Running is considered one of the most beneficial and popular forms of exercise. It melts fat quickly, strengthens your heart and keeps you in shape. Everyone can run, as long as they have a proper running routine to fit their physical condition. If you never run before, check out this beginner running plan.
You will need to warm up and cool down before you run and after you finish. The recommended amount of time is 3 minutes. You can warm up by walking slowly at first, then gradually get faster. Reverse this process for cooling down. Remember to equip yourself with supportive running gears such as sporting clothes and shoes.
Week 1
- 3 minutes of warming up;
- 2 minutes of walking followed by 2 minutes of running. Do this for 28 minutes;
- 3 minutes of cooling down;
- 5 minutes of stretching your muscles.
Week 2
You are not in a running tournament. Your speed does not matter. One important principle of running is that you keep a harmony between your breath and your pace. Running is supposed to make you breathe hard. But you should be able to talk while running. If you are having breathing difficulties and cannot keep a conversation, you are probably running too fast. It is advisable to slow down a little bit.
- 3 minutes of warming up;
- 3 minutes of running followed by 1 minutes of walking. Do this for 28 minutes.
- 3 minutes of cooling down.
Week 3
- 3 minutes of warming up;
- 4 minutes of running followed by 1 minutes of walking. Do this for 30 minutes.
- 3 minutes of cooling down.
Week 4
- 3 minutes of warming up;
- 4 minutes of running followed by 30 seconds of walking. Do this for 33 minutes.
- 3 minutes of cooling down.
Week 5
Since this point, you can continue to build up your ideal routine by adding a few minutes to your running time and get a few seconds of your walking time every week until you feel comfortable with your routine.
The way you run is also important. Try to relax your shoulders, swing your arms a bit and keep your head focused ahead. Your steps should be short and quick. Muscle pain is common during the first few days. If the pain lasts for too long, it means you have pushed your body too hard. You need to give your body a break by changing into low-impact activities such as walking, swimming or cycling. Running should be fun, not exhausting or painful. Return to running when your body has completely recovered to avoid injuries.
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