How to Start Running – Without Feeling Like a Failure
Do you sometimes wish you were fitter? And maybe slimmer? I do. In fact, I’m determined to lose 7 kg in four weeks and get really fit. But how to get fit in a hurry – without spending hours at the gym?
One of the fastest ways to get fit is to start running.
It can be daunting if you’ve never run before. Especially if you have friends, colleagues or family members who talk casually about how they run 7 miles each morning before breakfast. (Don’t you sometimes want to throttle them?)
I just spent three weeks with my family and two of them, my brother and my niece, thought nothing of running for an hour-and-a-half after spending an exhausting day stumbling through thick rain forest. It made me feel like a fitness failure…
In the end, I started to run too. Because running is great for getting fit fast. There are some important advantages of running as a fitness strategy:
- It boosts cardiovascular fitness.
- It tones your whole body because so many muscle groups are involved when you run.
- Weight-bearing exercise, such as running, is especially good in promoting bone density and protecting against osteoporosis, which affects men as well as women.
- Running is a natural movement. The body is designed to be able to run.
- As one of the most vigorous exercises out there, running is an efficient way to burn calories and drop pounds.
Here are some tips that will help you develop running:
1. Buy good shoes
It’s worth going to a specialty shop to buy a pair of running shoes. Make sure that the salesperson looks at the shape and arch of your foot to figure out the best shoes for you. The reason good shoes are important is because it will soften the impact and protect your joints.
2. Take it slow
When you start running, it doesn’t matter how slow you go. Remember that your body needs to get used to new movement.
3. Ease into running with interval training.
The best way to get fit fast is through interval training. This means short burst of high intensity exercise alternating with recovery periods. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, more calories are burned in short, high intensity exercise.
Try alternating 5 minutes of walking and one minute of running for twenty minutes. As you get fitter, you can lengthen the periods of running. Once you get used to running, you can alternate slow jogging with fast sprints.
4. Warm up first
It’s important to warm up your body before running. Otherwise running will feel very hard and your body will moan and groan. Walking is a great way to warm up the body. Stride out and pump your arms. Start with a medium paced walk and then speed up until you start to sweat. Once your body is warm, you are ready to run.
5. Use correct running technique
Beginners like me find it difficult to relax while running. Keep your head up and your lower arms in hip height, and run without bouncing. It all helps to work your body more efficiently. Check out this video about correct running technique.
6. Run with others
A great way to keep up your motivation is to run with others. See if a colleague or a friend is willing to come running with you. Set an interval schedule for your run and stick to it.
7. Keep an exercise diary
Keep a record of your new exercise routine. Write down each day what kind of exercise you have done. A great way to track your growing fitness is by measuring your resting pulse before you get up in the morning. As you get fitter, your resting pulse will get lower.
8. Add strength exercises to the mix
Building strength in your legs will help you to run. A simple way to build your leg muscles is by doing squats. Stand with feet a little more than shoulder width apart. As you squat, keep your feet on the ground and swing your arms to the front in order to keep your balance. Start with 3 sets of 10 squats but don’t get carried away. If you do too many at one time, you might have difficulty walking the next day! As you get fitter, you can add more sets to your squat routine.
9. Add a cool-down period after exercise
It’s important for the body to cool down after running. The best way is to walk at a medium pace until your heart-rate returns to normal.
10. Stretch after running
It’s a good practice to stretch after running because it keeps your body flexible. Watch this short video on which stretches to do after running.
If you follow the ten points above, you will become a runner – without feeling like a failure. Remember that you can start running at any age. Bob Hayes took up running when he was 60. After a little while, he decided to enter a 5km fun-run and his son gave him his first pair of trainers. He said afterwards, “I wasn’t feeling as fit as I would have liked to. Perhaps age is catching up on me?” Yeah, right!
Fast forward 20 years…
At age 80, Bob completed his tenth 50-mile ultra-marathon in Montana and has made running history. He said afterwards:
“I’m in the best shape of my life.”
