10 Tips On How To Start Running

This article will tell you my top tips on how to get off your ass and out running around the streets! You will learn how to get fit safely by following these simple steps and only running two or three times per week. This is very important if you want to reduce the risk of injuring yourself....

1. Invest in a good pair of running shoes. You don't have to buy the top of the range, but it's important to ensure that your shoes will provide sufficient cushioning to protect your back and lower limbs from injury. No fashion trainers with skinny soles!!

2. Walk at first. For the first three or four weeks you should have a 10 minute warm-up walk before doing any running. Then start a combination of running and walking. See below for an outline of the routine.

3. Don't run two days in a row. Give your muscles, ligaments and tendons a chance to get used to running. Three times per week maximum.

4. Run for time, not distance. Your running program should be designed to gradually increase the time you spend on your feet, rather than the distance you cover.

5. Avoid the "Terrible Two's" - drastic increases in time of your runs. The Terrible too's too much, too soon and too fast!! If you ran a total of thirty minutes last week, don't increase it by more than five or ten minutes the following week.

6. Avoid copying good runners! These runners were born with genes that enable their bodies to handle running, you know the ones, lean and skinny. Don't try to copy them as it may lead to injury.

7. Be patient! Don't be in a hurry. Wait until you can run at least 30 minutes without resting before lining up for that first 5km fun run like the race for life.

8. Find a partner to run with. Some of the greatest friendships have been formed during training runs.

9. Run more slowly than you think you should. Also don't run as far as you think you should during the first 6 weeks.

10. Enjoy it! This is your time to yourself, it's meant to be enjoyable.

Outline Routine (after warm-up)

Start by jogging slowly for 15-30 seconds and walking for 60-90 seconds.

Gradually increase the amount of running e.g. 30 sec jog - 90 sec walk, 45 sec jog - 90 sec walk, 60 sec jog - 90 sec walk. Do this for 20 minutes, three times a week.

After 4 weeks try to reduce the time you walk for and increase your running time. E.g. 90 sec jog - 45 sec walk, 2 min jog - 30 sec walk, 3 min jog - 30 sec walk, 5 min jog - 30 sec walk.

Once you are able to run 5 minutes continuous, you can start to try to increase your running so its more continuous and keep your rest to minimum. E.g. 10 min run 30 sec rest, repeat twice. Slow and steady is the key at this stage.

Before you start your running program, you should visit your doctor. This is always a good idea, but especially in case of the following:
Excessively OverweightHeart problems or health problemsNever exercised before or not exercised for many yearsBreathing problemsChronic fatigueAged over fifty

So there they are my top ten tips, I hope you enjoyed and will benefit.

Now you know some vital information which will hopefully help your exercise program and increase your chances of achieving your goals. For more information from our team of sports scientists on personal training, boot camps, diet and nutrition, psychology, injuries and treatments, and rest, recovery and conditioning and many more why not visit: http://advancedsportsperformance.co.uk/

There are many easy to read helpful articles which can inspire you to reach your fitness and exercise goals FASTER!

Thanks for reading.

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Get Your Motor Running With Water Aerobics

If your goal is better fitness training, then you might consider adding water aerobics workouts into your schedule. The benefits of water aerobics are numerous, and all that is needed is the use of a pool to get started. If you are lucky enough to have your own pool, then there are different types of water aerobics to do at home as well. Soon you will find it easy to learn how to make water aerobics fun and a great way to get and stay in shape.

The Benefits of Water Aerobics

Because there is no undue force or strain on your muscles when doing water exercise workouts, your entire body is toned with low-impact activity. This makes it a better fitness training sport for most people than many high impact exercises such as running. The water creates a natural resistance which is easy on your knees, joints, ankles and back. If you are trying to lose weight, one of the wonderful benefits of water exercise workouts is that you can expect to burn as many calories as you would while jogging.

How to Make Water Activities Fun

If you are a beginner at water exercise workouts, it may be a challenge to figure out how to make water aerobics fun. There are exercises like jogging in place and crunches you can do, but try challenging yourself by picking your legs up higher in the water. Alternating a set of crunches with a minute of jogging will get your core muscles involved and will allow for better fitness training overall. Incorporating 'noodles' into your activity will add variety. Advanced swimmers looking for more difficult water exercise workouts, may try treading water in the deep end of the pool. Alternating with other exercises like 'bobbing' will make your workouts fun. You can also find out how to make water aerobics fun by asking a friend to join you in the pool.

