Increase your chances of falling in love with this sport.
Table of Contents
Start with walking
If the last time you ran was in high school, and reluctantly, one flight of stairs causes shortness of breath or if you have a lot of excess weight, it is better to start with walking.
For at least a week, try to walk 10,000 steps every day. This is just a number, but it is better to have something to aim for: it makes it easier to start.
Every kilometer you walk improves your physical fitness and prepares you for your first run. If you lead an active lifestyle and walk a lot, you can start running right away.
Alternate running with walking
Many beginners perceive running as a rapid overcoming of distance, so they quickly run out of breath.
On the first run, beginners are scared by new sensations: the pulse and breathing rate increase, the pressure and blood circulation speed increase, possibly, somewhere something stings from the unusual. The body tries to adjust to the new mode of work, but it takes time. If you endure a little, it will work and you will feel easier. But this is only if you chose a suitable pace for yourself from the beginning!
Give your body a chance to adapt: start gradually. Here is an example of a workout for beginners with alternating running and walking from our expert.
Set a timer and run for 3 minutes, then switch to walking for the next 2 minutes – this is one series. You need to do six of them, which will take you 30 minutes.
At the same time, remember that three minutes of running is not a sprint with all your might. You will not last long like that. The running pace should be comfortable.
To maintain the right pace, use a simple rule: you should be able to maintain a continuous dialogue while running. This pace is also called conversational.
They often advise running with an eye on the pulse, but if you do not have a chest pulse meter, it will be of little use. Fitness bracelets and watches roughly determine the heart rate and give huge errors.
Moreover, that the numbers may vary depending on the specific person and at first it is better to rely on your feelings.
If you cannot maintain a conversational pace for three minutes, reduce the running time. For example, you can run for 2 minutes and walk for 3, or run for 1 minute and walk for the remaining 4.
Train regularly and increase the time
Regular exercise and recovery time are necessary for a quick adaptation of the body.
The most effective growth of preparation is observed in runners who train 3-4 times a week. If you arrange workouts every other day, then in two weeks you will do seven of them. This rhythm will allow you to recover and not lose the skill.
At the same time, you need to gradually increase the running time for progress. If 3 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking feel comfortable, use the following plan:
- 1 week: 3 minutes of running, 2 minutes of walking – 6 series (30 minutes).
- 2 week: 4 minutes of running, 2 minutes of walking – 5 series (30 minutes).
- 3 week: 5 minutes of running, 2 minutes of walking – 4-5 series (28-35 minutes).
- 4 week: 5 minutes of running, 1 minute of walking – 5 series (30 minutes).
- 5 week: full 30 minutes of running without walking.
- 6 week: 35 minutes of running.
- 7 week: 40 minutes of running. 8 week: 45 minutes of running.
If you feel very tired before completing the workout according to the plan, it means that you either took too high a pace or run too long.
Roll back and repeat the previous week again, and then try again. And under no circumstances give up on the pretext: “After all, running is not for me.” You just need more time to adapt.
If you continue, you have already won.
Always warm up well before training
Always do joint warm-up exercises before running.
Warm-up exercises activate the main motor units of your body and ensure optimal distribution of synovial fluid in the joints, which improves their sliding and mobility.
Do a cool-down after training
If you are not going to do anything after running, choose static stretching.
If you want to finish your run with a circular strength training or jumping exercises, do dynamic stretching. This is a complex of multi-joint exercises that will help you stretch your body more thoroughly, prepare it for other movements and reduce the risk of injury.
How to do static stretching
Static stretching is when you take a certain position in which the muscles are stretched and hold it for some time. It will help you relax the main muscle groups that worked during running. In the video below, our expert shows a set of exercises for stretching after running.
Hold each position for 45-60 seconds, stretch without fanaticism (pain sensations should be minimal).
How to do dynamic stretching
Dynamic stretching is a complex of multi-joint exercises that help you stretch your muscles more thoroughly. It will help you avoid injuries during intense movements.
Unfortunately, not only beginners, but also those who gave themselves a second chance to become a runner after the first failure, ignore the warm-up and cool-down, arguing that they lack time.
Do not skip the warm-up and cool-down: this is as important a part of the training as the running itself.
Pay attention to your body position
The quality of running depends not only on how fast you move your legs, but also on the work of all other parts of your body.
Remember a few simple technical details that you can fix yourself:
Look ahead, do not look under your feet.
Relax your shoulders. Many runners tense them, which causes physical fatigue and slows down the pace. If you feel that you have tensed your shoulders, just shake your hands and try to relax them. Your arms should move forward and backward, like a swing. Do not spread your elbows to the sides, bend them at a right angle, collect your fists, but do not squeeze them with all your might. You need to put your feet under the center of gravity, not in front of your body. True, this is quite difficult to track (unless you ask someone to record you on video and analyze your technique). It is also very important to learn how to relax your body while running.
Most often, beginners have excessive tension in their whole body. This interferes with both normal blood flow and the perception of running in general. Moreover, tension greatly limits the mechanics of movements and leads to various inflammations and pains in the legs. Therefore, the main advice: learn to relax while running!
If you want to improve your technique, find a coach. If you are going to cope on your own, be sure to read about the technical aspects.
Add strength training
In addition to running, it is important to supplement your workouts with strength complexes to strengthen your muscles. Such exercises will help relieve the load on the joints and ligaments in the future, which is especially important for people with excess weight.
At the same time, you do not have to buy a gym membership: exercises with your own body weight are quite suitable. Arrange 2-3 strength training sessions a week. You can do this on days off from running or right after running.
Monitor your condition
Many beginner runners complain of aching pain in their knees. Most often, this is just an adaptive discomfort that goes away within an hour after training or even earlier. Do not worry and quit running because of this.
But you cannot completely ignore the pain: sometimes they can be a sign of serious problems.
If the pain in the joint area is sharp, increasing, pulsating and it does not go away with exercise within three days, you should see a surgeon.
In addition to joint pain, runners often face muscle spasms. This most often happens with the muscles on the back of the thigh and is not dangerous if you react quickly.
As soon as a spasm occurs, you need to slowly and smoothly stretch the muscle with the opposite movement, and then gently massage it.
Add variety
Every athlete periodically loses inspiration, and running becomes boring. What to do? Find different ways to diversify your activities. Fortunately, there are quite a lot of these methods, so everyone can choose the one that suits them.
Listen to music
Make a playlist of your favorite tracks and enjoy the audio accompaniment. The main thing is to remember that we unconsciously adjust our pace to the rhythm of the music, so either watch yourself or choose special playlists for runners with cadence in mind.
Find like-minded people
If you are bored of running alone, find friends who are ready to support your sports endeavors, or join a running club.
Training will become more fun, and responsibility will appear. You are unlikely to find 101 excuses why you should stay in a warm bed at six in the morning and not go running, if your friends are already waiting for you on the street.
Keep a running diary
This is an option for lovers of keeping diaries and studying statistical data. Tracking your progress and studying the processes and circumstances that affect your running results can be your motivation.
By analyzing the records, you will be able to make appropriate conclusions and make adjustments necessary to improve the results. Special running applications or entire health social networks can help with this.
Remember, it’s never too late to start
No one requires you to have sprint speed or ultra-marathon endurance. The main thing is that your workouts are safe, support your health and bring you pleasure. Everything else is secondary.
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