Why You Don’t Want To Run
Running is a great exercise as you all know already. It’s benefits comes in abundance, such as :
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- help to build strong bones, as it is a weight bearing exercise.
- strengthen muscles.
- improve cardiovascular fitness.
- burn plenty of kilojoules.
- help maintain a healthy weight.
- Running fights off beer bellies.
- Running fights off the common cold
- Running’s meditative
- Running boosts your mood
- It keeps your eyes healthy
However, the reason why a lot of people don’t run is simple.
#1. It Hurts TOO Much
There’s a thing called Runner’s Knee is pain that is caused by damage to the cartilage under your kneecap. When you run, the impact your legs have on the ground is felt by your legs and since the cartilage under your kneecap is a natural shock-absorber, it absorbs this force. However, Runner’s Knee occurs when this effect is overused and thus becomes injured. Usually it goes away but sometimes it can really impede in your normal movement in daily life and the pain can become excessive.
#2. It’s TOO Tiring
Understandably, running can be tiring. In fact, I’d argue it is more tiring than most sports. Take swimming for example, you can consistently swim at a pace and keep going forever, however running isn’t the same. It really tests your cardiovascular system and can make you thirsty in an instant. This can be understandably daunting to many people which is why the may often opt-out for running and substitute it for other activities instead such as skipping or nothing at all.
#3. It’s TOO Inconvenient
For those that don’t have a treadmill or indoor gym in their home, running can become quite inconvenient. Whether it is the weather, time of day, or the gym is far away, running can be quite inconvenient. If you are busy or have things that you need to do throughout the day and running would be cumbersome.
For those that aren’t experienced runners, running would take a longer time and if you are in the blistering sun or the frigid cold, or even just the fact that you are doing something new, running is going to take longer. This can impact the rest of your day and because of this you don’t take the first step outside. Some people also just don’t like going outside and prefer indoors. That’s why as a newbie, running can seem the most daunting compared to other sports such as cycling or swimming.
Solution:
We will solve these problems one by one.
#1.
You have to take into consideration the amount that you will run, the amount of times you are going to run and where you are going to run. Also it would be best if you consider a recovery option after every run as well as well as the running shoes that you will be using You can also consider the running form and pace that you want to achieve. Make sure to keep hydrated throughout the run and ensure that you take little sips instead of big gulps as that will impede your running. I’d recommend you take at least 1 day off for every 2 days you run, that you run on soft ground such as sand (you can run on the beach) instead of hard ground such as concrete (as that fast-tracks your joint damage) and that you massage your joints every time you shower. Also take it slow and steady, doing short bursts of speed will actually increase your time overall that you have to run so avoid it if you can.
#2/3.
The only comment I can say to this is just keep doing it. It gets tiring, but the more you do it the better you’ll be (you know that obviously). Running is a great sport, whether you are doing it out in the sun or in your treadmill indoors (one gets more Vitamin D though), Running holistically improves your health and can be a great way to commute, socialise and just be part of your neighbourhood and observe and enjoy the world that you live in. In a way it’s a form of meditation in itself.
Thank you for reading,
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Cheers,
Joseph Basu
