So to begin with why are you thinking of starting running? Is it due to wanting to get fitter? Have you a race or distance in mind? Is it because you have children or grandchildren and want to be able to run with them?
Whatever your reason running is a great cardiovascular exercise, it is good for bones and joints helping to strengthen and stave off against some common conditions such as Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis. The impact throughout the bones helps to maintain strength and reduce the development of osteoporosis. The impact through the joints is also showing signs that there may be a reduction in early Osteoarthritis changes. Although this is early research there is extensive research that confirms running is not a cause of Osteoarthritis, contrary to popular beliefs.
So where do you start? If you live a relatively sedentary life style or have not run in a few years to begin it is work starting off by increasing your walking NHS has funded some great apps and one that can help you get started is One You Active 10. With the focus on walking briskly this puts in some great foundation work for beginning running.
What next? So now you feel confident with your brisk walking where do you actually start for running? The NHS has also funded a great Couch25K app. This is something Amy has been using herself to build up her running and has found it easy to follow and increase the time she runs for. With the first week being 1 min running with 90 second walks in between for 3 sessions it is a very nice gentle start. If you are unable to achieve all the aims then just complete the week again until you can. This is a great guide to help you start your running with the focus on the time you are running for rather than the distance.
Please don’t be put off by new aches and pains, this is a new activity to you and your body, it is normal to find your feet are a bit sore, your legs hurt and you ache the next day. What is important is these pains should reduce and not continue for more than 48 hours. If you get any discomfort lasting more than 48 hours it might be worth seeking the advice of a physiotherapist, it could be something as simple as your running technique or muscle imbalance that needs correcting. For the majority of running issues it is possible to treat them alongside your running although you may have to temporarily reduce how long you are running for to allow things to improve, in some circumstances your running ma need to be stopped for a temporary period to allow the recovery to take place.
Once you have completed the running and got yourself up to somewhere near 5k of running then that is great, if you haven’t but your goal was not to run that distances that is also great. As the next step is to think of your long term goal and where you want to be. If you just want to go on regular walks and runs then see if there is a club near your or set one up yourself. If you have a set goal, 5k, 10k, half marathon or marathon then it is now time to start looking towards achieving those goals. Park run is a great way to achieve a 5k run once a week.
From then on there are multiple apps and running plans out there that will help you increase your distance. Once you do start to increase your distance it is important to mix up running long slow runs with short fast runs, most good programmes will include this in their programmes. It is also important to mix it up and do some circuit training or other weights/aerobic training to help improve muscle strength and control within running. For specifics exercises speak to a physiotherapist, there are some key muscles known as the posterior chain that need to function well when running longer distances and sprinting to help reduce our injury risk.