For those persons who are thinking about getting into running, the first step is always going to be the most difficult. But once you actually take that leap and start moving your body on a regular basis, you’ll find that running is a great way to improve your health without unnecessarily taxing your body.
That said, there are ways to maximize one’s output and get the most out of the exercise. A new report from ABC News features advice from Women’s Health that aims to help women run better and keep those runs going for months and years to come. The advice is important to consider for those who want to be as productive as possible.
One can see where making the most out of a run is vital when you look at the results of the Women’s National Runner Survey. Nearly two thirds of the 5,500 women queried said that running helps them reduce stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The fact that the survey was polling runners may make the results somewhat skewed, of course, as there are others who no doubt put off running due to worries about burning lungs and aching bodies.
While those things are certainly a possibility, there are ways to reduce the risk of them and to derive more joy from the activity as a whole. For instance, don’t think that you have to push yourself to or past your breaking point the first time you head out. Keep your pace in check, focusing on getting more time rather than more speed. One tip that gets tossed around a lot is that you should be able to carry on a conversation while running.
If you need to, start with a walk and then gradually build up your pace from that baseline once you start to get bored. And although you may want to supplement a longer jog with certain high-intensity activities like sprints or hill-running, this should only be done once you’re extremely comfortable maintaining a steady pace with your jog.
The other big mistake that a lot of people make is pushing themselves to run every single day. The truth is that even three days a week should be sufficient for your body, and four is probably the most that you’re going to want to run. Five is acceptable only if you’re feeling up to it. Taking break days allows your body to get over any pain or exhaustion that will accumulate over the course of subsequent workouts. It’s better to avoid running and avoid an injury then to run through the pain and feel miserable.
Finally, focus more on time than distance. That way, you can adjust your pace as needed and you won’t get so caught up on deadlines or pushing yourself to meet unrealistic goals.
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