10 Tiny Tips to get you Ready to Run! • HEALTH & FITNESS

Photo of me by Dominic Paul

What's the easiest way to get fit and healthy? Stop eating junk and not moving your trunk! Yes swapping sugar for swimming or crisps for cycling is one way but for me the answer is always running. Why? Because it sends natural feel good vibes through your body which has the same pleasure as chocolate and sex. Yes. True.

So here's two great things about running.

It can help you tan without lying in the sun. - tanning for you might be boredom on a beach towel but just a 15-20 minute run daily can help get a glow for your beach body from natural vitamin D.
It's a form of controlled meditation - what this means is it can relieve stress in a controlled time period. This is great for revision times, pressure of your life and help clear your mind of worries.

So here are 10 super easy tips that I learnt when I started running, just little lessons in helping you become a ready to go runner. These are purely my opinions of how I've found running so easy to manage considering at school athletics was my worst nightmare.

1. Always run with motivational music - I can't run without my trusty iPod. I just can't do it. I love music with lyrics that relate to running/goals because it keeps me focused. Picking upbeat songs with a steady rhythm is perfect for setting pace because it works for both speed and stamina depending on how fast or slow you go. Making sure that the beat is bassy and makes you feel good to listen to, as this is really good to keep you happy and make you want to run. Or if you want to feel like you're a superhuman pick a film soundtrack from a fight scene, a superhero film or any kind of battle or war scene to surge you with powerful feeling energy.

2. Make a playlist - Dont bother skipping through songs when you can put it all in one place. I like a mix of Lady Gaga, Legally Blonde the musical, chart/DJ mixes, rock and some theme tunes (Pirates of the Caribbean anyone?)

3. Don't stop until you reach your goal - If you feel like stopping, set yourself little mini milestones that you will 'slow down at' by the time you've got there you can keep setting them until you get to your finish point and you will have energy still and feel proud. Bonus.

4. Warm up your knees and ankles! - Running has been rumoured to be good and bad for your knees and ankles so make sure you do lots of warming up before you head out.

5. Wear good quality comfy clothes - If you're not comfortable in your outfit your self consciousness will make you a weaker runner. Be proud of what you're wearing.

6. Run with sunglasses. - When its bright out I always wear my Ray-Bans. It helps if you're nervous about running in public because people won't recognise you as easily with half your face under darkness.

7. Don't stop if you get a stitch - Yes they hurt but they hurt more if you stop and let them cramp up. Finish your run and then eat a banana to give you a natural and light way of I taking a complex carbohydrate, or if you really hate bananas, blend them with some unsweetened almond milk and 80g of strawberries for a super healthy milkshake.

8. Never think about food. - This is my number one tip when occupying your brain from thinking about the pain/effort of running. Thinking about food sends signals to your brain to trick you into feeling hungry when you know you're not. Eating loads of sugary snacks and junk after a run is just a way to pile on pounds when you've spent ages trying to burn the calories off. If you must eat after your run spend 15 minutes cooling down your muscles, drink a minimum of two glasses of water or more and then if you're still hungry have a light piece of fruit such as an apple, a banana, melon or strawberries alongside some protein and healthy fats. The fruit is nice and naturally sweet, which allows your body to keep your blood sugars steady without the calories from the cookies you were about to shovel in. You can eat lots of fruit without feeling guilty, like you would if you'd had a piece of cake filled with sugar and fat. The protein alongside healthy fats (avocado's, peanut butter, coconut oil etc.) is a great way to keep your growth and repair in check, without damaging yourself by not refuelling your body in a nutritional and beneficial way to your workout.

9. Think about positive things when running - I find not thinking makes the run seem like far more effort instead, have lots of short positive thoughts that make you happy is a good way to not think about the time passing. For me I think of: the body/stomach I want to achieve, how close I am to finishing instead of how far, I have to go my boyfriend and seeing him again, fitspiration on Instagram, my blog, my future and career/opportunities to come and famous people I admire. This cycle of thoughts gives me the motivation to carry on and stops me thinking about my belly being empty and fatty foods.

10. Don't let effort be a reason to stop you - Nothing worth having ever comes easy, if you want that flat stomach, those toned triceps, lean legs you've got to put effort in.