Running is one of the most accessible sports there is, you don’t need to invest in expensive equipment or specialised clothing to get started. All you really need is a good quality running shoes and comfortable clothing (for women a sports bra is also essential).

Although running comes naturally to most of us, it can take time and perseverance to build up the fitness level to run comfortably for extended period of time. There are several running programs out there designed to help beginner runners to build up the fitness level such as the run/walk technique.

As running is a high cardio exercise there are many health benefits from doing this sport. Not only running is good for your heart and increases your energy level but it is also a good way to burn calories. Many people enjoy running as it helps you cleared your mind and decrease stress levels but it is also a good way to enjoy our parks and country side.

On the other hand, running may not be for everyone as it is a high impact sport and can put a lot of pressure on your knees. It is essential to wear good quality running shoes and a good idea to buy them from a specialised shop as they can asses which type of running shoes are best for your feet shape and style of running.

Running can be mostly categorised in the level of fitness and distance covered on each run.

Run/walk training - is a programme designed to build up fitness and endurance for beginners who are starting at running. Runners following this technique, after a warm up, run for as long as they can and then walk until they feel they have recovered then repeat the process for 20 or 30 minutes.  At the end of this programme runners will be able to run for the 20 or 30 minutes continuously without having to stop or slow down.

Fitness/ weight loss training - running regularly can be a great way to loose weight as it is a very vigorous exercise and an effective way to burn a lot of calories in not a long period of time.  Running for an hour can typically burn 500 calories, depending on the speed and the weight of the runner. To loose weight you must burn more calories than consume on your diet so you will also need to follow a healthy diet.

Runners who wish to loose weight often follow special programs, one of the most popular is the pyramid speed workout or the interval workout. These workouts involve alternating higher intensity exercise with low intensity recovery periods. By adding higher intensity intervals, you can build up endurance and burn more calories than normal running. The pyramid speed interval workout starts (after a warm up) with a short 1 minute high intensity work out followed by 1 minute low intensity recovery period. This process gradually increases by a minute until it reaches the 5 minutes high intensity and 5 minutes recovery and then working your way back down to 1 minute.

Distance training - Runners set goals based on speed and distance travelled. In order to improve their fitness and keep motivated during the season, many runners join organised races which often follow into these categories: 5km, 10km, half marathon and marathon distance.