If you follow these 10 tips, you will get into the swing of running. Soon you will feel your body tone up and slim down in response to the exercise. Best of all, you’ll begin to feel confident, healthy, and attractive.
WRITER'S BIOGRAPHY
Mary Jaksch
Mary Jaksch is an author, Zen Master, and psychotherapist who likes dancing tango in skimpy dresses. Her blogGoodlife Zen focuses on personal growth for intelligent people. Get her FREE eBook Overcome Anything: Finding Light after Darknessclick here.Mary is also Chief Editor of Leo Babauta’s blog Write to Done
ARTICLES BY THIS WRITER »
Tags: 
Get your own Avatars at 
Loading ...
Comments
Hamed says on December 10th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Thanks for the post! But it would be good to mention that if somebody is already practicing bodybuilding, running could cause a flat ass which is not good. Meanwhile to reduce fat part, using treadmill with high inclination degree could cause rapid fat loss… but your muscles will stay at the same shape!
Greg Strosaker says on December 10th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
This is another outstanding post, I truly enjoy reading this blog as the advice is always practical and realistic.
As a passionate runner, I agree completely that there is no better, more efficient, or easier form of exercise. Your tips make running seem very approachable. If anything, it’s even easier than you state – a lot of the later points like strength training and even stretching are optional (see the attached article from the NY Times on how stretching is overrated http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/.....-1202-L15).
Another beauty of running is that progress towards fitness is quick and very measurable, whether it’s in weight loss or improved distance and pace. And maybe a few runners out there will develop enough interest in the sport to become as committed as some of my friends and I are, as stated in this Running Manifesto (http://gregstrosaker.com/2009/.....r-runners/).
nooneofconsequence says on December 10th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
mostly good advice. but skip the “good shoes”. running shoes are only a cover up for bad running form. that picture of the guy at the top of this article is about to strike the ground, hard, with his heel. which transfers all that force right up through the knee, hip, and lower back. this is a terrible way to run and the reason that many people develop joint problems from running.
same with the video on running technique. all good advice except the part about how you should strike the ground with your foot.
a better alternative. http://www.posetech.com/
run like you are barefoot. run the way nature (or god, if you are into that) designed your foot to run.
a good example. take your shoes off, and run around in the grass or something. you’ll see you hit the ground a totally different way, using your lower legs like shock absorbers. THIS is how you should run, even when wearing shoes. This, incidentally, is also the way all those insanely good runners that win marathons barefoot run. There is a reason for it.
If you can’t run barefoot, get some Vibram Fivefingers and run in them. They are the next best thing.
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com
bonhamled says on December 11th, 2009 at 1:30 am
I am a runner, now in a condromalatia leaf but i will be back soon. This is a very challenging article, congratulations
Charles Chua C K says on December 11th, 2009 at 3:38 am
I run regularly. It is the best way for me to keep fit, feel good, and be happy in life.
Mary | Goodlife ZEN says on December 11th, 2009 at 5:23 am
@nooneofconsequence
Hey thanks for the tip about the ‘Pose Method’. That looks like an awesome technique. I’m definitely going to look into it.
Patrick says on December 11th, 2009 at 8:38 am
There is really nothing surprise about running after an exhausting day of work. I run in the afternoon after finishing work. That’s the only free and convenient time for me to jog. I ran in a half-asleep mode. Then again, I am using a treadmill.
Nicola says on December 12th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I tried several times over the years to start running and gave up each time. Then I found the fantastic Couch to Five Kilometres (C25K) programme, which I highly recommend.
It’s here: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
Leisureguy says on December 12th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
A comment on “Start slow”: Dr. Miriam Nelson, in the revised edition of Strong Women Stay Young, writes that in people who are unfit, the unfitness is not uniform: their muscles are likely to be stronger than their tendons and ligaments. So if an unfit person begins to run or walk until their muscles are tired, they are likely to have put too much stress on their tendons and ligaments, with pain to follow.
