Running isn't easy. It's work. But if you're trying to lose weight or improve your overall fitness, taking up the sport is one of the best decisions you can make. And now that spring is almost here, there's no better time to lace up your running shoes. To help you get started, we turned to Jonathan Cane, a competitive runner, cyclist, triathlete, and president of City Coach, an online service that coaches runners at all fitness levels. His advice, whether you've never run regularly or have just been letting your running shoes hibernate since last fall:
1/Start Gradually
* No matter how fit you are, running puts significantly more stress on your joints than cardio activities like cycling or swimming, so you have to transition into it slowly. "For the first couple of weeks, stick with short runs," Cane says. Always do a brisk five-minute walk to warm up. Then, alternate between a couple of minutes' running and a couple of minutes' walking for a total of 20-30 minutes. As your timed walk/run becomes easier, move to specific distances. After your warmup walk, jog 200-400 yards, then walk the same distance, and then run 200-400 yards more. Repeat the walking and running cycle until your half-hour workout is up.
2/Allow Time for Recovery
* Limit your running to around three times a week, Cane says. Run one day, then let your body recover the next. The time off allows your joints and connective tissue to adapt. Complement your running with strength training. Working your glutes, abductors, adductors, and core can help to amp up fat loss as well.
3/Set a Goal
* Each week, try to cover more total distance in your workout, or run at a slightly faster speed so that you're always making progress. "Come back aggressively each workout," Cane says, "but don't overdo it" You want to make steady gains and improvements every week, but you need to be smart so you don't end up with an injury before spring even hits.
4/Pick the Right Location
* When you're getting started, soft terrain like a treadmill is ideal, Cane says. "It's more forgiving on your joints." As you get better at running indoors, start increasing the incline on your treadmill so that it more accurately mimics running in the real world. "When you're finally ready to head outdoors, try to find a hard-packed trail," Cane says. "Avoid concrete whenever your can. Even asphalt is softer and more forgiving than concrete." Use your first outdoor runs to help reestablish the kind of mileage you're used to running on the treadmill while also giving your joints a chance to get used to running in the "real" world.
5/Consider a Race
* Even if you're not taking up running for any competitive purpose, training for a race is a good way to stay motivated and keep yourself on track, Cane says. Pick a short race like a 5K. Don't worry about your time or your place--the goal for your first race should simply be to finish. By the time you have a couple of races under your running shorts, you'll know if you want to try anything longer. And by then, you'll have built all the skills and habits you need to keep running regularly, even if it's just around the neighborhood instead of under the gun.
500 Miles
As a general rule of thumb, that's w long the cushioning on most ining shoes lasts.
140
The number of calories burned by a 1.80-pound man while running a mile at a mail's pace of 12 minutes. Ramp up your speed to burn even more.
Ramsamooj, Sunil
Source Citation
Ramsamooj, Sunil. "Hit the trail: it's never too late to start the transition from couch potato to runner." Men's Fitness Apr. 2012: 32. Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Collection. Web. 20 Mar. 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA282825320&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPSM&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A282825320
Running isn't easy. It's work. But if you're trying to lose weight or improve your overall fitness, taking up the sport is one of the best decisions you can make. And now that spring is almost here, there's no better time to lace up your running shoes. To help you get started, we turned to Jonathan Cane, a competitive runner, cyclist, triathlete, and president of City Coach, an online service that coaches runners at all fitness levels. His advice, whether you've never run regularly or have just been letting your running shoes hibernate since last fall:
1/Start Gradually
* No matter how fit you are, running puts significantly more stress on your joints than cardio activities like cycling or swimming, so you have to transition into it slowly. "For the first couple of weeks, stick with short runs," Cane says. Always do a brisk five-minute walk to warm up. Then, alternate between a couple of minutes' running and a couple of minutes' walking for a total of 20-30 minutes. As your timed walk/run becomes easier, move to specific distances. After your warmup walk, jog 200-400 yards, then walk the same distance, and then run 200-400 yards more. Repeat the walking and running cycle until your half-hour workout is up.
2/Allow Time for Recovery
* Limit your running to around three times a week, Cane says. Run one day, then let your body recover the next. The time off allows your joints and connective tissue to adapt. Complement your running with strength training. Working your glutes, abductors, adductors, and core can help to amp up fat loss as well.
3/Set a Goal
* Each week, try to cover more total distance in your workout, or run at a slightly faster speed so that you're always making progress. "Come back aggressively each workout," Cane says, "but don't overdo it" You want to make steady gains and improvements every week, but you need to be smart so you don't end up with an injury before spring even hits.
4/Pick the Right Location
* When you're getting started, soft terrain like a treadmill is ideal, Cane says. "It's more forgiving on your joints." As you get better at running indoors, start increasing the incline on your treadmill so that it more accurately mimics running in the real world. "When you're finally ready to head outdoors, try to find a hard-packed trail," Cane says. "Avoid concrete whenever your can. Even asphalt is softer and more forgiving than concrete." Use your first outdoor runs to help reestablish the kind of mileage you're used to running on the treadmill while also giving your joints a chance to get used to running in the "real" world.
5/Consider a Race
* Even if you're not taking up running for any competitive purpose, training for a race is a good way to stay motivated and keep yourself on track, Cane says. Pick a short race like a 5K. Don't worry about your time or your place--the goal for your first race should simply be to finish. By the time you have a couple of races under your running shorts, you'll know if you want to try anything longer. And by then, you'll have built all the skills and habits you need to keep running regularly, even if it's just around the neighborhood instead of under the gun.
500 Miles
As a general rule of thumb, that's w long the cushioning on most ining shoes lasts.
140
The number of calories burned by a 1.80-pound man while running a mile at a mail's pace of 12 minutes. Ramp up your speed to burn even more.
Ramsamooj, Sunil
Source Citation
Ramsamooj, Sunil. "Hit the trail: it's never too late to start the transition from couch potato to runner." Men's Fitness Apr. 2012: 32. Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Collection. Web. 20 Mar. 2012.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA282825320&v=2.1&u=22054_acld&it=r&p=PPSM&sw=w
Gale Document Number: GALE|A282825320
No comments:
Post a Comment