With most of us now spending a lot more time at home than usual, it is the perfect time to start running. That time you used to spend commuting in the morning or evening could now be time dedicated to getting out for a run. It will break up your day and help with both your physical and mental health during this uncertain period.
Some of you may have some concerns about being outside during this period but according to government advice as of 20th March, it is okay to go out and exercise as long as you keep within social distancing guidelines;
Run alone (unless you live with family or a partner who is healthy and wants to join you).
Avoid heavily populated areas, 2 metres is the recommended distance to keep between you and others.
Wash your hands before and after.
Don't run if you are feeling unwell. If you have any symptoms, it's best to wait until you are feeling better.
If you have decided to give this a go but running is a little outside of your comfort zone, or something you’ve never really committed time to before, stick to our top 5 tips for the start of your running journey and you might not hate it as much as you think...
- Don’t overthink it - Getting out of the door is often the hardest part of running. Don’t talk yourself out of it saying you’ll go tomorrow or when the weather is nicer. If you’re running in the morning, lay out your kit the night before so that in the morning you can get up and go without putting too much thought into it. Once you’re out there you’ll be fine!
- Routes - Think about your route before you go, if you’re just starting out keep it pretty short or maybe do a loop that passes your house so that it's easy enough to get back home if you are struggling. In the current climate, choose a route that won’t be too busy.
- Variety - If you run the same route at the same pace every time you run, you’ll get bored easily. Vary the distance, the route, the type of run. Try and get off the roads at some point if you can, run in the park, the forest, wherever you have green space available. Your legs will thank you for it, they recover a lot quicker running on softer ground than they do running on the pavements.
- Try not to compare yourself to others - It's hard in the modern world where everything is on social media or tracked by an app with a leaderboard. But try to focus on you and what is right for you, don't get caught up on what everyone else is doing.
- Take it slowly - Don’t worry too much about pace or distance in your first few runs. Just run to feel and see how you go. Ease into a running routine, don’t go from never running to running 5 days a week. The body takes time to adapt, most running injuries come from doing too much too soon and not allowing the body to recover.
And possibly, most importantly, clear your mind of expectation. Hit play on your favourite playlist and just GO!
Tag us in your run selfies on Instagram with #AloneButTogether and @WIT.Fitness and head to WIT-SOUNDS.COM for some playlist inspiration.