"Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"

 

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Fact: Running outdoors can burn up to 40% more calories than running on the treadmill in the gym.

It’s the ultimate in its “feed-good” factor. It challenges you each time to do it. It works the ENTIRE body. And, oh yes, it guarantees you look…F-I-T.

Getting started – at the onset, you may find yourself getting breathless very easily making it difficult for you to jog continuously. In this case, I would suggest jogging at an even pace for one minute, and then walking at a brisk pace for four minutes. As your endurance increases, you can increase the amount of time spent running vs walking.

Going outside – Road running can be hard on the body. Because of the fact that you are dealing with a constantly changing incline in the road, with shifting wind patterns, not to mention the outdoor weather (verrrry different from your 21 degree air-conditioned gym temps!), you need to run smarter. First off, start by running on a softer surface like mud or a running track in a park. This is kinder on the knees while getting you used to the external environment. Then, gradually begin to run on asphalt, keeping it slow and steady so as not to injure yourself or overdo it too soon!

Finding your path – Its always a good idea to spend some time thinking about the details of your running route: how long its going to take, which part is going to be tough, the bit that’s a little easier, and where you’ll need to push yourself. If you prepare yourself for the run mentally, it will give you that much more ability to put it your 100% effort.

Mixing it up – Change the speed, distance covered, and terrain of your run by spending some days working on distance, others covering flyovers (increased incline), and some just running fast on shorter distances. Avoid doing the same route more than twice a week if possible – it will keep you from getting mentally fatigued and will also boost your body’s fitness by forcing it to adapt.

So get out there and do something which really gets the body going, believe me, it will leave you feeling fitter, and better than ever before!!