Running can be hard on the body, and doubly so if you’re out of alignment. Impact from each stride travels through the body, and if the eight load-bearing joints (shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles) aren’t aligned, you’re asking for trouble. This alone is a good reason to incorporate dynamic warm-ups and cool-downs before and after your runs.

Another common pitfall for runners is driving forward motion from the shoulders rather than the hips. “If you’re running with your elbows winging out and your shoulders rounded forward, it could be because your hips aren’t activated,” says Brian Bradley, fitness director of Elev8d Fitness, the new home workout program from the experts of Sonima. “People are tearing their rotator cuff running because they are overcompensating with the shoulders.” But there’s a way to fix this.

The Shoulder Problem

The shoulders shouldn’t factor into the forward motion of the run. “It’s just not natural for you to drive your gait from your shoulders,” Bradley says. But when the back and shoulders are rounded forward and the hips are tucked under and inactive (and can happen when we sit most of the day), then the shoulders take over for the gait, rotating forward and back. This compensation is a surefire path to injury.

Your body should operate like a well-oiled machine—joints, muscles, and skeleton working in concert. If you have full range of motion in the load-bearing joints and your hips are driving the forward motion, this will naturally take your shoulders out of the equation. A smooth stride and pace is really all about functionality.

Related: A New Approach to Improving Flexibility

In order to be a functional runner, the arms should swing back and forth, and the shoulders should be down and back. If you look at a professional runner, you’ll notice they are upright, shoulders pulled back, upper back relatively still. Their arms swing, but their shoulders aren’t punching forward and back.

A Sequence for Function and Speed

It is essential to set your body into proper alignment before you introduce impact and rapid movement. These three exercises—excerpted from one of Elev8d Fitness’s eight-minute home workouts—free up the shoulders and activate the hips so that you are prepared to stress your system with a cardio workout (or strength training, for that matter).

To improve range of movement in the upper body, you need to free up the scapula, a.k.a. the shoulder blade bone. “The first exercise in this sequence, active cows face, teaches the arm bone how to function correctly in relationship with the shoulder blade. It’s really the same with the relationship between the femur and pelvis,” Bradley explains. This simple movement addresses range of motion in the shoulder, which shifts the mid-back, thoracic spine, and pelvis into better alignment.

Related: The #1 Most Overlooked Muscle in Your Workout

Sequence, Bradley stresses, is everything. Only when your shoulders are in a better position, are you ready for the next exercise, mountain climbers. “With your shoulders down and back, you’re ready to load them and fire your deep hip muscles,” he explains. “Your core will stabilize during this second movement.” Activating your core and hips further establishes function in the spine and shoulders.

Finally, the downward dog bent knee requires you load up the torso and the shoulders and hold the very position that was just activated by the mountain climbers. You’ll notice that in this final static position your upper body wants to collapse. It is crucial to pull the weight off your hands by pulling your hips back, tilting your pelvis forward, and firing the front hip flexors.

How Does This Translate to Running?

Once you’ve aligned your joints and activated your hips, how do you optimize for speed? Leg stride is actually the easy part. The key, Bradley says, is the arm swing. “The body naturally knows how to run, your legs know how to move,” he says. “But if you want to be the fastest person, you need to learn to arm pump as fast as you can.” The hips are driving the movement, yes, but the arm swing will take your pace to a new level.

Faster, stronger, fitter—whatever your goal, Elev8d Fitness can help you reach it! Try the Flat Belly Workout Series or the Move Better, Feel Better, Look Better Workout Series and see for yourself.

The post 3 Targeted Moves for a Faster Run appeared first on Sonima.

Donations from the fall run allowed the Singita Grumeti Fund to host three girls’ empowerment events for more than 1100 local high school girls. At the events, they delved into an array of important topics, ranging from reproductive health and menstruation to career development and confidence-building.

The young girls weren’t the only ones who benefited from this unique experience. Below, Vetere shares her personal story of this life-changing adventure as told to writer Cassie Shortsleeve.

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Related: A Mindful Runner Shares What Drives Her to Train for the First-Ever All-Female Run Across the Serengeti

When I first arrived, the 400 girls were all lined up in their uniforms. They looked so professional—long skirts, maroon sweaters, shoes, purses. Most of all, I noticed their quietness. They didn’t seem free. I wanted them to be able to express themselves. Knowing that many of them had short hair, I took off my baseball hat and let my long hair down. They all went crazy.

