Spring has sprung, and so has running season! If you are new to running, here are some simple strategies to help you get started. First and foremost, remind yourself that we do not run a marathon over night! It is important to set small goals for yourself rather than going all out and doing a 10 km run. Here are some other tips to help you on your running journey.
- Warm up: prior to setting out on your run, do a 5-10 minute warm up in order to gradually increase your heart rate and increase circulation to your muscles
- check out our Instgram page for some ideas!
- A walk/run/walk is a good way to introduce yourself to running
- walk a few minutes, jog 1-2 minutes, walk a few minutes and repeat
- Cadence: this is the tempo you should run at; research has found that running at 180 steps/minute prevents injury
- An app such as Strava can help you maintain your cadence
- Intensity: jog at a light intensity, so that if you were running with someone you could carry on a conversation; as your endurance improves over a few weeks you can increase your intensity and decrease your time
- Cool down: finish each run with a 5 minute cool down, this can be done by slowing your pace to a walk, followed by static stretching and a smile (you did it!)
- To build your endurance, aim to increase your duration by 10% per week (for instance, if you build up to 10 minutes of running, next week increase to 11 minutes)
- Be sure to drink plenty of water. Now that you are increasing your sweat output, be sure to increase your water consumption
- Do not run on two consecutive days. Allow your muscles to recover on days off. You can focus on other types of exercise on these days such as swimming, bicycling, and body weight strengthening or weight lifting. See my “Running Head to Toe” blog post for further strategies to prevent injuries.
Happy running and be sure to let us know how your first run goes!
-Andi
Registered Physiotherapist and Kinesiologist
Leave a comment