When getting started with cycling, there can be a lot of conflicting information available, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

However, one tip every resource agrees upon is the importance of keeping bike tyres fully pumped up. Doing so keeps the risk of punctures as low as possible, as well as providing as easy and efficient ride.

Road bike tyres should be between 80-130 psi (pounds per square inch), mountain bike tyres between 30-50 psi, and hybrid bike tyres between 50 and 70 psi. Finding the specific value that is right for you depends on your weight, with heavier bodies requiring higher psi.

A small hand pump is useful for temporary puncture repairs on the go, but getting a road bike up to 100 psi requires a larger floor pump. Checking tyre pressure before every ride will help minimise the risk of a puncture, and make the ride as eventless as possible.

Replacing the daily commute with cycling can be one of the easiest ways to get started on the path to a healthier routine. Getting started can be a little intimidating, so this mini-guide aims to provide a beginner's idea of how to get started.

Cost

Although the initial core investment can be costly (bike, helmet, gloves, lights), the savings on petrol / transport fares will soon counteract these costs entirely. For example, my monthly bus pass costs ~£80. I paid a total of £320 for all of my cycling equipment, therefore within 4 months of cycling to work every day my initial investment will be accounted for, and I'll be saving money daily.

Of course, this is only possible if the workplace is within cycling distance of home, say 10-15 miles. If cycling to work directly isn't possible, at least part of the commute can be cycled, possibly allowing a cheaper pass to be bought or less petrol to be used. Not to mention the fact that once the investment is made, the bike can be used for getting around any other time. Some governments also offer schemes to encourage cycling, such as the UK's "Cycle to work", offering tax-free bike purchases.

Benefits

One of the biggest advantages to cycling is the incredible calorie burning it provides; around 700 calories per hour (depending on speed and weight)! Muscles in your core (stomach & chest) and legs will get quite a workout, with result being visible within a few cycles.

The calories burned quickly add up, with a 9 mile cycle to work providing 525 burned calories (again, depending on speed and weight), for a total of 5.25k per week! For the mathematically inclined, that's 21k calories burned & 360 miles travelled per month.

In addition to the cycling-specific health benefits, the usual exercise related benefits (longer life, happier, etc) all apply. Additionally, the burst of endorphins before work ensures you arrive full of energy and ready to work, which can be an absolute lifesaver for those of us with office jobs. A rarely mentioned benefit is the amazing feeling of saving money and improving your health before even arriving in the office. Contrasted to colleagues who have spent money on petrol to sit down for half hour, the benefit should be clear.

Potential Drawbacks

Punctures. They're absolutely the worst aspect of cycling, and ultimately happen to us all. I tend to find it easier to get a bike shop to do the replacement, as it gives me an opportunity to have a look around for new items, and ensures it will be done correctly. Many bike shops offer "care plans", whereby for a fixed monthly / yearly fee most repairs are discounted. That being said, punctures in the middle of nowhere will occur, and carrying a spare inner tube, tyre levers, and a mini-pump mean an on-the-go repair is possible. Practicing the tyre change option at home first is strongly recommended, as it's not the easiest process and can take practice to perform smoothly. Additionally, keeping tyre pressure high helps prevent some of the more common types of puncture.

Accidents. Hopefully you'll never encounter these, but it's important to be aware of the possibility. Whilst being aware of the Highway Code for cyclists is helpful, in general being predictable is the easiest way to avoid any accidents with cars / other cyclists. This means signalling before turns, not changing direction suddenly, and being aware of surrounding vehicles.

Getting hot and sweaty can also happen, especially during the summer. Ideally all workplaces would offer a shower, but we all know that isn't very likely. It's easier to just bring a change of clothes in a small bag and combine with liberal use of deodorant before and after. Remember to cycle a little slower towards the end of the route, to allow your body time to cool down and stop sweating. 

