Tips for New Runners: Jon Vinikoor

Jon Vinikoor is a talented and highly regarded personal trainer with over nineteen years of experience. As a certified professional, Jon Vinikoor has made it his personal mission to help his clients meet their health and fitness goals. Jon Vinikoor is the owner of Fitness Advantage and develops total fitness plans mixed with nutritional guidance to assist with weight loss, firming and toning, flexibility, balance, muscle strength, aerobic fitness, core stabilization, endurance training, sport-specific training, bodybuilding, nutrition, and injury rehab. Over the years, Jon Vinikoor has noticed that a frequent desire of his clients is the eagerness to run in a race. With marathons and fun runs gaining popularity, Jon Vinikoor wants to offer advice to those that are new to running. Here are some tips from Jon Vinikoor for the novice runner. 

Stretch. In order to avoid injury, Jon Vinikoor states that it is crucial to warm-up then stretch before partaking on a run. Forgetting to stretch can cause serious injuries, so always remember to stretch out your muscles.

Start slow. Jon Vinikoor recommends that runners should only add ten percent on to their distance each week. Jumping into long distances too soon can cause a variety of injuries that are easily preventable.

Run/walk. Jon Vinikoor recommends that if running is intimidating to you, to engage in a run/walk method. Individuals who are run/walking should establish a constant ratio and break their run up accordingly. If you are new to running you can start by running one minute, then walking one minute. Once your cardiovascular endurance starts to increase, you will be able to increase your running time.