Running is a great workout, but it can often be boring. Click here to check out this guide to learn how to enjoy running.
Almost 60 million people enjoy running in the United States.
Whether they’re hitting the treadmill, jogging around the block, or heading to a trail, each person makes running a priority.
And for good reason! Any form of exercise has immense positive effects on our mind, body, and soul. Running, in particular, can offer a host of benefits to those that do it.
Unfortunately, many other people can’t stand it! After all, running can feel like hard work. Legs ache and lungs bust. For newbie runners, yet to catch the running bug, the effort involved can be off-putting. That doesn’t have to be the case though.
Thankfully, with a few tips and tricks up your sleeve, running can become all the more enjoyable.
Sound good? Want to learn how to do it?
Keep reading to discover exactly how to enjoy running more.
1. Tweak Your Form
Your running form makes all the difference.
You might not even know it, but your technique might be letting you down. Let’s imagine that you hate to run because it hurts and it’s so darn tiring. Well, a large part of that may be to do with how you’re running!
Making minor adjustments can make the experience far easier.
For example, engaging your core can stabilize your running style. In so doing, your body doesn’t move as much, saving you energy as you go. That’s good news for anyone wanting to run further with less effort.
If you’re unsure what you need to do, then ask around. Speak with a personal trainer, do some online research, and contact a running club. Heck, you could even join the club!
You’ll engage with a passionate bunch of runners who can answer all your running questions.
2. Run With Other People
This leads to our second suggestion.
Running alone can offer a host of its own benefits. It can be meditational. Spending time in your own company can be enlightening. In a busy world, it’s always good to get away and have some time to yourself.
That said, it can also be lonely. Running for miles by yourself isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Likewise, with no-one there to push you, it’s easier to make excuses to stop, quit, or simply to not go in the first place.
Hit the track with other people to sustain your motivation. They’ll pick you up, encourage you, and provide conversation on those long miles ahead.
3. Run Somewhere New
Let’s face it, running the same route all the time gets a bit boring.
If you’re a runner that’s struggling with their motivation, then consider heading somewhere new. Exploring new neighborhoods is always fun. You never know what hidden gems you might discover!
You’re killing two birds with one stone as well. You get your exercise for the day and explore somewhere new at the same time.
You know your standard route so well that you don’t have to think about it. That can be a positive thing, as it frees your mind up to contemplate other life issues. However, it can also lead to a focus on the challenge of the run. Your mind drifts to the pain!
There’s nothing quite like a distraction to help the time go by quicker. New neighborhoods and the new sights to see can serve that exact purpose.
4. Do a Proper Warm-Up
Warming up is essential to an enjoyable run.
You want to get that blood pumping and the muscles working before your actual run begins. It sounds counterintuitive. After all, won’t that just tire you out further?
Well, in a word, no!
Not if you do it right. Doing a short 10-minute warm-up should actually make the first miles of your run easier. Warming up gets you moving and prepares your body for the task ahead.
Equally, it’ll help reduce the risk of injury. There’s nothing like physical pain to put you off a run. Avoiding injuries should, of course, be a priority at all times.
5. Wear the Right Clothing
Right, running isn’t a fashion contest.
It’s a good job too. You’ll be a red-faced, out of breath and sweaty mess by the end of it!
And that’s exactly how it should be. That’s also why it’s so important to wear some proper running clothing. Firstly, feeling less self-conscious can make you more inclined to get out there and run. Moreover, the right gear can actively enhance the experience.
For example, baggy clothes tend to rub in all the wrong places. Chafing between the thighs and on the nipples is common and uncomfortable!
Proper running gear will make you more streamlined, will be more breathable, and will stop chafing too.
6. Have a Coffee
Any coffee lovers are unlikely to need a second invitation!
There’s good news: drinking coffee before a run can be dynamite for the coming miles. It’s scientifically proven to give you the burst of energy you need. All that caffeine is known to make you quicker, and improve your endurance running too.
Wake up and feel lethargic and sluggish? The thought of running might be the last thing on your mind. It’s way easier to just stay in bed, right?
If you need a boost, then get some caffeine in you! Drink a coffee around half an hour beforehand. It’ll help you get going and enhance your experience to boot.
Final Thoughts on How to Enjoy Running
Millions of Americans love to run. It doesn’t matter where they do it, or how they do it, running is their sport of choice. Many of them get totally and utterly hooked.
For others, the task is far more difficult! Running can seem a challenge from the get-go. It can be easy to give up before the many potential benefits are felt.
Can you relate to this? Hopefully, this post has provided some useful insight into how to enjoy running, so you can turn the situation around.
Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be getting that runner’s high in no time.
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