Tucson is known as a bicycling town, and for good reason, with plenty of wide open roads, the 100-plus miles of The Loop and Catalina Highway beckoning those who want to ride up Mount Lemmon.
But did you know that Tucson and Pima County have been named a “Runner-Friendly Community” by the National Road Runners Club of America? Our beautiful weather, our nearby trail systems, and the many miles of convenient multi-use paths make us one of the best places for running (and walking) in the country.
These activities are an inexpensive and easy way to improve your physical fitness and your mental wellness. Here are a few tips to help you start a running-based exercise routine.
6 tips to start
1. Give yourself time. If you’re new to this, walk for 5-10 minutes, then try running at Brady Bunch Pace for a minute or two, then walk for a minute or two, then run Brady Bunch pace, then walk to recover, and so on. Cool down with a 5-minute walk. Start with a little bit, then try to get in the habit of moving for a total of 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Run slowly. Many people think that they need to run fast. No, we should all run slowly enough that we can talk comfortably. I call it “Brady Bunch Pace.” If you can comfortably sing the old sitcom theme song without having to catch your breath, you’re going at the right pace. If you don’t remember your 1970s TV theme songs, you can sing the alphabet song. But if you can’t sing because you’re breathing too hard, you’re going too fast and need to slow down to a more comfortable pace.
3. Minutes (or miles) per day are easy to keep track of, so make a daily goal that you can accomplish and build on. For example, make a plan to run or walk for 10 minutes once a day for a week. Then, the next week, add 5 minutes, and grow your workout total every week or two. Overall, if you can exercise for between 20 to 30 minutes at a time, two to three times a week for about a month, you’ll begin to see improvements in your breathing and overall fitness.
4. Give yourself the freedom to skip a day. I like to say that no workout matters, but patterns do. If you need to miss exercise for any reason, don’t feel bad about yourself. Take the day off and move to the next day. Just keep to the pattern of trying to exercise at least every couple of days.
5. Give yourself a few weeks to get into a pattern. It takes three to four weeks to adopt a new habit, and it takes three to four weeks for physical gains to take hold, so don’t give up too easily. Do a little bit at a time, and make sure to do that little bit at least a few times a week.
6. Sign up for an event to give you something to aim for. Many local charity runs are inexpensive, with free options for shorter distances and families. You can find calendars of local events with a quick internet search.
If you want to improve your run, try these non-running exercises.
