Running 2 Miles a Day: Here’s How to Start + The Benefits
Looking for an easy fitness method to help you lose weight, increase your endurance, and enhance your overall health (all without causing you pain or injury)?
Want to learn how to start running 2 miles a day? Or are you still wondering if it is ok to run every day. Running 2 miles every day, in particular, may appear absurd if you have never attempted it.
But the truth is that running 2 miles daily is an excellent approach to developing an exercise habit while reaping all of the critical aspects of running without the disadvantages.
This article focuses on the benefits of mindful running, specifically the 2 miles per day transformation.
Hopefully, by the end of this article, you will understand why it is a good practice and why you should engage in it for various reasons, including improved health and beauty.
How Do I Start Running 2 Miles Per Day?
Running two miles every day will help you become a lot healthier.
It’ll be challenging to jog for two miles straight if you’re not used to it. It’s no problem!
The most important thing is to keep your body moving, whether you’re sprinting or walking. Have a proper running form and swing your arms appropriately.
Let’s begin with the basics.
1. Warm Up, Stretch, And Hydrate
Stretching warms your muscles, tendons, and ligaments and helps your body adapt from rest to vigorous exercise. Stretching also improves overall health, flexibility, and physical function.
Stretching before a race can also help you recover from running by reducing muscular soreness.
Try two minutes of low-intensity stationary jogging to warm up your cardiovascular system; this is an excellent way to warm up your heart and lessen the strain on it when racing.
Warming up will gradually raise your heart rate, allowing it to function at its maximum during your marathon.
You can stay appropriately hydrated by drinking water before, during, and after your run.
Let your body recover from the exercise by cooling down for a minute.
Walking around, stretching, and drinking water are all good things to do. Time is required for your heart and blood pressure to recover to their resting level.
2. Stay At a Comfortable Speed
Keep in mind that most of your daily runs (about 80% or more) should be pleasant and straightforward. This is true even for professional athletes!
If you’re an experienced racer, you can surely put faster cycles into some sessions or perform longer runs on other days.
However, if you’re aiming to start a continuous jogging streak, you’ll want the majority of your 2-mile runs to be easy on the body.
3. Listen to What Your Body is Telling You
While it’s fantastic to keep a streak going, remember to listen to your body. It’s pretty acceptable to take a day off if you’re injured or simply need a mental break from running.
Running is good, but you must take precautions to avoid knee pain, foot injuries, tiredness, or dehydration.
Fatigue and dehydration can be life-threatening, specifically if an athlete is not well conditioned or is attempting to run in excessively hot weather.
An injury is uncomfortable at best; at worst, it might prevent you from performing in a race or a marathon for weeks, months, or even years. So be very careful and take care of yourself.
Slow down if you dry heave or feel a stitch in your side. It’s also crucial to have the correct temperature outside.
To avoid dehydration or overheating, it’s better to walk or practice sprinting outside only in moderate conditions. It’s safer to practice on a treadmill or an indoor track if it’s too hot outside.
Remember, most of the advantages of running, such as enhanced cardiovascular health and less anxiety, do not necessitate daily jogs.
How Long Should a Two-Mile Run Take?
Everybody’s number will be different. For example, running 2 miles may take you 25–30 minutes if you use the run-walk strategy if you’re a starter.
However, if you can already cover 2 miles without taking any break, the typical time limit is 16-22 minutes.
Expect your time to increase because you’ll be running every day quickly.
Many people sprint 1-2 minutes faster per mile after just one week of jogging 2 miles every day. However, you will notice a significant difference when you run every day.
Some also prefer to run two miles every day to increase their speed. Covering a short, quicker distance can help you get up to speed if your tempo is a little slower than you’d like.
The Benefits of Running 2 Miles Every Day
1. Losing Weight
It should go without saying that the primary motivation for most people to start jogging is to lose some weight. And just running two kilometers every day can help you lose a lot of weight.
2. Protection From Cardiovascular Disease
Running and aerobic activity, in general, have been shown to boost heart health like no other.
3. Leg Muscle Strengthening And Knee Health
Besides the physically challenging activities, simple exercises such as jogging and sprinting improve muscles when done correctly.
It helps you maintain a more steady schedule.
Want to get more things checked off your to-do list every day? The first step toward consistency is to establish a really good routine.
4. It Gives You a New Perspective
It might be challenging to have a positive mindset when faced with so many problems at work or in life. Perhaps you’re always exhausted. Perhaps you aren’t making the improvements you expected. Perhaps you and someone in your life are at odds.
The mood boost that comes with running is one of the most prevalent reasons individuals decide to become runners. But by putting on those shoes and racing two miles, you’re sending a message to the rest of the world that you’re powerful and capable of accomplishing everything you set your mind to.
5. Regular Exercise Helps You Maintain a Consistent Schedule
Establishing a routine is the first step toward consistency. Yes, it needs determination.
But with habit stacking, you can build other good practices on top of running every day: eating healthily, going to bed earlier, etc.
The Bottom Line
Sitting around lazily at home is not an option when you have the chance to make substantial changes in your life via jogging. So if you are well-prepared, determined, and consistent, you can experience running 2 miles a day changing your body and mind.
Although it may be challenging for new runners to get into the habit, qualified and experienced fitness gurus can help you gradually get into the practice. And in no time, you get faster mile times also.