Over a year ago I went from being a person who does no exercise to a person who would run every day. By choice. To relax. This may sound crazy, and it would have sounded insane to me back then, but with a little work (not too much!) you can too.
Go Slow
When I first started I would try and run at a pace that I imagined a good runner would run at, which was way too fast. All this did was make me develop soreness and resent the idea of a jog. Go at your own pace and avoid judging yourself – you’re just starting out, don’t pretend you aren’t. Try and go at a pace where you’re a little puffed but could carry out a conversation.
Go Short
There’s no problem with running one kilometre if that’s all you can do. I started off with a short run every couple of days and then slowly increased my distance and frequency.
Go Every Now And Then
Take a couple of days off if you feel as though you have an injury or shin splints coming on. As your muscles develop all the niggling little pains will drift away, but if you try and fight against them they will just become major issues that will prevent you from enjoying running long term.
Go With A Podcast
A lot of people like to listen to music when they run, but listening to a podcast or an audio book can be a great distraction from the pain of running. I found it especially helpful early on as it distracted me from the exercise but also prevent me from running at a faster pace than I was ready for.
Go Pat Yourself On The Back
Keep track of yourself and make sure to acknowledge when you’ve made an improvement in your running. Putting a fortnightly goal in place can be a good way to both motivate yourself and also help you acknowledge that you are improving.
Now all there is left to do is go run!