In conclusion, cycling is one of the most convenient and beneficial forms of exercise available, and cycling to work provides the perfect opportunity to start. Whilst getting into the habit can take effort and a bit of motivation, the health improvements are immediate, as is the core muscle-building.

Happy cycling!

Walking. We all do it every day, and usually don't even think of it as exercise. And yet, it's an excellent form of improving health that is extremely easy to incorporate into everyday life.

Lunch breaks in the workplace are usually a wasted hour, spent scrolling through various social media feeds or idly chatting. However, this is an excellent opportunity to walk a couple of miles and get the heart rate raised a tiny bit. Or, if this isn't an option, getting off the bus a stop or two earlier can let you discover hidden parts of the local area.

It helps to have something to listen to, and as there's plenty of time to look carefully at crossings etc (unlike running), headphones aren't a safety risk. Whilst services like Spotify offer streaming of almost any song (and even offline playback if premium is purchased), audiobooks are a viable alternative. Non-fiction audiobooks help ensure the lunch break is doubly productive, whereas fiction can be more engaging and provide additional motivation to walk the full route planned (for me it's Isaac Asimov every time!).

Walking with someone, a colleague or partner perhaps, can also provide excellent motivation. Additionally, it's a perfect way to bond, since the walk through city or countryside will provide plenty of talking points.

Health benefits

These walks can easily burn 200+ calories, and a good target to aim for is 10,000 steps. Luckily, these days keeping track of steps taken no longer requires purchasing an additional pedometer. Instead, installing an app such as Google Fit will do all of the work for you, as well as keeping a record of the days the goal was achieved. Besides weight loss and improving core (and leg!) muscles, walking outside has a massive range of health benefits:

• Strengthens the heart.
• Lowers risk of type 2 diabetes, asthma, and some cancers.
• Helps prevent dementia.
• Improves bone strength.
• Boosts vitamin D levels.
• Releases endorphins, thereby improving your mood.

Walking is an excellent free way to get started on the road to healthier living, and requires nothing besides time. As it isn't an intense workout as jogging or cycling is, it doesn't require a shower or a change of clothes after a session. This means it can be done at any time, anywhere, in almost any clothing. 

Now get out there and start walking!

Perhaps the most important step in running is sticking at it. In this article, a few common techniques to help maintain motivation will be mentioned, with the aim of providing ideas to those who are starting to lose interest.

Habit Building

The hardest runs are the first few. Once you've been running for a while, it becomes a habit, and no longer requires such a large effort to begin. It's important to convert the initial enthusiasm for a new activity into a long lasting enjoyment, until it becomes a part of daily life.

For example, you may choose to run after work on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays. The first week or two, it will be a very conscious effort, with each run potentially being the last. However, eventually it simply becomes part of your routine, along with brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. Once this happens, the chance of quitting drastically reduces, as each run is no longer daunting.

Limit Yourself

It's far, far better to run 3 miles 3 times a week than do a 8 mile run every week or two. Combined with the previous section, smaller runs are a far more effective way to maintain the habit. Whilst it can be easy to delay your weekly run by a day, that quickly snowballs into a few days, a week, and then the habit is lost. With small, regular runs your body can improve steadily, instead of being overexerted and damaged with every long, irregular run.

Additionally, these longer runs can very easily be detrimental to your health, and leave you worse off than if you hadn't run at all.

Running Socially

Running with others also greatly helps reduce the risk of dropping the running habit. It transforms running from a solo activity that requires motivation into a group activity that requires basic social etiquette. Finding people to run with can be hard, so many people mix group sessions with solo sessions, depending on what times are possible for their running partners. As I tend to run in the morning before work, finding people willing to wake up earlier to spend half hour in the cold wasn't easy! 

Running with a partner is also a good bonding experience, although if there is a difference in ability solo runs should also be maintained. 

No Excuses

Unfortunately for us, our body likes sitting around doing nothing. If it's raining outside, that's an excellent excuse to stay inside. If it is still dark, another excellent excuse. Friends coming over later? Yet another excuse. Overcoming these excuses is essential, and I found the easiest way to be taking a very hard line to them. No matter the weather, situation, time, I had to stick to my routine. 

