It’s no secret that running can have a positive effect on your stress levels, immune system, and overall health, but how do you start running? How should you begin?

How to get into running – and fall in love with the sport – doesn’t it have to be hard. After all, running is a simple sport. You don’t need a gym membership, machines, or much equipment. To start running, all you need is a good pair of running shoes, comfortable clothing, and a running watch to help you track your pace, heart rate, and your progress. To make it even simpler, here’s our guide How to Start Running for Beginners – with some simple steps and advice for sticking to your running routine. Read set… run!

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RUNNING

The health effects and mental benefits, and the relatively low start-up costs make it one of the most beneficial lifestyle choices you can make. Making running a habit, however, can take some time. That’s why in this article, we’re going to cover the essentials to plan the best running workouts, build a routine, plus a few tricks of the trade to make sure you fall – and stay in love – with running.

TL;DR: You can binge watch our series of videos about how to start running to help you go from your first mile to a marathon. Here’s the first episode.

 

GET STARTED WITH RUNNING

One of the best things about running is that, unlike in other sports, you don’t need a lot of equipment to get started. But, while it might seem like a pair of running shoes is all that you’ll need, smart choices and a few other items can make your workouts a little more enjoyable and productive.

Here are a few items to consider before you start running:

1. CHOOSE THE RIGHT RUNNING SHOES FOR YOU

Whether or not you already own an old pair of running shoes or not, if you’re serious about starting a running program, you’ll need to invest in a good pair of running-specific shoes.

Visit a running specialty store where you can run in several different pairs on a treadmill before deciding on a model. Employees may also recommend specific models after watching you run and determining how your foot strikes the ground. The shoe you select should also match your overall fitness level and goals.

2. PICK RUNNING-SPECIFIC CLOTHING

Sure, you can run in any old pair of shorts and a basic t-shirt.

But the truth is the more you run, the more you’ll appreciate technical, moisture-wicking fabrics made for runners. These clothes are also lightweight, built to keep you cool and dry in warm weather, plus they won’t irritate the skin. You should also consider a hat if you’re running in the sun and a sports bra if you’re a woman.

3. LEARN TO LISTEN TO YOUR HEART

While training in heart rate zones may be more for intermediate and advanced runners, a heart rate monitor and GPS watch can be a useful tool for beginners who start running, too. In addition to tracking your workout time and mileage, a good heart rate monitor can also give you information, such as calories burned and recommendations on how much time you need in between workouts to recover.

4. FIND THE PERFECT PLAYLIST

When beginners start running, there will be plenty of mental hurdles you’ll need to get past as you increase your mileage. Listening to music, a podcast, or an audiobook while you run can help you relax and make the difficulty of a new activity a little easier to deal with.

Hint: With Music Controls, you can see what’s playing and skip songs directly from your Polar watch.

Having a plan will help you stay consistent and avoid injury as you begin to add running into your weekly routine. Where you’ll run, how often, and how far will all need to be determined beforehand – just remember you can always adjust it depending on how you feel from day to day.

The following basic principles are good rules to abide by as you start to incorporate a running exercise plan into your weekly workouts.

PLAN YOUR FIRST RUNNING WORKOUTS

START RUNNING EASY

The temptation will be to run for as long and far as you can the first time you head out the door. The problem is the more often you do this the more you’ll expose yourself to injury and soreness that could prevent you from running in the days that follow.

Instead, start with a walking routine that includes short amounts of running. Do this even if it feels easy!

Depending on your fitness, your first workouts should look something like this:

• 30 minutes of exercise, alternating three to four minutes of walking with one minute of running.
• Gradually increase your total exercise time and shorten the amount of time you walk in the weeks that follow.

INCREASE MILEAGE GRADUALLY

Slowly, week by week, up the challenge: Shorten the recovery time so that you run half of the time, walk the other half. Then run for one minute, and recover by walking only until you are ready to run again.

When you start running regularly, it’s not really all that important how fast you run or how long you run for. What matters is that you don’t always run at the same pace. This way, you allow your body to adapt to hard efforts by giving it sufficient recovery – and it also keeps training more interesting!

According to running coach John Honerkamp, you should aim to include your walk/run routine three days per week at first. Make sure you also have two rest days and two days of low-impact cross-training (stationary bike, elliptical, or row machine) as well.

Then, increase your total walking/running mileage by no more than 10 percent each week, while gradually beginning to focus on your running technique, such as cadence.