Before I began my keynote speech, I could feel the energy. I had them say, “I am beautiful,” then got them hugging each other and dancing. I had them repeat “I’m beautiful” once again and added the chant, “I can do it.”

Afterward, altogether, we ran 3.8 kilometers. The girls were singing, dancing, running, and asking questions about the upcoming five-day run across the Serengeti. They were thirsty for details and so smart. The next day, the challenging multi-day, 55-mile run kicked off.

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When I had visited the Serengeti, staying at various Singita Resorts in June, I had met a female guard named Helen. I was so moved by her that I requested that she join us on this run. She is one of the only female guards to work for the government. When I saw her, she hugged me tightly and told me how thankful she was just to be a part of this.

I have to admit, the first three miles of the Serengeti run were overstimulating. This is not Central Park in New York City. It’s not what I’m used to. We were running with guards, protecting us from wildlife, including the big five, like lions, buffalo, and elephants.

But then, I got into the groove. Folks’ energy levels eventually calmed down, evening out, and we all broke off, running at our own paces. We all got into our zones. The middle of the Serengeti is so tranquil, inviting us to focus. I tried to lift my head up and enjoy the moment.

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Training is a big part of my life, but 55 miles was nothing to blink at. It was challenging. At times, I thought, ‘I don’t want to get injured. The terrain is different.‘ You have to watch out for rocks and mud. But my mind was also with the girls and the run we had done the day before.

I made close bonds with women, who were initially strangers, too. One of the women, the only local female running the 55-mile distance, wanted to give up during a part of the run. I ran with her and repeated, “You’re not giving up.” After the run, she sent me a message saying “thank you” for the encouragement to keep going. She was so proud of herself. Me, too! A communal effort can be very powerful and motivating. We all came to this event from different places and we are now bonded for life.

That’s what’s sticking with me: After the journey is complete, what you’ve accomplished hits you.

I traveled 237 days overseas internationally last year for work, but this re-entry to my NYC life has been different. I ran a race no one has ever done before, connected with people and organizations that want to make a difference, took a leap of faith, and immersed myself in nature. Now, I’m back in my concrete jungle and, somehow, I feel more connected to everything. All that active meditation in a wonderful place with genuine people, opened my mind to appreciate experiences far more greater than “things,” which is a good feeling to having entering the holiday season. This wasn’t just a run in the Serengeti with lions. This was a bigger event holistically.

Related: Can Running Really Be a Form of Meditation?

Looking back, one moment stands out the most. It was during the community run with the school girls. Out of the blue, one came up to me and grabbed my hand. We ran three miles together singing a Beyonce song in Swahili. I wouldn’t let go of her tiny palm and neither would she. You could feel the pulsing, the sweatiness, that “I am free” feeling. She had this big, beautiful smile. Her eyes were sparkling. The girls’ energy, I have no doubt, will carry them.

For me, at the end of the day, I’m thankful. You could give yourself a million reasons to cancel out of things—we’re all busy in life—but these are the moments you have to embrace and be present for.

I’m taking each moment one second at a time right now, channeling energy to make a difference to the bottom line at work and in other people’s lives.

>>This unique running safari will be offered again in October 2019 for up to 20 runners. To learn more, email KatherineC@grumetifund.org or BeverlyB@grumetifund.org.

Video Courtesy of Black Bean Productions

The post The Invaluable Gift of Experiences appeared first on Sonima.

To keep her body and brain healthy—in the fog of jet lag or the stiffness that follows air travel—Vetere turns to fitness. “When I’m exercising, I’m sharper mentally. Exercise rebalances me.” Years ago, she found what made her tick, as she puts it, and she stuck with it. It’s something she suggests everyone find, too—a moment to harness your quiet, to connect with yourself. It’s what will help push you toward new goals, milestones, and adventures.

