A great form of exercise for building fitness and burning calories, running is a popular activity that is both free and good for you. But if you’re new to the world of running, or exercise in general, it’s difficult to know where to start. The best regimes begin slowly so that you have time to build up your fitness and stamina, as well as avoiding any nasty injuries.
As a beginner, it’s important that you don’t leap into any intensive workouts – try alternating between running and walking, which can help you avoid burning out and risking an injury. It’s also a great method for boosting your fitness level and burning calories without putting your body under too much strain.
On your first week, running should really be a secondary task – improving your stamina is key here though. Take around three to four long walks and monitor your fitness level througout – this is particularly important if you’re new to exercise or are overweight, as you should take your time and ease your body into physical activities.
In the second week of your regime, add thirty to forty seconds of interval running between stages of walking. This should be preceeded by a five minute warm up so that your body is prepared for an increase in fitness. Depending on how fit you are, you can up the length of this exercise.
Week three consists of walking for five minutes then jogging at a gentle pace for one minute – rest with a walking break, then repeat the cycle for five to six repetitions. You should aim or three workouts during the week in order to build up your stamina.
In week four of your programme, begin with a five minute warm up as normal then jog for two minutes, before taking a one minute break – you can lessen this if you feel fit enough to do so. As your training progresses, you’ll find you are able to build up to running consistently for the entirety of your workout. Eventually, you will be able to sustain a thirty minute run without feeling out of breath. As with all exercise, consult your GP before embarking on anything you aren’t already used to.
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