Water Aerobics to do at Home

Many people start their training by enrolling in a formal class. That's a good way to learn the basics and master the fundamentals of water exercise, but it is not necessary. If you have the convenience of a pool at home, then you will find it easy to develop your own routines of water exercise to do at home. Make sure to change your workouts and add new exercises to keep your motivation strong.

If you'd like to learn more about Better Fitness Training, please visit http://www.betterfitnesstraining.com/

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Beginner's Guide To Running For Fitness And Weight Loss

Running is one of my favorite ways to get fit. It can become quite addictive as you strive to improve your times and if you stick at it you'll find yourself looking forward to your jog. Its main benefit is to the heart and lungs which will do you the world of good but your lower body will get a tremendous work out as well. A good pair of trainers and some comfortable clothes is all you will need.

There are a number of reasons why you might want to take up running. For a start it burns up a lot of calories. About 600 calories an hour seems average but if your overweight then you may burn considerably more as your having to work harder. You will notice that you feel refreshed and positive after a run and less stressed.

You should seek expert advice before starting any strenuous exercise. The main thing is to start of slowly in order to give your body time to adapt and if you have not exercised in some time it is a good idea to do a few weeks of hiking or walking. See my article on walking for fitness and weight loss. Then you can try some short bursts of jogging in your walk such as 2 minutes running and 5 minutes of walking. Try to increase the duration of the running whilst reducing the walking time. You will experience rapid gains at this stage and it wont be long before you are able to run for several miles.

Its best to mix up your running routine by running different courses and different distances. This will keep things interesting mentally and offer you a different challenge. When running try to keep your neck and shoulders relaxed and keep your torso straight and upright whilst engaging your stomach muscles. Try to land the feet gracefully not stomping. Most people will land on the heel and roll onto the toe and push off. Other runners will land more on the middle of the foot which may allow you to run more efficiently. Remember to stay nice and relaxed as you will achieve greater speed with less effort.

Remember to stretch out thoroughly after every run or you will lose flexibility and suffer very saw stiff muscles. You will most likely suffer some form of injury when you start running especially if you rush in to quickly. You should seek expert advice on injuries and stop training. Some common problems are shin splints, bad knees or sore hips. Good trainers will help and you can go to a good sports shop for advice when buying trainers. You should not run with shin splints as you can develop a stress fracture and should wait for them to heal.

As with walking I recommend that you perform a couple of sessions a week of resistance training. This will give you a more rounded development and will help with your running as you will have more strength.

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Misconceptions and the Reality of Running

I've never been a big fan of running. I've tried running on my own, getting up to 10 miles at once, but I could just never develop that inner yearning to run. Maybe it's because I never got the results I wanted or because I have friends who can either a) Run faster than me b) Run much longer distances than me and act like it's nothing. I believe running is great form of cardiovascular exercise and should be incorporated into most training programs. I bring up running because I've been talking with a lot of people lately about their expectations from running and how to run and there seems to be a lot of misconceptions out there. While it is awesome that people run for health, I feel individuals should understand what they will gain from jogging all those laps around the park and hopefully they will stay active longer because they will not expect results they shouldn't.

Misconception 1: Running will help me get lean.

Reality: Running will help you in weight loss, but not necessarily fat loss. Running is great at burning calories while you are running but it doesn't help you once you stop. In contrast, high-intensity sprinting burns tons of calories during exercise and elevates your metabolism a day or two afterwards while you recover. Simply put, running alone want help you get that lean six pack you've always wanted.

Misconception 2: Running slow (in the fat burning zone) will help me burn fat.

Reality: This one is true, but not why you want it to be. Running in the fat burning zone (60 percent of your max heart rate) does burn intra-muscular triglycerides (fat inside your muscle to be used for low to moderate intensity exercise) but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be fat from your back side. Running slow burns few calories which doesn't support your overall calorie deficit that is needed for weight/fat loss.

