How To Stick To Your Running Resolution In The New Year
Happy New Year!
Alongside sipping bubbly and recovering from the indulgences of the Christmas break (there is such a thing as too much turkey), Jan 1st brings a desire to live (and run) better.
Whether you have your heart set on competing in your first marathon or want to increase your health and fitness by injecting regular running sessions into your busy lifestyle, these 7 tips will help turn your 2018 running dreams into reality and ward off procrastination.
Be Proud To Call Yourself A Runner
With your commitment to run in the new year, you’ve already made the first step on a rewarding journey. Being conscious of your health and fitness and transferring that positive mindset into physical action is brave! Share with your family and friends that it’s official - you’re a runner and you’re proud.
Dress For Success
Treat yourself to running shoes, running clothing and high-quality sports headphones for listening to motivational tunes on the go.
Breathable, moisture-wicking fabrics prevent sweat from cutting your summer runs short, a snuggly tracksuit can help you spring out of bed on a frosty morning and compression clothing stimulates blood flow and removes lactic acid for performance and recovery.
Lace up in running shoes that fulfill your needs as an overpronator, supinator or neutral runner to minimise soreness and injury, and choose a shoe that provides a snug, glove-like fit for your foot shape to reduce rubbing that may cause blisters. Contact our Sportitude shoe experts for advice on the best shoes for your feet.
Make Small, Achievable Goals
Dream big, but break that dream into smaller, measurable goals. It’s super satisfying to write down a list of goals and tick them off as you achieve them, helping you stay motivated with your ultimate target in sight.
This could be as simple as "Run my first 5km", "Beat my personal best for running 5km", "Run my first 10km" and so forth, gradually increasing distance and speed to improve your endurance and shave seconds off your time.
Most importantly, put a date next to every goal so that you have a concrete day to work towards.
Run For Fitness, But Also Run For Fun
Make running an activity you look forward to. Enjoy the power of having a designated time to focus solely on your health and wellbeing - it’s just you and the road. Alternatively, run with a buddy or group for a social aspect.
Turn Running Into Your Healthy Habit
Perseverance is key to turn running from a one-off thing into a healthy habit. Aim to run a set number of times per week for a month, being realistic to keep in mind your family and work commitments - it’s just for one month, right?
Soon enough, you’ll be on a running streak and by the end of the month, you’d have created a routine that comfortably fits into your lifestyle.
Sign Up For A Race
We’ve all been bitten by the procrastination bug at one time or another. Signing up for a race or charity run puts a deadline on your training.
If competing in a race isn’t your thing, you can still set a specific date and map out when you want to achieve your goals by to put it into perspective.
Know How Amazing Running Is For Your Body And Mind
Need a nudge to jump off the couch and lace up?
Just think of the extraordinary benefits running has to your mental and physical health - it helps ward off conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity and specific cancers while promoting heart health (or cardiovascular fitness), strong bones and muscles, and a healthy weight.
Running not only improves your self-esteem (a healthy body for a happy mind) but can alleviate depression/anxiety and elevate mood by releasing endorphins (feel-good chemicals) into your brain.
Don’t wait for the perfect time, start your running resolution today.