No one is born running. Every runner was a beginner at one point in time. Whether that starting point is childhood or middle-age, a beginner is a beginner. What matters is how you take care of your body to ensure proper recovery, safety, and comfort.

I started running at the end of April. In just four short months, running has done so much to help me, not only begin a fitness routine but also make changes related to my health and other aspects of my life.

If you’re interested in running but don’t know where to start, then you’re in luck! I’m here to share the most helpful tips I learned as a beginner.

Warming-Up

Warming up your muscles means doing things like squats, toe touches, high knees, and butt kicks. These quick, dynamic movements get your heart and blood pumping and wake up your muscles. When I first started training, I quickly discovered that a brisk warm-up walk was not enough to get me ready for a 30-minute run. I began integrating different warm-up exercises until I found what got me pumped up and ready to run.

Here is what my warm-up looks like now:

• 10 sumo squats
• 10 toe touches
• 10 calf raises
• 10 high knees
• 10 butt kicks
• 5 leg swings per leg

Simple, right?

I follow this circuit and then begin my brisk 5-minute warm-up walk. My best suggestion is to try different things and play with the numbers until you find the warm-up circuit that works for you!

Stretching

Spending time stretching your muscles after your run can work wonders. After my run and cool-down walk, my calves, shins, and hamstrings can feel very tight. I’ve learned that stretching after a run can help relieve tightness and relax my muscles.

My cool-down includes about 10 minutes of slow stretching. I integrate movements and poses I’ve learned from past yoga classes, and am always reading and watching videos to try different stretches if I feel a new area of tightness or an ache.

One of my favorite YouTube channels for yoga is Yoga with Adrienne. I’ve integrated several of the poses from her Yoga for Runners video into my cooldown routine. I even supplement my running with her videos to keep my hip flexors, quads, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back strong and flexible on rest days.

Rest Days

Running has made me more aware of how my body feels. Once you start listening to your body more, you will know what you need to assist you in your runs and recovery. One of these things will be to rest. And your rest days don’t have to include being glued to the couch the entire day. Many runners walk, practice yoga, or cross-train on their rest days. It is all up to the individual, including the total number of rest days you have per week.

Now, of course, you will have rest days where you don’t want to do anything physically demanding, and that is perfectly fine. Again, the best advice is to listen to your body. If you are tired and want to truly rest your muscles, I say do it. Then, when you’re ready to hit the pavement again, you’ll feel 100% ready!

Walking

There is a common misconception that true runners don’t walk. This just isn’t true. Walking is a great way to warm up to running, and it is also helpful when training. Many training apps such as Couch to 5K begin training you with intervals of running and walking. But run/walk intervals are not just for beginning runners. They are also used to help runners train for races. I’ve learned that by integrating a 1-minute walk for every 5 minutes I run, helps me maintain my overall pace per mile and breaks up my total distance and time into more manageable segments.

In short, don’t believe the hype. If you’re running, you’re a runner, and walking will just help you go even farther!

If you want to start running but have questions on where or how to start, these items are great points to keep in mind as you begin your journey. So grab a pair of sneakers, lace-up, and meet me on the trail!