Starting a Running Program That Will Keep You Running All Through The Year

ByJohn J Gomez

If you've decided on starting a running program, that certainly is the best decision you could make where maintaining your health is concerned. Running is perhaps one of the finest aerobic exercises there is, and not to mention also being an excellent way to lose weight over the long term. However, when starting a running program, remember that it is also a repetitive exercise that can have a high impact on the joints of the body, so you need to make sure that you follow certain procedures when starting your running program.

One of the most important things, I think, is to begin your running program on a soft surface. Don't run on tarmac when starting a running program, because this creates repetitive stress for the joints that can lead to a chronic injury over time. Secondly, don't run too far during the first two weeks. Make sure that you ease into your routine gently, so that you don't cause excess stress for your body. Run a simple and manageable distance the first time round. Indispose your running with bits of walking. As your body adapts to the new stresses you're placing upon it, you can always increase the amount and distance that you run.

What your initial body condition is also has an impact upon how much you can run when you're starting a running program. If you're reasonably young and fit, and not overweight, then you shouldn't have any problems at all getting into a reasonably strenuous running program. But if you're carrying around a few extra pounds, then you may consider easing into your running routine a little more gently. You see, there's no point in getting injured when you start running, because it means that you'll have to break your running schedule for a few weeks or even longer, and during that time your fitness and endurance go down... and when you do start running again, you'll find that you have to begin perhaps almost from scratch.

So what sort of routine should you start running with if you are a little overweight or not too fit? Well, how about a routine of alternating walking and running? Walk for two minutes, then run slowly or jog for about a minute or so, and then walk for two minutes once again. Do this for a total period of about half an hour, it's good enough to start with. Over time, you can increase the running segments of your schedule to equal the time that you spent walking. For example, you can run for two minutes, and then walk for two minutes. As your body adapts to this, you can run for a longer period of time than you spend walking and ultimately, of course, you can phase out the walking altogether.

I would say that if you are not very fit, this process should take between two to four months. I also believe that if you are not very fit, or overweight, you should not train perhaps more than two times a week. Start out your training routine by running two times a week, and then slowly, over a period of around three months or so increase that to three times a week, and then you can add another day in after that, if you like. For a person who isn't fit there should be a break of at least forty eight hours between running routines, especially when starting a running program, and even for a person who's fit a break of twenty four hours is certainly recommended.

This article was written by John Gomez who has many years of running experience and has been training professional athletes. Visit http://www.starting-to-run.com for more information about running.

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Three Nutritional Suggestions That Will Get You Through Your Workouts

We are all looking for some other way we can improve our workout routine, because there is also some little thing we can tweak to make those hard workouts more beneficial. It doesn't always come to the number of reps or how many days a week you work. The best foods for gaining muscle, and knowing what they are and when to consume them is easily as important as any other aspect of your total workout routine.

We have uncovered three new studies to reveal the right foods eaten at the right time to increase the fat you burn, finally boosting your strength and curbing your post-workout pain. Try these three techniques out and see if they do your body some good.

1. When you eat your high-cal breakfast. Breakfast, we all know, is the most important meal of the day. On our website we get into why it is so important and the types of foods we should be looking to consume. But a new study published in the Journal of Physiology found that during a six-week study participants who ate a high-cal, high-fat breakfast prior to the workout gained an average of three pounds. The group that ate only post-workout gained no weight, even though they ate identical breakfast.

The reason: Exercise elevates adrenalin, which is a fat burning hormone. But working out after you eat insulin, which the body releases to help you digest food, when released blunts the adrenalin spike, burning less fat. But it's not healthy, or any fun, working out on an empty stomach, so you have to eat something. Therefore, choose a food such as yogurt that is less likely to cause insulin to go wild but still puts something on your stomach. Then have your big breakfast afterword.

2. Protein and age. It was previously thought that as we age, we are less able to digest and absorb protein. A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition gives us the good news that twenty grams of protein consumed post-workout can increase muscle-building irrespective of age. For me, a piece of salmon and a hardboiled egg provides the protein I need.

3. Post-workout soreness. Most of us assume that muscle pain after a workout is something we have to live with. According to British researchers, we may have a way around this. Drinking one ounce on concentrated cherry juice twice daily for ten days indicates a bounce back that those not drinking the juice didn't have. Other juices such as grape, blueberry, acai, cranberry and pomegranate all have the same properties. Those juices all have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties similar to that found in ibuprofen and aspirin.

Carbohydrates that don't spike the blood sugar, also known as refined carbohydrates, and keep insulin levels in check are the ones to put in your diet. Insulin plays a part in fat storage, so keeping it under control is vital for weight loss. Slow release carbs like oatmeal, bran cereal, and whole wheat products eaten about three hours before your workout may also help you burn more fat.

We're always on the lookout for new studies that shed new light on types of food that we can add to our diet. Foods to Gain Muscle are important to know about, and we are happy to be here to tell you about them. Please check out this article on High Carb Foods, as at times it is difficult for people looking to add muscle to know just how many carbs are optimal. Rich Carroll is a writer and health enthusiast living in London.

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