Im a huge fan of running and i like to run mid distance, half marathons. Many people see running or jogging as a really daunting prospect but I believe that anyone can run it just takes different people different lengths of time to feel confident to run.
It is common for people to put up guides on starting to run, which states you should walk for 1 min then run for 1 min and slowly build up. Personally I don't think those guides work as everyone improves at different rates. So i have compiled a few tips on starting to run.
- Don't be nervous about being seen. No one will be looking at you thinking why are you running. Most people will either be thinking your crazy for wanting to exercise instead of sitting in front of the TV or they are thinking 'good for them getting out there and getting in shape'
- Make a good playlist of upbeat songs to run too, which will take your mind off feelings of wanting to stop.
- Take a little bit of water with you, not too much as you don't want it swilling in your tummy but enough to stop your mouth drying.
- Set a nice route with plenty to see rather than just a straight road, maybe include a common, playing field or park into it.
- Don't be afraid to stop jogging and walk for a minute if you need to but try to jog for as long as possible.
- Don't set an unachievable target. When I started running I would go on shorter jogs, for say 20-25 minutes and slowly build up.
Even now I have some days when my body just does not want me to run and i end up walking a lot more than usual.
Hopefully this gives you a little bit of confidence to start running even once a week to diversify your exercise regime.
