Tips for a better run

If you're a runner and are beginning to doubt your commitment to the pavement, you might want to rethink your routine. Sure, running as if Chris Pratt is waiting for you at the finish line is a cool way to get motivation, but running takes more than that—and a little more of technical knowledge—especially when it comes to our bodies.

The Huffington Post recommends the most basic routine before hitting the track: warming up and cooling down. Begin by stretching your calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes to get your blood flowing a little bit faster. Once outside, walk slowly and build up speed every 30 seconds or so. Move on from a brisk walk to a jog, and so forth. Warming up is imperative because it prevents you from getting injured, helps you loosen your muscles, and improves your blood flow and thus warms your body.

Speaking of blood flow, remember to breathe properly. Alysia Montaño, who holds the US record for the 800-meter distance, told Women's Health: "I think inhaling through your nose and out through your mouth is unnatural and an old wives' tale."

Sports medicine physician and author of Running Strong Jordan Metzl, M.D. recommends slowly inhaling and exhaling through your nose or your mouth from your belly, like you would while doing yoga. This way, you can get more oxygen into your bloodstream.

If you're tracking progress or training for a marathon, Women's Health Magazine reports that according to 3-time Ironman World Champion Mirinda Carfrae, you must focus on the time you spend running rather than the miles you have to run. This will change the way you look at your progress. She said: "It allows you to log miles without worrying how far and how fast you go." Remember that progress does take time, and you will notice changes as you go.

Additionally, it's best to keep your cadence high, at about 170 to 180 steps per minute. According to Metzl, "The more frequently your foot touches down, the less loading force you're throwing onto your hips and knees with each step, lowering your risk for injury." You don't have to count each step per minute though, just count how many times your right foot hits the ground in 20 seconds. If you're close to 30, you're falling within the 170 to 180 range.

Lastly, Metzl recommends getting adequate, quality sleep. He wrote in Runner's World that when we sleep, that's the time "when your body repairs muscle, builds bone, ramps up red blood cell production, restocks glycogen, and reviews and stores the neuromuscular learning that occurred during your day’s run."