6 Ways to Ensure you Get the Most out of your Run!

Hey runners! Let me know if this is you: “I run 5 miles every day, why am I not seeing results?!” or “I’ve been running more lately, yet I’ve hit a plateau!”

That was so me in the beginning! Being a girl who prefers to throw weights around than spend an hour on the elliptical, it’s kind of crazy that I actually love running!

Running is my time. It’s the time where I get to forget all my worries, listen to some music, and just unwind. I love it.

But, will running alone get you the results you want? Unfortunately, probably not. After a certain point your body is like, “Okay, I got this! I’ve been using these muscles every day!” and it takes more and more time and effort to build leg muscles and burn calories.

That’s okay though! There are some easy ways to step up your running game to ensure you’re getting the most out of your run!

Run before breakfast. When you work out before you eat, your body will use energy from your fat stores versus the food you consumed! This means that you’ll burn calories and fat faster than if you eat first. (Just make sure to drink plenty of water and get your electrolytes!)
Refer to 1, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! In fact, I get my electrolytes from an amazing product called hydrate. It tastes like lemonade, is all natural, and will keep you feeling amazing during your run! (Stay away from sports drinks that have lots of added sugars) If you want to give hydrate a try without buying a whole tub, get the samples first!
Add in these 5 workout moves in between running bursts to work your leg muscles! Doing these will help prevent injuries in the future, and help you to last longer on your runs! Using different muscles than you normally do when running is also going to burn extra calories and fat. (See related post below for a full leg workout routine)
1. Walking lunges – Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands on your hips. Step forward with one leg, flexing the knees to drop your hips. Lower your body until your legs are at a 90 degree angle, and your rear knee is nearly touching the ground. Tighten abs ensure that your posture is upright.
2. Frog Jumps – Begin standing with your hands behind your head, and squat down keeping your torso upright and your head up. Jump forward and focus on distance versus height.
3. Sumo Squats – Stand with your legs slightly past your shoulders. Tighten abs, lower your body as much as you can, tighten your legs and glutes when you come up.
4. Single Leg Jumping Squats – Stand on your right leg. Squat down, keeping your right knee in line with your toes, then jump and land on the ball of your foot. Repeat on the left.
5. Curtsy Lunges – Start from standing, and step your left leg behind you and to the right so your thighs cross, bending both knees as if you were curtsying. Make sure your front knee is aligned with your front ankle. Return to standing, and repeat on the other side.
Add intervals. Sprint 1 minute, jog or walk 30 seconds, and repeat. This keeps your heart rate going up in down, which in return will help you burn more calories!
Try a pre-workout! Personally, I don’t like the one’s that make you feel all gross and jittery especially for running! Energize is amazing because it’s an all natural pre-workout that makes you feel awake and alert without the uncomfortable heart palpitations! Get your samples by clicking this link!
Find a route that has hills! Hill running will make you run faster, build more leg strength by using your muscles differently, and can even improve upper body strength! Check out this infographic from Road Creek Runner!