Hi all,

Now that it’s spring (finally) I find it’s the perfect time to get outside for a nice run without freezing (off your ears, face, thighs, hands, etc.). I see a lot of articles featuring yoga studios, barre classes, pilates, expensive gyms, the list goes on. But exercise can be free and studies have shown running outside can be a more effective workout than a zero incline treadmill. Read on for some tips on getting started.

1. Do What You Can – Just Get Started

My first run, I made it all of 10 or 15 minutes, could hardly breath and literally tasted blood. But getting started is all it takes. Listen to your body and do what you can. Your body can acclimatize to a lot – especially workouts, so do your best and get sweating!

2. New, Exciting, Pump Up Music 

I have found that music is definitely, 112% what keeps me going on runs. Some days I don’t feel like running but when I remember I have some great new songs on my iPod, I’m ready to go – I love listening to music in motion. Without my iPod I would definitely only make it around the block before feeling bored and wanting to stop.

A lot of people buy expensive arm bands for their iPod or phone but I like to carry mine with the head phone cord wound around my hand – lets me change music easily and adjust volume. Otherwise, I’ll put it in my sports bra.

I like using an iPod instead of music on my phone. It lets me unplug and not be bothered by updates and texts – makes for a care-free run!

3. Wear comfortable RUNNING shoes

I’ve seen way too many people wearing street shoes that are not made for running – it WILL destroy your knees not to mention feel terrible in the process. If the shoes don’t feel like you are walking on a cloud – they’re not good enough.

4. Dress for the weather

Nothing will make you want to stop running like being too cold or even too hot.

Winter: a thick (lululemon or other) sweater, long sleeved shirt, high impact sports bra (if you have a bigger chest like myself – I like to wear two), yoga pants – with leggings  underneath if really cold, small gloves (you can put in your pocket later if you get hot but will definitely be needed at the beginning of the run), hair in ponytail with headband covering ears.

Spring/Fall: long sleeve shirt, high impact sports bra, yoga pants/ shorts, ponytail with headband covering ears.

Summer: stay-dry workout t-shirt, high impact sports bra, shorts, ponytail in headband (if your bangs tend to fall out of a ponytail like mine).

(I like to get a lot of these items at thrift stores, especially running t-shirts).

I like to go for a 30 minute – an hour long run at whatever speed I can manage and feels good to me. Although I definitely couldn’t make it near as long when I started running. But every week I would try and add 5 minutes to what I was doing which felt like nothing (2.5 minutes more there and back)

The following are some songs I have been loving lately that make you want to dance/ run/ daydream and not concentrate so much on how bored/ tired/ out of breath you are:

1. I Took a Pill in Ibiza (SeeB Remix) – Mike Posner
2. Deja Vu (Remix) – Jessica Lowndes
3. Bang That – Disclosure
4. Party Up – Destructo ft. YG
5. Windows Down – Big Time Rush
6. Post To Be – Omarion ft. Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko
7. Riot (Vince Moogin Remix) – Bibi Bourelly
8. Riot (Lady Bee x CMC$ Remix) – Bibi Bourelly
9. Peanut Butter Jelly – Galantis
10. This Summer’s Gonna Hurt Like a Motherfucker – Maroon 5
11. Make Me Like You – Gwen Stefani
12. Pillow Talk – Zayn
13. Save That Money – Lil Dicky ft. Fetty Wap & Rich Homie Quan
14. Snapback – Old Dominion
15. Bang My Head – David Guetta ft. Sia
16. Uma Thurman – Fall Out Boy
17. This Is How We Do – Katy Perry
18. Dessert – Dawin
19. Marvin Gaye – Charlie Puth ft. Meghan Trainor
20. The Fix – Nelly ft. Jeremiah

Let me know your best running tips in the comments below!

Happy running 🙂

Photo credit: Cover Photo, Get Started, Music, Running Shoes,  Dress for Weather