How to Keep Running?

People run for various reasons: some want to lose weight, others aim to enhance their physical fitness, and so forth. One of the most significant reasons is to maintain good health. Have you ever promised yourself repeatedly to start and continue running, but never actually followed through? For me, the answer was YES!

As suggested by the title of this post, ‘How to Keep Running?’, I will share some tips that have helped me maintain a running routine, which might be beneficial for you as well :)

How to start running?

SET a goal

Your goal should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based. When setting a goal, keep it straightforward, like ‘I want to improve my health this year’

Time management

Time plays a crucial role in our lives, and with everyone leading busy lives, it’s important to allocate time based on priorities. Each day has 24 hours, and according to the World Organizations Health (WHO), adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days. Initially, you can start with 10 minutes and gradually increase the duration. For instance, if you aim for 30 minutes, you could divide it into two 15-minute sessions throughout the day.

Keep running

Track your running

Tracking your running progress is beneficial as it helps you monitor how much you run daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. In this era of technology, numerous apps and tools are available for setting goals and tracking your running activities. I personally use the Nike Run Club (Nike+) app, which effectively tracks my distance in kilometers

total kilometers.

Seeking challenges

To be honest, running can become monotonous unless you incorporate challenges. Encourage your friends and colleagues to join you in specific challenges. For example, you could say, ‘Let’s see who logs the most kilometers this year!’

The Nike+ app offers various ways to engage in these challenges. My friends and I have created a unique hashtag (#) to track who wins by covering the most kilometers.

my place between my friends this month :)

Join a new challenge every week and month with specific kilometer goals. This will surely motivate you to complete these distances before the time frame ends.

my joined challenges.

my place between other people this week.

This Adds Fun!

There’s another aspect that keeps me motivated and helps me complete my daily running goals: simply being with my thoughts, in addition to occasionally enjoying podcasts and audiobooks. Tuning into a favorite podcast or book while running (using tools like podcast players, Audible, etc.) can make the experience enjoyable and encourage you to keep going to finish an episode or chapter. However, sometimes, the peace of just running with my own thoughts is equally fulfilling.

I hope this post inspires you and helps you find your rhythm in running.

Goodbye!