One can take up running at any point in life. It is a healthy form of exercise and does not involve many technicalities. Being a runner doesn’t necessarily require being fast unless you aspire to become an athlete. There will be a lot of hurdles when you begin but you need to stay motivated. It can start as jogging and then eventually turn into full-fledged running.

Hence, to bring you that required motivation and enthusiasm, here are some tips:

 

Say bye-bye to your earphones

We all see people using earphones while working out. It is said that it keeps the motivation up and going. However, that’s not true. When you run, you should be immersed in it and take that time to de-stress and do some retrospection.

Try different routes

We humans like certainty and a fixed pattern. It keeps anxiety and unsureness away. But try not to apply this to your running experience. Keep trying different routes every day or every few days during your runs. It has various advantages. Firstly, it helps break the monotony and secondly, you never know what you might learn about the routes in the town/city you live in.

Forget about tracking your runs and progress through apps

The advanced technology of this era allows us to objectively keep track of our progress and other statistics through applications. These apps are really helpful and insightful but can prove to be a downside for your motivation and psyche. Using such applications puts a sort of pressure on you to get your stats up, and get competitive about it.

However, you should always remember that it is not important to be better than yesterday every day. You are allowed to and can have bad days, bad runs, bad performances and there is nothing to get upset about. You are allowed to choose to share your stats with other people on the app or to completely keep it private. You can know your progress without necessarily using an app as well, although it might not be objective. Hence, make running a refreshing and light activity rather than a competitive one.

Taking the hilly terrain running

If you have a hilly terrain in the city/town you live in, running on it is a must. But there is an interesting insight to this. Most runners would prefer walking up the hill to reach the track.

But what we would suggest is that you run the upward slope. It might look difficult and you will get out of breath sooner, but trust us, it is worth every penny. You can stop and take a breath anytime you want, but eventually, you will see yourself running up the hill with ease. In that way, your running time will get more adventurous and fun than ever.

Don’t beat yourself up

Last but most importantly- don’t beat yourself up! The first few weeks will be hard – you will be slow, and feel exhausted. You will have that feeling of giving up every time you start to run or every time you have a bad run.

But the key is to keep going. Taking things slow and steady will always be helpful in the longer run (pun intended!). Everyone’s body is different and hence, never compare yourself to others. In this way, you will start enjoying this activity even more.