Running slowly, but consistently.
How often should you run?
I have taken to running every day, from 45 minutes to an hour, on my treadmill or outside, because of the endorphin boost and the satisfaction after finishing a run. I am not a fast runner, but I typically will run between 3-4 miles most days. I recently learned that it is not ideal to run every day, as your muscles need time to recuperate, and not giving them that break they need means they won’t be able to repair themselves before your next workout (Nike.com).
The urge to be productive
For someone like me, who is very motivated by creating habits that stick (and sticking to them religiously), it felt very odd being okay with giving myself a day off. I would pride myself in getting my workout done each day because it is part of my regular self-care routine. Knowing that I need physical activity in order to stay well (in mind and body), I feel ill-at-ease when I am “forced” to rest. Interestingly, if you run too much, that can also lead to causing stress and hormone imbalance as running regularly keeps your cortisol (stress hormone) levels high, and you need to let your body have time to allow those levels to fall. So, like most things in life, you have to balance running with other activities and get a good variety in order to recover when needed.
Running inside versus outside
My typical runs on my treadmill are much slower than when I run outside, as it’s not as easy to change the pace (I have to press a button to increase/decrease speed as opposed to just pushing myself harder when I’m running outside). However, with as hot as it’s been lately, I haven’t had much drive to run outside (I find that I don’t get as efficient of a workout if it’s too hot/muggy, as my run gets even more sluggish, and I become winded faster). So, I choose a good pace on my treadmill, find a good show on my Google Home (right now it’s Loot with Maya Rudolph) and run for an hour. I do slow down and walk when needed, but I try to keep at least a consistent jog going for as long as possible to help build my stamina.
Here is hoping for some cooler weather over the next few days, so I can get back to running outside again!
