Running Tips
As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer (stays warmer? Did we even have a winter this year?), it is a great time to get back outside and into an exercise routine. We know getting outside has a great many benefits, for some of those read our post about it here: Benefits of Being Outside. The advent of spring is the perfect time to take advantage of those benefits and shake off the winter blues. However, it can be intimidating to try to run after a winter break from exercise. If you’re looking for help to get back into the flow of running, look no further.
I am a former collegiate runner, so I may like running more than most, but I still find it difficult to get back into that routine. Of course, having a coach and a team to hold me accountable helped tremendously, but out in the real world not everyone has those tools. I’ve found some of these strategies have helped me the most with my exercise routines.
The first is to work on maintaining the right mindset. The “right” mindset looks different for everyone. One thing to try is to make sure you stay forgiving. It’s not the end of the world if you miss a day of your routine or training. You’re not a failure for missing your goal time or distance. Sometimes you may find that you’re more miserable trying to get the workout in rather than just taking the day off. This is okay when it happens occasionally. If you find it happening all the time, it is time for a change in your exercise schedule.
Of course, with that being said, your greatest tool is to stay consistent. Getting out there every day is one of the best ways to build a habit. Research shows creating a dedicated spot in your daily routine for an activity is an effective way to establish that activity as a habit (Keller et. al., 2021). This study also found it took around 59 days to make this habit automatic. It may seem daunting to need to run for nearly two months before it is a habit but taking it one day at a time makes it easier to handle.
Now that we have some tools to get out there, what do you do to actually get started? It is important to start slow. Mixing in a few minutes of running while on a walk is a good way to get used to the new volume. Try to include about an extra minute each time until you are able to run for 20 minutes uninterrupted. An example progression is to start with a 10-minute walk and a 3-minute jog, followed by a 7-minute walk. Once you can do a 5-minute jog with this setup, try doing a 6-minute walk and 3-minute jog combo twice in a session followed by a 2-minute walk. From there, you can increase the jogging time and decrease the walking time until you are able to jog for all 20 minutes.
As always, make sure to come into Spine and Sports Rehab to see your favorite PT if you need help with any pain or more tips for starting your exercise again. Happy Running!
Sources:
Keller, Jan; Kwasnicka, Dominika; Klaiber, Patrick; Sichert, Lena; Lally, Phillippa;
Fleig, Lena. Habit formation following routine-based versus time-based cue planning: A randomized controlled trial. The British Journal of Health Psychology. January 6, 2021. https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjhp.12504
Nike. How to Start Running (or Get Back Into It After a Long Break). Nike.com.
August 31, 2022. https://www.nike.com/a/how-to-start-running-again
Getting Back into Running after a Break. MidlifeRunning.com. n.d.
https://www.midliferunning.com/getting-back-into-running.html