Although it seems the most natural thing in the world to do, it isn’t always obvious how best to run efficiently, get fit, avoid injuries, develop and adhere to a consistent or progressive plan or how to achieve your goals.
Running is a skill, and just like any other skill it can be taught and it can be learnt.
And just like any other type of personal development, following routines that are conducive to success, and reducing the number of things that stand in the way of you and your goals, is important for running fitness.
Similarly, like any other type of personal development, you will see many benefits in constantly bettering yourself.
A large part of setting yourself up for success is exposing yourself to people whom you deem to be successful as well as with people that support your goals.
According to Jim Rohn, if you are not intentional about the people you spend your time with, you won’t be able to gain the continuous personal improvement that you’re looking for.
If you are serious about making a change to your fitness levels then it requires lifestyle changes, and training needs to be incorporated into your daily and weekly schedule.
If you have not trained for a long time, little and often is best. Gradual progression is key to sustaining the training load. So do not try to do too much too soon.
Every one of us is different and we react to changes and training loads differently. While some people feel good instantly, others feel the pain. For most people, it takes a few weeks to start seeing and feeling changes.
On average, it takes six to eight weeks to change the neuromuscular system of the body, so you need to give yourself a chance by sticking to your training goal for at least six weeks.
While the first few weeks will be the hardest, remember that it is easier to maintain a level of fitness than it is to achieve it in the first place.
Having a plan will help you to visualise your goal, maintain positive intentions and develop self belief.
Mixing in strength training with running will help to add diversity to the program and provide various other benefits including:
- Improving muscle tone
- Increase in muscle endurance and strength
- Increase in bone density
- Strengthen tendons and ligaments
- Improve metabolic efficiency (burning fat)
- Reduce the risk of injury
- Development of running speed and improved explosiveness and coordination
The body reacts to stress and through training frequently your body will react to the activity and get stronger – the heart, lungs, legs, arms and core will adapt gradually to the training effect.
Another positive benefit of combining running with strength training is increased releases of dopamine – reward motivated behaviour. With the rewards being improved feelings of pleasure, focus, clarity, motivation and mood. Also known as ‘runner’s high’ – commonly described as a feeling of relaxation and elation as a result of the release of dopamine by the brain.
If you are starting out as a beginner or getting back into running, the nine week Couch to 5K plan provides a good framework to follow. For general fitness and strength training, this link includes some basic information to get you started.
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