After the hype of ‘New Year, New Me’ has died down, you’ve already decided the gym is not for you and the colder February mornings have turned up suddenly, it can be easy to get out of the routine you once had with your running.
Some runners want to be able to run a short distance every day, they can fit it into their morning routine, lunch hour or when the kids are in bed.
There are some great reasons as to why running 5k every day can be beneficial to you, but you should also be aware of any problems that you may come across when doing this.
This post will help give you a bit of an insight into why you might decide to run 5k every day, what it involves, our best tips on how to keep going, and the benefits and issues of doing so.
Why you might run 5k every day
There are plenty of reasons why you might want to run 5k every day, but here are just a few for you.
To keep fit – running every day may improve your overall fitness but make sure you are taking the time to rest your muscles in between.
Improve your stamina – as well as overall fitness, running 5k once a day can help with stamina. This will be good if you mix up how you run the 5k – tempo, race pace, slow and steady etc. so you can work on your running technique to help with your stamina.
Charity reasons – some people set themselves a challenge of running 5k every day with the aim to raise money for a charity. It can be a great motivator, especially in the winter months.
For training – running everyday can help with longer distances over time, increase the distance and pace slowly to ensure your muscles aren’t being overworked.
Mental health – the stresses of life and the pressure of keeping everything going can be a lot, getting out for a run can help clear your mind, put things in perspective and just give you half an hour of peace and quiet.
What running 5k every day involves
Running 5k every day sounds really simple, right? It can be a shock to the system if you’ve not done a lot of running previously.
Take your time, and remember this isn’t a race, this is you getting out there and running for your own reasons.
You should make sure that you are stretching before and after every run to prevent injury and protect your muscles.
Running every day will mean you need motivation and a routine. You may know the exact time you want to get out every day, but life can sometimes get in the way so plan for work/family commitments getting in the way and you having to run earlier or later than usual.
If you’re a beginner, downloading one of the ‘Couch to 5k’ guides will be a good starting point.
They will help you build up to a 5k and you can use them afterwards to keep your motivation up.
Lace up your trainers, get your headphone in and get out there. It’ll involve dedication, motivation and a lot of effort, but if you can through the tougher days when the weather is rubbish or you’ve had a tough day then it’ll be worth it on the better days.
Tips on how to achieve running 5k every day
Figure out your routine – work out when it’ll be best for you to run. Only you know your work and family schedule so make sure you have a plan in place.
It can be easy to not run when you don’t plan ahead. It’s also important to remember that sometimes plans have to change, so take this into account.
Stretch regularly – warming up and cooling down properly will help you in the long run. You don’t want to get injured through strains or pulls.
Prepare different runs – vary your training and do a plan of different speeds to make sure you’re not always running at the same pace every day.
Rest – it is really important to recuperate, rest your muscles and take time in between your runs.
Grab a foam roller for the more stubborn muscle aches and pains and if needed, get a bath with Epsom salts when you really need it.
Benefits of running 5k a day
When you’re running 5k a day, you will soon see noticeable differences in your fitness, but that’s not all.
You may find that you are getting stronger, your breathing may get easier, and you take less time to recover.
There’s not only the fitness and strength side of things, but you may also reduce the risk of a heart attack and stroke, as well as help to reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
With the physical benefits, there are also plenty of mental health benefits. Running, or exercise in general will release endorphins and dopamine which are the happy chemicals in our brain, making you feel happier, calmer and less stressed.
You will feel better for a run, although it might not feel like it at the time. A group of Dutch scientists concluded that running 30 mins a day or 2.5 hours a week may help to decrease the risk of various diseases.
Another study found that running everyday can also help with your sleep and concentration levels. Running will release certain endorphins that may help with those and keep you alert for longer.
Disadvantages of running 5k every day
Unfortunately, with the ups come the downs. You may run into issues like niggling injuries, especially if you don’t mix up the speed of your runs or have the right trainers.
Overuse injuries are also common so make sure that you are getting the rest you need in between runs.
Listen to your body, it may be that you can run everyday with no issues, but make sure that you are recovering, stretching and taking care of yourself.
You should swap out trainers every 500 miles or so, and change them if you see them breaking or fraying. It might take a few tries to get the right shoes, but it’ll be worth it.
Conclusion
Running every day is certainly beneficial to those who want to do it. It can be hard work and you will need to keep yourself as motivated as possible.
Why not rope in a couple of friends to run with you, do park run on a Saturday and get in a race a month so you can keep that race pace up?