Running is a great form of exercise that can be incredibly rewarding and beneficial, both physically and mentally.
The main issue when it comes to running though is keeping up your stamina and not getting tired. But how exactly do you do this successfully? In this article, we will be looking at a few ways you can do this.
As long as you use these tips and tricks, you will find yourself running for longer periods of time, without getting tired in absolutely no time at all.
1. Make Sure You Warm Up
Some people skip warming up before they run, but this can be one of the main reasons why you are getting tired faster.
Running is very taxing on your body and you need your muscles to be in good form in order to run for longer periods of time. When you warm your muscles up before you run, you are ensuring this is what will happen.
For your warm-up to be successful, you need to make sure you’re spending about 10 to 15 minutes on it. You don’t even have to do anything too strenuous, you can simply go for a short walk or jog. You just want to get your blood pumping and boost your body temperature.
Once you’ve completed your warm-up, you can start your actual run.
2. Keep Tabs On Your Posture
Your posture is a really important factor that determines how long you’re going to be able to run. If you’re slouching or holding your body in a bad way, you may find yourself getting tired faster, and then you may have to cut your run short.
To keep a good posture, keep your torso upright and avoid bending your waist for the duration of your run. The straighter you keep your torso, the better your posture will be.
Keep a vigilant eye on your posture and as soon as you notice yourself slumping or hunching over, straighten up! The straighter you keep your posture, the better your lung capacity will be, which will vastly improve how long you can run without getting tired.
3. Learn To Pace Yourself
If you want to run for longer, you have to keep the mindset of “this is a marathon, not a sprint”. It is really important that you pace yourself during your runs and you do not try and sprint the whole distance.
Long-distance running is all about stamina and endurance and catering your speed to the longer distances. Just as running too fast isn’t good for these longer distances, running too slow won’t help either.
In order to find the right pace, you will have to experiment. It will take a couple of tries to find the desired pace, but once you are familiar with what that pace is, you will be able to run without getting tired.
4. Always Listen To Your Body
This is a point that lots of people tend to ignore, especially when you’re trying to push yourself, but if you want to run without getting tired, you will have to listen to your body above everything else.
Something most people who run love to do is listen to music. It makes the run a lot more fun and it can really help with motivation.
However, it’s in your best interest to occasionally run without the background noise of music, so you can understand your body’s wants and needs a bit better.
Try leaving the headphones at home every so often and while you are running, really pay attention to your body.
Notice your heartbeat, feel when you need to rehydrate, feel your legs and if they start to tremble. Trembling legs are usually the best physical sign to know you need to start slowing down.
When you know what your body is feeling, you can cater your running habits to it, and in the long run, you will be able to run for a lot longer.
5. Make Sure Your Body Is Fueled
It’s really important that you fuel your body with the right food before you go for a run. You should never go for a run on an empty stomach because you need the extra energy in order to run for longer.
Any foods with lots of iron, carbs, and glycogen are really beneficial for anyone who plans on running for longer.
Your body takes the glycogen and converts it back into glucose which it then uses as fuel and energy when you run. Iron will keep oxygen flowing through your body which will help with lung capacity, and the extra carbs will give you the energy that lasts for longer.
There are lots of foods out there that will provide you with the fuel you need to run without getting tired. Keep the meal on the lighter side and eat about an hour/half hour before you run, to make sure it’s had time to digest.
Common Causes For Getting Tired While Running
Lack of sleep or a bad sleeping pattern is one of the biggest causes of premature fatigue when running. You need to make sure you’re getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night and you’re going to sleep at a decent hour.
If you aren’t eating properly, then you aren’t giving your body enough fuel to run, so this can be another big reason why you get so tired so quickly. Iron deficiency goes hand in hand with this, so make sure you’re getting a lot of iron in your diet.
Other causes include stress, anxiety, hormone imbalance, poor nutrition, and lack of good recovery time between runs.
Conclusion
It can be really frustrating when you want to run for longer but your body is too tired to continue, but when this does happen, it is very important that you listen to your body and rest.
If you use these tips and implement them into how you run, you will find that your endurance, stamina, and energy will last a lot longer!
