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onefithappyfamily-blog · 5 years

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Why you think running is too hard (and how to fix it)!

Running is something a lot of us aspire to do. We know that it is one of the cheapest, highest calorie burning 30 minutes to an hour you can have… We know it torches calories, we know it tones muscle and improves cardiovascular fitness.

So why is it then that nearly everyone struggles to stay committed.

I would say there are several answers, but the biggest problem is that it’s physically VERY hard work to go out and run a mile if you have never done it before. It’s incredibly taxing on your body, requires huge amounts of energy and is something that NO ONE is used to if they are starting out as inactive or minimally condition. Here, I’m going to share my ONE major secret for staying in running shape for over 10 years now…

The Best of Intentions…

The biggest problem most new runners face is they aren’t patient… they think they can run a mile or two without stopping and when they don’t hit their goals for the first run, they get discouraged. Too much ambition is a runner’s downfall… Please don’t fall down :-)

Instead of saying “I’m going to run 2 miles today” say to yourself, “I am going to go for 30 minutes today!” Start off walking, jog when you feel like you can, and stop when you feel too uncomfortable.

If you have never been a runner, running will be hard… at least at first.

It doesn’t matter where you are starting… I used to run with my sister (80lbs heavier---go Jenn!) when going more than a few yards for her was an absolute chore! She would watch me (running 4-6 miles a day) and would get impatient when she went out to run for the first time in months. It was something entirely foreign to her body.

I will never forget the disaster that was my first run in 9th grade… Never ran a day in my life and thought… “I’ll go run 3 miles, that sounds doable”… nope. I didn’t make it have a mile, was disappointed so I didn’t even try again months!

If you have an office job… be exceptionally patient!

I lived the office job life for 3 years… and I will admit… it was the hardest time to keep myself in shape! I would spend 8 hours a day or more sitting in ONE position and typing, or answering calls. I would walk, stretch, take the stairs or do whatever I could to stay active during the day… but it is still hard to find the energy…

Days at work can be stressful and tiring in their own way. When I would finally get home, I would often feel to tired to cook, clean, play with our dogs – let alone go out running!

Then the times I would manage it, I would feel like I was really behind, try and run too much, suck at it, then feel disappointed! ß Don’t do this! It’s no wonder three times a week was a struggle!

The Solution

So what is the solution? The answer is to stop pushing yourself so hard and to stop expecting too much from your body.

Instead, aim to start slowly. Focus on learning to run and on learning to like running rather than trying to see immediate results! Set out on your first JOG at whatever pace is comfortable for you and stop when you’re done.

While it might not seem like much, this is enough to gradually start introducing you to the world of running. Even if you just do this once a week, you will begin to see the positive effect soon!

Live Fit & Happy!

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#running #couch to 5K #fitness #beginner running #weight loss

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