For her, that’s the first-ever, female-only, multi-day charity event, the Serengeti Girls Run, which, this October 19 to 24, will bring awareness, funds, and fearless female runners to race across Serengeti National Park in northern Tanzania, all the while supporting local female communities. Part of Singita’s new conservation initiative called Safaris With a Purpose, the run is only open to 20 women from around the world. Entrants donate $15,000 to the Singita Grumeti Fund, which goes toward fueling the next generation of female leaders through education, scholarships, building life skills, internships, and training.

Participants in the run are invited to complete either a 30 kilometer (about 18.6 miles) or 90 kilometer (55 miles) course spread over three days. The first day also includes a “fun run” (3 km) with local women and girls—the very people who will benefit from the fundraising event. In local northern Tanzanian communities, girls and women face grave issues such as genital mutilation, early marriage, unwanted pregnancies, poverty, and a lack of education—all on a daily basis.

It’s a deeply powerful and necessary cause, and one that is motivating to Vetere, who excels as both a female business leader and an athlete. Vetere regularly competes in Ironmans, triathlons, half-marathons, and marathons. The connection to the Serengeti Girls Run was a serendipitous one for her, too—and it won’t be her first run in the area. In early June, she was on a trip to various Singita Resorts in the Serengeti, celebrating her birthday. Training for an Ironman, she needed to do a few runs. After asking the resort’s manager how she could do it—and being told running the area wasn’t common practice—the manager set Vetere up with armed guards who would run alongside her in the event of an animal attack. (Remember, the Serengeti is essentially one of the world’s greatest zoos without cages.) Vetere completed two training runs on consecutive days: 11 miles one day, eight the next. Later, during a visit to a local community, she learned about the Serengeti Fund and the women’s run. She signed up almost immediately.

In October, Vetere will not only run, but also speak at the event. “I like to give back, I take being a role model seriously and I like to spread my heart,” says Vetere. It’s something she feels passionately about in the fitness world, too: encouraging more women to move. “I want women to know they can do anything,” she says.

Related: Is Running for Every Body?

But, in order to make a change and get your word across, you have to give yourself time to think—and Vetere does that by lacing up. “Exercise is where I get my quietness, mindfulness, and spirituality. I like it very quiet. That’s where I do a lot of my thinking.”

It’s part of the reason you won’t find her running with music, her phone, or a high-tech tracker. For Vetere, movement is meditative no matter where she is—the vast expanses of the Serengeti or a crowded, loud city. “I can listen to birds, I can listen to horns if I’m running in New York, people, cars whizzing by, I can listen to life. That grounds me,” she says. “I don’t want to see my emails, I don’t want to hear music or anything. I just go into my own zone.”

As for physical training that comes with a 55-mile trek through the Serengeti? While the mere thought might overwhelm most, this is what Vetere does for fun. Case in point: She ran the New York triathlon in early July in almost 100-degree F temps. To her, exercise is truly about the mental benefits. “I’m always training. That’s how much I believe in the mindfulness.”

She hopes to share that message with young girls and women all over the world this October. “I think the race is about more than running. It’s about self-esteem and wellness,” says Vetere. “I want to teach and give back. I want the girls to learn about fitness, mental strength, and spirituality—and that you can do anything you put your mind to—no matter where you are in the world.”

This special safari will take place October 19 to 24, 2018. Reduced rates for participants start at $1,413 per person sharing (two participants per tent) for five nights. Excludes flights, transportation, and the donation amount of $15,000 per person, which goes toward girl and women empowerment projects in the Serengeti. Register here!

Photography by Alex Nicks

The post A Mindful Runner Shares What Drives Her to Train for the First-Ever All-Female Run Across the Serengeti appeared first on Sonima.

The post The Wellness Practice That Changed My Life appeared first on Sonima.

Consider that for every step you take during a run—about 150 to 170 per minute on average—your body’s “internal active forces” (the sum of all your muscles contracting and expanding) are far greater than the force of the impact your body feels from striking the ground. How much greater? Nigg says those internal forces are 500 percent more powerful.

But Nigg also says that, for the most part, those forces fall within an “acceptable range.” They aren’t a problem unless they overload a particular structure. For example, your calves may work extra hard during an activity if your ankles are weak.

