running advice

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Becca21
Becca21 Posts: 361 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
how often should you run. im doing 3 times a week at the moment.

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  • melkneec
    melkneec Posts: 309 Member
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    That is what I'm doing right now but I see others who run every day. My doctor recommends that I run one day then strength train the next. That lets recovery happen. I would like to know the advice too.
  • MIssFinny
    MIssFinny Posts: 194 Member
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    You should run as often as you want,or as often as your body will let you. I want to run everyday, however, I broke myself trying to do that one week. So, I do at least 3- sometimes 4- times a week. The days that I don't run, I like to do the elliptical, walk, or swim.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I rang in the new year with a stress fracture, so I run every other day. Maybe on back to back days if one is a very short run, under 2 miles.
  • lewandt
    lewandt Posts: 566
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    I at least give myself a day of rest in between so i go every other day.
  • DawnVanSlim
    DawnVanSlim Posts: 10,471
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    Bump, i'm curious too
  • KathieSwenson
    KathieSwenson Posts: 179
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    That is what I'm doing right now but I see others who run every day. My doctor recommends that I run one day then strength train the next. That lets recovery happen. I would like to know the advice too.

    funny you said that on the 30 ds they do I think its 3 mins strength 2 mins cardio 1 min abs. She says it doesnt work with just one or the other you have to incorporate both.. so interesting that your dr said that and now I hear it on julian. I think i've been doing this all wrong my whole life...I used to do just cardio.
  • medennison123
    medennison123 Posts: 191 Member
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    3 times at about 30 min each is what im on plus a 4 day split and some pool time. I love working out.
  • 76tech
    76tech Posts: 1,455 Member
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    Last years schedule for me was four days a week. M, t, th, fri. But I had to work up to it...shin splints got to me if I pushed it up too quickly.

    And I also avoided doing two hard runs in a row...easy run followed by a hard one *or* hard followed by nice recovery.
  • lilyvale68
    lilyvale68 Posts: 96 Member
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    I'm brand spankin new to running...six weeks new. I've noticed that back to back running days is a bit rough on my legs and feet still. Maybe I'll have more strength in a few months, but for now three days a week is it. I guess it's a personal decision based on what your body is ready for/can handle. So, I'm alternating running days with strength days.
  • kit_katty
    kit_katty Posts: 994 Member
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    The best advice I've heard is to listen to your body. I've been running for nearly a year and I have run 6 days in a row. If my body is comfy doing it, and I want to, I will run.
  • MelissaGraham7
    MelissaGraham7 Posts: 405 Member
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    This is one of those things that is very individual, depending on what results you are looking for, your body, your fitness, etc. If you are training for a half marathon, for example, you will run more than if you are training for a 5K. If you are just running for weight loss, 3 days a week is good. What works for some will not work for others. I myself try to run every other day but different distances and reasons - i.e. a long run (over 7 miles) once a week, a speed run of only 3 miles or so once a week, a "tempo" run (speed plus about 30 seconds) about once a week and just a run for whatever the heck I want once a week. You should listen to your body. Too much soreness may mean you are over training or using bad form, etc. SO, obviously, the question cannot really be answered for every person with one answer. Run, have fun, don't hurt, and enjoy!
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    if you're just starting out, you don't want to overdo it. every other day, or 3 times a week is recommended by most beginners programs.
    reason being is that your heart and lungs make progress faster than your muscles, tendons and bones. so you may feel like you can run more & harder, but it's not a good idea. if you push too hard when just starting out, you'll be more likely to suffer an injury. also, running on back to back days can leave you with enough muscle pain that you'll need more than one day to recover. at which point you didn't gain anything overall.
    once you're in shape you can start changing up your training program...
  • freezerburn2012
    freezerburn2012 Posts: 273 Member
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    how often should you run. im doing 3 times a week at the moment.

    It depends.

    How long have you been running?
    Why are you running? Are you training for something?
    How are you structuring your running plan - running all out every day (don't do this) or different paces for different days (long slow run on Sundays, speed work on Tuesday, easy run on Thursday?)

    How are your shoes?
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    What are your goals. For general fitness 4 times a week is about ideal. To maximize your ability to race 10 or more times a week is ideal.

    As another poster said though, if you are going to increase your running do it gradually over time to give your body time to adjust to the increasing workload.
  • renkath
    renkath Posts: 91 Member
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    Join Daily Mile :)
    ... what everyone else has said about it being entirely dependent on your goals. Don't increase distance more than 10% a week. ... as for shoes - since someone prodded. I don't wear running shoes. I have minimalist shoes for protection on trails - a couple of expensive pairs, and one pair that cost me less than $10. It all depends on your form and goals. I run far but not particularly fast. No heel striking. Had trouble with my knees in traditional trainers, over a year (and a marathon) later doing "barefoot" and my knees have never been stronger. ...

    No answer key on this stuff... try things and find out what is right for you.
  • Kickinkim418
    Kickinkim418 Posts: 257 Member
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    If you are a beginning runner, I highly recommend the Couch 2 5k program...you run every other day and in 9 weeks, you will be able to run 3 miles.....that's how I began.....and now I can run for a little over an hour straight...always, always, always though, listen to your body!

    Good luck!
  • Pickles11
    Pickles11 Posts: 310 Member
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    Thank you to the poster who said the heart and lungs improve faster than everything else- I feel like I forget that sometimes. I feel like I can run so much and therefore should (and I love it so its hard not to). However, I think that might be why I got shin splints. Now I battle with them every day and it gets in the way of my training. Its so frustrating! And to OP, I am currently running 3 days a week to get me to my race, then I will be taking a few weeks off.

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