23 Sep A Beginners Guide to Running Without Injury or Burnout
How to Start Running Without Injury
Running is one of the best workout programs you can do on a regular basis. According to many studies, running sheds colossal amounts of calories, boosts metabolism, wards off heart-related problems, and will help you get into the best shape of your life. But the high impact nature of this activity can lead to a myriad of injuries and health troubles, so I’m going to show you how to start running without injury.
Therefore, if you’re looking to start off a running regime, but you’re afraid of running without injury and/or burnout, here are a few beginners’ guidelines to help you start off on the right foot.
Take Walking Breaks
If you’re a new comer to the sport of running, then this activity is going to be uncomfortable because your body is not conditioned to it, yet. Having been a regular gym-goer or being fit does not free you up from this reality. Luckily, you can keep the discomfort and pain at bay by adding walk breaks into your running workout. You can do this by following a walk-run-walk pattern. The length and intensity of each interval depends, mostly, on your fitness level and training goals. Just make sure to stay within your skill and avoid doing too much too soon.
Warm up, Cool Down
Starting off your running session with a decent warp-up can help you ward off discomfort and injury both during and after the workout. A proper warm-up gets your cardiovascular system and working muscles ready for the task ahead by increasing blood pump and body temperatures. Make sure to start off with a 5-minute brisk walk before you pick up your running pace.
On the other hand, ending your workout with the proper cool down helps you avoid injury. A slow jog after a hard running session has been shown to accelerate recovery by helping to remove lactic acid that may have accumulated during the workout. Therefore, make sure to resume your running workout with a 5-minute effortless jog, and gently stretch your body afterwards.
Get Proper Form
Having good form can help you ward off most running injuries such as Achilles heel and runners knee. Not only that, proper form can also help you run farther and faster with less effort. In contrast, bad form—whether when running or doing any other form of exercise—can spell disaster on your fitness and health levels.
To Develop Proper Form, Do the Following:
- Don’t land on your heel. Instead, make sure to land on your fore-foot.
- Run with a slight forward lean.
- Keep your elbows at 90 degrees angle, back straight, head slightly tilted forward.
- Relax your body throughout the training session by breathing deeply and taking enough recovery.
Here you have it! Now you have the keys to unlocking your running potential without risking injury or burnout. Nevertheless, change takes place when you start practicing what you’ve just learned. Therefore, make sure to take action, and always remember to stay within your fitness level.
About the Author
David DACK is a runner and an established author on weight loss, motivation and fitness.If you want more free tips from David DACK, then go to http://runnersblueprint.com/weightlossrunning.html and for a limited time you can download his 35-Pages “Weight Loss By Running” eBook for FREE.
