Get up and go
Want to get into running? Here are six easy ways to get started.
1. Find a running group
Join a local running club in your area and you’ll have built-in partners for after-work runs or weekend outings. Find a group through the Road Runners Club of America or ask at your local running shoe store.
2. Go on a retreat
What’s not to love about going for a run in a place like Greece, Italy or Lake Tahoe? Sign up for a running retreat with esteemed running coach Jeff Galloway for a vacation that’ll leave you feeling fit and happy.
3. Sign up for a race
The popular Couch-to-5K program gives you specific training instructions to run your first 5K in just nine weeks. Follow the program online—running three days a week for around 30 minutes—then sign up for a race near you.
Check out these 4 apps that will keep you moving and motivated,
4. Run for a cause
Sign up with an organization like Team In Training and you’ll be running your first marathon or half-marathon while raising money to beat cancer. You’ll have the support of coaches and fellow runners throughout your training, and during the race a cheering squad in matching purple T-shirts will be rooting you on.
5. Hire a coach
A personal coach can give you the structure and motivation to stay on task. “I work with runners who struggle with chronic injury, fatigue or burnout and I help them get back on track by reducing stress and optimizing their training,” says Elinor Fish, an endurance runner who offers 16-week training programs and coaching services online via Skype.
6. Or try something else
Running isn’t for everyone. If you’ve tried it and you're just not into running, don’t fret. You can still reap the benefits of runner’s high from regularly participating in other moderate-level activities, like walking, biking, swimming, yoga and more.
Read how to go from being a couch potato to a 5 K finisher.
