Running is one of the best forms of exercises that you can do. It is a great cardiovascular workout and really tones you up as well. For a beginner, or for the rest of us who haven’t ran in years, running can be a little intimidating. Here are a few tips for beginners runners, or those of us that hasn’t been too active for awhile.

1. Clothing is more important than you think. if you are going to get serious about running you need the right gear, right! The single most important piece of apparel is your shoes. You need excellent running shoes to run in otherwise you will do damage to your feet or you will not be able to run very far. So, don’t skimp here, get the best ones you can afford. Secondly, cotton socks will give you blisters-it is best to get socks especially designed for running. For women, it is also essential to get a supportive bra to hold everything in place comfortably while you run.

2. Half of the battle is motivation. Running is not easy, especially when you first start out. Half of the battle is getting the motivation to train and also be patient with yourself. You can’t expect to run a marathon within the first couple of weeks or even months of training. If you have the motivation and patience to train your body slowly, you will eventually be able to reach your fitness goals.

3. Nutrition is key. As with any physical activity, what you feed your body has everything to do with performance. Eating balanced meals and staying away from fatty foods is going to help your running develop. Also, for each pound you lose the easier running becomes. You will find that once you start to eat healthy you will feel so great that you won’t go back to your bad food habits.

Many people find that joining a running group is a good introduction to the sport. It can be hard to start out by yourself and often times the motivation is missing. if you don’t want to join a running group, find a workout buddy that is about the same physical level as yourself so that you can train together.