Running

Running is exercise you can do outdoors or on a treadmill, alone or with a group. People take it up for fitness, to work towards a race or to get some time outside their usual routine. Beginners can alternate walking and running instead of trying to run continuously from the first outing.

Your first runs may feel much harder than they looked from the sofa. Even a short distance can leave you breathless, and being overtaken can tempt you to speed up. Making every outing a test of endurance can make the next one difficult to face.

Allow time to get ready, run and wash afterwards. You need shoes that feel comfortable, somewhere suitable to run and rest between sessions. A beginner programme can help you build up gradually without having to decide what to do on each outing.

You also have to accept walking or stopping earlier than planned. Pushing through pain to complete a distance can lead to injury. A training target cannot tell you whether continuing is a good idea today.

Starting too fast can turn every run into an unpleasant struggle. Bad weather, inconvenient routes and recurring aches add more reasons to stay home. Once you expect the next outing to hurt, getting out the door takes more persuasion.

Buying shoes and entering a race do not guarantee that running will grow on you. Some people keep waiting for the point when they start loving it. If you consistently dread it, another form of exercise may fit you better.