At Proform-Coupons.com we want you to be able to utilize your newly purchased treadmills to the fullest. So in spirit of National Running Day, I found a great list of 101 Running Tips from experts in the past that I saw on MensHealth.com.
Feel free to check out the site if you want to see all 101 tips, but I thought I’d just share a few of my favorite ones to help you learn some tips and motivation to enjoy your treadmill even more!
Don’t crush the egg
“Don’t clench your fists in a white-knuckle grip. Instead, run with a cupped hand, thumbs resting on the fingers, as if you were protecting an egg in each palm.” —Runner’s World editors
Relax to the max
“When running, let your jaw hang loose, don’t bunch up your shoulders close to your ears, and occasionally shake out your hands and arms to stay relaxed.” —Dave Martin, Ph.D., exercise physiologist
Many runners tend to tense up and place too much pressure on themselves before a run, just have fun with it and relax!
Be a minuteman
“The biggest mistake that new runners make is that they tend to think in mile increments—1 mile, 2 miles, 3 miles. Beginning runners need to think in minutes, not miles.” —Budd Coates, four-time U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier/coach
You don’t always have to have a set number of goals in mind, just running for a set time in the beginning is going to be best to figure out what your pace is.
Make time for a quickie
“If 15 minutes is all the time I have, I still run. Fifteen minutes of running is better than not running at all.” —Dr. Duncan Macdonald, former U.S. record holder at 5000 (set when he was in medical school)
Even if you don’t have time for a long 45 minute run, don’t think you should just skip out on it. Every mile, every calorie, every minute counts!
Ease it back
“After a run, don’t rush back into life. Take a few minutes to walk, stretch, relax, meditate.” —Runner’s World editors
Don’t force the tissue
“Overly aggressive stretching can actually increase your injury risk.” —Tim Noakes, M.D., author of Lore of Running
We all know the importance of stretching when it comes to running, make sure you are practicing this with every run!
Rest assured
“Back off at the first sign of injury. Three to 5 days off is better than missing a month or two. Take regular rest days.” —PattiSue Plumer, two-time U.S. Olympian
Listen up!
“You must listen to your body. Run through annoyance, but not through pain.” —Dr. George Sheehan
Be vigilant
“During the hard training phase, never be afraid to take a day off. If your legs are feeling unduly stiff and sore, rest. If you’re at all sluggish, rest. Whenever you’re in doubt, rest.” —Bruce Fordyce, nine-time Comrades Marathon champion from South Africa
Make sure you are not being too hard on yourself, the importance of rest days goes behind belief in most runners. They think the more they train, the more they will improve. Your body needs time to recoup to be able to work at full capacity for your next run.
Avoid the downside
“The advantage of running hills on a treadmill is you can go up without pounding down the other side.” —Ken Sparks, Ph.D.
Ramp it up
“If you live in the flatlands, you’ll have to be creative about hill training. Deserted highway ramps or parking garages are possibilities, though they pose obvious safety problems. You may want to invest in a treadmill.” —Bob Glover, runner/author/coach
The benefits of incline treadmills, as stated in this article, is that they are going to help you to burn more calories as well as increase your endurance level. Hill running is a great workout, and also helps strengthen your legs muscles more than flat running can. Listen to your body and give it the proper care and rest it needs, it will reward your hard training work in the end.
Come ready to play
“Fitness has to be fun. If it isn’t, there will be no fitness. Play is the process. Fitness is merely the product.” —Dr. George Sheehan
Find a reason why
“We run to undo the damage we’ve done to body and spirit. We run to find some part of ourselves yet undiscovered.” —John “The Penguin” Bingham
Just remember to have fun with it! You should enjoy running and reap the benefits running has on your body and mind! If running ever becomes more like a chore, try these tips to help put the fun back into fitness, and try adding variety into your runs with these tips to help you find the joy again!
Here’s one more to end with some motivation from RunnersWorld.com:
“‘Remember, your worst run is always 100 percent better than the person who never tries.'” As Tom Scudder of Albany, New York, points out: “You’ll never regret going for a run, but you’ll always regret not going.”
Why do you run?!
