10 tips to make running easier

culled from:pulse.ng

Running is not easy and not everyone is into it, that is exactly why we are here to make things easier.

No one heads out on a run thinking, “I want this to feel as hard as possible.”

We want it to feel good, we want it to feel less difficult than before, and it will if you try out these eleven simple to follow running tips:

1. Shorten Your Stride- It’s counterintuitive, sure, but shortening your stride and aiming to take more steps per minute (180 is ideal) can help you run more efficiently. It saves you energy you would have spent trying to cover more ground with each step. 

2. Look Ahead- Keeping your eyes focused on a target in front of you can actually make your runs seem shorter and easier, according to research from New York University. You'll likely perceive your target as closer in distance than you would have if you were taking in everything else around you.

3. Lean Forward- Let gravity help you out. Leaning forward from your ankles (not your hips!) will help you “fall forward” with every step, which takes some of the work away from your legs.

4. Get New Shoes- If you don’t replace your running shoes every 300 to 400 miles, they get worn out and can actually make your run more difficult.

5. Break Up Your Runs- Sure, seven miles is seven miles. But if you break it into a one-mile warm-up, five-mile run, and one-mile cool down, each leg will feel a little less overwhelming.

6. Dress Comfortably- Running is hard enough without a bra strap digging into your side or blisters forming between your toes. Take some time to find quality, sweat-wicking workout gear that makes you feel both physically and mentally comfortable.

7. Drink Up- Dehydration is serious stuff. Sweating out even two percent of your body’s weight (that’s just a pound or two!) can wreck your physical performance not to mention cause cramps, dizziness, and fatigue. Basically, it makes running miserable.

8. Race Someone- Picking out a runner on the sidewalk to rival can help you run faster without even knowing it. In one New York University Study, runners who competed with at least one fellow runner cut almost eight seconds off of their mile pace.

9. Keep Yourself Entertained- Sometimes the hardest thing about running is the boredom. To help pass the time, tag along with a running buddy, or download some podcasts, audiobooks, or new tunes.

10. Take Time to Recover- Scheduling recovery workouts and rest days into your schedule will actually help those hard days seem a little less difficult. Your muscles need time to recoup.