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Stretching and warming up are an important part of running, as the risk of injury is lower when your muscles are in shape.

Many beginner runners are too eager to run. Bad things might happen if you forget to warmup and stretch. It’s also worth remembering to do have muscle training in your weekly schedule.

1. Warmup

Some runners believe stretching and warming up are synonymous. But no, they are not.

Warming up is a transition from your resting heart rate to your training heart rate – slowly.

You can walk or jog for a few minutes to achieve this.

Some people also refer to this stage as a cardiovascular warmup. This is very important for people who are unfit and out of shape.

If you are out of shape, consult your doctor before taking on any exercise program.

Research has shown that a good warmup can improve muscle efficiency. It increases your muscular elasticity and flexibility, which will also help prevent strains. After you have warmed up, it is a good idea to stretch.

2. Stretching

Stretching, its benefits are debatable. It is not necessary to stretch before a run. If desired, you can do short stretches during the initial warmup to prepare the muscles to circulate for future stress.

Some argue that they have never stretched and had never been injured. Some swear they have never been injured because they stretch.

Either way, if you do stretch, it should occur before your workout but after your warmup.

Perhaps you could walk, stretch, jog and then run.

Stretch just as you start to sweat. Then you know your muscles are warm and ready for the work. This will help prevent you from damaging/straining your muscles too.

When stretching, move far enough to reach discomfort, but no pain. Hold the final position for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.

You may also be interested to know that running will cause inflexibility as your muscles will shorten and become tight.

Therefore, to maintain a healthy lifestyle, stretch as often as possible. If you’ve thought about it already, perhaps take up yoga.

Here you can find some easy to do stretches for runners.

3. Cooldown

We often neglect an important part of running that is the cooldown. It is less time consuming than the warm-up and easier too.

After running, walk for a few minutes, and then repeat the stretches you did to warm up. If practical, walk for a few more minutes after.

If you have done a fast or long run, I would recommend light exercise later in the day to aid recovery as this practice will help carry waste products away from the muscles and keep blood pumping which reduces soreness.

Closure

It is understandable that it is not always practical to do these exercises, they can take a lot of time.

Start your run slowly if you miss out on a warmup or stretching, preferably for the first 2 miles.

However, the cooldown is a must. Even if it’s just walking for 5 minutes.

Stretching and warming up will help prevent injury and improve your running experience, so invest as much time in it as possible. 

In the social media world, it can sometimes seem like we’re running on a constant feed and exercising every day of the week. If you are a beginner, one of the most important variables is how often you run, but don’t run every day.

Starting a running activity too hard can turn off your running bug and cause injury. Read some easy tips and get started on the jog.

Running is easy to get started with, as you only need a few accessories. In addition, we can run straight from the home door.

However, start slowly to avoid unnecessary strain injuries. Remember to stretch and warm-up. Once you get started with running, you can gradually increase the power, length, and number of your runs for about 2-3 months.

How often should you run?

Your body needs recovery, so you should not run every day. Have some rest days and weeks. About 3-4 times a week is enough for the beginner.

You might have heard that it’s recommended to exercise for 30 minutes a day. That’s 3 hours and 30 minutes a week.

Don’t worry about this rule as a beginner, you need to build your body up to running first.

I would not recommend running every day of the week as your body needs time to recover. Most runners recommend 1 or 2 days off during a week.

If you lead a hectic life, with a challenging job, I advise you to avoid becoming a weekend warrior. Spread your exercises out over the week and don’t cram as many miles as possible into the weekend.

Your long run should be on a Sunday, with an easy day on Saturday and Monday (keep variety in your exercises). So run at least 3 times a week, ideally 4.

How fast should you run?

Going too fast is a common mistake beginners make. A lot of new runners give up when they have to stop to walk during a run. If you feel you have to stop, you are most likely running too fast – slow down.

As an additional guideline, you should be able to hold a conversation whilst running, without losing breath. If you can do this, your are most likely running at your proper training pace.

If you don’t train at the right pace, you may waste your time or head for a breakdown. Have some variety in your runs. Do some tempo intervals, where you run hard for short distances. Have walk/runs, where you mix between walk and run.

How many miles to run?

Runners talk in miles per week. If you are just running for your health and not for competition, run no more than 15 miles per week. If running is your fitness weapon of choice, hit the roads for at least 6 miles per week, especially if you are trying to lose weight.

I would recommend a balance between the minimum and maximum, but where do you start? I recommend the couch to 5K running plan by coolrunning.com.

Closure

Exercise does not have to be all at once for you to receive the benefits, which is good as it means you can start slowly and take those walk breaks during your runs.

No one needs to aim for a marathon to stay healthy. Vice versa. Recent studies show that a light jogger is a healthier and safer alternative to hard-running jogging.

Running is a great sport that provides energy, raises fitness, burns calories, and increases strength and endurance. Running even improves sleep and creativity. When you get over those first hard weeks, you don’t want to give up running. I give you tips and advice and guide you to start your running activity.

There are many benefits of running listed here, and it seems like every week a new study finds more reasons to exercise.

The benefits of exercise can be very motivational for beginners, so I would advise you to read through the list. It is important to remember that not only does exercising add years onto your life; It adds life into your years.

Benefits of Running

I have listed some benefits here:

• Boosts the immune system.
• Helps prevent diabetes.
• Helps prevent obesity.
• Improves appearance.
• Improves digestion.
• Improves lung efficiency.
• Improves psychological well-being.
• Improves quality of life.
• Improves quality of sleep.
• Improves strength and endurance.
• Increases HDL cholesterol and lowers LDL cholesterol.
• Increases life expectancy.
• Reduces risk of cancers.
• Reduces risk of heart disease.
• Reduces risk of high blood pressure.
• Slows aging.
• Strengthens bone, tendons and ligaments.

Closure

Running is not a punishment, but something you do for yourself. Fatigue, headaches or stress don’t go away while lying on the couch, but the breezy jog in the fresh air while listening to your favorite music can give you time to breathe and recharge your batteries.

As you run, your everyday worries are forgotten and resetting your thoughts does not require a half marathon loop, but you will be impressed with even a brief effort.

Read more about how often you should run.

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