If you’re a runner who has taken a hiatus from hitting the pavement, all is not lost. You can get back into your running routine rather quickly, as long as you follow a couple important guidelines, such as:
- Don’t try to pick up where you left off. Just because you used to be able to run five miles a day, that isn’t necessarily still the case if you haven’t laced up your running shoes in quite some time. Your body loses some of its athletic ability when it isn’t used, so you’re going to have to start at a lower level of running and begin to work your way back up again.
- Alternate walking and running. A great way to break yourself into your old running routine is to alternate between walking and running until your body can handle running the entire course without needing a break. Pay attention to how you feel though, and slow down if you experience pain or extreme discomfort.
- Consider getting new shoes. If your old shoes have a lot of miles on them, you may want to consider getting new ones prior to starting to run again. Don’t just put them on and hit the trails or treadmill either as you’re going to want to break them in first. Spend some time in them when you’re just hanging around the house so you don’t end up with blisters and sore feet.
- Look ahead of you, not behind. It is easy to beat yourself up for letting your running progress go, but that serves you no purpose other than to hold you back from making advances now. Instead of looking behind you and remembering where you were, look ahead of you and think of where you want to be instead. That way you’ll be excited about the journey that lies ahead and much more inclined to stick with the process.
Follow these four simple suggestions and you’ll look forward to running again. And this time, you won’t want to stop!
