Congratulations! If you’re starting to read this short guide, you’re already well on your way because you’ve shown a willingness to start running and, in running, the will is everything!
But “you’re already well advanced” doesn’t mean that this post has magical properties and – just because you read it – tomorrow you can face your first marathon. But let’s start from the beginning.
The arrival of the summer season makes us all more dynamic, active and eager to improve our physical fitness, not only for ephemeral aesthetic reasons but, above all, because doing sport improves the quality of our lives. Of course, if you have just woken up from your long winter hibernation, are overweight and have not been active in sports for a long time, it is very important to remember that you will have to start with caution and with small steps. But don’t be afraid: we’ll make it and, I guarantee you, it’ll be easier than you can imagine: we’ve taken thousands of people to run and everyone has admitted that with our program to get started it was easy (take a look at the comments to read the testimonials he’s already made).
Before you start: the fundamental and mandatory step
What is to be done before a long drive? You go to the mechanic to do a general check-up to make sure that all parts of your car are in order. Similarly, if you come from a period of inactivity, it is extremely important to go to the doctor to have your general health checked or – even better – undergo a medical examination for sports. The doctor will check your general, cardiac and respiratory conditions and tell you if you can start practicing sports. I’m dwelling on this point because we all always tend to have a great deal of confidence in our potential, and we do very well. But it is also right to do it with awareness and knowing that we have limits.
The start: the objectives to be achieved
At the beginning we have some objectives that are not mileage but physical: reduce weight and increase “breath”. In this way we will be in the perfect condition to start running and we will do it with less effort (because nobody likes to do too much effort, man!).
To make you understand what I mean: suppose you are overweight by 6 kg (which is almost not even “overweight”, to be honest), take 4 bottles of water of 1.5 liters and do ‘a few floors of stairs. Then repeat without the bottles. Isn’t it easier if you’re lighter?
So, just to be explicit, we’re not here to wage war on fat rolls and the flat stomach is not the purpose of our lives; I just want to put you in the ideal position to start running and hear you say: “Wow! I’m really fine!”.
Reducing weight
Clearly, at this point, we should make about 384,294,283 engravings and distinctions. Especially because it depends on how much weight you want to lose and how overweight you are. In any case, remember that contacting a dietician or nutritionist is always the right choice.
In addition to this, it is very important to analyse your eating habits in order to reduce your weight.
First of all, forget that you can lose weight with fasting: weight is lost with a balanced, careful and conscious diet. I’m not here to tell you what to eat day by day, but to advise you to carefully analyse what you’re eating now. So here’s a very small general list of what foods to avoid and what to prefer.
Foods to avoid
- Fried of all kinds
- Fatty sauces
- Carbonated soft drinks
- Spirits
- Cheese and butter
- Cold cuts and fatty meats
- Overly seasoned foods
The foods you prefer
- Fruit and vegetables
- Cold cuts and lean meats
- Pasta with moderation (better if taken at lunch)
- Water, lots of water (1.5 litres between meals per day)
And remember to eat 5 times a day: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner – always with the right awareness and moderation. This way you won’t get hungry at every meal, with the explicit intention of slaughtering a wild animal and grilling it all. 😉
It’s just a matter of being, as I said, aware of the choices and making it a habit. An example? At breakfast, instead of eating a cream brioche with a cappuccino, try two slices of toast with jam and a fruit juice. I guarantee it’s much better (I swear!).
The program to start running
The program does not provide precise days, you decide, but a series of activities to do that will take you in no time to face your first outings in shorts and running shoes.
1. Daily walks
At least four times a week you go out to walk for an hour in a row. Walk quickly but without running. Enjoy your walk, listen to some music, look at the view and always try to have a relaxed breathing. The aim is not to go home with your breath but with a beautiful feeling of “activated organism”.
It’s 4 hours a week, that’s no small feat, I know. But it’s also true that it’s not tiring at all and, at the end of the day, you’re just missing out on some TV. It’s worth it, believe me.
You will see that you will soon understand the meaning of my “at least”: it will become a pleasant habit, even daily.
2. Always be active
Don’t always look for the nearest parking place, prefer stairs to the elevator, get up from your desk every hour, in short: avoid laziness and excessive sedentariness.
3. Sleep
Sleep helps with training, weight loss and stress reduction and is, let’s not kid ourselves, a very easy and pleasant activity to practice.
But it will also be important to have a regular life, not just sleep. Which does not imply a monastic organization of life but only a little attention.
At the end of it all
I’m not telling you how long to make this show because it’s all up to you. But in the end you’ll feel the need to move on to the next step and start running for real. You’ll buy a pair of running shoes, print out our Easy to Start a Running Program and learn it by heart.
