Since I've been out of the country a lot the past months, I haven't been running often at all. I usually try to go for a run twice a week - one short, one longer - but for the past weeks, I was lucky if I did one 5K run! I went running yesterday because I really felt like it, and I immediately remembered why I love it so much. For those of you who just started running or are thinking of starting to run for whatever reason, I wrote down some tips to take into account.

Get proper shoes
If there's only one tip I can give you, please let it be this one. You're probably going running for a health reason. No matter whether it is to lose a little weight, to get in shape or any other reason there might be, it usually has to do with your health. What I don't understand is that people go running on either shoes that are extremely old (oh hey, I'll use my gym shoes from 10 years ago) or shoes that aren't fit for running at all. Regular sneakers or those fake shoes you can often buy on holidays are the worst thing you can do for your feet. Your feet have to carry you around all day, every day. If you are going to push them even further, at least make it comfortable for them! You're running for your health, but wrong shoes can wreck up your body completely. Nowadays, there are many specialized stores where you can run a small track and they analyse your feet. Most running shoes are somewhere between €100 and €150, but it's truly the best investment you can ever make. And if you have proper shoes, it can be an extra push to go running - you didn't spend that money for nothing, did you?



Find a way that works for you
I've had a lot of people tell me they find running boring. Although I think that's not true at all, I can see where they're coming from. I personally need my music when I go for a run! When my iPod dies during a run, I get bored too. I prefer uptempo music, but that's different for every single person. Since your mind has nothing to do while running (except for motivating you to keep going), I find that running is perfect when I have a lot of things on my mind. Whenever I'm busy, running is the perfect solution to make my head a little quieter. I'm not sure why, but I can put things into perspective much better when I'm running. I like to listen to music while I'm thinking about a thousand-and-one things, but I know some people don't. I know people who prefer to run without music, because they like to listen to environmental sounds and just think. If that works for you, go girl (or boy)! I suggest trying different things to see what you prefer. If you tend to be a quitter, going for a run with a friend or a colleague might work for you! You don't want to leave them alone, do you? It can also be fun to catch up with someone you haven't seen in a while. Catching up with coffee and dessert is always fun, but catching up & working on your health? Double win! And if you go for a run, you don't have to feel guilty for having some dessert afterwards either. Don't be shy to try these all out and see what works for you!

Don't start too heavy
No one expects you to run a race the first time you go for a run. Even if you think you're in pretty good shape, please take it slow the first time. Your body isn't used to running, no matter whether you're used to doing cardio often or not. When you're going too hard, the chances of getting injuries are a lot higher. An injury after 2 to 3 runs isn't what you want, right? If you're starting out from zero, a program like Start To Run by Evy Gruyaert is perfect! If you feel like you can do more, I suggest starting off with a 20 minute run, slowly increasing when you feel like you're ready. A lot of people think they can handle it, but don't underestimate the impact running has on your body. Shin splints are  a common injury for runners that don't take their time, and you honestly don't want to to end up with that. I could do an entire post on shin splints, but just look it up and see how dangerous it can be. Please always remember that you're running for your health, so don't make it harder on your body than you should! Injuries are pretty much the opposite of healthy.

I hope these tips were helpful if you're thinking of starting with running and if you're still in doubt: just try it! What is there to lose?

Source of all images: We Heart It