Related: A Yoga Sequence to Balance the Heart 

One way to think of it is to imagine your body is a car. There’s a strong, durable frame (your bones) supported by shock absorbers (your muscles, tendons and ligaments). If everything is working together, you can cover mile after mile without any problems. But if a shock fails, your car will rattle with every bump or pothole you hit. If this goes on long enough, you can seriously damage the vehicle, and may ultimately need to put it in park til it’s fixed.

If you want to keep your “car” running, test if your shock absorbers are working. Johnny Gillespie, a movement teacher and developer of the Balanced Athlete method, recommends doing a few small jumps up and down.

“If it hurts when I jump up and down, and I can’t do it,” Gillespie says, “that tells me that the springs in my feet don’t really work. When I’m running, then, all of those muscles aren’t doing their jobs. They’re basically just along for the ride.”

If your shock absorbers are out to lunch, Gillespie says you can get your body back into working order with a short maintenance routine consisting of a few simple moves. Perform the following six yoga-inspired exercises before your next run, aiming to hold each pose for 30 seconds unless otherwise marked. Doing them in front of a mirror will allow you to notice important form pointers, so you can make any necessary adjustments. With practice, you should notice that you’re able to run taller, breathe freer, and run more efficiently.

Heel Lifts

When your toes are pointing downward and your heels are up, the action is called plantar flexion. While you’d think that runners would be pretty good at this motion—after all, a runner’s foot does this on every step during a run—Gillespie says that many struggle with it for a simple reason.

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“When we run we plantar flex, but not to the degree you need to keep the ankle and other muscles below the knee strong enough to maintain structural integrity,” Gillespie says. “In many ways, the foot is almost relaxed when running, so you don’t wind up working through the full range of motion for those muscles.”

That’s bad news because even a little weakness below the knee can make your entire system less efficient. A recent study  of 26 people found that when people had weaker ankles, other bigger muscles in their lower legs had to work harder to compensate.

Do the move: Stand barefoot with your feet shoulder-width apart. Come up to your tiptoes, then back down. Repeat the up and down motion a few times until you feel stable at the top of the movement (when your heels are farthest from the ground), and then try to hold for 30 seconds.

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Watch out for: Your feet rolling to the outside, which is common among people with high arches. Try not cave inward or roll outward. Instead aim to carry your weight evenly across your feet—just like you would if you were coming up onto the balls of your feet in a Chair Pose.

Gentle Jumps

“People have this idea that impact is bad,” Gillespie says. “But in fact, without impact our bones get brittle. Our bones respond to impact by maintaining their strength.” Nigg agrees with Gillespie, who continues, “The problem is we need to learn how to handle impact. What you’re doing with this move is starting to learn how to absorb shock.”

Another point here is to work through the opposite of plantar flexion—the heel-down, toes-up action called dorsiflexion. This builds muscles in the feet and ankles that Gillespie likens to springs that both absorb shock and propel you forward. “If you allow your ankle to dorsiflex, it’s almost as if you’re allowing the springs in the lower part of your body to send energy back up the structure, and as a result run way more efficiently.”

Do the move: Stand barefoot with your feet shoulder-width apart. Jump up and down gently. When you land, allow your heels to gently touch the ground. This may not feel natural at first since many people try to run solely on the balls of their feet so their heels don’t feel the impact. Make sure your heels land softly with each hop, performing up to 10 total.

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Watch out for: Your knees caving inward and knocking together—a big no-no. Also, Gillespie emphasizes that your landing from these jumps should be gentle, as if your heels want to give the ground a light kiss.

Related: A Simple Solution to Heal Plantar Fasciitis

The Downhill Skier

Here the goal is to work on hinging the three major joints involved in running—the hips, knees and ankles—all at once. You’re teaching them to move in sync. “What you’re doing is getting those hinge joints to not only start mobilizing but stabilizing as they’re staying in line with one another,” Gillespie says. “It’s very linear, but running is a very linear activity.”

Do the move: Stand with your feet parallel and hip-width apart, and your toes pointing straight ahead. Bend at the knees while hinging backward at your hips, lowering your torso as far downward as you can while keeping your spine upright. Keep your knees in line with your toes, and hold the position.

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Watch out for: Check to see that your knees are tracking with your toes and not collapsing inward on one side or the other.

