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Making Your Running Routine
Your decision to "get off the couch" to start running might be prompted by doctor's orders, a look in the mirror, the health condition of a friend or family member or wellness statistics from the media. However, before you strap on those sneakers, understand that even the best intentioned novice runner may have difficulty sticking with a running program.
The attrition rate for all beginning fitness enthusiasts is high. Runners are no exception. People often abandon their running workouts, becoming either injured or bored. In addition, these runners often lose sight of why they started their workouts in the first place. These steps should allow you to keep going with your running goals.
Staying Motivated
By following established guidelines, you can avoid physical burnout or emotional dropout.
Set goals. With aerobic exercise, you can get guaranteed positive physical and psychological effects, but only in due time. You can expect weight loss, but only 1 to 2 pounds per week. You will increase endurance, but that usually improves after two to three weeks of consistent workouts.
You also can expect to see lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and improved sleep and energy levels. You also may be less depressed and have increased immunity. But, again, all of these benefits occur over time.
All beginners will experience plateaus. Therefore, they must set attainable and realistic goals. Beginning runners should determine where and when they'll exercise, starting with no more than three workouts a week for three to four weeks. Writing down goals and exercise schedules is a great way to stay on track. Make sure you stick with the workouts for three months to give the new habit a chance to produce real results.
Warm up. Inadequate warm-up and stretching courts injury, especially for baby boomers whose muscles already may be tight. To counteract these effects of aging, patients need to stretch, lengthen and balance their muscles. Before you run, walk or jog for two to five minutes, then stop to do static stretching. Patients should hold each stretch for 10 to 20 seconds, then repeat. Runners can systematically stretch the quadriceps, hamstrings, Achilles, anterior shin, low back and iliotibial band.
Dynamic functional stretching is a great warm up as well, prompting movement in isolated body parts quickly and gently through natural ranges of motion. Runners should hold the stretch for no more than two seconds. It's also important to stretch five to seven minutes after the workout. Runners can enhance their flexibility by enrolling in a yoga, Tai Chi or Pilates class.
Select the proper shoe. The most significant external cause of injury is poor running shoe selection. Runners should purchase a quality running shoe that fits properly, is durable and accounts for their mechanics. The shoe should have a supportive arch and heel counter, cushioned sole, elevated heel, flared heel and flexible toe box. Beginning runners would benefit from advice of experts in specialty running stores. You can also alternate between two pairs of running shoes to vary the friction and impact points. Replace shoes every 400 to 500 miles.
Avoid doing too much, too soon. Baby boomers often fall victim to the "too much, too soon, too fast" syndrome. Runners often increase the intensity, duration and frequency of workouts to their own detriment.
Novices should start with a walking program on a level course for 15 minutes, three days a week, at a comfortable pace. When they're able to walk for 30 minutes without heavy breathing, they should begin a 20-minute jog-walk-jog-walk approach. One expert recommends starting with a run-walk ratio of two minutes of running and one minute of walking.
The talk test, which is the ability to have a conversation without gasping while exercising, is one easy way to guide you in running efforts. With the basic jogging or running workout, people should maintain a target heart rate in the training zone of approximately 75 percent of maximum heart rate. This is age subtracted from 220. Therefore, if someone is 60 years old, his target heart rate would be 75 percent of 160, or 120 beats per minute. You can determine your pulse by placing your fingers over the carotid or radial artery for 15 seconds and multiply your beats by four. For greater ease, you can purchase a heart rate monitor.
By maintaining a comfortable pace for 20 to 30 minutes, patients can reap the benefits of aerobic exercise. They can aim for three to four workouts a week, but should not increase the duration of their runs by any more than 10 percent a week.
Fuel up. With running, blood is diverted from the gastrointestinal tract to the muscles, causing cramping and less absorption of fluids. Inadequate nutrition can cause GI upsets and low energy during or after the run, or both. Consume a diet of approximately 50 percent to 60 percent carbohydrates, 25 percent to 30 percent fat, and 10 percent to 20 percent protein. To avoid GI distress, runners should limit their intake of fat, dairy products, high-fiber foods, cruciferous vegetables and caffeine.
The night before or the morning of a run, eat a meal that's 80 percent carbohydrate, 10 percent protein and 10 percent fat. Runners should not consume big meals closer than three hours before running.