There is a wealth of information and advice about running available out there but some general advice and techniques here may be of help.
Many potential runners give up because of injury. Most injuries however can be avoided if you prepare properly.
The most important thing is to ensure you have the correct footwear for the job or may you find yourself developing shin splints which can become painful if left untreated. Worse still, bad form when running can lead to ankle and knee problems in the future which can seriously hinder any progress. It is advisable therefore to visit your local running shop for advice on the correct footwear.
Each of us has a different running style that affects our ‘foot strike’, or the way our feet hit the ground, which is called Pronation. Pronation is the movement of the foot during a step of the running motion. The foot usually strikes the ground at the outside edge of the heel and rolls around the outer edge of the rest of the foot before the ball leaves the ground. Everybody ‘pronates’ but we all do it differently. Some people ‘over pronate’, which means that there feet excessively roll inwards and other may ‘under pronate’, and there feet roll much less.
Because of this pronation, it is important to have your foot strike looked at by a professional running shop who can then advise you on suitable footwear for your running style. If you do this, you will avoid most running injuries.
Other ways to reduce injuries is to run on grass which reduces the shock that your joints are exposed to, by softening the impact when compared to running on the road.
There are thousands of running routines to choose from, from simply running at the same pace for a set time or distance, to choosing intricate routines involving changes of pace and running style during a session. A good place to start if you have never run before is to check the distance of a route you wish to run using one of the many websites available to do this. Each time you go for the run, record the time it takes you to complete and keep trying to do it quicker, and thus improve.
You can use running in other ways too.
Hill sprinting is a great way to improve your speed and explosive power and Interval training is superb for building endurance. Running is a great way to improve your fitness and is a sure fire way to strip away excess body fat.