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Off The Couch To 5K Running – How To Begin

Posted in Sports

Before you rush to get off your couch to 5k training, you need to take care of a few things first.

These preparations will help you to be injury free and dedicated.

Running Shoes

Running is a pastime that doesn’t need to break the bank, although there is one thing that you really do need to invest in – running shoes. Running in the best shoes reduces stress on the joints and substancially lowers the chances of suffering impact injuries. A specialist running store will analyse the way you run, basically looking at the way your feet land and leave the floor. Whilst this isn’t always be true but a good rule of thumb is the more you spend, the better running shoes you’ll get.

A Good Sports Bra

Another important thing to consider for women is a good fitting sports bra. Whether you have big or small breasts, a sports bra will help to lessen bounce and stretching of the skin which usually leads to sagging. Always get properly measured to ensure a good fit.

Basically these are all you need to safely begin and off the couch to 5k running.

Your First Attempt

If you’re literally going from the couch to 5k training after having being very inactive, then don’t set off running straight away because this will be a big shock to the body. By running straight away when you set off and going until you need to stop, you won’t enjoy your first run.

This is NOT how to begin.

All newbies need to give their body time to adapt, the best way of doing this is by running/walking. You should start by setting yourself a time limit for your first training runs of between 15 – 20 minutes and then build up gradually from there. Write this goal down with a plan to add on a longer time on subsequent sessions. Initially start by walking most of the session, from there, increase the amount of time you run for until you’re able to run the whole session.

Don’t get carried away. Once you can do this, there’s often a tendency to run more often and further each time you go out. In order to reduce the chances of injury, increase the distance of just one of your weekly runs.

Also try other forms of exercise such as cycling or swimming which also help improve aerobic fitness.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, a running club could provide more motivation and support. To find out more about easily going from the couch to 5k running in just 6 weeks time including a unique running schedule go to www.couchto-5k.com now.

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