A few tips on how to start running

Technically it’s simple:

• Stand upright with the feet widen at around hip width,

• Move one foot forward, follow with the other, and repeat to keep moving,

• Gradually increase your pace until you feel your heart beating a little faster than when you walk.

Beginners tend to do 2 mistakes:

1. Running too fast:

   how can you know what your average pace is when you have not practiced running before? You can't.

   Simply pay more attention to your speed than your ego and slow down.

   And yes, it's totally ok if your jogging pace is slower than your walk, especially if you’re a fast walker.

• One easy way to figure out your speed is to speak while you run. If you run alone you can try speaking in your head, it's weird, I don't know why but it tends to work too.

2. Expecting to run for a long duration without any break:

   would you expect being able to swim non stop for 30 minutes if you have not practiced swimming before just because you're wearing a swimsuit? No, of course not.

   Same thing here: your cardiovascular and muscular systems need practice to be endurant in the skill that is running. Start with intervals where you run, walk a bit, run again, walk again, and repeat until you're tired enough but not completely exhausted.

   People with endurance training background may not struggle as much, where you start from obviously depends on your own capacities.

• My favorite interval training method is the 4x4: run for 4 minutes, then walk for 1-2 minutes, repeat 4 times. With beginners I like to stay at around 70-75% of effort but the conventional 4x4 pushes towards 85-95%. Focus on increasing the pace overtime.

When you start, all you have to do is run.

Once you’re easing in your pace and breathing patterns, you can start working on things such as foot placement, arms movement, lifting the knees higher, holding the upper body both tight and flexible, and increasing the speed, duration and/or intensity. But I'd waiting for a few sessions (or weeks) before playing with new parameters.

Make it fun and attainable first, then make it fun to be challenging.

Don’t overthink the duration, don’t overthink the speed, don’t overthink the distance,

Don’t overthink the datas, don’t overthink the shoes, don’t overthink the clothing.

• Wear something comfortable for you,

• Have a snack ahead or don’t,

• Find a time that suits your schedule,

• Go somewhere with or without people around,

• Do a long run or divide it in intervals,

• Stop and walk back home if you want to,

• Get a coffee or a snack on the way back.

Running is simple but it isn’t easy. It can take a bit of practice and time to feel the benefits of it but they are worth it.

Most importantly: do what you feel the need to do in order to lower the barrier of entry, making your run enjoyable and repeatable.