Running is free, you can do it virtually anywhere, and it burns more calories than any other mainstream exercise.
Getting started it can seem a little daunting but the advantages of regular exercise are a reduction of your risk of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. Exercise can also boost your mood and keep your weight under control.
Much of our information is a basic outline to make running a safe and enjoyable experience and to provide you with tips on how to stay motivated.
Staying Motivated
It really helps to have someone about the same level of ability as you to run with. You'll encourage each other when you're not so keen to run. You'll feel you don't want to let your running partner down, and this will help motivate you.
Charity runs are a great way to get motivated to train and many 5 km events take part right across the globe. The NHS Live well website offers a fantastic From Couch to 5k nine week plan. Aimed at complete beginners, it has everything you need.
NHS - Running with Couch to 5k
Keep a diary of your runs. Note down each run, including your route, distance, time, weather conditions and how you felt. That way, whenever your motivation is flagging, you can look back and be encouraged by how much you've improved.
Mix it up
Keep your running interesting by adding variety. Running the same route over and over again can become boring. Vary your distances, pace and routes.
Join a club
A running club is the perfect way to commit to running regularly. Most clubs have running groups for different levels, including beginners. Clubs are also a great way to find running partners to run with outside of club sessions.
