How to Begin Running Running has so many benefits - it relieves stress, strengthens your muscles and makes your body lean. Its hard work at first, but after a few weeks your body finds its rhythm and you begin to crave the feeling of running free. You can start running and build up your endurance with a bit of persistence and hard work in no time. 1 Go outside and run. Now. The best way to start running is simply to put on a pair of running shoes and hit the pavement, dirt or grass. The motion of running will feel strange at first, as muscles that normally dont get much use spring into awkward action. This is normal. Run until your legs are burning and your chest is heaving; for true beginners, that usually occurs after about 5 - 10 minutes. When youre just starting out, you dont need fancy running shoes. An old pair of sneakers will do. Once you know you want to continue the sport, you can upgrade. Run in comfortable clothes. Put on gym shorts, a t-shirt, and a sports bra if necessary. Dont wear anything too constricting. Run anywhere. Your neighborhood, in a park, up and down your driveway, on the local track at a school. One of the best things about running as a sport is that you can do it almost anywhere, and youre not chained to a gym. 2 Use good form. Try to loosen your body and move forward in a way that feels natural. Pump your arms, take comfortable strides, stand upright with a slight forward lean, and pick your feet up high off the ground so you dont catch a toe in a crack in the sidewalk. Every runner has a slightly different gait, since everyones body is different, so figure out what works for you. Avoid bouncing and try to land softly in order to reduce stress on your knees and other joints. Find your stride. Recent evidence has come to light that your foot strike (toe, mid-foot, heel) is a natural occurrence that should not be altered. That being said, the faster you run the more forward on your foot your strike will be. Relax your upper body. Holding yourself stiff impairs mobility and makes you run slower. Keep your weight centered and your shoulders in a relaxed position, with your arms bent at 90 degrees.[1] 3 Breathe. Breathe naturally or focus on a breathing technique. Some argue that the best breathing technique is inhaling oxygen through the nose, fully expanding the lungs, and exhaling through a widely opened mouth. Your nose is a good filter for air, especially while running outdoors, which prevents you from accidentally swallowing bugs. Exhaling through your mouth allows your body to get rid of more carbon dioxide and heat with less effort. 4 Stretch when you get home. Although the benefits and/or drawbacks to stretching before a run are controversial, there is little argument about the benefits of stretching at the end of each workout. Stretch out each muscle group, holding each stretch for at least 15 - 20 seconds. The most important muscles to stretch are your leg muscles. Stand a few feet from a wall and lean into the wall (moving one foot closer to the wall but leaving the other one a meter out) so that you feel your calf muscles being stretched. Do one side then the other. Bend your knee and lift your foot till your foot is back up near your butt. Hold that foot with your hand and bring it real close to your butt. You should feel a stretch along the front of your thigh. Swap sides. Alternatively, you can step forward and lunge into the front foot, keeping your knee behind your toe until you feel the stretch in your thigh. This will save your knees, instead of putting unnatural stress on the tendons and ligaments around your knee that could lead to future damage. Standing near a table or a fence rail (at about hip height) try and put your foot up on the table or fence rail. Now try and straighten out your leg. You should feel a stretch along the back of your leg. Swap sides.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 05:16:43 +0000
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