How To Break Your Bad Running Habits?

Running is one of the most straightforward ways to get the benefits of exercise. It helps to improve cardiovascular health, it burns calories, builds strength, helps you sleep better, and overall, helps you feel better about yourself. So why is it so hard to be consistent with running?

Many people have a problem to kick bad running habits. If you are one of those people, don’t worry – you are not alone. However, it is time to say enough is enough. Running can truly turn your life around but you need to be determined to succeed. With the following tips teamed up with your strong will, bad running habits can be broken.

Be Realistic

One of the main reasons that cause setbacks in running is high expectations. People get so eager to be consistent with running that they set unachievable goals.

Let’s say that you haven’t taken a run for a year. Not even around the block. Deciding that you’ll start running every day from tomorrow is too ambitious.

What that does to you is once you realize that you aren’t staying true to your words, you get discouraged. That discouragement leads to you giving up on running once again.

Set realistic goals. For example, if you aren’t in the best form you may want to start with running three times a week. Then you can gradually set new milestones. Realistic goals help you feel good about yourself because you do have a chance to achieve them.

Set Your Running Schedule

If you think too loosely about your running schedule there is a good chance that you won’t stick to it. Setting a schedule will give you a precise plan which is harder to ignore.

Saying “I’ll run tomorrow” leaves too much space to avoid it. You’ll push the running time from morning to afternoon and before you know it the day will pass.

Choose a time that works best for you. Some prefer to run early in the morning while others feel more motivated when the sun goes down. Try out both options and see what resonates with you. After that decide on a specific time and specific days.

A schedule is good for you because it introduces discipline and discipline turns your intentions into habits. When your body and mind get used to running at a certain time, running will come naturally to you.

Buy the Right Clothes and Gear

Wearing the wrong shoes for running is just as trying to fix something with a broken hammer. It is pointless and tiring.

Shoes are a crucial feature of running. You can go to a specialty store where they can evaluate your foot arch, gait, and pronation and give you running shoes that are the perfect fit. Or, simply go to a sports store and look into the section for running gear.

Clothes, socks, and other gear like a running jacket are also important. They will ensure that you feel comfortable during the run. Get a good pair of headphones as well.

Not only will the right clothes, shoes, and gear make running less grueling, but they’ll also give you motivation not to give up. You don’t want to waste money on all the equipment for nothing, right?

Find a Running Buddy for Motivation

Get some backup to encourage your new life decision. Running gets more interested when you find someone to run with.

Lots of people claim that having a running buddy is what helped them make a habit out of running. Samantha Horace who works as a writer for top writers services shared her experience. “My job is a desk job so I needed to get my body moving regularly before my health starts to deteriorate. While I tried to start with running several times (and failed miserably) what finally helped me is getting my colleague to start running with me. Now I can’t ignore running because I don’t want to let her down,” says Samantha.

Having someone to run with can help you correct different bad habits. They can motivate you to be consistent, they can encourage you to pick up your pace, and they can change your perspective of running.

Always Warm Up and Cool Down

Thinking that you’ll warm up with a slow start or that you don’t have time to warm up is a big mistake. Your body needs to be gradually introduced to a physical movement that comes with running. The same goes for cooling down. It can be a shock to your body if you instantly go from running to lying down.

Warm-up and cool-down exercises adjust your heart rate and your body’s temperature to changes. They don’t have to be time-consuming. Simple, a few minutes warm-up and cool-down exercise will do the trick.

For the warm-up, you can stretch for a minute or two and then start walking. Walking is a dynamic warm-up exercise that will ensure that your body is ready for a run. After the run, you can do some skips, lunges, leg swings, and squats, along with another few minutes long walk.

Balance Your Diet

Eating junk and running just don’t go together. You can’t eat a burger for dinner and then go for a run. Unhealthy food slows you down and decreases your willpower for exercise as well as your readiness. It also makes it harder for you to get in shape.

The recommendable daily caloric intake should come from:

• 55% from carbohydrate-rich foods
• 25% from food with high protein
• 15-20% from unsaturated fats

You don’t have to follow this religiously but what this can teach you is what kind of food you should focus on. The better you eat, the more prepared you’ll be for running.

Final Thoughts

The above-mentioned tips can form a winning formula that will finally get you to run regularly. Besides all the mentioned ways to break your bad running habits, you should remember that the main factor is your willingness and determination to make a change in your life.