Have you always dreamt of being a runner?
Perhaps you’ve seen or heard a friend rave about how they love running and you notice how fit and healthy they are looking?
Well there is good news and bad news…
The good news is that running is for everyone! No matter how young or old you are, you can start running today and set whatever goals you wish to achieve.
The bad news? Running is hard work. The seasoned runners make it look so easy, but starting and sticking to a running routine can be pretty tough at the start.
It is easy to buy the very best running shoes and clothing on the market, but if you don’t have the time to research all the variables that affect your running, or filter through lots of the misinformation online, you may find it a struggle.
However with some proper guidance, some persistence and dedication to push through the initial stage, and the ability to stick to a consistent schedule, you are well on the way to becoming a runner!
5 Tips for Beginner Runners
In order to avoid some very common initial hurdles that runners face, here are our 5 Tips for Beginner Runners –
- Improve your Running Style – If you have improper form, each running step can place unnecessary strain on various parts of the body, which can then lead to injuries or chronic pain. Assessing your form at the start of your running journey with a trained Running Physiotherapist, is a great idea not only to prevent injuries, but to improve your running efficiency. See more information on our website or below. Some technique tips include- Upper body should be leaning slightly forward from the ankles to ensure proper extension from the hip, Arms should be relaxed and swinging to assist forward motion, and Hips should be fully extended to use energy contained in hip flexors and allow foot to contact ground directly under center of mass. The simplest way to improve your style is to improve your cadence. To do this, start by counting the number of times your left foot hits the ground whilst running for 30 seconds. Double that to get a total for 60 seconds, then double it again for both feet. If your cadence is less than 170 steps per minute (spm), try to increase by 5%. Once that is natural work to further increase your cadence another 5% until you are comfortable in the 170 to 180 spm range.
- Add Strength Training – Running puts long periods of stress on your muscles, tendons, joints and ligaments, and this can lead to injury if not managed appropriately. Strength training is one of the best ways to strengthen your structural system and prevent injuries, with the focus areas for beginners being the hips and core. Research has shown weaker hips can cause IT band pain, patella tendonitis (runner’s knee) sciatica, piriformis issues and other common running injuries. You don’t have to have access to a gym, you can get a very strong workout in your home without equipment, including exercises such as wall squats, lunges and hip thrusts. If you are unsure of the best exercises and technique, your physio can suggest a strength program during a Running Assessment.
- Focus on Breathing -Runners should always breathe in and out primarily through their mouth, as to allow the maximum amount of oxygen. Your breathing is a great indication of your cardiovascular fitness. As a guide, an ideal training breathing rhythm for an easy run is 3:3. This means three steps on every inhale and three steps on every exhale.
- Pace Yourself Carefully – Whether it is in a workout, or a race, pacing is very important in order to achieve success. As a beginner it can be difficult to learn to pace as it is done by ‘feel’ which comes through running experience. And when you are in a race environment, it can be even harder. By the time you reach a marker to measure your pace, you may have already ruined your chances of success. To learn to pace, use your workouts to find the feel of an ideal pace. Use your breathing tempo and foot rhythm as measures and a GPS to track your pace periodically.
- Smart Distance Increases – Remember a single injury will provide a greater setback than the gain you could achieve from adding a few extra kilometers onto your week. You need a slow and steady approach taking into consideration a range of variables. You may have heard of the 10% rule as the standard weekly running increase, but this isn’t reliable for all circumstances or runners. For example hard surfaces can create more strain than dirt tracks, so more caution is needed if running on cement paths. Other factors include the quality of your running shoes, your own physical condition and your running form. If your body and the conditions are looking favourable, you can try a larger increase of 30-40%, but listen to your body and don’t push yourself too hard.
SPHC Running Assessments
At SPHC, we can help improve your cadence and running style with our Running Assessments.
Our highly trained Running Physios will conduct a thorough assessment where they will discuss your injury history, running concerns and goals, then identify key areas of concern which may need improvement.
The 1 hour session includes – Video Analysis of your jogging style, Assessment of your jogging specific muscle strength and joint flexibility, and Guidelines to help prevent injuries interrupting your training.
Running Assessments are currently available with selected Physiotherapists, and are fully claimable through private health (depending on your level of cover). Read More
Contact us on 3869 1099 or book your Running Assessment online.
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Further Reading
Here are some of our previous articles that may be of interest.