Anybody Can Be A Runner

Should I run 20 minutes or 30? I walking okay? If I've run before, do I need to start at the beginning? On the following details, you'll find the answers, a training plan, and everything else you need to get started, or restarted, on a running program.<br />
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<strong><i>Before Your First Step:</strong></i>Many new runners are reluctant to spend money or time on the sport before they get started. They're hesitant because they don't know if they'll stick with it. But getting started will be easier if you commit some time and do some planning first.
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<strong><i>Open Your Day Planner:</strong></i> Having a run on the books makes it more likely that you'll do it. But use pencil; running has to adjust to life's inevitable complications, like your cousin Fred's bachelor party or an unexpected 12-hour shift.<br />
<strong><i>Get A Checkup:</strong></i> You may feel fine, but if you're a man over 45 or a woman over 55, and especially if you have risk factors for heart disease (obesity, family history, hypertension, high cholesterol), get your doctor's clearance to start exercising. Starting to exercise if you have cardiovascular disease, which you may not know about, can put you at a greater risk for a heart attack. You should get an annual physical anyway; a plan to start running is good excuse to get it scheduled.<br />
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<strong><i>Buy Running Shoes:</strong></i> Cross-trainers, aerobics shoes, and other athletic footwear don't have enough cushioning to handle running's impact - nor does the pair of running shoes you wore two years ago. Buy new running shoes, or you risk getting injured.