T-Pose with Arm Series

“After people do this one, they find that their whole upper spine feels extended,” Gillespie says. “They feel taller, their posture is better, and they can breathe deeper.”
Do the move: Bring your feet together and stand up straight. Straighten and lift your arms to the sides with your palms down, so that your body forms a “T.” Hold that position for 30 seconds up to a minute, stopping if you feel any numbness or tingling in your arms. (Gillespie says a lot of people find this position surprisingly difficult.)

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If you’re still feeling good after that time, turn your palms upward. Changing the position of your hands from facing downward to upward should help you differentiate between the muscles in your upper arm and your lower arm. Continue to hold. Now spread your fingers and keep holding. Notice how each adjustment changes the sensation in your body. You might find yourself feeling a bit taller, with your collarbones a bit broader. If at any point you experience a sensation akin to pain, release your arms downward.

Watch out for: Movement anywhere other than from your elbows downward during each adjustment in the series. When you rotate your hands, the whole motion should be contained within your lower arms. The rest of your body should be stable.

Single-Leg Balance

“Whenever I give a presentation to a group of people, I ask them to lift one leg and just stand there,” Gillespie says. “The number of people who can’t just balance on one leg is absolutely catastrophic.”

While that might sound dramatic, consider that one of the leading killers  of people aged 65 and older is falling. More than 2.5 million people wind up in emergency rooms every year due to falls, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a large number of these falls are simply due to lower body weakness or poor balance. To Gillespie, being unable to stand on one leg is a glimpse into this unfortunate future.

In regards to running, all of the weight of your body plus the impact forces of the ground must be supported by a single leg. How roadworthy is that leg if it can’t even keep your bodyweight stable for half of a minute?

Do the move: Lift one leg off the ground and elevate it until your knee reaches hip height. Now just stand there, balancing on one leg, aiming for 30 seconds, working your way up to a minute. Then lower the leg and repeat on the other side.

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Watch out for: Your knee drifting downward. Try to keep it elevated enough so that it’s in line with your hip. The mirror will be helpful throughout this pose—it should be easier to find your balance when you’re getting immediate feedback from your reflection. If you really have the hang of things, you can close your eyes as you hold.

Modified Dancer Pose

The quad stretch is of course helpful, but Gillespie says a lot of the benefit of this pose comes in the standing leg. “By placing the arm behind the back, it allows you to more easily work on broadening the hip in your supporting leg, improving it’s mobility and stability,” Gillespie says. “For a lot of runners, this pose will be tough because they aren’t all that stabile or mobile in their hips. And it shows up in the form of IT Band issues and Piriformis Syndrome,” two common runner afflictions.

Do the move: Lift your right leg behind you and grab ahold of your foot with your right hand. Take your left hand and wrap it behind you, so that your left forearm sits behind your lower back, keeping it and your hips square. Kick up and back with your right foot against your hand, and fold forward by hinging at the hips. You should feel a stretch throughout your right quad, and also get a lot of sensation in the hip and hamstring on your supporting leg. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

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Watch out for: The hip of your elevated leg drifting backward. Having your forearm behind your low back should keep you square, but if you see something fall out of alignment, use that arm to give your hips a gentle nudge.

Photos by Hailey Wist

The post 6 Yoga-Inspired Moves to Help You Run Injury-Free appeared first on Sonima.

All too often people give in to the mistaken belief that running is supposed to hurt and you should push past minor pains. Unfortunately, that faulty logic generally leads to debilitating injuries, like runner’s knee, achilles tendonitis, and hip or hamstring issues. If you’ve already been sidelined by this power-through-it mentality, try not to see it as a setback, but rather as part of the biofeedback system designed to keep you from doing further harm.

Mindfulness is a powerful and effective method to becoming your own coach so that you can avoid these pitfalls in the future. Here are seven ways to apply mindfulness to running and gain better training outcomes for the long haul.

1. Know the right pace.

Eighty percent of your running volume should be at a very “easy” pace. Chances are, you’re running too “hard” too often. Save your moderate- to fast-paced workouts for speed days and just cruise the rest of the time. Ditch devices that measures your pace-per-mile and instead learn to run by feel. Mindful running lets you discern what feels easy versus hard, which will vary from day to day (so give yourself a break when you’re feeling particularly sluggish). Things like a poor nights’ sleep, being slightly dehydrated, having a stressful workday and a whole host of other factors influence your effort output.

