Jogging Tips for Beginners

 

Many people have turned to jogging since the pandemic, and it can certainly be a fantastic way to exercise safely. Running can help improve your fitness, lose weight, build strong bones, strengthen muscles and improve your mental health amongst a range of other benefits, but it is also an activity that is notoriously difficult to get started with. People often get disheartened when they find themselves struggling after running for a short period (especially when comparing yourself to others), but there are a few tips that should help you quickly progress and enjoy your time running.

 

Do not Focus on Time & Distance Initially

 

So much of running is focused on time and distance, but to start with, you are better off ignoring this and simply running for as long as you can without stopping, stopping to catch your breath, and then carrying on again. It is easy to overdo it when you are trying to run a certain distance/time, so to start with,you need to build fitness by listening to your body.

 

Slow Down

 

Following on from this, one of the most common tips that you will see online for new runners from those that are more experienced is simply to slow right down. It is amazing the difference that this can make and should allow you to run for much further and longer - you can then build your fitness this way and then start to look to increase your time and speed.

 

Wear Compression Socks

 

New runners often return from running with all kinds of aches and pains. Avoiding overdoing it is important, but you should also try wearing athletic compression socks that can help prevent sore muscles and swelling, improve blood flow, and help with recovery - knee socks could also help you stay warm if running during the winter. To build fitness, you need to run regularly, so injury prevention is incredibly important.

 

Stick to A Schedule

 

As mentioned above, to progress and build fitness, you will need to be running regularly - 3 times a week is a good target for beginners. Recovery days are just as important as running, so ensure that you are taking it easy on non-run days - activities like stretching or yoga could be helpful.

 

Set Yourself Goals

 

While you should avoid thinking about time and distance initially, once you start to build some fitness, it is a good idea to have a goal to work towards to stay motivated and track your progress. For most beginners, running 5K is a good goal to work towards and should be achieved before too long,provided that you are running a few times a week.

 

Hopefully, these running tips will come in helpful and allow you to start improving your fitness as well as enjoying your runs. It is the perfect form of exercise for times like this, but it is also hard to get stuck into, so people need to be aware of handy tips.