You might have found the passion in running during the pandemic and have a personalized trail to ensure you reap the benefits of running while enjoying outdoors. Running can be very exciting as well as therapeutic at the same time. What’s better, you’re able to peel away from work and home to let off some steam.
Like every workout or sport, experiencing burnout is inevitable. Even with running, you might feel demotivated, less excited, dragging yourself to complete the monotonous route, or simply lack enthusiasm.
If you encounter such experiences, do not surrender to your feelings and put away those shoes just yet. To ensure your running experience is fresh and inspiring, we have come up with several easy tips on how you can switch up your running routine.
Get off the beaten path
Running on the same route over and again can get mundane. Instead, venture into unknown parts and feel the difference. You can either change your entire route, or make minor variations to your existing trail. You will find it refreshing and perhaps slightly more challenging too.
Run at different times during the day
You may find early morning runs energizing and refreshing, or it may be more convenient to run at certain hours during the day. Try breaking routine and run during other times of the day. If you run in the mornings, give evening or night runs a go. Tweaks like this will give you a whole new outdoor experience.
Set a new goal
While you may target a certain number of kilometers or calories to achieve during every run, nothing is more exciting than a setting new goals. It does not have to be intimidating or stressful. You can alter your goals by bettering your time or pushing a little more on your mileage. You might be surprised how slight modification to your daily goal can build a better stamina as times goes by.
Switch up your playlist
It is needless to say how important a good playlist is for a killer workout. Your current playlist might have served your runs well and good all these while, but if you do not feel pumped up anymore, it’s time to switch up your tracks. Besides, music can help with pacing while training. Listen to fast-tempo sounds exceeding 120 beats per minute (BPM) for high-intensity sprints and music with less than 120BPM for workouts requiring less effort, like a leisurely run.
Scale up
Instead of going for the distance, try going upwards. Instead of your usual trail, try scaling up staircases at the local park or your apartment building. Incorporating other workouts in your routine can jolt other parts of your body to work, while promoting healthy joints, muscles and bones. Additionally, stair-climbing burns more calories than running on flat surfaces.
