So, you have decided that you want to be a runner. It’s your first day hitting the pavement and you feel confident, excited and proud of yourself.
But you’re worried about staying motivated.
You know that if you don’t keep moving, you will never make running a lifelong habit.
The hardest part about running is putting on the shoes.
Running takes some time to break into. The human body has to start recognizing that it’s being prepared for exercise and as you start running faster, at longer distances, and for more and more days out of the week, your body will start to feel that it’s moving naturally.
It’s important for beginners to pace themselves. Beginning with a walk/run regimen will help the body and the mind to easily condition and you will start to become surprised at how quickly running becomes more comfortable.
You have to start slowly and build up gradually. By adding small segments of running into your walk, you can build up endurance over time.
To start, begin with five minutes of brisk walking then transition to a jog. Jog for at least five minutes, or for as much time your body can handle. Personal trainers in Chicago recommend not focusing on distance or time at first, but instead try to adapt your body to the sport to make running easier and enjoyable.
Be sure to end your workout with five minutes of easy walking.
The warm up and cool down sessions of your run will allow you to safely transition your body in and out of the exercise. It’s important you do this every time you run to avoid injury and to help build up your endurance. If you seem to be struggling to finish your run, you probably need to slow down.
There are going to be days when running is the last thing you want to do. It’s important that you listen to what your negative feelings are telling you and try to decide if you are feeling actual discomfort, or if you are hearing a bunch of excuses swirl around in your head.
Common Excuses You Should Ignore:
1. It’s too cold
2. I’m too tired
3. My schedule is too packed
It helps to focus on what you feel like when your run is over.
Imagine how good you feel afterwards and more than likely, you will want to drag your butt out of bed to get those endorphins flowing for your productive day ahead.
How will you discover your inner runner?
For more information on tapping into your inner runner, find a personal trainer today!