Fitness Review Guru

There are many things a person can do to improve their running. This post will be relevant for beginning runners, intermediate runners, and expert runners who are training for their 20th marathon. No matter what type of running you are doing, it is important to use these tips below to improve your running knowledge or skills. These five tips will be part of the many building blocks you will find along the way of your running journey. Use these tips to your advantage, and remember to never stop searching for advice and motivation. Running is not an easy sport and those who run can do just about anything.

1. Cross-Training is Important

You cannot believe the amazing benefits that cross-training has on your running. There are so many things that cross-training can do for your running and your body. Cross-training can be considered any sport or exercise that will improve your main sport performance. In this case, cross-training can be used to improve your running. It can help by balancing your muscle groups, maintaining or improving your cardiovascular fitness, and reducing your chance of injury.

2. Stick to a Routine

This one may seem quite obvious, but I cannot stress the importance of this single step. When you are trying to mold your body into a runner, it is so crucial to stick to a schedule and get your body used to it. It is even more important for those training for marathons and other big running events, because when you skip a day, even one day, your body will feel it and it will fall behind on the next run you do. One of the best ways to be a better runner is by sticking to your routine.

3. Rest Your Body. It’s Important!

Some people may think that there is no time for rest. This needs to get out of every runner’s head. It is okay to take a day off, even two. You will not lose any of your strength or performance. In fact, according to Runner’sWorld.com, “A day off every seven to 14 days restocks glycogen stores, builds strength, and reduces fatigue.” Your body needs recovery time to fully progress. I know it seems hard to surrender your body to rest one day, but in the end it will be the best for your training.

4. Push Through the Uphills

This small tip alone can make all the difference in your running. Have you ever noticed the uphills are the most difficult part of your run? I’m sure everyone has. It is no surprise. So, this tip should make sense that if you push through those uphills, you can do anything. When you conquer the most difficult obstacle, every other obstacle seems minuscule. The best way to improve your running is by pushing through the most difficult obstacle. A marathon runner named Donna Choate says, “I was never able to completely run up a hill without having to walk.” She solved this problem by increasing the incline on her treadmill and finding a hilly route outdoors. She went from running a 10-minute mile to an 8-minute mile, just by pushing through the hill.

5. Change Up Your Run

Sometimes, the littlest things can be the best solution. Many runners have complained that they reach a plateau in their running. Well, there is a solution to this. All you need to do is change up how you run. This can be as simple as changing your incline on your treadmill, or changing to an uphill route outdoors. It can also be a change in speed and endurance. If you are running 5-10 miles weekly, try running sprints for 1 or 2 of those days, just to challenge your body a little more. The 5-10 miles will become easier and your body will not plateau. Keep your routine diverse and always changing and running will never become boring.

Your teenage years can be the happiest time of your life. Spending time with your friends or going to parties may be all you have to think about. You won’t have to face the responsibility of making a living for yourself for a few years yet, so you can concentrate on having fun–unless you’re a bit overweight, then it can become an exercise in frustration. You may feel like people are staring at you, or you simply want to feel better about yourself. If that sounds familiar, you may be interested in these weight loss tips for teens.

Accept What You Are

We live in an age where some people seem to view a few extra pounds as unsightly, or even ugly. If you’re not built like a runway model, some people look down on you. Unfortunately, there are a few people who have a body shape that gives the appearance of being bulky, even though they may not actually be carrying any extra pounds. Not everyone is built the same way. It is necessary for everyone to accept their body the way it is. If you have a bulkier body shape and try to lose weight in order to look like a model, you may actually damage your health. You need to accept yourself the way you are.

