Running for Beginners.

With the weather starting to warm up, what better time is there to start your journey to becoming a runner?!

Running is a free and fantastic form of exercise with more benefits than I can list. But the prospect of starting to run is often daunting for those who don’t consider themselves a ‘natural runner’. But fear not, we are here to guide you through your transition into the wonderful world of running.

Like everything else, there is a stack of apps that can help you start, track and guide your running journey. There is RunKeeper, Nike Run Club and Strava just to name a few, these apps are a great way to track your progress and also engage with your friends and family and encourage their activity (I’ll take a ‘kudos’ on Strava over a ‘like’ on Instagram any day!). These apps also gather a heap of data such as heart rate, elevation, cadence (steps per minute) so you can analyse your runs if you’re that way inclined.

If you’re new to the running game I would HIGHLY recommend the Couch to 5km app which helps new runners tackle the biggest issue facing new runners, how or where to start! Couch to 5k is a 9 week program consisting of 3 run/walks per week with rest days between. It’s a great way to keep yourself accountable and make sure that you’re progressing each week and before you know it, you’ll be running 5km!

If you’re a social creature and you’re looking for ways to intertwine socialising and your new found motivation to run 5km, Park Run is a great way to get involved with your local running community and we are lucky enough to have a group in Port Lincoln. If you want to know more, follow this link- https://www.parkrun.com.au/portlincoln/

Another barrier to starting running is pain or a pre existing injury, this is where the team at EP Physio Plus can help! Our team are experts in working with people of all ages to help them overcome their injuries and work with them towards reaching their goals. We are able to perform lower limb screenings to assess range of motion and strength, both of which are key to being able to run comfortably and confidently without fear of injury.

If pain or injury is restricting your ability to do the exercise you want or you need further guidance around helping you to reach your goals, give us a call today!