Thus at the beginning, you do less than your muscles are capable of because at the beginning your goal is to strengthen tendons and ligaments, and that requires a continued easy effort.
John says on December 14th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Like the commenter nooneofconsequence says, great post but dismiss the advice about shoes and form. I recommend to anyone who wants to start running that they read the book Born To Run which is not only a great, captivating story but fairly dispels the modern myths about running shoes and form. Your body will thank you!
RNM says on December 14th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Can’t agree more with nooneofconsequence and John. I purchased vibram 5 fingers a couple of months ago to add variety to my workout (typically I cycle, but the short days don’t allow for much of that during the week). They took a little bit to get used to. What helped me was wearing them as much as I could, in non running situations (to the store, bank, etc). It’s amazing how strong your feet become and how much better your overall balance is.
Also, great post. During the time of season where the days are short and the food is plenty, it is important to keep fitness on your mind.
Samuel says on December 14th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Good article.
The most important thing about running isn’t about fitness though, but about the mindset, the perseverance. This is especially present in cross-country running.
Mia says on December 15th, 2009 at 6:21 am
Thanks for this post. I’ve just started running regularly (last few weeks). I’m not very fit, but I’m enjoying it. I want to burn some fat – I definitely need to think about alternating between sprints and walking, if that burns calories faster. I need to do some more research on this, and on what a ‘recovery period’ is.
CoQ10 Benefits says on December 17th, 2009 at 12:22 am
There is no cardio like running, I have tried all kinds of cardio in the gym but nothing compares to running. If anyone thinks that running on a treadmill is the same, nooo way..
Cogiterium says on December 19th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Great tips. I suck at running, but I still do it. It does put more stress on my joints, but when I can’t cycle or swim in the lake (like in the winter), I run.)
John says on December 19th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Running is definitely a great start, or any form of cardio. One thing people tend to neglect is the fact that weight lifting also helps you lose weight. A lot of women particularly are afraid of gaining too much muscle, but when you workout a certain way this is not an issue.
Richard Shelmerdine says on December 21st, 2009 at 5:56 am
Running is such a difficult thing for a beginner. It’s just really small steps gradualyl building over time. It’s a snowball effect that seems to do it for most people who succeed in making it into a regular habit.
Dan Northern says on February 10th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
I have struggled with running consistently in the past, and am just now realizing how great it feels to keep a consistent schedule. For me, this means running at least three times a week. Once you get into the habit of running for a few weeks, it just becomes second nature.
Dave Rogers says on February 18th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
I started running about 6 months ago after smoking for around 15 years. I started running about 1 mile, then 2, then 3. Then I ran my first 5k race. It was thrilling to me just to complete.
It really is a day by day, step by step thing. I plan on running a marathon, but even if I weren’t, it would be the same: You can’t just get up off the couch one day and run a marathon. It takes steady practice and commitment. I can really tell a difference in my attitude if I don’t run on my regular schedule (about 3-4 times per week); my wife likes to call it ‘Shaking out my sillies.’
More Style Than Cash says on March 14th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Great post and fabulous comments! After a 15 year break I’m looking forward to get back to running this spring. All this information has really motivated me. Thanks!
runningshoes says on June 11th, 2010 at 10:10 am
I know an eighty year old you does marathons at least three times a year – it’s amzing how you can actually get you body back into shape even if you’ve let it get out of control for a long time! Great post.
Allied Healthcare says on July 1st, 2010 at 2:50 pm
The only downside can be that if you live at a place like Florida where it rains a lot, during summer almost every evening..they might mess up your running schedule…otherwise I totally agree, it’s the quickest way to lose weight.
Hugo Reyes says on August 23rd, 2010 at 4:54 pm
I have found that even it I can't run because of the weather out side. You can always get your heart going just from some little exercises in you home. Try doing some stretching, some jumping jacks, running in place, push ups, sit ups or crunches, and some bridges. Just having a little back up plan if the weather stops your run will keep you fit and on the track to loose weight and stay fit.