Beginning runners should take certain steps to prevent injury. Even minor running injuries can keep you off your feet for several days and can mess up your routine.
One of the best ways prevent injury is to stretch thoroughly before running. The last thing you want to do is pull a muscle. I practice yoga, which stretches my muscles more than most other stretching routines. Even so, I always take the time to stretch my calf muscles and hamstrings before a run.
More information on preventing injuries can be found here.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Psychological Benefits of Jogging
Here's an interesting post on the psychological benefits of jogging. I know personally that the main reason I feel compelled to run or jog every day is stress. Jogging seems to melt all of that away and leaves me calm and focused afterward.
How to Run Three Miles
Running is great exercise, it helps alleviate stress and, most importantly, it can be really fun. But for those who have not ran for a while, the idea of running can be intimidating. Maybe even running a short distance makes you winded and you don't see yourself as ever being able to run like "runners." Like anything, running takes a bit of work before it becomes easier, but that doesn't mean that you'll have to nearly kill yourself to get there.
I used to run cross country in high school, but I didn't keep up with it in college (and certainly not after I graduated). A couple years ago, it was a struggle for me to run a mile. Then I came across an article called the Couch-to-5K Running Plan. I tried it out and now I run about three miles a day (about 5K).
So what makes the Couch-to-5K Running Plan so effective?
Simply put, the plan eases you into running over a period of time. The plan calls for three 25-35 minute workouts per week over the course of nine weeks. The first workout consists of alternating 60 seconds of jogging with 90 seconds of walking. By the end of nine weeks, you'll be able to run three miles uninterrupted. I strongly recommend this article to anyone who wants to run, but is having trouble getting started.
Best of luck!
I used to run cross country in high school, but I didn't keep up with it in college (and certainly not after I graduated). A couple years ago, it was a struggle for me to run a mile. Then I came across an article called the Couch-to-5K Running Plan. I tried it out and now I run about three miles a day (about 5K).
So what makes the Couch-to-5K Running Plan so effective?
Simply put, the plan eases you into running over a period of time. The plan calls for three 25-35 minute workouts per week over the course of nine weeks. The first workout consists of alternating 60 seconds of jogging with 90 seconds of walking. By the end of nine weeks, you'll be able to run three miles uninterrupted. I strongly recommend this article to anyone who wants to run, but is having trouble getting started.
Best of luck!
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