Running for Fitness and Fun

Running is one of the most basic and reliable ways to burn fat, improve fitness and generally enhance your health.

And if you’re currently reading articles on how to turn your fitness around and get into great shape, then running will often be recommended as the best place to start and as the easiest tool you can use. After all, it requires zero equipment and is something that anyone can do anywhere, any time.

Or at least that’s the theory. In reality though, running can be quite difficult to get into and it’s tough to convince yourself to start if you’ve never done any training before. This article will help to get you on the right (running) track with some key pointers that every new runner should know.

Good Shoes

This is perhaps one of the most important tips there is when it comes to running. The right shoes will make an absolute world of difference in the way you train and how well you manage to stick to a new running regime.

If you run without the right shoes, you’ll find it’s more tiring to keep going and that you end up with painful ankles, feet and knees in no time. Good shoes should cushion you through your run and even help you to travel further with less energy.

The right shoes will vary from person to person though and this depends on your gait as well as the shape of your foot. Some people do better with a minimalistic shoe, while others need something more structured. Head to a running shop then and try getting your gait measured so you can get the best recommendation.

Running Watch

They say you don’t need any equipment to get started with running and certainly a running watch isn’t an absolute requirement.

But that being said, a running watch will nevertheless make a gigantic difference to your enjoyment of running. That’s because it will let you run wherever you like while still getting an accurate measure of your distance, time and calories burned.

In turn, this means that you can explore and find new places but will also be able to challenge yourself to beat your best times and to keep on improving.

Without something like this, you’ll either have to run in a restricted manner to keep your distance the same, or you’ll be running without getting any feedback regarding your progress.

Start Slow

It’s very easy to get quickly disheartened with running as it doesn’t take long to feel out of breath or to start skipping sessions.

The key is to start out modestly and to try and enjoy running. Don’t head out to try and burn 1,000 calories – instead just take it slow, enjoy the scenery and don’t set yourself up with unrealistic expectations.

A casual jog through the woods is fun, relaxing and rewarding and it’s great being able to come home and load up your stats.

Once you find the fun in running, the weight loss will be easy!