2. Build your confidence as a runner.

Technology and smartphone apps, like MapMyRun and Strava, make it easier than ever to share your mileage, speed, and race results with friends and strangers. Comparing your performance to others’, however, can sometimes erode confidence whether you’re aware of it or not. Such comparisons distract from your intrinsic enjoyment of running and exacerbate feelings that you’re not training hard enough.

Mindful running shifts your focus from how you compare to others to how you stack up against yourself. You replace external success measurements (like race results) with internal rewards, like deriving confidence from your own evolution as a runner. The first step is to set an intention about how you want your run to feel today, thereby creating an internal and immediate reward for your efforts.

3. Achieve better fitness gains with less structure.

Rather than relying on numbers related to mileage, pace, sessions per week, laps, and intervals to manage training, mindful running frees you to focus instead on less tangible, yet far more valuable ways to build fitness and measure progress. For example, fartleks (which means “speed play”) are fun ways to pepper fast-paced running into your routine. This kind of workout, done without a watch, involves simply speeding up and slowing down at random intervals. Mindfulness is the cue for when to shift your effort level. Feeling strong and fired up? You’re ready to speed up. Heart rate maxed out or posture deteriorating? Time to slow down.

4. Get more motivated to run.

Running triggers the release of feel-good hormones and endorphins that are known to bring about sensations of happiness and a sense of well-being. However, it’s possible to miss these effects entirely when your mind is elsewhere and you are disconnected from the running experience. Using mindfulness to tune out hectic thoughts circulating through your mind allows you to notice the transformation that happens while running. This process does wonders for your motivation, as it enhances your association of running with enjoyment rather than pain, discomfort, or boredom.

Related: Can Running Really Be a Form of Meditation?

5. Improve running form and efficiency.

Proper posture greatly influences your running efficiency and likelihood of developing injury. Being mindful of whether your back is straight, core is engaged, and elbows are driving back (instead of outward) can make running feel far easier. Maintaining this posture and running without tension allows the limbs to swing smoothly from their joints and requires less energy to propel you forward. With practice, your body becomes strong enough to maintain good form even at higher speeds.

6. Step it up.

Mindful running helps you recognize your training “sweet spot,” which is when your running volume and intensity aligns with your available energy, time, and health limitations. It also lets you know when you’re ready to take it to the next level by adding new elements such as strength exercises, hill repeats, track workouts, or more mileage. Mindfulness cultivates the self-knowledge needed to recognize that, when running is too easy or even boring, you’re ready to make it more challenging.

7. Find your flow.

In the magical state known as “flow” you have a heightened sense of relaxed control over your body and running feels engaging yet effortless. Mindful running cultivates the circumstances in which flow can occur. This happens because you’re focused on the sensations of running, are highly in tune with how your body is responding to the effort, and are confident in your ability to meet the challenge before you.

The post 7 Ways Mindfulness Improves Your Running appeared first on Sonima.

For more than five hours, we watched nearly the whole pack of 29,000 runners head to the finish. First came the elite greyhounds with seemingly no more than six percent body fat. The naturally fast runners followed: lithe people whose petite frames automatically make you think runner when you see them in person. Athletes on their way to clock a four-hour marathon looked strong, but didn’t have the stereotypical runners’ bodies. They could’ve also been tennis players or cyclists. As the day wore on and the pack kept coming, the range of body grew more and more diverse: heavy, thin, big biceps, big bellies, very fit, not so fit. Some were walking, some were shuffling, some were running. Regardless of their speeds, they all covered 26.2 miles. As a fit 20-something who was both interested and intimidated by a marathon, I realized I had no excuse not to sign up.

Fast forward some 20 years, and the sport of running has diversified even more. Nearly 17 million people finished a road race in 2017, according to Running USA. That’s up from 5 million in 1990. You probably know somebody—a neighbor, a relative, a co-worker—who has recently converted to running, and might be trying to get you to lace up, too. But you’re not sure. Maybe you’re carrying a few extra pounds, have flat feet, or chronic lower back pain and you’re wondering: Is running for everybody?

