We all know that running can help to keep you healthy, so for all beginners let’s make a start on our weight loss training plan with a simple running guide.
Step one is to kit yourself out with suitable running shoes, preferably athletic trainers for the type of ground you expect to be training on, i.e. road work, running track circuits, country paths. Good sources of advice are from the local running club, a specialist sports retailer, a personal trainer if you can afford one, or a good on-line source.
If you expect to be road running, for safeties sake wear high visibility clothing just in case!
Always warm up before you start your run. Spending four or five minutes fast walking, knees raised high, interspersed with leg stretching lunges. This routine will gradually increase your heartbeat and core temperature and increase the blood flow to the muscles you will use for running.
As a beginner you should set out to gradually build up your running and not set targets that are too high. Start with a half hour session split into five minutes of brisk walking followed by two minutes of jogging. Aim for a minimum of three running sessions each week.
After10 – 14 days lengthen the jogging sessions by a minute or two and think about beginning to gradually step up the pace. You should think in 10 – 14 day intervals between each major step towards the goal of running for the full half hour. Achieve that and you will no longer be classed as a beginner but do resist the temptation to over achieve.
After each running session it is most important to take five minutes out to cool down and allow your body rhythm to return to normal. Do this by
- quietly walking around for a few minutes and doing a few gentle stretches.
- sitting down and staying immobile after your run can result in not enough blood returning to the upper part of your body and internal organs. For example if you stand up suddenly you may experience a dizzy spell as the brain is starved of blood.
Running on your own can be lonely. If you decide on running with a companion you will be better off with somebody at least as fit, if not fitter than yourself. If you are making the effort to get into running for its fitness benefits you will not want your progress to be held up by somebody who is unable to keep up with you.
To really get into running as an enjoyable pastime and not simply to lose weight or improve fitness, join a running club. Apart from enjoying the company of like minded people, the variety of running activities that a club organizes will enhance your enjoyment of the sport.
Follow these simple guidelines and those half marathons will seem like a walk in the park!
