Diet Ideas: Running Back To Fitness

Running Back To Fitness

1:15 PM

By Harwood E Woodpecker
Living in today's extremely health conscious world we are all under a constant barrage of instruction from magazines and television programmes to get healthy, get fit and stay healthy and stay fit. This is alright if you have an unlimited amount of spare time in your life as well as the will power of a monk or nun to stay disciplined to a healthy diet but not all of us lead that kind of life, sometimes we are too busy to exercise and eat healthy. This does not mean that we do not want to be healthier it is just that we struggle to find the time. So what hope is there for us people who are always on the go, what can we do to get in shape and stay in shape?

Running or jogging is a great way to start to get back in to shape. It costs very little to get started and you can fit it around any schedule or plans you may have as you do not have to work to a time table to go for a run. It is something that you can do in nearly all weather and it is something that you can involve the family in or even a buddy. The first thing you need to do is to be totally committed to the fact that you want to get in shape and be healthier, if you cannot give yourself that commitment then you will not give yourself the time or motivation to see the plan through.

Starting slowly is always the best way to go about getting yourself back in shape. It may have been some years since you last tried to get in shape and as you get older certain parts of your body refuse to do the things that your brain would like them to do, so for that reason you must be strict with yourself and be patient. Always consult your doctor with your plans before you go ahead and attempt to get back in shape, he may have some pointers for you as well as having some valuable health advice.

If your doctor is happy with your plans and can see no problems why you should not get back in shape then you need to make sure you set yourself a time table for the week ahead giving yourself perhaps four windows where you could go for a run but setting yourself a goal of going out at least three times out of the four. This way if for any reason you cannot make one of the runs you are not too disheartened or de-motivated as you will always have a spare slot later in the week. Always be realistic with your goals and be true to yourself, some days you will run well and others you will run like a three legged dog. On these days you need to remember that although you are not running well you are still at least running.

To get started with running you will need the bare minimum of kit, a stay dry vest and t shirt as well as a couple of pairs of lightweight shorts, a few pairs of running socks and a pair of running trainers. Do not attempt to wear your old trainers when you go running as these are without doubt not designed for running and will put excessive strain on your joints and muscles. I would always recommend going to a specialist running store to have your gait recorded to see if you need any special footwear insoles to keep you in shape. Many people do not run with a correct foot pattern and again this will put extra strain on joints and muscles and over time can cause an injury.

And finally, always warm up and stretch properly before you attempt to run as you will at some point damage a muscle if you don't and always remember to warm down at the end of a run. You will ache for the first few runs that you go on but in a short time your body will get use to the extra work you are asking from it. Soon you will have no trouble at all in finding time to keep fit and will be looking for ways to get yourself even fitter still.