How to run properly? The meaning, importance, benefits and health effects of running

Everyone who runs does it for a reason.

There are those who have just decided to give it a try, but they don't know how to get started.

First and foremost, we should think about our health. That's the main reason most recreational runners run.

So if we run for health, and not only then, we should first of all see a doctor.
After a thorough examination, the doctor must first assess whether this physical activity is suitable for us.

How to start running training?

Before we start, what is running as such?

Its definition states that it is a type of movement in which, in our case, a person moves in such a way that at certain stages neither of the lower limbs touches the ground. Mostly then we move at a greater speed than in other types of movement.

The mechanics of running

Before we start running training, we should also know about the mechanics of running.

Running has certain general characteristics that are more or less similar in all people.

Leg movements have three phases:

• Impact
• bounce
• recovery

Impact is the phase of running during which the foot comes into contact with the ground.
The knee joint is the most stressed part.
This is where the importance of choosing appropriate footwear becomes apparent.
When the foot touches the ground, knee flexion occurs.

The centre of gravity passes over the weighted foot.
Then the foot begins to straighten and moves into the next phase of the movement.

The rebound itself occurs behind the body.
At this point, the toe of the rebounding leg is in contact with the ground and the knee joint begins to straighten.
During the rebound phase, the calf muscles are mainly working.
Mostly during long stride runs, i.e. sprints.
The prolonged impact phase of this movement is considered to support the body against gravity.

Recovery or return begins when the rebound foot loses contact with the ground.
Using the hips to move the rebound foot forward.
The leg is readying itself for impact and hip flexion. At this point, the hamstrings and gluteal muscles are most stressed.
By the time the foot returns to contact with the ground, the next phase of impact has begun.

What else can you read in the article?
What is the upper body movement during running?
How to breathe properly during running and what is the correct breathing technique?
How to choose the right shoes?
Interesting facts about recovery.
About the importance of running and how to lose weight by running?

Just as important as leg movement is what the upper body does.

Its importance lies in maintaining balance and running style.
Balance is maintained by moving the shoulder in the same direction as the forward facing opposite leg. So for example, left foot forward, right shoulder forward. When the left foot hits the mat, the right shoulder moves backwards.

The forward movement of the upper leg is faster than the opposite direction.

If we want to run at a faster speed, we need to exert more force to move the lower limbs. But then more force is also needed to balance the upper body.

So the movements of the arms, their muscles and the muscles of the back and abdomen are used.

More dynamic and faster running needs more energy to compensate for the movement of the legs using the upper body. For this reason, sprinters also have a more developed upper torso compared to endurance runners who run more slowly.

Running technique

Proper running technique is important as injury prevention and in determining the speed at which we run.

A slight forward tilt of the trunk serves to properly utilize the rebound phase of running. It prevents heel strike, shifting the center of gravity to the front of the foot. This makes the rebound mechanism of running more dynamic. It prevents the braking effect.

An upright posture helps as protection against injury. When running, it is important to maintain a relaxed but upright and stable posture.

The stride frequency is almost the same between long and short distance runners. It is 185 to 200 steps per minute.

The stride length is what makes the difference between sprinters and long distance runners. Sprinters use shorter and faster strides. In addition to this, runners stay on their toes at all times. Endurance runners use longer strides and a relaxed run.

How to breathe properly while running?

Long distance (endurance) running is an aerobic activity.

For this reason, it is necessary to get enough oxygen into the body. This, in addition to fats and sugar, is the source of energy for the working muscles.

This is achieved by breathing deeply into the diaphragm rather than the chest. It consists of a deep inhalation to get oxygen into the body and a deep exhalation to get waste substances out of the body in the form of carbon dioxide.

It's not enough to breathe through the nose. We can get more oxygen into the body through the open mouth in one breath.

It should be remembered that running is an activity in which the body works beyond its comfort zone. Stress is put on it and more working muscles also require more oxygen.

They need to be provided with it.

Another important factor in breathing is its rhythm.

We adjust the rhythm of our breathing according to our stride rate. Depending on how fast we're running.

If we are novice runners and we don't strain our bodies too much, we run at a speed where we can talk coherently while we run.

If we run slowly, our breathing rhythm is three steps in and three steps out. If we run at a medium intensity, we breathe in for two steps and also breathe out for two steps.

If we are running at high intensity (but still not talking about sprinting), we breathe in for two steps and out for one step.

Alternatively, we inhale for one step and exhale for one step.

The breathing rhythm is shown in the table below

Before we start running training, we need to choose the appropriate shoes.

Running shoes and the surface we are running on

Here is where the question comes in, how do we want to run?

So it is important how fast and how long. When choosing suitable running shoes, we also need to think about our weight.

It is best to take advice from specialist sports shoe shops. Not every sneaker is suitable for running.

Improperly chosen shoes can have a negative effect on the musculoskeletal system during long-term running training.

Many problems, such as knee, hip, shoulder or neck pain, are often caused by the wrong footwear.

However, recent research shows that it is even advisable to run barefoot. The body uses less energy and the foot hits the ground more gently than in trainers. This protects the musculoskeletal system and prevents many health problems caused by incorrect running technique.

Whether we run barefoot or in trainers, the surface on which we move is important.

Concrete is the worst of all. Asphalt is almost half as good in terms of hardness.

