How to choose running accessories and prevent injury

How to Choose the Right Running Accessories

While you do not need many devices to begin, having the appropriate accessories can make your runs easier, much comfier, and also a lot more satisfying total. Meantime, we asked the enthusiastic joggers to share the running accessories they utilize to make their runs smoother and more satisfying. Read some ideal picks while you start your running journey.

Running Shoes

One of the single crucial points to take into consideration when you start running is what shoes you are going to use it. Your footwear will completely transform just how it really feels to run and also if you get this wrong, you’re most likely to make running much harder on yourself than it seems to be!

What’s more, is that running shoes (in addition to a couple of various other things) ought to likewise, be taken into consideration a kind of injury prevention.

The first thing to recognize is that there are different types of running shoes. They include those that are aimed at people with a heal-toe strike, versus those with more of a mid-foot strike.

Must know – 11 types of Foot injuries and their prevention

No one set of shoes is going to be the universal ‘right pair’. Rather, the key is to choose the best shoes for your individual running style as well as your objectives.

Nowadays, there are many running stores are available where they can measure your gait. In this manner, they use cameras attached to a treadmill in order to measure your biomechanics. They will be able to see how your feet hit the ground and that in turn will tell them what type of shoes you need!

The best way to run is so that the ball of your foot hits the ground first, located directly underneath your knee. This allows your entire leg to compress, acting like a spring and thereby absorbing the impact naturally.

For this, you want a shoe that is more ‘minimal’ and that doesn’t include much in the way of support – that lets the foot move naturally and freely.

Unfortunately though decades of running on roads have taught many of us to run with our heel first – and this isn’t something you can change overnight! If you fall into this category, you will need a shoe with a more padded heel and probably more structure and support all around.

This will allow your foot to roll through the movement and in some cases; it will be combined with more structure to help guide you through the movement for a smoother ‘ride’.

But then again, you may have a pronated foot or a flat arch. In these cases, you may need something different altogether – which is why you need to have your gait measured before you buy! Check out online for more options.

Pair of Socks

Everybody knows that good shoes are very much important to avoid injuries while running, however, a pair of good socks will aid you to get comfortable running. Nowadays, there are many brands available in socks which are made with technical sweat-wicking fibers, blister-preventing designs, with proper cushioning. 

Best Fitness/Running Watch

If you’re interested in taking up running seriously, then a running or fitness watch can be highly advantageous. There are many reasons for this too. For starters, a fitness watch will allow you to track the number of calories that you burn on a run and how high your heart rate goes.

Must read – Benefits of running to improve health

This not only allows you to do things like running to meet a set objective (calories burned, max heart rate, etc.) but even to use particular types of running – like zone runs or interval training.

The right watch should also track your runs, so you don’t need to take your phone to monitor your route. It should be able to count your steps throughout the day too and then show you metrics like how your daily step count impacts your performance when running.

But to benefit from all these features, you’re going to need the right fitness watch. Read on and we’ll take a look at how you can go about selecting that to ensure you’ll get the very most from your new device. Explore the endless possibilities to track health.

Heart rate Monitor

One of the first things you absolutely need for your fitness tracker or running watch is an effective heart rate monitor. This will track your heart rate as you are training, which in turn will give you the most accurate picture of how hard you are working and how many calories you are burning. Going on steps alone is simply not very accurate!

But of course, it’s not sufficient to just get any heart rate monitor – you need to make sure that it is a good one too. That means it needs to be accurate (which you can find from reading reviews) and ideally, it should also, be one that checks your heart rate regularly.

GPS

Not all running watches have GPS. So if you want to make sure yours can track your runs, this is also going to be very important.

Data Points and Use

The more data you collect, the fuller the picture you can paint of your health. The Microsoft Band 2 for instance allows you to see an estimate of your VO2 max once it has collected data from enough runs.

Workouts

Another useful function is a band that can provide pre-designed workouts, like interval sessions. These help you to burn a certain amount of calories in a set amount of time and to discover new ways to train.

The Running Belts

A running belt is a pack that straps around your waistline and functions like an armband. Its objective is to hold your belongings during your run or your exercise. While a running belt can have other functions, like carrying water bottles, the important thing is to hold your phone and keys while running.

Must read – How to start running and make it more enjoyable

You must place it on your stubborn belly button line. After that make the adjustments to fit your size. If you put on the belt too low or around your hips, it has a greater possibility of slipping off as you relocate.

The Arm Band

Like the running belt, you can utilize armbands too. The good brand bands can fit conveniently over clothing without riding up or bouncing around. They are usable in holding phones, keys, gels, or snacks safely, instead of putting additional weight on one side of your waistline.

Gloves and Mittens

If you like to run outdoors and you stay in an environment where wintertimes are chilly, you understand the challenge of keeping your hands and fingers warm. Lots of people make use of running hand gloves to aid secure their hands.

When the temperature actually drops your fingers can easily get chilly and may go numb on long runs. The natural remedy to this issue is by putting on a set of running mittens. By keeping your fingers together, mittens aid trap temperature to keep your hands warmer.

The Hand Warmers

When you’re coming down the mountain on a chilly day, you’ll wish to take care of the numb toes and also fingers. The warmers will certainly help you bring your hands back to life when you feel them tensing up (1).

These little pouches are fantastic for cold-weather sporting activities also. They are portable, the one-time-use method to see to it your fingers, as well as toes, is cozy under wintertime.

They come in a plastic wrapper, more than likely with 2 pouches in each bundle. You have to shake each pouch before use to make sure that all the materials mix together. This typically takes only a few seconds and lasts between 5 to 8 hours usually. Browse more products here.

The most usual warmers contain small items of iron, water, activated carbon, salt, water storage part, as well as a mineral called “vermiculite.” When iron is exposed to oxygen, it begins to oxidize and creates heat. The salt works to stimulate the chain reaction, the carbon is utilized to distribute the heat, and also the vermiculite is utilized to protect the warmth that’s generated.

Foam Roller

They are available in various sizes and densities. They can additionally, be a beneficial part of a healthy runner’s warm-up and cool down routine.

Foam rolling boosts circulation, which gets the body all set for an exercise, aids to recovers later, and prepares your muscles for stretching.

Clothing

The most important thing is to preserve an excellent body temperature throughout your run. You can go running in what you’re wearing right now, however, if you buy some good garments you’re going to find it a lot more comfortable and also far more enjoyable (2).

The ideal running garments will be breathable but warming at the same time. You’ll find that you don’t get as cold when running outside yet you additionally do not sweat profusely either.

Running garments gives optimum insulation and also body temperature level control by continuously flowing air when you are working out. Insulating garments are made of light, ventilated, warm materials.

While additionally protecting your skin from the material of your clothing as they move. You can now shop stylish running clothing here with cooler designs.

Water bottles

Various other optional extras include some kind of portable water bottle. You can get ones that fit nicely right into one hand while you’re running.

Energy Gels

I love gels because they are a quick and easy source of fuel. Energy gels should be taken just before or during exercise. They work by immediately raising your blood sugar level (3).

The endurance training experts suggest that during such events, you should fuel 30-60 grams of carbohydrate every hour depending on body weight and effort level. 

You can carry the gel inside your belt or armband.  It is recommended that you should take a gel with at least 8 ounces of water to dilute it and allow for quick absorption. Ideally, it is not advisable to take it with a sports drink as it will increase the sugar concentration, slow absorption and may cause stomach upset.