Running Tips

Running tips

Lockdown 3 is upon us, seemingly crushing any fitness based new year’s resolutions. But with gyms closed, we still have the option of home workouts (hey, Chloe Ting) and the cardio classic- Running!

I am not an athlete. In secondary school, my classmates would audibly sigh if I was assigned to their team in PE. In that same vein, I am not a fast or impressive runner. I will never win a race. I don’t have impressive PB’s. And when I first started running I honestly hated it...

But I do run. I can run. I can work up a sweat and get a rush of endorphins from running that is honestly quite wonderful. So if, like me, you’re not a born athlete but you want to give running a go, here are a few tips to make it easier.

Run with a friend

Misery loves company- and even the most gruelling and awful of runs can be made better by sharing your suffering with a friend. So grab a family member, housemate or bubble buddy to share the pain with.

It’s a good idea to have a friend who is either on the same level as you running-wise, or is willing to hold back a little on your runs so that you can keep up with them. Nothing makes a run feel worse than going running with your pro runner friend (or in my case, my dad) who shoots off miles ahead of you and leaves you in the dust.

Another option is to run with a pet. Years ago, my favourite running companion was my dog, Reggie. Now whether or not you can run with your dog does depend on breed, size and energy levels so I would advise checking with your vet or online to see if your dog is a suitable running companion- but if you get the all-clear then that’s great. Now dogs do tend to need to stop and, er, do their business on runs (especially if you have a boy) which can be quite annoying and break your rhythm. When Reggie used to stop for a tinkle on runs, I kept my rhythm going by jogging on the spot until he was done.

Just keep breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’

You know, like the Ariana Grande song. Now everyone knows that breathing is important during exercise, but sometimes when we’re super focused on our running we can kind of forget to breathe properly and our breaths can get out of rhythm- depriving us of the oxygen we need and mimicking the signs and symptoms of a panic attack. That’s why it’s good to focus in on your breathing when you run, counting the breaths (in two three four, out two three four). This not only helps you ensure you’re getting enough air into your lungs, but also provides a welcome distraction from any pain in your legs.

Loosen those fists

Something that I used to do all the time was run with tight, tense little fists. This is a common mistake for many amateur runners- and causes tension in the arms and shoulders which leads to aching. To avoid this, pretend that you are holding small, delicate bubbles in each of your fists that you do not want to pop- this will stop you squeezing your fists too tightly and help you avoid the dreaded shoulder ache

Start Small

Don’t go super far to begin with! Don’t push yourself on the first run! Go as far as you, personally, comfortably can on the first run. Then the next time, push yourself just a little further, And so on and so on.

This also goes for speed as well. Don’t start off running as fast as you can. Start by running just a little slower than you feel like you need to- you can start running faster once you’ve started getting used to running. Like the fairytale the Hare and the Tortoise, slow and steady wins the race- you don’t want to burn out too quickly.

If running isn’t for you, it isn’t for you

Running is definitely not the right exercise for everybody- so don’t push yourself to run if you still truly hate it after following these tips. There are so many other forms of exercise you can try – yoga, pilates, celebrity workout videos, Just Dance- so don’t force yourself to persevere with running just because it seems to be what everyone is doing. And you don’t have to workout at all if you don’t want to- this is a stressful, hard lockdown. So if you need to spend it napping and resting, that’s okay and valid, and not morally better or worse than running or exercising.

Anyway, if you do decide to try running, I hope these running tips help you. Feel free to message me if you think there’s a tip I missed out x