They're flat surfaces, so there's less risk of injury.

Their unsuitability lies precisely in their hardness. Prolonged running on hard surfaces can have a negative effect on the musculoskeletal system.

The joints in particular suffer.

The most ideal surface is tartan. It is relatively soft and flat. The risk of injury is minimal.

Running on paved forest surfaces or grass is preferable. They are softer but not flat. Therefore, there is a higher risk of injury, especially to the ligaments or tendons of the muscles of the lower limbs.

The surface on which we run should be changed from time to time, as hard and flat surfaces weaken certain muscles. Uneven surfaces engage areas that are otherwise less stressed.

Read also the article about fitness and how to keep fit.

Regeneration

Over-training or poor running technique leads to many injuries.

Regular loading of the same muscle group without sufficient rest causes problems.

A few tips on how to avoid this:

• sufficient warm-up before training (dynamic stretching)
• appropriate footwear
• Increase the training load gradually, not suddenly
• balanced diet
• sufficient recovery

Ice cooling is a form of recovery.

It is mainly used to cool injuries or inflammation, muscle pain and muscle fatigue.

When stress is applied, microscopic cracks form in the muscles. This causes inflammation, which in turn causes pain.

That's when it's better to reach for an ice pack rather than painkillers.

The cold closes the cracks and relieves the pain. After the initial discomfort, the affected area is later engorged with blood, which washes away the waste and brings in the necessary nutrients.

Another form of regeneration is stretching.

However, a common question is when and how to perform it?

There are different studies and opinions.

Here is one of them.

Performing static stretching before a workout can weaken the muscles. They lose energy that could have been used during the workout.

At the same time, a muscle so weakened and relaxed by stretching may be more prone to injury.

Before training, the muscles need to be energised and toned. This is why so-called dynamic stretching is suitable.

First, you need to warm up a little, for example with a low-intensity short run, followed by dynamic stretching, i.e. a warm-up, and then the training itself.

As static stretching is used to stretch the muscles and their tendons, it is particularly suitable after training.

However, it should be carried out at a sufficient distance, even several hours after training. Immediately after training, the muscles are too tight and tend to shorten even after they have been stretched by the stretching itself.

The importance of running and how to lose weight by running?

Like other sports, running has its opponents and fans.

However, its importance and benefits for our organism are great.

It helps in increasing physical fitness, such as endurance. It has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, shaping the figure or improving our psychological state.

During or after running, endorphins, the hormones of happiness, are released from the body. This improves our mood.

It raises the good cholesterol (HDL) and lowers the bad one (LDL).

Last but not least, it helps with weight loss. Because of this, it is often used by amateur runners. However, they often stick with it even after they have reached their goal.

This is of course very necessary to maintain an ideal weight.

However, if you want to pursue weight reduction, it is advisable to initially use other forms of aerobic activity that do not put too much strain on the joints of the lower limbs.

For example, swimming or cycling.

One thing needs to be made clear.

If we want to reduce body weight, we must carry out aerobic activity.

During such activity, the muscles obtain energy from sugars and especially fats (depending on the length of the workout) in the presence of oxygen supplied to them. Simply put.

But how to achieve this?

A workout in the aerobic zone is one that is performed at between 50% and 60% of your maximum heart rate.

This is calculated using a simple formula.

Subtract the age of the athlete from the number 220. The resulting number is the maximum heart rate value.

Since the aerobic training zone is 50% to 60%, multiply this number by 0.5 or 0.6.

For example, a 30-year-old athlete:
220 - 30 = 190
190 x 0.5 = 95

95 is the heart rate value of a 30 year old during aerobic training.

This number is approximate. It does not take into account the individual's training.

Over time, an athlete's performance may increase, and so may his or her maximum heart rate.

Thus, it is not so much the age but the fitness of the person that is important.

However, for a start, such a calculation is sufficient.

If we have no way to measure our heart rate during training, we need to run by feel.

If we feel that we can't keep up with our breathing and the training becomes too uncomfortable, we need to slow down and reduce the intensity.

Conversely, if we feel comfortable and know we can afford it, we increase the pace.

The important thing about aerobic training, if we are aiming for weight loss, is its duration.

This is where several trainees make a mistake. They don't get the results they want or should.

That is, when reducing weight and using aerobic training, the volume (in this case the length of the workout) is more important than the intensity.

That is, we don't run fast and short, but slow and long enough.

Aerobic training itself is not intense. It activates slow, red muscle fibres. So-called endurance.

They use aerobic metabolism to work. Energy is derived from fats and sugars in the presence of oxygen.

That's why it's called aerobic.

This occurs after about 25 minutes of such activity.

In this case, we are talking about running at 50 to 60% of our maximum heart rate.

This means that such a workout should not be shorter than 30 minutes.

In this article you will read more about how to lose weight.

However, caution should be given to the loss of sugars. It is not a good idea to extend training to maximum volumes.

Endurance runners do not lose weight and replenish their sugar and fluid stores during the run.

In summary, every workout, including running, must bring joy and good feelings.

However, if we have a goal, we will need to give more of ourselves to achieve it. We will need to step out of our comfort zone. That is no longer enjoyable.

In any case, nothing must be overdone. To be able to say after training that we have given our all and still feel good.