The answer is, like most things in life, complicated. Certainly moving forward at a purposeful pace, whether that means a casual jog or a clocking a 5-minute mile, is beneficial for everyone. Any activity that gets your heart pumping has myriad benefits, including a boost for your mood, metabolism, overall health, sleep quality, and energy. How you personally experience running, however, is more unique to you. Here are a few things to consider and customize as you venture into this fast-growing sport.

Running is super accessible. Practically, the barrier to entry is one of the lowest going for any sport. To start, all you need is a pair of athletic shoes that fit you well, a supportive sports bra if you’re female, and a road. (Any specialty running store near you can help you find the perfect shoes for your feet.) And you start running with a motion you already know intimately: Walking.

Running lets you dictate your own pace. Contrary to what you might think, it’s not a good call to take off at a sprint and go as hard as you can. Some of the most popular beginner running programs start with a run/walk pattern: Something like, run at a comfortable speed for 30 seconds, walk for two minutes, repeat cycle for 20 minutes four times a week. The following week, run for 45 seconds, walk for two minutes. Continue to gradually increase the running segments as you decrease the walking segments until you can run a mile without stopping. Breaking it down into small chunks makes running feel approachable—and you feel accomplished and motivated to keep going. If running for 30 seconds feels like too much, power walking until you feel like you’re ready is a great start.

Running won’t destroy your body. Tell somebody you’re starting to run, and you’ll probably hear something like, “You’re going to ruin your knees.” Despite that popular sentiment, there’s no scientific proof that runners developing arthritis. In fact, as the New York Times noted, “Runners in the study [of 75,000 people] had less overall risk of developing arthritis than people who were less active.” That doesn’t mean that running doesn’t cause aches and pains—and occasional sidelining injuries. It’s a high-impact sport that utilizes many of your large muscle groups, so self-care (taking a day off when you’re especially sore, massage or foam rolling, getting enough sleep and eating well) is vital. Injuries often occur though when people become so enamored with the sport, they increase the intensity and/or distance of their runs too quickly or set overzealous goals that their bodies aren’t ready for. Regular cross training with lower impact activities like cycling or swimming and strength training both compliment running.

Running isn’t the quickest way to a heart attack. The other myth that may arise is that running long-distance races causes heart attacks; after all, hearing that a runner has died during a race—such as Olympic hopeful Ryan Shay during the 2008 men’s marathon trials in NYC—is jarring, heartbreaking and, most of all, discouraging. It’s important to put this risk into perspective: The chances of having a heart attack during a running race is 1 in 100,000 to 200,000 finishers, says William Roberts, M.D., the program director of the St. John’s Hospital Family Medicine Residency in St. Paul, Minnesota. While it’s extremely rare, when it does happen, the odds of being resuscitated from a cardiac arrest during such an event are fewer than 1 in 4 because responders can’t often get to runners fast enough. Still, Chicago-based sports cardiologist Christine Lawless, M.D., adds, “The benefits of exercise clearly and definitely outweigh the risks of a running lifestyle.” She recommends that people who wish to start running get the OK from their doctor, especially if there are existing heart issues. To further alleviate any concerns, check out this Runner’s World round-up of scientific studies about marathoning and heart health.

The bottom line: If you’re otherwise healthy and are interested in trying it, then yes running is for you. The latter factor cannot be undervalued: In order to stick with any physical activity, you have to like it. That doesn’t mean you have to love every mile (trust me, you won’t) but there has to be some aspect of it—whether that’s the post-run feeling, the confidence it gives you, the friendships you make along the way—that continually brings joy into your life.

Nearly 20 years after standing on that marathon sideline and 20 years of running, I participated in a local 5K. The participants had bodies that were diverse, we could’ve been walking through a mall, not standing on a starting line. Jackrabbits mixed in with pear shapes and postpartum moms and parents with their young kids. Every body covered the 3.1 miles in the way that worked best for them that day, and every body celebrated at the finish line.

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Meditating before you work out or play a sport can be tremendously helpful for increasing focus and attention. In this meditation, Jamie Zimmerman, M.D., invites you to recognize the sensations in your body and acknowledge that you’ve made a commitment to nurture and strengthen your body by exercising. Before you begin your next workout, take an opportunity to notice what’s happening inside your body and thank yourself for committing yourself to health.

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