Running

Running is not for everyone. The ability of an individual's joints to withstand the additional stresses of running should be considered. It is more important to stay regularly active by walking, than to get injured by doing more intense activities, such as running or jogging. Such activity works the lower body and specially works the hip flexors, the quadriceps, the hamstrings, and the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles¹.

Equipment: A pair of running shoes and clothing appropriate for the weather are all you need to get started. Make sure your shoes fit correctly¹.

Variations of Running¹:

• Jogging: A slower form of running (5.0-5.5 mph) that is often a part of a regular routine or a type of cross training or interval training program
• Moderate Distance: More intense running than jogging and often of longer duration; type of running needed to train for 5 or 10K runs
• Short Distance: Very intense, with faster speeds, over a 100 meter to 1 mile course.
• Long Distance: More ambitious distances such as half marathons (13.1 miles) or full marathons (26.2 miles)
• Aqua Running: a low impact alternative to running on land in which you run in a pool while wearing a flotation vest
• Cross Country: More intense running than jogging done outdoors on various types of terrain and over various distances.

If you are serious about running or jogging as a form of exercise consider the following guidance^1,2:

• Always remember to stretch and warm-up (5-10 minutes) prior to beginning your run/jog to avoid injury
• As compared to walking, running or jogging requires a greater flexion of bending at the knee, the arms are bent more at the elbows, and the arm swing is slightly more exaggerated than in walking
• Breathing is done through both the nose and mouth
• Be safe-avoid busy streets and intersections and use areas familiar to you and close to home. Wear bright and reflective clothing at dusk, in darkness or when visibility is low. Always carry a form of identification.
• Don't begin at too high a speed for your fitness level, or you'll find that your workout will be shortened; instead:
• Run or jog at a speed slow enough to allow conversation
• Use work-relief intervals (a few seconds of slow-jogging, followed by walking, then slow-jogging, then walking, and so forth)
• Continue to improve your running or jogging progression to the point where you can run or jog 2 or 3 miles continuously within your target heart rate zone (Beginners)

Once you have achieved your running or jogging goal, you can run or jog 3 or 4 times per week with a plan to keep heart rate in the training zone or you can run or jog less and alternate with other types of activities at a similar intensity and duration. If you want to be a more avid runner and perhaps compete, you may need to run more frequently and for longer duration and distance depending on your running goals^1,2.

Sources of Information

1. Running. The Exercise and Physical Fitness Page. Georgia State University. Accessed December 5, 2002 at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/running.html.
2. Howley, E.T., Franks, B.D. Health Fitness Instructor's Handbook. 1997. Human Kinetics. Champaign, IL. 538 pp.
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