Weight Loss Tips: 10 Beginner Running Tips

Weight Loss Tips: 10 Beginner Running Tips

Weight Loss Tips: 10 Beginner Running Tips

You have decided to start running. Good for you!

Follow my beginner running tips and you are off with a running start!

Newbie Running Tip 1: It is never too late to start running
Whatever your age: exercise is good for you. Regular exercise gives you the following benefits:

1. You will have more energy
2. You will decrease your chances of getting a heart disease
3. You will decrease your chances of getting cancer
4. You will sleep better and feel more rested
5. You will lose weight

And the list does not stop there! So put on those running shoes and your running clothing and go for it!

Need more convincing? Then learn all about the benefits of running. By the way, ever checked the number of so called veterans in race results? The vast majority of the running pack consists of people aged 35 and older. It is never too late to start running!

Newbie Running Tip 2: Visit a physician
Before you start your running program, pay a visit to your physician. This is always a good idea, but especially in case of the following conditions:

1. Overweight
2. Heart problems
3. Completely untrained
4. Breathing problems
5. Chronic fatigue
6. Age over forty

Hey, better safe than sorry !

Newbie Running Tip 3 : Use a running program
I have developed running schedules especially aimed at beginners. These beginner running programs will accomplish many things for you. They will:

1. Increase your fitness
2. Help you lose weight
3. Give you a slow and sound build-up thereby reducing the risk of injuries

Too many beginning runners do too much running too soon and stop within weeks because of injuries. Not you though!

Newbie Running Tip 4: Start with a run/walk program
Some people will never start their exercise program, because they don’t know how to start running.

All my beginner running schedules consist of both running and walking. When you start off, especially when you are completely untrained, you will not be able to run far distances.

Moreover it is not wise to do so, because you put yourself at the risk of running injuries and health problems.

Therefore, start slowly and find out you can still make fantastic progress in just a matter of weeks! My beginner running programs can help you get there!

Newbie Running Tip 5: Check your pulse
An obvious factor which many beginning runners will monitor is their weight. Another one, often forgotten is your heart rate.

Running is a cardiovascular activity. It trains your heart. Your heart pumps blood through your body. A result of proper exercise is that your heart will be able to pump more blood through your body with every heart beat. So it will need less beats to do the same amount of work for you.

Regularly check your pulse and see if you are improving. For fair comparison you need to check your pulse under the same conditions every time.

So the best moment is early in the morning, just after you have woken up, but haven’t gotten out of bed yet. Count the beats during ten seconds and multiply with six to calculate the number of beats per minute. You should see a steady improvement in your pulse. Maybe not from day to day. But you will definitely see your pulse improve over longer periods of time; i.e. weeks or months.

So do not get discouraged too quickly!

Important: if your pulse is higher (5 to 8 beats per minute) today than yesterday instead of lower this could mean you are overdoing it. Take a rest today and check your pulse again the next day. When it is back to its old level you are ready for your next hard run again.

Newbie Running Tip 6 : Keep a running log
For many runners, keeping a running log is an excellent way to keep track of their progress. In a running log you enter basic information about your runs. For example : distance, time and type of workout. You can also be more comprehensive and regularly put in your weight and pulse.

It is extremely motivating to see your mileage increase and your weight and pulse decrease as your running program progresses !

Just a tip: don’t go off buying a running log. You can easily make up your own training log with pen and paper or in a computer spreadsheet.

Newbie Running Tip 7: Listen to your body
Of course, when you run you are bound to get tired and experience muscle pains afterwards. That’s fine. To a certain extent, however, when you, during or after your run, feel dizzy, or when you experience pain in your chest area, your back or your legs, beware!

Take it real easy:

1. Immediately stop running and rest or walk for a bit until you feel better.
2. Cut back on your training load or stop it until the pain has ceased.
3. Check with your physician if you keep on experiencing pain or if you are feeling unsure about anything.

Take care of yourself. You only have one body and one life. Running is a great healthy activity, but in your enthusiasm (too much too soon) you can harm yourself. Follow one of my beginner’s training schedules to avoid injuries. Even then, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY !

Learn to listen to your body and you will be your own best coach who can tell you to keep on going or to stop.

Newbie Running Tip 8 : Low Intensity
Another cause of problems with beginning runners is that they start at a too high intensity. They decide on a certain running route and measure their time on every run. Everything needs to be speed, speed, speed. If you are a starter, you are far better off by low intensity runs for a number of reasons :

1. (Too) fast running is much more strenuous on the body. If you go too fast too early you will end up with injuries.
2. Paradoxically the slower you go in the beginning, the faster you will be in the end. Base building is considered to be single most essential part of your running. This means easy running (the pace where you could maintain conversation).
3. Eventually you will be able to go longer and further if you do your runs at low intensity.
4. You will avoid overtraining. If you tell yourself at the end of your running workout ‘I could have gone for a bit longer’ then you have been running at the right pace.

Newbie Running Tip 9 : Regular workouts
Regular workouts are an important key to your progress. When running for fitness it is far better to workout three or four times a week for thirty minutes than to do one two-hour training per week. Make sure that you follow a good running schedule which takes care of a slow and regular build up. Check here for good beginners running programs

Newbie Running Tip 10 : Set goals and celebrate progress
One of the best ways to keep motivated is to set attainable goals for yourself. This can be anything:

Running Shoes for Men

1. Run at least three times per week
2. Lose weight; no be more specific; lose 5 kilos within 3 months.
3. Be able to finish a local 5K race which is held 12 weeks from now
4. Improve your PR on the 10K with 30 seconds this year

Whenever you reach a goal be proud of yourself! Give yourself a compliment and treat yourself to something. Basically, anything tangible or intangible that gives you the feeling you have done well. A nice warm bath, a good meal in your favourite restaurant, or get yourself a running present.

Just some ideas :

Running Shoes for Women

1. Running shirt
2. running watch or heart rate monitor
3. running video
4. running book
5. pair of new running shoes
6. running poster
7. running art work
8. subscription to a running magazine
9. some new running apparel