The best workout you can do is running. It is completely free and it requires no membership. Yes, you do need a pair of sneakers but even if you do not have them, you can always run barefoot. I do not recommend it, at least not in the beginning but the point that I am making is that you do not need money to run. You do not need fancy equipment or gym membership, only your body, and a strong determination.
I started running seven days ago and I do not consider myself an expert but since I have a freaky mind that needs to know everything about everything, I have done my homework and prepared myself. Now I know what is happening with my body while I run and after it and I am willing to share with you what I have learned and experienced. The first thing you have to know is that running is highly addictive and I too have become an addict after only seven days. Endorphins are your friends...
I will not lie to you, everything will hurt and I mean everything. I have muscles in my body, I did not know existed, that now ache. You would not expect your stomach to hurt or your back and hands, but they do, legs are the least of my problems now.
If you accept that it will hurt it will be easier for you to deal with it but there are some things you can do to help yourself and prevent it to hurt more than it has to.
Right footwear
After reading about running and how to prepare myself, I have found that a lot of experts and professional runners suggest that you run in half a size too big sneakers. The important thing is to have them tightly around your ankles but loose around your toes. This way, your toes will not get hit or rubbed by your footwear. Just do not over do it. A little oversize is fine, Duffy Duck style is not.
Stretch before and after
Think of it this way, every stretch you do will lower your chances of getting hurt and you NEED to stretch before and after your run. A lot of people stretch before and forget the after part. This can lead to serious injuries so please always remember to stretch.
Do not run on a full stomach
It is far more difficult to run after you had a meal or have a lot of liquid in your system. Yes, you should stay hydrated but do not fill your stomach to the full. This will add to your troubles because you will feel like you are carrying additional weight and you will get sick probably. Wait at least an hour after eating before you go for a run. If you are a smoker, avoid smoking before you run.
Whenever you exercise and in whatever way, you will feel a certain amount of discomfort. If you do not feel it, you are not doing it right. The trick is to find a balance between discomfort and pain and to listen to your body. You will get better with time and more and more practice, do not push yourself beyond your limits. It will only result in injury. The best thing (at least for me) is to monitor your breathing. As long as you can control your breathing, you can continue running. In through your nose and out through your mouth. When you start experiencing trouble and battle for breath fast and strong only through your mouth without the ability to control it, stop running and continue walking. When your breath is back under your control, start running again.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
When I started, a week ago (and could only run for 100 meters because I had not run for a decade) I had troubles with breathing (being a smoker does not help lol). After a couple of times, breathing got sort of under control but the thing I have troubles with are muscles surrounding my shin bone. This is known as medial tibial stress syndrome and it hurts like hell. When it starts hurting too much, I have to stop running and start walking. There are many reasons for this pain, from rough terrain to bad footwear and of course, lack of strength. An interesting thing that I found is that your abs strength is correlated with your shin pain. When you get stronger abs that can hold your body as you run, your shin will not hurt so much. I am looking forward to that :)
Here is what happens when you run. Every part of your body is working and that work is different from one moment to the next.
ATP to ADP
When you just start running, you feel a sudden burst of energy. Depending on how fit you are, that burst will be felt longer. It comes from converting one molecule into another in order to release a net gain of energy. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) turns to Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP) and during this time you feel like you have all the power in the world. Again, this may last only for a brief moment but it always is there and it will last longer with every run, sometimes up to a full minute or more.
Lactid acid
The next phase you will get into is the release of lactic acid. When you hear someone saying how he or she feels the burn, this is what they are talking about. Your muscles need to produce "fuel" for your running and they do it through a process called anaerobic respiration. The byproduct of that is lactic acid. It is produced more and more as your body is burning more and more glucose. This is when your brain gets the signal that you are under physical stress.
An influx of oxygen
As your brain realized you are under physical stress, all the fun stuff begins to happen. Your heart will begin to beat fast and direct more blood towards your muscles and away from the parts of your body that you are not using like digestion. In order for your muscles to get the best out of that glucose, they need an influx of oxygen so you start breathing heavily. As you are starting to burn energy, your body is warming up and your brain is doing everything it can to cool it down. You begin to sweat and there is extra blood going to your skin so you get a red flush. You can always say that you are just shy but we all know that is not the case :)
You feel like you are slowing down
Your feeling is not wrong. After some time, and this depends on your level of fitness, your ATP supply will no more be able to keep up with the demand and lactic acid will start to flood your body. It will be harder and harder to lift your legs off the ground and you will go slower and slower feeling like your body is made of lead. You will breathe heavier and heavier and decide it is time to stop.
And now, THE BEST PART...
Here comes the best part. When you stop and your breathing returns to normal, your brain will reward you with a little party. Endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine will kick in. Yes, running high is NOT A MYTH! I have felt it! It is a strange feeling to explain. You feel upbeat but calm, full of energy but focused, buzzed and reeeeealy happy. You feel energized. This is the part you get addicted too, at least I did.
I mentioned that running will have an impact on your entire body, all your muscles, heart, and brain. Let's see what those amazing benefits are.
- Active people are less likely to develop colon cancer
- It is a GOOD excuse to eat more carbs, trust me, you will need them
- It will boost your metabolism
- You will live longer
- You will get more flexible (and in the mood for sex more often, KUDOS!)
- You will get a rockin’ runner’s body
- It will keep your mind sharp and reduce symptoms of dementia
- You will become more positive
- It will improve your self-esteem
- Running can help lower blood pressure in just a few weeks
- Running builds stronger bones
- It will decrease fatigue
- It strengthens your core
- Running encourages higher quality sleep
- People who run for an hour a week can reduce their risk of heart disease by almost half
- Running boosts the brain’s serotonin levels
- You will be calmer and more stress resistant
Oh yeah, I will end this post with pictures of me on my pink unicorn that I found after one of my runs. I hope you liked what I wrote about here and that I got you interested in running. Until next time, KEEP YOUR SMILE ON and LOVE MY PINK UNICORN!!!!
Check these resources for more:
30 reasons to start running
6 things that happen to your body when you run
What happens when you run for 30 minutes
Benefits of running
Image sources:
- cover image is from pngtree.com and royality free, you can check it out here
-clipart in my titles is from FREE CLIPART LIBRARY and, you can check it out here
- images used are from unsplash or FREE CLIPART LIBRARY are free for personal and commercial use, you can find them by clicking on these links: filmazzarino , matthewlejune, alexanderredl, clemono2 & running
- pink unicrn images are mine
- gif image is from gify and can be found here
PROUD MEMBER OF:
@steemitbloggers
6 things that happen to your body when you run
What happens when you run for 30 minutes
Benefits of running
Image sources:
- cover image is from pngtree.com and royality free, you can check it out here
-clipart in my titles is from FREE CLIPART LIBRARY and, you can check it out here
- images used are from unsplash or FREE CLIPART LIBRARY are free for personal and commercial use, you can find them by clicking on these links: filmazzarino , matthewlejune, alexanderredl, clemono2 & running
- pink unicrn images are mine
- gif image is from gify and can be found here
-clipart in my titles is from FREE CLIPART LIBRARY and, you can check it out here
- images used are from unsplash or FREE CLIPART LIBRARY are free for personal and commercial use, you can find them by clicking on these links: filmazzarino , matthewlejune, alexanderredl, clemono2 & running
- pink unicrn images are mine - gif image is from gify and can be found here
PROUD MEMBER OF:
@steemitbloggers