Exercise Regularly

A proven way to lose weight is to exercise regularly. If you’re not used to exercising, you should start off slowly and gradually progress to the point where you can participate in a vigorous workout program. People who want to lose weight fast by exercising frequently overdo their routine and pull a muscle or strain a tendon. If you do that, you won’t be able to work out for awhile. The time you spend recovering from the physical damage you caused to yourself will delay your intended weight loss schedule. You would be much better off to start with a light workout the first couple of days, and then progress to a more strenuous regimen. Once your body is used to the exercise, you should perform your routine on a regular basis. After you’re able to work out regularly, it will make losing weight much easier.

Eat the Right Foods

Another part of the equation–something that you’ll need to do in order to lose weight effectively–is to eat the right foods. Going on a diet is all well and good, but you must be sure the foods that you’re eating contain the proper amounts of vitamins and minerals that you’ll need in order to become healthy. You will need to cut down on your calorie intake–but reducing calories may actually hurt you unless they’re the type of empty calories your body won’t miss.

What Not to Eat

Among the things you need to stay away from if you hope to lose weight are foods that contain a lot of saturated fats. That means no more trips to the local fast food joints, unless you have a salad or some other healthy option. Burgers and fries contain a lot of saturated fats, as do pizza and burritos. Anything that contains a lot of empty calories won’t benefit you and could actually cause you to gain weight.

Healthy Food Choices

The types of food that will help you lose weight, and will also improve your overall health, are those that contain few calories yet have an abundant amount of vitamins and minerals, which your body needs. Fruits and vegetables are among the types of food you should include in your diet. They are nutritious. Eating fruit as a between meal snack will help defeat the hunger pangs you may experience and keep you from gorging yourself on unhealthy snacks, such as potato chips or candy. Sugar may make you feel energetic, but if you have too much it will not only make you feel lethargic, but will add weight. Use it judiciously.

Don’t Go to Extremes

Losing weight is all well and good, but you don’t want to hurt yourself in the process. If you intend to lose weight, you should do it slowly and methodically. Going on a starvation diet will ultimately cause you more harm than good. Even if you lose a lot of weight, your overall health will suffer. Instead, you should combine a healthy diet with the proper amount of exercise, and lose the weight over an extended period of time. That will allow your body to adjust, and you’ll find it easier to maintain your new healthy lifestyle.

Guest post from Payton Price. Payton writes for TermLifeInsurance.org.

If you have suffered from an injury, you may find yourself struggling to find the motivation to get back into your workout routine. You may have fears about whether or not your injury is healed to the point where it can support your workout, or you may be paranoid that re-injury could occur. According to the Treadmill Review Guru, it’s estimated that 40-50% of runners are injured each year, in some way or another. So if you had the misfortune to sustain an injury, how do you bounce back from it? Here are a few of the tips that I have learned over the years (and yes, I have sustained many injuries!)If exercising with your injury causes any pain (beyond normal soreness), do not continue with the workout. When your body is in pain, it is trying to tell you something, and you should never ignore those signals! If you don’t pay attention to your body, you could make your injuries much worse!

If you are recovering from an injury to a specific area of your body, look for ways to work out the areas that are unaffected. For example, if your knee injury is preventing your usual treadmill run, then look into doing some type of arm workout that won’t bother your knee at all, and you will be able to stick to a regular exercise routine!

Heat and ice can be helpful tools in the healing process. Heat speeds up your bodily responses, while ice slows them down. So if you are injured so that there is a lot of swelling, apply ice to the area to slow the swelling. If you have a strained muscle, or something similar, apply heat to encourage fast healing.

Make sure that you hydrate enough while exercising. If you don’t stay hydrated, you are more likely to sustain injuries due to heat and fatigue. After you are injured, it is very important to stay hydrated so that your blood has no trouble pumping to the affected areas. Blood cells are responsible for a lot of the healing process, so make sure that your liquid intake is high!

When in doubt about any injury, make sure to visit a doctor. A doctor can help to diagnose the problem, if you aren’t sure exactly what’s wrong, and he can also suggest different options for recovery. If you are recovering from surgery, here are some tips specifically tailored to staying healthy after surgery!