Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!
Now let's get started by talking about something that will zap your motivation... running in the same location or on the same terrain all the time. It's true. In a sport that is famous for taking people to new places and to new heights, many people get stuck in a rut of running in the same place day after day and wonder why they become unmotivated to get out the door. The solution? Explore new terrain. Why? Because changing up the scenery and the surface can not only motivate you to get those shoes laced but can allow you to try things you may have never tried; things that will most likely put a smile on your face.
So here we go with tip number one... Instead of running the same neighborhood loop, try switching it up. Run in different neighborhoods or even different towns. Not sure what neighborhood or town would be a good one to explore? Just ask your friends or even pose the question in a local running group chat. You'll more than likely get a lot of leads to follow up on. You might even get some people to join you and that's always a win. Because as I've stressed before, having people to share in the pain, I mean the pleasure, of running always helps to motivate us to get out the door.
And tip number two... If you’re accustomed to running on pavement, hit the trails! Oh how I personally love the trails for so many reasons!! But here are just a few...
1. Running on trails will give you a new perspective, and can train your body to move in different ways. You may become more aware of foot placement, which can help you focus your mind and stay present. Plus, running on dirt is more gentle on your body than pavement.
2. Breathing in fresh air and surrounding yourself with the natural beauty of trees, lakes, and hills can be mentally refreshing. Plus, being outdoors is a natural mood booster. Even if you can’t get out of your town or city every day, try to do it once a week. Switching up your usual road or park run for a trail run provides a plethora of mental and physical advantages: everything from lowering anxiety to using more muscle groups.
3. You’ll use more muscles. For real! By mixing in trails to your routine with their flat routes and hills, you help to ensure your body works a much greater range of muscle groups, not just in your legs but also the stabilizing muscles in your core, feet and ankles. This will improve your balance as well as your overall running power on all terrains. Is that a reason to hit the trails or what?
4. Hitting the trail periodically will help reduce your risk of injury. Say what? Yes! How? Well.... with each foot strike on a road or tarmac surface you’re generally hitting the same muscles with the same foot strike over and over, but mixed terrain surfaces will mean your gait and foot strike is slightly different each stride, meaning you will spread the impact over a great range of muscles; which means, you put less pressure on individual muscles and joints. Goodbye shin splints.
5. You will be less anxious. Fact! Running makes you less anxious already, we all know that's true. But when you combine running with being out in nature and away from the noise and traffic you normally encounter, there's magic. Why? Because your mind can wander and meditate when you're in the midst of God's creation. The trail is where you find peace, solutions to your problems, and gratitude for the sights and smells all around which, in turn, leads you to find gratitude for so many of the other things in life that make it worth living. And it's this peace found out on the trails that replaces anxiety. Quite a good reason to find a trail near you isn't it?
6. And last but not least (drum roll please), for those looking to shed pounds, trail running can help a person burn between 60 to 90 calories more per hour thanks to the added challenge of uneven terrain.
So there you have it friends. Changing up the surface and the scenery could very well be the thing you need to motivate yourself to lace up those shoes and get out the door. After all, doesn't the thought of seeing and experiencing something new excite you? So whether it's a new neighborhood, a new trail, or even a new sunrise, keep changing it up and pursuing new things. This will inspire you to keep logging those miles. Now doesn't that make you smile?
Happy Running!!!
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