Misconception 3: Running helps build leg strength

Reality: Running doesn't build leg strength or help build bigger legs. An important factor to understand about this misconception is that our muscles have different types of fibers that are responsible for different task. One fiber is built for cardiovascular activity while another is designed for high-intensity exercises like strength training or sprinting. Running won't make your muscles bigger because your running fibers don't have the ability to. Running will make your fibers more efficient at using oxygen for energy while maintaining the same size. If you want bigger, stronger legs you will need to a) resistance train your legs b) consume a calorie surplus.

Misconception 4: I should stretch before jogging.

Reality: I hate this myth; it persists despite all the research that has been published about static stretching before exercise. YOU SHOULD NEVER STRETCH BEFORE A RUN. Stretching before exercise increases your risk of injury (pulled muscle) more than simply exercising without stretching. If you really want to stretch before your run, start off with a short run (5-10 minutes) until you begin to lightly sweat. After your warm-up, try different dynamic and static stretches to stretch your tendons and ligaments. Remember to always static stretch after your run. Static stretching is great when your muscles are warm and active, not cold and rigid.

Original article

Running for Weight Loss - How Many Calories Do You Burn Running?

Running is one of the best cardio workouts to lose weight with. It may even be the best. Running is an awesome workout not just because it's effective but also because it is a simple workout that can be done without any special equipment. A child can run, we're naturally made for this activity.

However, not every run is as effective as the next. If you're running for weight loss purposes, you should take action to get the most out of each workout. This is what this article is about.

We will judge the effectiveness of your running workout by the amount of calories you burn during it. The problem is that this changes from one person to the next.

The first thing that matters is your weight. The heavier you are, the more calories you burn when you run at a certain speed for a certain length of time. A 200 pound man will burn more calories than a 160 pound man if they both run for the same time at the same pace. It is simply because the heavier you are, the more energy is required to move your body.

Speed is also a factor. According to the calorie caclulator on BodyBuilding.com, a 160 pound individual, running for 60 minutes will burn the following number of calories:
If the pace is 10 miles per hour you will burn 1219 calories in total (quite a lot for a one hour workout but the pace is very fast).If you slow down to 8 miles per hour, you will burn 1029 calories, still quite a lot.If you slow down even more to 5 miles per hour, you will end up burning 610 calories in total.

As you can see, the amount of calories that you burn depends on the time and the speed of your workout. Naturally, these are not totally accurate numbers because your pace will likely fluctuate during your workout. In addition, these numbers do not reflect the conditions in which you perform your workout.

For instance, if you run at an incline then you will burn more calories than on a plain. The temperature and the humidity also play some role. Even the terrain has an effect on the overall calories burned in a workout. It is much harder to run through beach sand than it is on tarmac.

What is important is to run fast, incorporating burst of high speed in your run, If you do that, you will burn a lot of calories in your run. The exact number is less important.

For more running tips visit Running To Lose Belly Fat.
For more fat loss tips visit Burn Your belly Fat
John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life. He now runs a weight loss forum and publishes a diet and fitness newsletter.

Original article

Running: Getting Your Body Into Shape or Destroying It?

Running is a high impact form of exercise. Simply put, a runner lifts himself off the ground with alternating movements of his legs and propels himself forward. Each stride brings the runner's entire body weight into the air and back down to the ground. If a person weighs more than 180 pounds, then running is far from the best form exercise. In fact, it can be unhealthy and even dangerous.

There are many injuries associated with running. Ailments of the feet and joints are very common for people running long distances. People who weigh more are more prone to these injuries because there is more stress on the joints and bones. In the New York Times, exercise researcher Niels H. Secher explained that the best distance runners are smaller individuals, saying, "if you have large legs you have to move a big load. The smaller you are, the better." The ideal male distance runner is a small man, standing around 5'7'' and weighing less than 150 pounds. If you stand 6'4'' and weigh 250 pounds, the damage that will be done to your knees and bones will not be worth the fat you may burn by running.

Getting into shape and losing weight is not easy, but it should not hurt terribly. For larger people looking to slim down and shape up, running should be stricken from their repertoire. Other activities and sports, like swimming and cycling, offer excellent cardiovascular workouts without the punishing shocks to your joints associated with running. Elliptical machines are also better options that hitting the treadmill or the pavement.

