The other day I accidentally met a beautiful acquaintance whom I hadn’t seen for a very long time: she was running towards me along the Neva embankment. As it turned out, she started running just a week ago. I just put on my sneakers and ran around the city.
When she complained that she had already come out for this workout through sheer force, I realized that she had disregarded almost all the basic rules for beginner runners. It’s a good thing we met on time.
Here are the main points to stick to so that running is beneficial, enjoyable and progressive, not the other way around.
- 1. Sneakers
- 2. No training without warming up and warming down
- 3. no speed records
- 4. No music in your ears
- 5. No smartphones or water bottles in hand
- 6. Protect your joints and ligaments from the cold
- 7. Don’t eat too much before a run
- 8. Run through the park if possible
- 9. Stop exercising as soon as you feel pain somewhere
- 10. Start monitoring your body’s water-salt balance
1. Sneakers
Don’t run in anything. Buying running shoes from a specialty store is a great investment, not a waste of money. The right running shoes will help you avoid injury and keep your feet comfortable. In most cases, this applies to those who run on pavement.
This does not mean that you have to buy the most expensive sneakers. They may not be the most suitable for you. You don’t have to overpay for brand name and illusory benefits. Sometimes the best option turns out to be the cheapest. But the shoes have to be exactly running shoes.
2. No training without warming up and warming down
Warming up for running takes very little time, but it saves you from injuries to joints, ligaments and muscles, warms up and prepares the body for loads. The warm-up helps to avoid pain in the muscles the next day, promotes their recovery and elasticity, normalizes the circulatory and nervous system.
3. no speed records
And in general, most of the time in the first training, let it be better to walk. Work on speed is possible only when technique is perfected. Otherwise, injuries are inevitable.
4. No music in your ears
This can be allowed for experienced runners. But in the case of a beginner, you need to listen carefully to your body, without distractions and without wandering in the clouds. The style of music can affect the load too much, and this is not a good thing right now. Moreover, the main indicator of the quality of running technique – the noise created by stomping feet, will not be heard.
5. No smartphones or water bottles in hand
Your hands should be free so that your hands are relaxed and your shoulder girdle doesn’t tilt. Even having a light, ultra-thin smartphone in your hand greatly affects your biomechanics, even if you don’t think so. Don’t look at ultramarathoners. They can have anything in their hand, it’s a completely different level.
6. Protect your joints and ligaments from the cold
If it’s winter outside, make sure you have insulation for your knees and ankles. Also, the colder the weather, the longer the warm-up lasts. Using warming ointments for your knees in winter is a good solution.
7. Don’t eat too much before a run
If you have to work out in the morning and have no time at all, it is better not to eat anything at all. You can drink a glass of plain clean water or a cup of sweet tea with toast. But no more than that, otherwise it will cause discomfort.
If you think that training on an empty stomach will help you burn more fat, you are right. But that doesn’t mean it will help you lose weight at all.
There are about a million options for breakfast before a run, but 80% of the time, the athlete’s main morning ingredient is oatmeal, toast with a variety of toppings (jam, peanut butter, honey), or an omelet. After a full breakfast, it should be at least an hour and a half before you start running. And just to spur the energy processes in the body is able to usual half a banana or yogurt.
8. Run through the park if possible
The worst combination is asphalt and cheap sneakers with hard soles. Especially when there is no running technique yet, and the joints are not ready for such a shock.
9. Stop exercising as soon as you feel pain somewhere
Only mild discomfort associated with natural muscle work is allowed.
10. Start monitoring your body’s water-salt balance
Subsequently, with increasing exertion, this will be vital. It is believed that one of the causes of leg muscle cramps is a lack of water and electrolytes, such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium. But abusing water is also unacceptable.
