Thinking of taking up running? What are you waiting for?

For all those who did not exercise or visit fitness centres during the winter, spring is the ideal time to start physical activity in the form of running. It is important to start at least twice a week, and then slowly increase the time you spend on this physical activity. If you were totally inactive during the winter, then you should start slowly: a minute of easy jogging, then a minute of walking, and so on 10 times, which is roughly 20 minutes. Even though it may seem like little, we advise you to be careful nonetheless, because the next day you may wake up with muscle pain that can prevent you from carrying out your daily activities.

After the first week you can slowly increase the amount of running to two, then three minutes, and then you can start running continuously for 15–20 minutes twice a week and increase the minutes from week to week. Depending on your goal and wishes, you will also choose the intensity of running. At first it will be a lower intensity, 60 to 65% of maximum heart rate (you can theoretically determine your maximum heart rate by the simple calculation 220 minus your age). From that number determine 65% of your pulse and try to run at that level. For example, a 40-year-old has a theoretical maximum pulse of 180, and 65% of that is 117 beats per minute. That is a really easy jog, but quite enough to begin with. Then raise the amount of running from two to three times a week. However, once you reach 40–45 minutes of running at a certain rhythm three times a week, you can try to increase the intensity to around 70–75% but reduce the time to 25–30 minutes. After that, run at that intensity but increase the running minutes from week to week. That will help you improve your fitness week by week.

Besides all of the above, don’t forget to choose suitable running clothes, which must be comfortable, and it is also very important to choose wisely the routes you will take, which above all should be safe.