For anyone who wants to get fit, or maintain a level of fitness, running is the easiest, most natural way to do it. Ever since man descended from the trees and developed the ability to walk upright, running has been the quickest way to get around, without resorting to artificial means of locomotion.
To youngsters running comes naturally – they run for fun until they get tired, then they flop. As we get older, most of us run less, if at all, and our bodies ‘forget’ how to run and the enjoyment that can be gained from running. To return to running we have to remind our bodies of what is involved.
For someone who has not done any running for a while, walking is the obvious place to begin. Any form of cardio-vascular exercise is beneficial to your heart and lungs. Walking requires no specialist equipment and short sessions can usually be fitted into the routine of the busiest person: consider parking the car a little further away from work or taking a walk in the park for half an hour instead of watching TV. Twenty minutes of brisk walking per day, with some stretching activities, can be an effective way to begin feeling fitter and more confident. At this stage you may feel that you want to start running, but beware! However slowly you intend to run it is wise to seek medical advice in advance, especially if you suffer from any chronic illness or have any doubts about your health.
As you get fitter you might start to intersperse your walking with short periods of slow running – especially on downhill sections, or be more organised by, for example, using landmarks to split your exercise into four sections, alternately walking and running a section. Later, you might split your activity in half: walk the first part of the session; run the second half.
In all this it is important to consider your footwear. If you are increasing your level of activity – by walking or running – it is important to protect your joints. It is wise to buy a pair of cushioned running or training shoes that will absorb the impact of your footfall and limit damage to your joints, especially if the majority of your exercise is taking place on roads or pavements.
As your level of activity – and hopefully, fitness– improves you may wish to increase the length and/or the speed of your sessions. The important thing to remember is that any increase should be gradual; a sudden increase invites discomfort or injury that is counter-productive at this stage. Many people who take up running fail to build on a good start because their ambition takes over and they try to do too much, too soon. Fatigue and injury combine to put them off and they struggle to maintain confidence and motivation.
