Prevent Disease

For women, running can help lower your risk of breast cancer.  It can also help reduce the risk of having a stroke.  Many doctors today recommend running for people who are in the early stages of diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis, and it is proven to help reduce the risk of having a heart attack.  By helping the arteries retain their elasticity and strengthening the heart, your chances of suffering a heart attack can be significantly reduced.

Lose Weight

Running is one of the best forms of exercise for losing or maintaining a consistent weight.  You will find that it is a leading way to burn off extra calories and that it is the second most effective exercise in terms of calories burned per minute, following only after cross country skiing.

Boost Your Confidence 

Not all of the benefits of running are physical.  Running can provide an noticeable boost to your confidence and self-esteem.  By setting and achieving goals, you can help give yourself a greater sense of empowerment that will leave you feeling much happier.

Relieve Stress 

Stress can actually cause a number of health and mood problems.  It can also diminish appetite and sleep quality.  When you run, you force your body to exert excess energy and hormones.  Running also helps to reduce your chances of developing tension headaches.

Eliminate Depression 

When you are depressed, the last thing you likely want to do is to get up and go for a run.  Yet you will find that after only a few minutes of running, your brain will start to secrete hormones that naturally improve your mood.  In fact, there are few things in the world that can better or more rapidly treat depression than exercise such as running.

It may seem surprising to learn all of the different ways that running can improve your health, but the truth of the matter is that these are only a few of the many benefits that it can offer to your body.  Running really is incredibly beneficial to the body, mind, and spirit, and you will find that even short runs can leave you feeling more energized, more focused, and better able to enjoy all that life has to offer.

Now, on to the tips:

• Running is about 95% mental. Your mind is a powerful thing.  It can discourage you and tell you that you’re too overweight, too out of shape, too uncoordinated, etc. However, if you’ve ever seen The Biggest Loser, you know that any sized person can run. (Unless you have a medical reason why you shouldn’t.)  It’s slow going at first and you have to keep at it and train your muscles, but mostly you have to train your brain.
• What you put on your feet is important; get some new shoes.  An old pair of shoes will cause injury and will make your body ache, causing you to run slower and causing you to get frustrated. Make sure there is extra room by your toes. You don’t want numb toes or cramped feet.Comfort is more important than how a shoe looks, so make sure to invest the time into finding a shoe that is right for you. 
• Practice walking first.  Do not to take lengthy sprinter strides. Keep your steps short and right underneath our body. Put your heel down first and then roll to our toes as you walk (heel strike is important to reducing the risk of plantar fasciitis).  Running/walking on your toes uses more energy and if you want to run for a long time, conserving energy is important.  If you need to, walk around in circles in your living room, putting our heels down first and practice a nice even gait, with a short stride.
•  Relax your hands, bend your elbows, and relax your shoulders.  This is all about conserving energy.  If you clench your fists, keep your thumbs up, have you shoulders up by your ears, tense up, et cetera, that uses extra energy. Learn to completely drop your hands and just let them hang off your arms.  If you need to, just lightly touch your thumb and middle finger.  And then bend your elbows and let your arms swing naturally as you run.  But keep it relaxed. During a run if I find myself tensing up I drop my arms, do a few backward shoulder rolls, and am relaxed again. 
• Run on the road when possible.  The sidewalk is a lot harder than pavement so whenever possible, use the shoulder of the road.  This will help prevent/minimize achy knees and joints.  Also, try and run on a flat road.  This will keep your muscles working evenly in both legs.On a deserted road, you can even run right down the middle of the road, just be aware of your surroundings at all times. That's another safety issue in itself. 
• If you get tired, slow down your steps.  Slow way down if you have to but you don’t have to stop.  Just try slowing down first, see how you feel, then try going just a bit longer.
• If you want to run faster, speed up your steps, not the length of your steps.
• Warm-up and Cool-down.  Walk for at least 5 minutes before and after your run.  That’s a good way to transition in and out of running.
• Stretch.  Stretch before and after running to help lengthen the muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
• Sign up for a race. This really works to motivate me. Once I have invested money in something; I am guaranteed to invest the time to get it done.
• Reward yourself. Set a goal for yourself, and once you reach that goal - reward yourself. It can be a new shirt, a movie, some new shoes, whatever motivates you. Also, don't forget to reward yourself for the steps along the way. 
• Find what keeps you going. I like to run to music. Upbeat songs that make me run faster. There are applications on smart phones that can even play songs based on your pace to help you keep pace. I find that if a slow song comes in, I run slower. So, I keep my music upbeat. If you like music, find music that puts you in a good mood, pumps you up, and keeps you moving. Also, running with a friend can help as well. A good conversation can make the time go by fast and keep you going as well.
• Be accountable. Tell a friend or loved one about your fitness goals, write them down, and report regularly. Myfitnesspal.com is a great resource. You can log activity daily from your computer or smart phone and share with friends so that you keep each other accountable. There are a variety of other tools on there as well, and it is free!