Everyone enjoys a runners high, or has at least heard of it. Running and/or jogging will firm up and tone your body. This will also help to lose weight since it burns a lot of calories and also will boost your mood and leave you energetic. Running, if made a habit, helps fight off diabetes, various heart diseases and certain kind of cancers. Follow the following guide to get started on running regularly.

• Step I: Practice some stretching exercises after and before your workout or running routine. This will reduce your chances of getting an injury and body in good shape. Some examples of some good running exercises are: Hamstring stretch, Calf stretch, Quadricep stretch, lower and hip stretches.
• Step II: Mind your posture. Your posture is important when running. Pull in your abdominal muscles tightly and keep your upper half of the body relaxed and calm. To stride efficiently, push off using the balls of your foot and land on the heel toe of the other foot. Keep your arms as close to your body as possible and swing them back to front, and not swing them across your body.
• Step III: When starting, start by walking as this will warm up your body. When starting off you might have to progress from a slow walk to walking fast, then from walking fast to jogging and then eventually move on to running. In the beginning stages you should push yourself outside your boundaries for short time bursts as this will improve your running capabilities. For example walk for 5 minutes and then speed walk/ jog for 1 minute. Repeat this schedule five days a week for half an hour everyday.  After you get some practice in a couple of weeks aim for running for 2 minutes along with 2 minutes of walking. Always remember to listen to yourself and keep raising the time limit that you spend running or jogging. Always walk when you get tired (never stop). These intervals will build up your endurance and also help your body to burn up a lot more calories than otherwise.
• Step IV: Buy yourself a good pair of running shoes. This is important as running with bad shoes can lead to various leg, knee and back problems. The type of shoes you buy depends on the kind of area you plan to run on. Also remember to replace your shoes every once in a while to avoid health issues.
• Step V: Never give up. It will hurt in the start and your body will beg you to stop. But you have to be persistent and soon running will be your favorite new healthy hobby. Running will compliment your regular workout or weight loss program well. Once confident enough about your skills as a runner you can try running a local marathon just for the pleasure of it.

Tips:

Progress will be slow. Most people who start running expect too much and end up quitting before time. It is vital that you give yourself enough time to get into routine.

Always get professional medical exercise before starting off on a new exercise plan.

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