So You'd Like To Take Up Jogging...

Why Oh Why Should I Start Running?

I hated running, too.  Even when I was a college athlete, our warm up jogs were my least favorite part of training.  But now I’m out of college, I had no regular fitness routine and was just kind of killing time at the gym.  So one day I was feeling ambitious and I hopped on a treadmill.  2 miles later, I felt great, and I haven’t looked back.

Like any cardiovascular exercise routine, there are a lot of benefits to running, including:

• Stress Relief
• Weight Loss
• Lower Blood Pressure
• A Good Conversation Starter with Hot Runner Guys
• An Excuse to Buy Cute Exercise Outfits
• Feeling Superior to People Who Are Walking

Get a Good Pair of Shoes

This is important.  Shoes with too little support, or that don’t fit well will put you on the fast-track to injury.  If you haven’t run much, it’s not a bad idea to stop in at a real running store and get the advice of professionals.  Besides, who doesn’t like shopping for shoes?

Take it Slow

Don’t go all out right away.  You’ll get frustrated, get sick of running, get injured, or all of the above.  If you’re not a runner, it’s OK to start out slowly.  Jog a little, walk a little.  Try one of the various online training programs that suggest intervals for beginning runners, including Cool Running’s “Couch to 5k” or Hal Higdon’s novice 10K training schedule.

Be Consistent

You’ll be able to work up to a few miles faster than you expect, most likely.  But after the initial excitement wears off, things will inevitably start to get in the way of your program and you’ll be tempted to slack off.  This is when it’s important to remember that the more time you take off, the more your fitness level will slide backwards, until you’re back at square one!  Much better to get short jogs in as often as you can to prevent this process, known as “de-training.”

Set Goals

At the very least, keep track of your progress.  It will be much easier to get motivated to keep running if you can see how far you’ve come.  This doesn’t have to mean spending a lot on a heart rate monitor or other fancy device that tracks mileage — it can be as simple as using a stop watch to measure how long you run for.

If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, sign up for a local race.  Having a goal distance on your calendar can be a great motivator.

Recruit Running Buddies

Any good fitness routine is easier if you’ve got a friend to go along with you.  Recruit the friends you already have (who couldn’t use a little more exercise) or make some new ones…at the gym, on craigslist or, wherever it is that people meet friends who exercise.  Probably not the bar…

Get an iPod

It’s been SCIENTIFICALLY proven that people who listen to music while they exercise push themselves harder.  So if you’ve been waiting for some good reason to get an iPod, now you have one.  Make an awesome playlist and hit the road.

One Day at a Time

If you’re not used to exercising regularly, you’re probably going to have a number of off days, especially at the beginning.  Days when you take your regular route and halfway through you feel like you just can’t take another step.  Or even days when you just can’t bring yourself to get out of bed or off the couch.  But just remember that every day is a new day.  Just because you had a bad time yesterday doesn’t mean you should give or that you’ll have a bad day today.  This is applicable to developing any healthy habit, you’ve just got to take it one day at a time.

HAVE FUN

This is the most important tip for beginning any exercise program.  The bottom line is that if you’re not having fun, you’re not going to want to do it and before you know it, you’ll be back on the couch.  So whether it’s listening to new tunes, getting some sun on your face (wear sunscreen, people) or just get some much needed time to yourself, you need to have fun.  Remember that you’re not training for the Olympics and you aren’t competing with anyone but yourself.  If you keep your expectations reasonable and focus on the most important aspect of your regime – namely being happier and healthier – then you’ll be motivated to keep running.

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