How to start running for fun

Running is a universal sport. It suits everyone; you just need to know how to do it properly. We share with you tips and resources that will help you start running with benefit and pleasure. How to start running for fun.

Find motivation

Everyone has a different motivation. Someone starts running to lose weight, someone - to keep fit. For some, running is an opportunity to organize their thoughts and adjust to a new day.

Knowing your motivation, you can set a goal, for example, to run every morning for a week. The Productive application will help with this.

Every time you achieve something, the app will encourage you to move on. It also has a calendar that helps keep track of progress.

Join running clubs

Belonging to a community is more encouraging to play sports. They train several times a week. In addition to running, there are also classes in cycling, yoga, zumba, functional training. Find out more about the schedule in their Facebook groups.

Run with friends

It's hard to start running on your own, so encourage your friends. You can even set up a challenge for 30 runs to compete and test yourself.

With the Nike Run Club app you can track the progress of friends, keep track of who ran how many kilometers.

Determine the time when it is more convenient for you to run

Running time for each individual and depends on biorhythms, daily routine. Start your morning workouts no earlier than half an hour after waking up to prepare your body for the load. In the evening, run in well-lit places.

Find a place to run

Choose parks, forests, stadiums are suitable for running, because they have the best coverage - grass or dirt track. Instead, the pavement and asphalt can be too hard. Also avoid jogging near roads, avenues, in noisy and polluted places.

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Choose the appropriate shoes and shape

The most important thing for a runner is to choose quality sneakers. You can consult in special sports stores, such as Nike, Puma, Addidas.

Clothes for running should be comfortable: T-shirts, sports shorts, pants and tops. In the cold season you need to dress according to air temperature. To avoid running in jackets and down jackets, wear several layers of clothing and a hat.

Listen to your body

Try to start with a brisk walk, combining it with short runs. Follow the ratio: a minute of running for 4 minutes of walking.

Increase the length of the running segments until they are twice as long as walking. You do not need to immediately pick up a fast pace and drive yourself. Monitor your heart rate and take a step when you are suffocating. If you can talk while running, you are training properly.

Mild muscle pain after the first few days of training is normal. But if you experience sharp pain while walking or exercising, you should stop training and see a doctor.

Develop a training plan

A training plan for beginners is to combine walking with running. If you do not know how to create it or where to find it, In 9 weeks you will be able to run a distance of 5 km.

Train not only the body but also the brain

While running, you can listen not only to music, but also to audiobooks or podcasts. So you will spend time with benefit and pleasure for yourself and your body.

Download running apps to your phone

In order to track your results, you will need applications that you can download to your phone. We have selected a few easy-to-use free programs. They will become your indispensable assistants for running training.

Nike Run Club

• Tracks time, mileage, calories burned and average speed,
• Has a built-in audio player so you can listen to your favorite music and train at the same time,
• Has a system of bonuses and incentives,
• Classes are accompanied by voice comments from the application, and at the end of each workout you will hear motivational recordings from Nike trainers,
• You can join the challenges: if you can achieve the desired goal (for example, run 100 km per month), you will receive a reward,
• There is an opportunity to share your results on social networks.

Runtastic

• Tracks distance, time, speed, ascent, route, calories burned,
• Saves statistics, allows you to monitor training results,
• Syncs with Garmin Connect, Google Fit, MyFitnessPal and other fitness apps
• Allows you to track the process of shoe wear and reminds you when to buy new sneakers,
• Has a media player,
• Allows you to save routes on the map, choose places near the house.

Pacer

In the background it works like a pedometer, taking into account your activity during the day. The application records the number of steps taken, distance, calories burned and time of running or walking.

Great

It's like a social network for sports fans. The program notes your speed, distance and route on the map. Before you start training, you need to choose the type of activity: running, walking, cycling, swimming and so on. Strava also allows you to find the best places to run on the map of your city.

MapMyRun

Suitable for both novice runners and experienced marathoners. Tracks training statistics (calories burned, distance traveled, pace, progress). You can compete with other users of the service and create individual routes.

MapMyRun syncs not only with smartphones, but also with smart watches, fitness bracelets and smart sneakers. The application interface is in English only.

Myths about running

You can only breathe through your nose

In physical education classes we were constantly taught that you can only breathe through your nose, but this is not true. The main advantage of mouth breathing is the large amount of air we breathe. This provides good ventilation and respiration rate.

If you breathe only through the nose, you can feel weak and get away from the distance. It is best to combine nasal and oral breathing - so you can get more oxygen, cool yourself and run longer.

You can get injured if you run on a hard surface

Running injuries do not occur because of the running surface, but because of the level of physical training, which does not correspond to the amount of training.

Depending on which surface we run on, one or another group of muscles is more involved. It is best to combine different types of coverage: grass with asphalt or stadium.

Stretching before and after running

Before jogging, it is better to do a little warm-up: squat, wave your arms, legs, make lunges and inclines. After jogging, you can do stretching, but it has absolutely no effect on the body. It is better to perform it separately from running as a full-fledged training.

You need to run from heel to toe or, conversely, from sock to heel

Both the first and second statements are false. In fact, there is no rule as to how to run properly. Each individual technique of foot placement is related to the physiological characteristics of the runner. And she is right for him.

Running is bad for the heart

If you run at a medium pace (10 km / h) and gradually increase the load, it will even prevent heart disease. With regular exercise, the heart becomes stronger. However, if you have any problems, then before you start running, you should be examined by a cardiologist.

Just run to lose weight

Running workouts help burn calories. This amount depends on the intensity of training: time and distance. But if you eat a piece of cake after a run, they will return immediately. In order to lose weight, you need not only to run, but also to monitor your diet. We should not forget about strength training, which must be performed separately from running several times a week.