Running - how do I keep up?
Running has many benefits as a sport:
- There is no need for an exorbitant investment in equipment or a sports facility. Put on your shoes and let's go!
- In terms of calorie consumption, only cross-country skiing can come up with even higher numbers.
- The sport can be practiced all year round.
But why do many people take up running and then stop after a few weeks? There are a few good reasons.
Running for long periods at a time requires real fitness.
As easy as it may look for some people, running is not good without fitness. People who have not run for a long time, or perhaps have never run before, usually run too fast and for too long at a stretch. Studies with randomly passing runners in the Vienna Prater showed that many overestimate themselves. If they were subjectively running at a slower pace, the lactate measurements showed a contrary picture.
Body Awareness
This lack of body awareness leads us to get carried away with running for a few weeks, but often let it go at the first reason. Why should we? Running really doesn't contribute to well-being in this area either. Our bodies are in a real state of alert when it comes to sports, in addition to work and family.
How do I keep it fun?
It is helpful to have your training pulse determined. You will be surprised how slow and easy you can run. Maybe you are only allowed to walk at the beginning.
It's okay to take walking breaks, especially in the beginning. You can add variety by running for 30 seconds and walking for 30 seconds. You can then gradually lengthen the running phases and add variation. Advanced runners can design this workout as a HIIT workout, for example, to counteract a plateau in performance development.
Material Minimum Standard
Even if the sport is not material-intensive: Old shoes should be disposed of! Running shoes last either 2000 kilometers or 5 years (even if they were only in the closet; reason: the sole hardens). It's best to get your shoes at a specialty store. A specialist shop is one where the people selling the shoes run a lot themselves.
Rest days
Many beginners also get caught up in euphoria. As great as that is, it carries a risk. That of overdoing it. Consciously plan rest days. In the beginning it is ok to run "only" every other day and to limit the duration to 30 minutes for example.
When increasing, I highly recommend the principle of gradualness. Increasing each run every week, by 5 minutes is a good guideline. Where is the risk in doing more? Circulation and muscles adapt much faster than tendons and joints. With the latter, overstraining, injuries and inflammation set in gradually. And unfortunately, they take just as long to heal.
Strength Training
As tempting as exercise is outside. Don't neglect strength training either. Our Functional Fit workouts are just the thing.
Have questions for getting started running? Or you want to get faster?
Write to us: fgonline@fitnessgoesoffice.com