When a person decides they need to incorporate exercise into their life, running is often the first thing that comes to mind. To swim you need a pool or body of water; to go cycling you need a bike. Things that cost money, and not pocket change, either. Running can be done alone, at any time of the day, along almost any road or on any trail. The only equipment you need is a good pair of running shoes (but the newer, minimalist kinds because old school running shoes are being found not to benefit anyone).

For people who are small in stature and carry less weight, running may be the right choice. If you are a bit bigger, you should put on your sturdy shoes, go to the road or the trail, and take a long walk. You will burn a lot of calories and your knees will thank you for not running.

Mark Baldwin is a freelance writer and blogger with a penchant for physical fitness. He has been a contributing writer for many websites including cellean.org.

Original article

Road Running or Treadmill Running?

Most gyms are lined with treadmills yet, there is usually a road outside the gym, couldn't you just run there? It's free and at least you feel like you are moving.

So why are there so many treadmills in these gyms? And why are they always full?

Surely it's a question of taste? After all, it's the same thing isn't it?

Often you will hear how road running is a heavy impact activity which can cause damage to your knees. Treadmills are cushioned to absorb the impact and is therefore safer. You don't have to deal with the weather. The surface is even and you don't have to be mindful of your safety from muggers or inattentive drivers.

Yes, treadmills are the way to go, aren't they?

Let's look deeper.

What happens when we run?

Firstly we extend one leg out in front using our quadriceps (thigh muscles). Before bringing the foot down and make contact with the ground. At this point the posterior (rear) muscles take over pulling and flexing the leg to propel us forward as the other leg extends out to repeat the sequence.

So very simplistically, we are constantly performing leg extensions followed by leg curls, working the muscles on both sides of the leg.

However, on a treadmill this is not the case. We still extend our leg, but upon connecting with the belt of the treadmill, it takes over and rather than propelling our bodies forward with the posterior leg muscles, the belt does this for us by pulling the foot backwards. Essentially, as far as our leg muscles are concerned, we are doing half the work and are only using the anterior (front) muscles to do it.

This means, firstly, less calories burned due to fewer recruited muscles and secondly, the imbalance is likely to cause stress, particularly to the knee.

This goes somewhat against the argument that treadmill running is safer than outdoor running as far as your joints are concerned.

Further, according to a study by the University of East London (1998) the hip flexion angle increases significantly when running on a treadmill. Hip and knee flexion angles have to increase to bring the hip through the stride causing a tightening and fatigue of the hip flexor muscles. As a result technique alters automatically to counter this weakness causing poor form. This can also cause knee pain, compounding the issue of the imbalanced muscle development.

Researchers have also found that when the foot lands on the belt of a treadmill, the foot, ankle and shin, become temporarily part of the belt and move backwards from the centre mass of the body at the same speed. This means the shinbone is not as upright as with normal running and is forced into a greater range of motion, which in turn can lead to stress of both the bone and its supporting muscles (causing a tight feeling often referred to as shin splints).

All this is not to say running on a treadmill should be avoided entirely. As a means of warming up or an occasional CV workout it is as good as any.

Also, during the winter months in particular, the risks involved with running outside may well outweigh the benefits, in which case using a treadmill would be a good alternative to avoid losing progression.

If your concern is burning calories and you would rather stay indoors, I'd suggest you would get more benefit from circuit style training where a good balance of muscle groups can be catered for. You can get your heart rate up just the same and ensure opposing muscle groups are equally worked, which will not only burn more calories in the long run, but will help prevent injury and make you functionally fitter.

In short, treadmills have their place, but the next time you go to get on one, stop and have a look outside. There's a whole world out there to explore, places you miss in your every day commutes. Why not get some fresh air in your lungs, some vitamin D and all the additional benefits associated with road running? At least you'll feel like you're getting somewhere.

Dynamic Core Solutions is an International Coaching Health & Fitness Resource that can provide you with incredible, life & Physique Transformation result and the information on how to achieve them.

If you are interested in finding out more on fat burning, road running or general fitness information, head over to dynamiccoresolutions.com for more information and to find a more detailed version of this article.

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