Running Strategies For Beginners , Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 12:02 AM, in

Running is one of the best ways to get into shape. It is cheap (only an initial investment for shoes is required, and most people have sneakers anyway), you can go at your own rate, and you will see fairly quick results. The problem comes however, when you move too quickly, too early.
Everyone knows that overdoing any sport can be dangerous. You put excess strain on parts of your body that aren't ready to handle it, possibly causing muscle and joint pain. These types of injuries can end up sidelining your fitness routine for longer than you can imagine (not to mention the pain that you will experience during daily activities). But, moving too quickly won't help you get in shape either. This will be bad for obvious reasons, however, if you don't see results, you will be more likely to quit as well.
When you go from no physical exercise to a long fast run, your body will start to burn sugars as opposed to fat.


This will cause you to burn out much more quickly as this is not the type of energy needed to take on this type of challenge.
So how do you begin? It is best to start out your fitness adventure with walking. This may sound boring if you are gung ho about running, but it is worth laying some ground work first. Head outside and take a nice long walk. The next day you work out (and each day thereafter), speed up your walk a bit. You can then start alternating walking for a minute with jogging or running for a minute. This will get your body used to exercising, it will increase your stamina and give your body the ability to access deeper energy stores instead of sugar. At this point, you will be able to burn fat and lose weight.
One of the most important things to remember is to stay committed. Running once every few weeks doesn't provide health benefits (and may actually hurt you). You will need to get on a schedule and stick to it. You should be running about 3 to 4 times per week, taking a day off in between workouts to allow your muscles to heal and build. You should also do some nice stretches before each run and after. This will loosen your muscles and prevent injury.



You can do some light stretches on your days off as well to keep your body loose.
Laying the groundwork for a successful running practice is easy and will benefit you for years to come.

Sydney Garrison is an avid cyclist and sports enthusiast. She is also a partner in an online bike rack store.