Tips for running well

There is no doubt that eating a healthy diet and practicing regular physical exercise are the two basic pillars to maintain good health and prevent the appearance of a large number of diseases. Performing at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day has a large number of benefits for our body.

Exercising or practicing a sport will help us always stay in shape , feel better about ourselves, and avoid overweight problems . Likewise, it helps us regulate stress levels , strengthen and tone our muscles and improve motor coordination.

In this sense, one of the best aerobic exercises that exist is running . An activity that our ancestors have already practiced for thousands of years; In many cases it was essential for their survival. However, nowadays we run to improve our physical condition, gain motivation or show off a better body. But the reality is that it is very difficult for us to get into the habit of running and that despite the great benefits it offers to our health.

Even though it is the cheapest sport we can practice (you just need some shoes and start moving your legs), we are usually too lazy to start running and we tend to get bored quickly. To motivate ourselves we can choose to bring music or run with company , this way our races will be much more fun.

Of course, if we haven’t exercised for a while and we are not in shape, it is important to start little by little , since we are not yet ready to start running. We can choose to start walking at a good pace for half or an hour a day. After a couple of weeks, we will be able to perform exercises that require greater effort, such as riding a bike. Later, we will be prepared to alternate walking and running, always in small doses to get our body and heart used to it.

Little by little we will notice that we have greater endurance and will be able to run more often. Of course, it is important to follow a series of tips to run well :

– Always wear good footwear . By this we do not mean that you have to buy an expensive model of shoes, but it is important that it is designed for running and adapts to the type of terrain and our type of footprint. To do this, it is best to seek advice from experts. Likewise, we must use light, comfortable clothing made of synthetic material.

– If we run in winter or when it is cold, we have to cover up a little more but without going overboard. We must keep in mind that although we are cool at the beginning, we will quickly warm up. Of course, you have to protect your hands and throat more , which are two very delicate areas. When you finish running, you have to quickly take off your clothes to avoid getting cold and keep warm.

– Before and after doing any type of exercise, you should do gentle stretches to stretch your muscles and avoid injuries.

– As we pointed out at the beginning of the article, exercise always has to be accompanied by a healthy diet if we want to have results and start to feel better.

– In this same sense, it is important to go out for a run at least two hours after your last meal to avoid feeling heavy and feeling sick.

– It is essential to hydrate well , especially when exercising. It is recommended to drink at least two liters of water a day.

– To get into the habit of running, it is best to go out first thing in the morning , since we have just woken up and are more rested, the metabolism is activated earlier and, therefore, we will burn more calories. In addition, first thing in the morning there is less pollution, the temperature is cooler and it helps us start the day with more energy. As the day progresses, we will be more tired and we will make more excuses not to go out to train.

If we can’t find spaces to run, we can always choose to run to the office. There we will leave clothes to change and toiletries.

– In any case, we should try to run at the same time every day to create a habit and avoid skipping our daily run.

– To track our progress, we have the help of excellent applications such as Nike + Running, Sports Tracker, Endomondo Sports Tracker, My Tracks, Runkeeper or adidas miCoach , among many others. In addition to showing us our progress, they motivate us to run and beat our records.

– Other tips that will be very useful for us to run in a healthy way are to create a training plan , maintain a positive attitude , always be aware of our possibilities and not push more than our body can handle. And finally, the best advice we can give you is to be consistent , at first it may be hard, but very soon we will begin to notice the positive effects of running. Surely by then, we will have already gotten hooked and will be more and more hooked on running a little every day. Our health will thank us greatly.

And to get started in this sport, be sure to read our post: Starting to run is easy  with tips to get started as a runner in a healthy way.