10 Running Tips for Those Who Are Just Getting Started
Getting started with running, and basically every other activity, requires preparation and the willingness to exert extreme amounts of effort. To make running work for you and make it a fun habit, start out by keeping these ten life-changing tips in mind.
1. Hate chafing? Wear spandex shorts beneath your usual running gear.
Chafing is a runner’s worst nightmare. To keep the instances of chafing low, wear spandex shorts that glides with your body when you run. Chafing is often caused by the textile rubbing against your skin and can be pretty painful unless you’ve worn something softer and smoother to keep your running gear from rubbing against your skin.
2. Cotton often causes blisters and cuts around your arms and feet. For better running experiences, wear running or sports socks.
Sports socks were made to chafe less compared to cotton. Cotton, as cloth, is ideal for your daily attire, but not for running. For better running performance and experience, make sure your sports socks were built specifically for running. While you are at it, also use technical gear, or cooling gear, around your hands, ankles, and feet for a better running experience.
3. Shy to make your first mile? Join a running club or make your own with your friends.
Making your first mile can be a daunting task especially if you are making the run alone or if you have never ran a distance that long. One effective way to keep yourself motivated is to run with friends or with a running club. Joining a running club or running with a friend is a good way to turn this hobby into a habit, and even make it a passion.
4. Hydrate after finishing a lap.
Running is a strenuous task, as described by the Department of Health-- one that requires copious amounts of hydrating. Each time you finish a lap, or a mile or two, make it a habit to rest and hydrate. You lose far too much energy and liquids when you run; the best and most effective way to cope with the loss of energy is to hydrate whenever you can.
Tips for Staying Motivated
- Keep Running: 5 Ways to Keep Yourself Motivated
Keeping yourself motivated to run is a good way to maintain your hobby and make it a habit later on. Use these 5 easy tips to stay on the tracks and to appreciate the hobby of running even more. - Running as a Passion: Where to Start
If none of your friends are avid runners, you could invite them and form your own running group or join an existing running club in your area. Running with people is a good motivator and a good way to maintain your running discipline.
5. The first few runs will be difficult, but soon enough, finishing a lap will become easier, so stay focused!
Running is a heavy activity although it may not look as difficult as bodybuilding or engaging in extreme sports. Aside from tiring you out, physically, running can also tire you out mentally and emotionally if you are not prepared for it. That being said, stay focused and affix your eyes on a goal. Set mini-goals for yourself if it helps you stay on the road and keep you focused on running.
6. Don’t run based on the weather: run when it’s sunny outside and run when it’s raining, but make sure to wear a waterproof hoodie.
Many people tend to feel discouraged when the rain clouds are outside despite being early in the morning. The weather should not affect your mood, or will, to run. You don’t need to run a full lap when the weather is not ideal, but at least try to run a short lap around your home, or block.
In case it is raining outside but you still intend to finish a lap or two, try running wearing a waterproof hoodie with a cooling headband beneath it. Wearing a cooling headband around your forehead can dry raindrops and minimize loss of moisture.
7. It’s an exercise, not a race. Don’t compete when running with people. Run at your own pace.
Never feel as if the world is trying to outrun you. Unless if you are participating in a marathon, run slowly and steadily instead of applying too much force around your legs to finish a leg in a short amount of time. If you want to increase your running speed, it will take practice and regular training; picking up your speed abruptly is definitely not the way to go!
8. Keep an average running period. Don’t stop unless you meet that quota.
You should set a running period for yourself, like finishing a mile in 13 to 15 minutes. Setting a quota for yourself is a helpful way to keep you on your track for an ample amount of time. Many runners tend to stop 5 to 10 minutes into the run, but try to set a strict time quota for yourself and don’t stop until you meet it.
9. No headphones, no worries. Listen to the sounds your feet make when you run.
The best kind of music to listen to is the sound your heartbeat makes or the steps of your feet when you run. Count your footsteps if it makes your exercise much lighter. Listening to natural sounds, or to the sounds your body makes, is more relaxing than listening to chest-thumping beats. Give it a shot on your next run.
10. If you are running to lose weight, don’t lose hope if you won’t see results immediately.
So, keep running. Results will not appear overnight. It takes time, dedication and tons of effort to acquire that fit body you have always wanted to have. Run regularly, and if you like, explore other forms of exercise too.
