5 Tips On Starting To Run For The First Time

If you feel a little spring in your step, it could be the warm weather giving you feelings of going for a run. Running is a great way to get fit – it’s good for your heart, your lungs, and your overall mood. If you’re starting to run for the first time, let’s take some baby steps first.

From the comfort of your couch, you’re first going to want to pick a race. A race is typically 5km, 10km, a half marathon (21km), or full marathon (42km). If you’re just starting out, a “5k” is a good goal. Working towards a goal makes achieving it that much easier. In and around Markham, there is a 5k foam race in Uxbridge at the end of July or The Unionville Festival Funky 5k on Sunday, June 2nd.

At our Markham physiotherapy clinic, we see a lot of injuries from running – tight Iliotibial (IT) bands, twisted ankles, shin splints, pulled hamstrings, or just plain sore feet.  The good news is the most essential feature of a running shoe is your own comfort. Head to an athletic shoe store (we recommend Running Free or Running Room), try on four or five running shoes, jog around outside of the store, and let your feet decide. Choose a shoe that feels best for you.

Some people run on their toes, others run with heavy feet, and in the end, it doesn’t matter. It’s true, neither form is inherently better than another. To avoid injury when you first start — use your natural stride. If you’re worried about the way you look while you’re running,  one of our Physiotherapists can assess your running pattern and direct you in ways to optimize the stride you have.  “Practice makes Permanent”,  so we’d rather have you run with a pattern that reduces your risk of injury. It’s vital that you’re out there getting healthy without having to take a break because you’re hurt.  Keep your focus on making sure you go out and run on a regular schedule.

STARTING TO RUN TIP #4: THE RUN WALK METHOD

Olympian Jeff Galloway pioneered this method, and we love it. It’s great for beginner runners to get moving and stay running. It doesn’t mean to walk when you’re tired, but rather that you walk at regular intervals to build up your endurance. It also gives your body a break and can reduce the chance of injury.

Use your phone or a watch to time yourself – when you’re starting out, run for 1 minute and walk for a minute. Slowly but surely, try to extend your run times from a minute, up to a maximum of 8 minutes and intersperse your 1-2 minutes of walking in between the runs.

While we at The Physio Spot like this method, if you feel you’d rather run the whole time, don’t let us hold you back. Running is a personal journey, experience it however you want.

You should aim to run about 3 times per week and at a conversational pace, meaning you can talk to someone while you’re running. You should not feel winded. In between runs, try and do some weight training or body weight exercises to keep fit while you train. We like to get our athletes to work on strengthening and mobility of the core, hip and legs. Remember, most beginner plans take somewhere from 6-8 weeks to build up your endurance safely.

This is our specialty. As much as we love when you visit us for physiotherapy in Markham, injury prevention is a much better plan.

Warm-ups and Dynamic stretching should be done both before and after a run. Dynamic is not static. Instead of reaching down to touch your toes and holding it there, try to touch your toes ten times – sort of bouncing between the stretch and back to comfort. Keep your muscles in motion. Do squats, lunges, and high leg kicks to warm up your legs. Do side stretches to avoid cramping in the area above your hips. Finally, stretch the soles of your feet – pounding on the pavement can take a toll on your feet.

Running is rewarding. Knowing you can do it, starting healthy habits, and the thrill of race day can’t be overstated. Good luck out there and if you do need us, we’re always here to help at The Physio Spot Physiotherapy Clinic in Markham.