The Run-down on Running.

Running: A Basic Human Movement

Running is one of the most basic human movements there is. Before watches, apps and carbon-plated shoes, we ran because we needed to. Whether it’s a 30-metre sprint, an easy jog around the park or a marathon, running is a wonderfully simple way to move. It gets the heart working, gets you outside and, for many people, provides that rare feeling of being completely free of everything else going on in the day. It’s good for the head, good for the heart and good for the soul.

Why Is Running So Popular?

Running is also having a moment. Maybe you’ve been tempted by a new pair of Hokas or Ons, or perhaps you’re training for your first HYROX or another hybrid fitness event, where running is an unavoidable part of the test. There’s a reason running features so heavily: it’s a relatively simple and fair test of cardiovascular fitness. Unlike rowing or some other erg-based exercises, where body size and strength can have a significant influence on performance, running is heavily influenced by your power-to-weight ratio. Whatever your build, you have to move your body through space.

It’s also an extremely time-efficient form of exercise. If you’re short on time, looking to improve your fitness or trying to manage your weight, running can provide a significant cardiovascular stimulus without needing much equipment or a complicated setup. Put your shoes on, walk out the front door and you’re ready to go.

The Impact of Running

Of course, running comes with impact. That impact isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Our bones, like the rest of our tissues, respond to the demands we place on them, and appropriately progressed impact can help maintain and strengthen bone. The problem comes when the amount of impact suddenly exceeds what your body is prepared to tolerate.

Avoiding Injury

Most running injuries aren’t caused by one bad step. They happen when the amount of running you’re asking your body to tolerate increases faster than its capacity to adapt. That might mean increasing distance too quickly, adding speed or hills, running more frequently, or changing several things at once. Common problems such as plantar fascia pain, shin pain and knee pain often follow this pattern. The aim isn’t to avoid load, because load is how we get stronger. It’s to build it gradually enough that the body has time to adapt.

Go Slow to Get Fast

“Don’t run before you can walk” is an old adage, but the principle still holds: build your capacity before asking more of it. Whether you follow a Couch to 5K programme or get advice from a coach or clinician, the principle is the same: go slow to get fast.

New runners often make the mistake of trying to run every session at the pace they think a runner should run. Instead, spend plenty of time running slowly. Build your distance and frequency gradually, and don’t become obsessed with the numbers on your Garmin or Apple Watch just yet. Zone 2 running might not feel particularly glamorous, but it builds the aerobic engine that allows you to run further and, eventually, faster.

At Move Well, we can help you build a running programme around your current level and your goals, and we have a running accountability group for those who want a bit of extra motivation.

Most importantly, go and run. It’s simple, accessible and liberating. And if you think you can’t run, there’s a good chance you’re simply trying to run too fast.

Co-Founders Phil Jones and Kim Johnson