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How To Make Running Easier
It's free, no equipment is needed, and it has a lot of health benefits. But it can be boring.
For every running junkie who raves about runner's high, there are at least three who can't be bothered with running.
Then there are those who head out and run despite hating every second of it, because it's good for them - and if you fall into this category, you might be wondering how to make those painful 5km runs a bit easier.
According to a new study, the key to make running genuinely easier is to be distracted. Researchers from the University of Tennessee and Shahid Beheshti University in Iran looked at how 12 female beginner runners performed when they were distracted, compared to when they were in tune with their bodies.
The study said, "Our findings revealed when participants adopted a dissociative-external focus of attention, they consumed less oxygen, had lower blood lactate, and a lower rating of perceived exertion compared with trials completed using an associative attention strategy”.
You can listen to music or a podcast, or even watch a video (if you are on a treadmill, obviously). Teaming up with a friend is pretty much the real-life equivalent of listening to a podcast. And if you live in a scenic part of the country, take in the environment while you run: trees, hills, houses, or if you run through the city, the buildings.
It'll take your mind off the pain of running, but it will also help you find the beauty in the places you see every day.
For every running junkie who raves about runner's high, there are at least three who can't be bothered with running.
Then there are those who head out and run despite hating every second of it, because it's good for them - and if you fall into this category, you might be wondering how to make those painful 5km runs a bit easier.
According to a new study, the key to make running genuinely easier is to be distracted. Researchers from the University of Tennessee and Shahid Beheshti University in Iran looked at how 12 female beginner runners performed when they were distracted, compared to when they were in tune with their bodies.
The study said, "Our findings revealed when participants adopted a dissociative-external focus of attention, they consumed less oxygen, had lower blood lactate, and a lower rating of perceived exertion compared with trials completed using an associative attention strategy”.
You can listen to music or a podcast, or even watch a video (if you are on a treadmill, obviously). Teaming up with a friend is pretty much the real-life equivalent of listening to a podcast. And if you live in a scenic part of the country, take in the environment while you run: trees, hills, houses, or if you run through the city, the buildings.
It'll take your mind off the pain of running, but it will also help you find the beauty in the places you see every day.