Running to Get in Shape? Top Tips to Stay Injury Free

Running is a great way to get some exercise, and a lot of people who just start by doing it once a week find themselves with a great fitness regimen. You may never win a marathon or a gold medal, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy running and even get pretty good at it.

However, running, especially if you’re looking to run long distances or improve your speed, can be pretty hard on your body. If you want to be good at it or even do it for years, you need to take care of your body.

Use these tips to help you get in good shape and make sure your running career, even if you don’t make any money, is long and fun.

Start Slow

Running can be a lifelong pursuit and a great way to stay in shape, even once you’ve reached 50, 60 or even older. However, you can’t just expect to get out there and start running three miles per day or running a mile in five minutes.

What you need to do is start out slow so that you can build your pace or your distance over time. Go out for 20 minutes at a time, and if you don’t run or exercise regularly, you need to work up to running by simply jogging. When you feel too winded, stop and rest.

You’ll need to get in shape before you can really even run for more than a minute or two at a time, especially if you haven’t exercise in a while. Don’t push too hard at first or you could risk injury.

Take Recovery Days

When you run on a regular basis, especially at the beginning, you need to do everything you can to make sure you’re body isn’t too sore. For the most part, that really means stretching before and after your runs, and taking a day off between runs.

While recovery days may not seem like they meet your fitness goals, you don’t want to hurt yourself. Sore muscles will also heal faster and you’ll be able to run harder.

Buy High-Quality Shoes

The shoes you wear matter more than you think, and buying the cheap ones just aren’t a good idea. What you need is high-quality shoes like mens New Balance sneakers. They’ll last a little bit longer and you’ll also run better.