by Sue Ellen Ross

Moving from the couch to the running trail is easier for some people than for others. But it doesn’t take a lot to get going once you decide to take up this health hobby, according to Michael Casey, exercise specialist at Fitness Pointe.

“All you need is a pair of shoes and somewhere to run,” he said during a recent presentation at Fitness Pointe. “Running outside is the best thing I do. I run free of anything — no Walkman, etc. I look around, listen to the birds and other sounds.”

Erica Hein attended the talk for a variety of reasons. She works in the cardiac rehabilitation department and identifies with some of the concerns that face those wanting to start, or continue, a running regimen.

Hein also is a former runner herself. “I’ve come to this presentation because I may decided to start running again in the future,” she said. “I felt I could learn a thing or two.”

Regarding the topics of pace and style, Casey said there are no answers set in concrete. “There are as many forms of running as there are people on the Earth,” he said. “It’s just the basics, one foot in front of the other.”

Preparing for a run shouldn’t be a feat in itself. Warming up by stretching a bit or riding the bicycle for a while should do it.

For those who are just beginning to run, a few sessions of  run/walk may be the way to go, Casey said. Examples may be to run one minute, walk one minute. This type of  program gives the person a new tool of training to achieve running farther and longer distances with ease.

Buying the most expensive clothing and shoes should not be the focus of a serious runner. “A $125 pair of shoes is not necessarily better than a $50 pair,” Casey said. “The fit is the important thing, not the price.”

More at post-trib.com

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