10 Important Tips for Newbie Runners

By Your Health Magazine

If you want to get serious with personal fitness, the best way to get started is by running. Consider it a gateway to more intense forms of outdoor exercise, but while anyone can get in on it, running requires a great deal of preparation. You could be investing time, money, and effort in a running habit just to get only minimal returns. Knowing how you can make the most of your experience as you turn it into a part of your lifestyle matters.

As a beginner, you might be wondering how and where to get started. It won’t do you any good if you jump right into the activity blindly. You run the risk of injuring yourself and others as well as worsening any pre-existing conditions you may have. To overcome these challenges, you just have to follow these important tips to get the most out of your experience:

1. Know if you’re a good fit

The first thing you will have to consider is checking your current physical condition. While it may not be as intense as other workouts, running can still pose a danger to those who are under medication or have conditions that could worsen through prolonged strain and activity.

People suffering from cardiovascular conditions, as well as certain types of heart disease, may experience worsening symptoms if they take up running without prior consultation with their physician. Added to this as patients with arthritis and other joint problems that restrict an individual’s range of motion. Unless you’re generally healthy, it’s always advisable to talk to your doctor and see if you could incorporate running into your daily or weekly workout plan.

2. Be in the right mindset

In addition to knowing your physical limits and capacities, you should also consider if you have the attitude and personality befitting a runner. Like other forms of exercise, running requires certain traits that can help you accomplish your goals and stay on track. Take a moment to check if you have a sense of self-control and discipline. If you lack these, it will be difficult for you to be consistent and incorporate the activity into your lifestyle. However, you could use running as a means to develop these traits. Just don’t expect it to get easier as you go along.

3. Find the right venue

Part of your running lifestyle includes choosing the best places to do the activity. For this, take the time to scout your neighborhood for public spaces and areas where you could plot out your initial route. Consider places such as parks and track ovals. These are great for beginners as they offer paved paths free of obstacles and vehicular traffic. Use these venues as your training ground where you can develop your technique, find your ideal pacing, and boost your self-confidence. This will prepare you to become more adaptable to any running environment.

4. Get the right gear

You don’t have to invest in expensive workout gear to develop a healthy running habit, although it does make a difference if you buy quality running shoes and attire. Whether you’re shopping around for bargains or ordering a pair of sneakers from top brands, you should know if you’re getting your money’s worth by checking the quality of the products you’re buying.

Don’t just look at the price points. Check the build and design of your gear. You could still make do with shoes, shirts, and accessories that are more affordable compared to branded gear, so long as you’re constantly using them, that is.

5. Never forget warm-up and stretching sessions

No matter the kind of workout you undertake, warm-up sessions combined with joint and muscle stretches are non-negotiables. Especially in running, where there’s a greater risk of spraining and twisting your ankle as well as stress fractures, which could result in chronic pain.

From the start, it matters to come up with a warm-up procedure that includes taking a brisk walk for five minutes. After that, take time to do stretches, focusing on the calves, thighs, hamstrings, and other major muscle groups that often do all the work. Your routine must include a hip flexor stretch and leg swings. Once you follow through with these activities, you will get better blood flow, a boost in your performance, and a reduction in the risk of tripping and skipping.

6. Take it easy at first

Since you’re new to running, it’s important to take simple steps and manageable goals. You can’t expect to accomplish your first 21k run if you haven’t mastered your first 3k, so go for simpler distances. If you have a condition, a one-kilometer run might be a good start. When it comes to pacing, you might want to go for six to seven minutes per kilometer.

Commit to this simple habit and add more to the distance as you build enough vitality for more intense runs. Take it one step at a time and listen to your body to check if it’s ready for longer distances. As you build experience, you might as well cover a kilometer within just five minutes or less!

7. Track your workout

If you’re planning to become a serious runner, it helps if you can come up with a system for tracking your goals. You might start by setting a timer for how long you should be running. As you go deeper into the habit, consider investing in a smartband or smart watch with fitness tracking features. The best ones could give more accurate readings of your heart rate as well as pacing.

8. Get a coach by your side

If you think you’re ready to step up your running game, it helps if you could reach out to a fitness expert who can advise on how to boost your performance and check whether you’re using the right technique. You need a professional who can help you optimize your training without putting you at a greater risk of injury, especially if you’re planning to enter your first marathon. If you’re in Australia, you may want to connect with a running physio Melbourne or Brisbane fitness enthusiasts rely on for valuable advice.

9. Know what to do when injured

Even as you build experience as a runner, you’re still never spared from a potentially serious injury. Anything can happen during your routine, from sudden sprains to tripping as a result of obstacles. If anything ever happens to you, it’s important to just stop running and feel any sensation of pain, especially in your ankles and thighs.

Take a rest and apply a cold compress to the injured areas. Apply pressure and bandage the injuries. Severe ones may require a trip to the emergency room. It’s important to listen to know your body’s limits and stop when it’s being impeded by severe pain.

10. Join a running club

Once you’ve turned running into a part of your lifestyle, you may as well connect with other enthusiasts within your neighborhood. Running clubs are great venues not just for meeting new friends and professional contacts, but also for learning ways to improve your performance. You may even get the chance to take part in activities like marathons and charity runs alongside other fitness fans.

Endnote

Running is more than just a workout. It’s a lifestyle. To get to that point, you only need to overcome initial challenges and turn it into a habit that’s almost second-nature!