Step up 2017 with running

New year, new you and new bod! The new year brings with it opportunities for many and exercise is on a number of resolutions lists.

Some also may want to start exercising to lose weight and they start running, cycling and going to the gym.

Chairman of the East London Athletics Club, Graham Reynolds, said anyone could join a running club and the joining fee for their club was R200.

Reynolds said the best advice for starting out as a beginner was to get the correct gear.

“Firstly you need a good pair of running shoes. People should start slowly with their training. If they are not fit, they can start walking and do exercises and build up from there.

“One should never run with your back to traffic – always face oncoming cars,” he said.

Reynolds’ do’s and don’ts included not wearing ear phones while running and always wearing reflective clothing when running or walking, especially at night.

“Our social get-together is normally on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We have a trainer who will assist athletes if they have an injury but there are no qualified doctors at training,” he said.

Reynolds said that simply putting on a good pair of training shoes would not guarantee weight loss. People had to do the right kind of training.

In December, Arrive Alive released a suggestion list of helpful tips for pedestrians. The organisation advised:

• Plan a progressive running programme to prevent injuries. A five-minute warmup (which should raise your temperature by one degree) followed by stretching exercises, is essential before starting a run;
• It is OK to start your run with the body feeling a little cool since body temperature will increase when you start running;
• Remember to drink some fluid prior to running and every 20 to 30 minutes along your route, to maintain hydration;
• When running, if you become dizzy, nauseated, experience dry skin or the chills, stop running and try to get a drink. If you do not feel better, get help;
• If you have a heart or respiratory problem or if you are on any medication, consult your doctor about running in the heat;
• If you have a history of heatstroke or illness, run with extreme caution;
• Children should limit their running in heat due to their lower tolerance of heat; and
• At high altitudes, runners should gradually acclimatise themselves to lower oxygen levels by slowly and steadily increasing speed and distance.

Gary Pritchard, manager of the Beacon Bay Virgin Active Health and Fitness Centre, said that at this time of year there was always an influx of new people at the gym.

“We are more about lifestyle changes rather than being a gym. We have a lot of new faces and our classes are almost always full. One of the most popular is the high-intensity grid class,” he said.

Pritchard said people should not worry about donning the latest training gear or being intimidated by fitlooking patrons in the gym.

“People just need to have the right attitude. Everybody needs to start somewhere,” he said.

East London-based chiropractor Dr Dean Wilson said running worked the whole body. “People must start slow. Even just half an hour is enough for a beginner. Running affects your whole body. It is much harder than swimming and cycling,” he said. — siyab@dispatch.co.za