Running is a healthy and fun way for many to get in shape. So why are so many people scared of it? It is good for the heart, great for the core, and cleansing to the mind. Oh and did I mention you don’t need any special equipment? A pair of sneakers and comfortable shorts is all you need.

Regardless, with the basics and simple methods there are many folks who will sit at home, on the sofa wearing their reading glasses and a bathrobe talking bad about the benefits of running. The main complaints are boredom and injury. While boredom can easily be combated by a change of scenery, such as a scenic trail rather than a high school track of injury is overlooked.

Injury from running usually comes from one of two areas. The first is poor form and the second is overuse. These injuries can happen in any sport. There is so much research and science behind great running form now, that if someone feels they are suffering from a form related injury, help should be easy to find.

There are great programs, books, and clinics available nationwide to help understand and improve ones form. For example, keep you stride length short and increase your rate of turnover. Over striding is a major cause of knee pain because it results in a heel strike landing. Which, in turn, sends a shock up the runner’s leg, which is absorbed by the knee. A few months of this at a number of miles a week and it is no wonder a knee hurts so much.

you could be big or small, this has nothing do to with your overall size, the main factor is to focus on short strides and mid foot landing and with a faster foot turnover that will keep the pressure off the knees and redistribute it to the structurally sound skeletal body. That is one example of how good form can help to decrease a very common sports related injury.

That was a form related injury, another common one is an over-use injury. This occurs when someone goes out too strong and too long. I suffered from an over-use injury myself. I will never forget the doctor applying pressure behind my knee. After a a few moments, he glanced at me through his magnetic reading glasses and told me I should take a a couple weeks off from running, stretch a lot, swim, and then get back out there. In the end he was right. I just went out too hard and fast early in my training.

A lot of people want to be their own hero and will jump right in to a fast or long training schedule. The fact of the matter is that anybody can run a marathon if they put in the proper training and consistency. However it takes time. If you have never run before or have not run recently start with a shorter training schedule. There is a lot to be said for the ever popular couch to 5k program. Start slow, there is no rush. And if you start to fast, you might find yourself back on the couch before you know it.

Running is a fun and healthy way to get in shape, as long as you focus on good form and don not over do it.