While running is a healthy activity, be careful you don’t make these common running mistakes.
While running is a very healthy exercise, it can also be detrimental rather than beneficial to our health if we are not careful about what we do in terms of our running “career.”
Here are four common mistakes that runners make – and how you can get rid of them.
Starting too fast in races
This is a very common mistake, especially for beginners. They are usually extremely charged up at the beginning of the race so they start out way too fast and usually pay for it later on. You will know these runners because they are bound to be walking after the halfway mark of the race.
The key to preventing this is to know your own pace and go according to that, so that you won’t end up starting much faster than you should.
Not taking rest days
Some runners may think that they are super fit and can work out intensively everyday – with no rest. But take note that even top runners have a day off from running every week so that their bodies can recharge. As a runner, you really need to take breaks, including a day of easy running straight after an intensive workout day, together with a day of cross training (gym, cycling or swimming) and one day of complete rest. This will help you to reach optimum fitness levels.
Rushing themselves back from injury
How many times have you been guilty of this? You have been out injured and are getting frustrated with not being able to run. So before you are ready, you go out for a long run before your body is able to cope with it. Consequently, you may end up making your injury worse.
The key here is to only run when you are able to. If you have been out for a few months, you would definitely have lost some fitness. So on your first run back, try and listen to your body and stop as soon as you start feeling signs of fatigue. Then subsequently, do not increase your mileage more than 10 per cent per week, until you are back at your old levels of fitness. Take it slowly and you will be running again in no time.
Not using sunblock
Even though it may be early in the morning and the sun has not yet come out, don’t think that you are not being exposed to the sun’s harmful radiation, because there are still ultra-violet rays present. If you’re only going to be out for 20 minutes or less, not wearing sunblock is fine, but if it is anything longer, you should protect your skin. After all, prevention is better than cure.
These four common running mistakes are well and simply explained!
One more point you can mention is sufficient hydration needed before and after a run.
Yes, fluids are very important to keep our bodies in tip-top condition. As runners. we often forget to hydrate ourselves before a run.