Running has always been one of the best activities people can do to burn calories and body fat, as well as gain many cardiovascular and muscle benefits. In addition, it is important to note that it is one of the sports that has more beginners, since it is one of the most accessible.
The vast majority believe that running is an easy sport , this being one of the main factors why people tend to stop practicing it. But it really is a highly demanding activity, not suitable for people who do not have willpower.
When is running accessible to a beginner? We give you 5 tips to help you determine it.
Time you need to run to feel good
As we already know, all runners are unique in their style. The question to ask yourself is: “When will it start to get easier for me?”
When answering this question, you should take into account the following factors:
- How good were your health (honestly) before you started running?
- Are you overweight? How many kilograms of more weights (according to your doctor)?
- How old are you?
Depending on these questions and the type of people you are, it will be easier for you to start running or not.
Young and / or active people
If you’ve been relatively active for most of your life, then it should be a lot easier for you to adapt to these kinds of situations, but if you’ve been completely sedentary for months or years, running will be more difficult for you . On the other hand, if you are in your 20s and 30s and have little or no weight to lose, then it may take 2-3 weeks for you to adjust to running.
By adapting we mean that the runner should feel comfortable running; that is, less hectic, and the activity shouldn’t feel so difficult when performed at an easy, conversational pace.
Mature and overweight people
If you are between 30, 40, 50 years old or even older, it will take longer for the body to adapt to the stress of running , and it may cost you 4 to 6 weeks of constant training to make you feel better running.
The same time frame can be applied to heavier runners: they have more weight to lift; and your feet, joints, bones, and tendons are absorbing more shock with each foot strike.
This shouldn’t be a deterrent for overweight beginners, but rather a reality check. The activity will start to feel easier, but it may take a little longer.
5 tips to become a good runner
1. Keep your goals realistic
Running is a high-impact physical activity, therefore you need a great physical performance at the time of doing it and much more time to adapt to this activity.
Over time, you will get used to it and feel more comfortable, but it will cost your body the time it needs to go through the adaptation process.
The same thing happens with the progression of people. For example, if you and your friend start running at the same time, it doesn’t mean that both of you are going to progress at exactly the same pace. That person can adapt much faster than you or vice versa. That is why we recommend you to be patient.
There are also a number of factors that can affect a person’s performance and progression when running. You should check if you are stressed, if you slept well during the night, if you are doing well at work or questions similar to these: you may find the problem why you are not making progress in your training.
2. Don’t run too long
Normally, people tend to run day after day, without any rest, but professional coaches give their students a series of workouts where runners do not usually run on consecutive days, but have a rest day in between.
Cardio cross training , such as cycling, walking, pool running, ellipticals, or other machines in a gym, builds aerobic exercise without the impact of running. On the other hand, strength-based cross training, such as weightlifting, Pilates, resistance training, and strength interval classes, strengthens and can also improve your aerobic fitness.
Cross training will help you get stronger and fitter, which in turn will make running easier for you. It will also give your body a physical break, while at the same time giving you calorie-burning benefits, and it will give your brain a break from the monotony of running.
A good recommendation is to mix other sports with running , this will help your body to better adapt to the activity of running .
3. Do warm-up exercises
The vast majority of runners complain that they feel unwell after completing 30 minutes or 7 kilometers. This means that you may feel doomed to stay in this time range for a long time.
To avoid this problem, you simply need to add a warm-up to your workout to properly prepare your body. These warm-ups can be 5 to 10 minutes of walking followed by dynamic exercises with a wide range of motion to warm up your body.
A 15-20 minute warm-up may sound like a lot, but raising your heart rate and warming up the muscles you’ll be using for running can help make the actual run less uncomfortable.
4. Recover properly
Recovery periods should not only be for those runners of intermediate or advanced level or after completing training or long races. Beginners should get into the habit of lowering their heart rate by walking, stretching, and relaxing after running.
After finishing your workout, you should consume a 4: 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. You should also make sure you are well hydrated, before, during and after the race.
New runners, simply because they are rookies, don’t take the recovery time they really need. Therefore, it is important that you try to recover from the race you just did, in order to start the next one in the best way.
5. Run with other people
Running alone can make this activity boring, monotonous, or even really exhausting. Therefore, it is recommended to run with a group that helps you stay responsible and committed to this activity.
We recommend attending organized group races in your local community. Join a charity fundraising group, hire a coach to run a local running team, or recruit your friends and family to start running with you – this way you can run with people who are committed to helping you.
conclusion
The simple act of running involves changing a large number of things, such as your daily routine and even your eating habits. These factors can be very difficult to change for the most beginners, so we bring you a series of tips that will help you stay in the range of difficulty of this physical activity.
References
- Sabrina, G. When Does Running Get Easier for Beginners? For Active [Revised June 2019].
