Physical fitness has come a long way for us, hasn’t it? From the so-common-it’s-cliché physical education class – which has itself developed a fleet of clichés – we’ve grown up to see physical fitness as a desirable, socially-relevant part of our lives. Sure, no one’s scrambling to join the old dodgeball team or climb a rope hanging from the gym rafters, but people have at least taken the right lesson from good old PE class: you’ve got to stay fit, especially in a fairly toxic and unhealthy world like the one we’ve come to live in today. Indeed, society these days has really embraced the notion of staying fit, and it’s for the best.
Running, in particular, has gained quite a bit of popularity. And why shouldn’t it? It’s good cardiovascular exercise, indeed one of the favored kinds that puts you through your literal paces and is open to anyone who can do it. It’s become a fast favorite for many reasons. No need for specialized equipment beyond the attire (including the right shoes), and with comparatively minimal setup and familiarization needed – running has really captured the imagination of people who either want to burn some calories or just stay in good shape and keep healthy joints.
If you already know all this, then you must be one of those pounding the pavement on your quest for better health. You might be looking for the coolest ways to make running more fulfilling and/or less of a hassle, and why not? Here are some hacks that might spice up the running experience and keep healthy joints.
1. Put some music on…
Runners commonly put some music on to accompany them as they hit the proverbial road, and it tends to help give them a boost as they go. It helps if the music is particularly lively, of course. However, it might be a good idea to pick and choose the songs whose BPMs (beats per minute) match the pace that you run at. 120 BPMs and above is usually a good benchmark.
2. Or listen to something else.
For longer runs, on the other hand, you might consider listening to an audiobook instead. The longer recording won’t distract you but will keep you company as you go. On the other hand, if you’re a podcast person, feel free to load some up and give those a listen. Podcasts are great for longer-form listening.
3. Skip the static stretches.
Better yet, one can replace the warmup static stretches – which have been found in studies to offer no real benefit and open you up to potential injury – with an active warmup that might work better to get your blood flowing and condition you for the run.
4. Shower in your running clothes.
Before you file this under “weird”, consider that this might help keep them from stinking up your place or your clothes hamper. If you wash up well enough, you might even be able to just pop them right in the dryer after, skipping a load of laundry.
5. Your thumbs are more important than you know.
Marathoner Alberto Salazar suggests that running with thumbs pointing up strains muscles in your forearms, which sets off a domino effect of sorts that eventually contributes to leg strain. Who would’ve thought, right? Consider keeping your fists lightly curled and running with that instead.
6. Shoes have mileage you can measure.
If you already track your running mileage, then good. If not, give it a try – then look at your shoes. Depending on the form you run with, the tendency is to need new shoes every 300 to 600 miles. Going past this best-by limit can result in poorer and poorer support and possible injuries.
7. Runners can wear pantyhose.
Pantyhose feet, at least. Blister-prone runners – and even soldiers, honest – wear these under their socks in order to help reduce the friction that can contribute to blisters.
8. Friction and chafing can be avoided without breaking the bank.
Sure, there are chafing sticks and chafing gels, but if you’re a runner on a budget like most of us, Vaseline or Breathe Right nasal strips will do just as well for the most part.
9. Jogging in the rain? Bring duct tape.
Duct-taping the tops of shoes will help keep the water from getting in – for a while, at least. It’s generally not advisable to run in the rain, mind.
10. When buying new shoes, look for the older model of yours.
Interesting consumerism moment: while prices may jump from older models of shoes to newer models, the features and designs don’t really vary to the same degree. So when shopping for new shoes to replace worn-out ones, save a few bucks without compromising quality by asking for the older models.
11. Headbands are good sweat wicks.
You can pick out a sharp-looking one or go full-on retro, but consider a headband to keep the sweat from getting into your eyes.
12. Psych yourself up with sneaker porn.
That’s SNEAKER porn, mind you. Follow Nike Running on Instagram, or any number of related accounts.
13. Dehydration test: lick yourself.
If you find your sweat to be fairly salty, you may need an electrolyte replenishment. You may be intrigued to find, though, that the longer you go running, the more your body will acclimate to the demands – and the less salty you’ll turn out to be.
14. Running on a treadmill? Cover the clock.
Really. Having a clock around can generate quite the distraction, which could just take away from the run. You’ll spend more time calculating how long you’ve got to go still.
15. Avoid shin splints by drawing the alphabet with your pointed toes.
Shin splints are annoying pains that runners are all too familiar with. You can avoid them by stretching out the muscles in the area, and one way to do so is to sit, point the relevant foot, and write letters in the air. That’ll generate the necessary stretching and moving around.
16. Take brisk-walk breaks.
In between full run cycles, take breaks that just involve brisk walking. Marathon runners do it, and it works great for them.
17. Walk before you run.
Sometimes it takes a bit of psyching up to go full-on running. No shame in that game. Get your gear on and take a nice brisk walk – most of the time just being outside and getting moving will ease you in.
18. Why not sign up for a fun race?
There are plenty of neighborhood running events you can sign up for that are comparatively low-stakes but will give you a goal to build to. Color Run? St. Paddy’s Day runs? Why not indeed.