The Top 4 Tips For Those Who Want To Begin Running

Are you chasing that elusive runners high you may have heard of? Just wanting to add a bit of activity into your day? Or has your workplace organised a fun run?

The idea of running seems simple, but after a week or so many people find that everything hurts or they aren’t as “fit” as they thought they were and become discouraged. Those may be some pretty big hurdles to get over, but if you power through the results are well worth it.

 Here are 4 tips to help those who are wanting to start to run:

1.      A good pair of running shoes is essential

A decent pair of shoes before you begin to run can make a whole lot of difference. Now, it’s not necessary to go out and buy the most expensive pair you can find, but you don’t want to be running in a pair of casual everyday shoes either. 

Make sure to find a pair of shoes that is purpose made for running or cross training. Running shoes provide a few benefits such as better heel support, they’re light and have increased bounce in their soles and have mesh that allows the foot to breathe easily. A decent pair of shoes may also lessen your risk of blistering which could put an end to your running career before it even left the ground!

2.      Don’t expect to run a marathon overnight

The body is an efficient machine, but to become efficient it requires time to perform some learning and fine tuning. When you are just starting to perform your jogs or runs, don’t run until exhaustion. Run until you are quite puffed out and sweaty, but not to the point where your legs become “jelly”. 

You may find that you can only run quite a short distance at first, don’t feel disheartened. As previously mentioned, run until you work up a decent sweat and are huffing and puffing. Record how far you were able to run and stick to this distance for a week. In the upcoming consecutive weeks, try to increase this distance that you have ran in small increments every 3-4 runs.

3.      Let your body rest

If you may feel stiff or sore the next morning after your run it is completely normal. Don’t be alarmed. However, do listen to the signs and symptoms your body is giving you. If you are quite sore and stiff, it may be better to rest and run the next day. It isn’t necessary to be training every day of the week, instead 3 to 4 days per week will be perfectly sufficient and allow adequate time between your runs for recovery.

4.      Vary your training

While training, don’t just limit yourself to running. Strength training of the lower limbs is a great tool which will assist in making you a better runner, as well as reducing the risk for potential injuries! Some areas you may want to target for strength training are definitely the quads, hips, abdominals and the erector spinae muscles (muscles which keep your back straight)!

Continuing the trend of varying your training, don’t just run at the same speed every time. Devote 1-2 days per week where your run is something completely different. You may want to sprint for as long as you can and walk until recovery, rinse and repeat until you reach your goal distance. You may want to perform runs up or down the incline of a hill, change the type of surface you will run on such as concrete or grass. The list goes on. Different environments, sensations and running styles will all help evoke diverse training adaptations while at the same time keeping things fun and different!

What is the reason you want to try and begin running? Tell us! We can help make that happen.

Physiotherapists are experts in human movement. Book a free initial assessment to discuss your training before going too hard. A few tips from us could help you avoid an injury.