There are some people who saw the headline of this post who probably said out loud, “Huh! Ready to run? The only time you will see me running is if I am running away from something. I am not volunteering to run.”
I get it. Running is not meant for everyone.
For others, however, running is their go-to form of exercise. It is a way to take in the outdoors and be challenged.
Believe it or not, some people run for pleasure.
I am not one of those running for pleasure people, but it is one of my favorite forms of exercise, especially running outside.
As a way to encourage other people to incorporate exercise in their life, I often post on Facebook that I went for a run. I include in the post the number of miles I ran.
By consistently posting my workouts people get to see my progress. From that they learn the benefit of consistency. There will be more of that in a moment.
Encouragement and Setting an Example Works
Yes, for some people, what I shared confirms the reason why they do not run. But for others, like one of my cousins, that encouragement I mentioned is working.
At a recent family function she let me know that she is currently walking three miles. What she really wants to do, she said, is to start running.
What she wanted to know from me was when and how she could add running to her walking routine.
This post is dedicated to the advice that I have for my cousin and for you.
Pros and Cons of Running
Before I begin with the advice I would give my cousin, let's talk about the pros and cons of running.
Pros. For someone wanting to lose weight, running is a great form of cardio exercise. It is more intense than walking, therefore you burn more calories.
Cons. Running, however, can be bad on the joints. If you are someone with bad knees, running may not be something you can do. Or it may not be something you can do until you lose more weight.
That seems like a disappointment, but it is better that you be safe than risk injury or something more serious. Therefore you must be careful. That is why I stress that you are certain you are ready to start running. Continue reading to learn more.
Are You Ready to Start Running?
I am happy for my cousin. I am glad she wants to up the intensity of her exercise. My advice, however begins with this question: Are you ready to start running?
Consult your doctor. I am not a doctor. I cannot tell you if you can start running. Before you start any new workout routine, especially if you have not been exercising on a regular basis or at all, consult your doctor. Get the doctor’s confirmation as to how you can start exercising and if running is feasible.
Assess your current physical fitness. After you have confirmed with your doctor you can exercise, assess your fitness level. There is no one rule with this. We each have different fitness levels.
Before I lost weight, when I went running for the first time in too many months, I could barely run a mile without feeling like I would fall out. That is why I did not run a full mile. I ran as much as I could, then walked the rest.
If you get winded walking a flight a stairs, hopefully your doctor is telling you to walk short distances. Running can wait.
Adding running to your routine
Do not do too much too soon. I am the overachiever type. We can sometimes be our own worst enemy. That means, if I had a goal, I wanted to reach it. Sometimes that meant pushing myself too hard and doing too much too soon. When we do too much too soon we risk injury. When you get injured, you derail your progress. Therefore, be happy with walking, slow runs, or slow times.
Add a little at a time by setting a goal or target. In addition to not doing too much too soon, progress is a wonderful thing. Embrace it. So if today you walk three miles, add a little run. Give yourself a goal to move a little faster than your walk. Aim to move at that faster pace from x location to y location. For example, if you are outside, move more intensely from one light pole to the half way between the next light pole. As you progress, up that to the next light pole.
Slow down and walk again.
Do those intervals a few more times.
Perhaps the first time you do it, add a half mile more than your usual walk.
This is one of many ideas. The key is to set a goal and choose a target (e.g. light poles) to help you meet the goal.
Be consistent. Your ability to increase what you are currently doing requires consistency. That means doing your routine regularly, not every once in a while. With the latter you are consistently starting over, not consistently improving. You want to be consistently improving.
Set the frequency. To help you with consistency, keep a placeholder for when and how often you will incorporate exercise. Again, how many days you do depends on the doctor’s orders and your level of fitness. For some people that could mean starting out with as little as two times per week and for someone else that can be as many as five times a week. With progress, which is the result of consistency, you can increase your frequency.
Start the Discussion
Share in the post comments, on Facebook or Twitter the steps you take to safely begin a new exercise regime.