My Husband is a Marine. When we first started dating I could not do cardio for any real length of time. Back then I wanted to loose weight and get into better shape. I have Pulmonary Hypertension, a lung condition which causes heart failure. This condition makes exercise difficult, but I knew that if I was able to loose some weight it would not only be better for my heart, but I would feel better about myself. We started working out together and every time we were running he would give me advice. Now when I go out for a run, I hear his voice in my head. These simple tips helped me to actually get out and enjoy running. I'm not sure where he learned these tips, but here they are:
1.) It doesn’t matter how fast you go, all that matters is that you don’t give up. When I first started running, I would go as hard as I could. After about a quarter mile I would have to stop and walk. I only knew two speeds. It took practice to learn to vary the speed I was going while jogging, and to learn to jog slowly enough that I would not have to stop to walk. Hubby told me that when we stop to walk we are giving our body the ok to give up. When we give our body the ok to give up we condition it to do so. If we train our body in this manner, we will always have to stop to walk.
After I had this technique down I took my mom for a jog. She immediately took off and then got tired and started walking. When I explained to her what I had been taught, she told me that she could not jog that slow. Many of us are conditioned that way, but all it takes is practice! When I first got jogging down, people could walk faster than I was jogging. This was embarrassing, but I kept telling myself not to give up. Now I can jog a 12 min mile, which is pretty good for someone with a lung condition.
2.) Pump your arms - When you want to pick up the pace pump your arms. When we pump our arms quickly our legs want to follow the same action, even if they are dead tired. Pump the arms straight out in front of the body and straight back. When runners let there arms go to the sides it takes away from the momentum the runner will get from the arm pump.
3.) When running downhill elongate your stride and really push off the ground with your feet. The momentum of gravity propel you down the hill. When jogging slow down hill a runner will actually use more energy than when they go faster because they are resisting gravity. So give yourself a break and speed it up!
4.) When running uphill shorten and quicken your stride. This helps your legs to power up the hill.
5.) Focus on your breathing. Everyone is different, but it is important to concentrate on breathing. If a runner is not getting enough oxygen, they are not going to be very effective. Hubby recommends breathing in for two steps and out for two steps as an average starting point.
6.) Last but not least, this is my tip: Just do it! Ok, so maybe it is really Nike's tip... It doesn't matter how fast or slow a person is. It doesn't matter how exhausted they are. The key is to get out there and give it everything. Day by day the amount of effort put it may be different. What is important is consistently putting in the continual effort to improve each and every day!
Keeping these tips in mind can help no matter where a runners fitness level is at and will also help those starting a walking regimen. If you have any great tips please comment below!
5.) Focus on your breathing. Everyone is different, but it is important to concentrate on breathing. If a runner is not getting enough oxygen, they are not going to be very effective. Hubby recommends breathing in for two steps and out for two steps as an average starting point.
6.) Last but not least, this is my tip: Just do it! Ok, so maybe it is really Nike's tip... It doesn't matter how fast or slow a person is. It doesn't matter how exhausted they are. The key is to get out there and give it everything. Day by day the amount of effort put it may be different. What is important is consistently putting in the continual effort to improve each and every day!
Keeping these tips in mind can help no matter where a runners fitness level is at and will also help those starting a walking regimen. If you have any great tips please comment below!
Comments
Post a Comment