Next Steps

The longer the habit has been maintained, the easier it becomes to maintain. Each run will also tire you less than the previous one, as your body begins to anticipate the energy expenditure. Once a certain distance has been maintained comfortably for a couple of weeks, it's worth trying out a longer route. Tactics like these are how people eventually have seemingly absurd 30-40 mile/week routines; by building them up bit by bit.

For some of us, the main reason we keep exercising is tracking our progress. To see the numbers increase. There are countless running apps available, with varying prices and functionality, all trying to motivate you to stick with it. There are two main aspects to tracking; during your run, and viewing long term progress.

The Simple

At the very bottom of the functionality spectrum, we have Google Fit (Android, PC), Google's attractive, if simple, foray into the health tracking market. Whilst it doesn't provide any information during the run, the long term tracking more than makes up for it. We previously covered the app, and found it excellent for monitoring all aspects of an active life.

The Complex

Towards the top of the spectrum there's one of the older apps around, RunKeeper (Android, iOS, PC). One of the main selling points of the app is the ability to receive audio updates on your run progress. For example, the app can be configured to inform you of your distance travelled and average speed every 5 minutes. This helps ensure you are always aware of your progress, and can pick up the pace if necessary.

The marmite (hate it or love it!) aspect of RunKeeper is the integrated social network. For those of us who live to impress, the ability to let our active friends know about our progress will help us stay focused. On the other hand being prompted to share every run, even after disabling as much of the social functionality as possible, can be irritating.

It has the standard achievement offerings, and is fairly customisable. Unfortunately, and this is the big kicker, most of the stat tracking functionality is locked behind their premium account ($9.99/mo or $39.99/year). It can be incredibly frustrating to know all kind of statistics about your activities are being tracked, and you don't have access to them.

Additionally, I found the GPS tracking to be fairly unreliable, sometimes insisting I had spent a few minutes running 30mph+ in random directions when in fact a straight line had been travelled. This often threw off my average speeds, and made true tracking impossible.

Image: RunKeeper Blog

The Silly

Finally, we have Zombies, Run! (Android, iOS). This app takes another approach to motivation, by simulating zombies chasing you. Whilst this initially sounds gimmicky, the audio stories are fairly captivating, and provide a bit of extra entertainment if running gets a bit dull. Unfortunately, and this isn't going to be true for everyone, I find listening to anything more complex than music to be detrimentally distracting. I couldn't focus on the running or the story enough, leading to a slight sense of confusion.

Whilst out on your "gathering missions" (runs), various supplies such as fuel and clothing will be found. These can then be used to upgrade the in-app base. Unfortunately, the base building mechanic is fairly simple and yet not very intuitive, meaning all of the supply gathering feels rather pointless. However, all of the negatives mentioned aren't a universal problem, and will instead vary from person to person.

Image: Zombies, Run! homepage

In summary, there is no "best running app". It depends entirely on your personal preference. However, when first starting out, the more intensive apps (such as RunKeeper) can be excellent in providing motivation. Once running is a habit, a more hands-off and automatic app (such as Google Fit) is often more desirable for ease of use and reliability.

Happy tracking!

I often hear from people that knowing what to wear for running is often one of the biggest barriers to entry. With all the brands to choose from, all with their own terminology, it can be hard to know which aerodynamic-breathable-stretch-mesh-compression item is for you.

Luckily, all you actually need is something comfortable and practical. As this is a starter guide, the advanced features of high end clothing won't be discussed, and instead the bare essentials will be focussed on.

Trainers

The most important part of your outfit. Without a decent pair of these, you're going to suffer from sore feet, blisters, or worse. This is the only item of clothing that is worth every penny you spend, with the more expensive trainers generally offering better protection and support. 

That being said, a £40 / $50 pair of Nike / Adidas running trainers is more than enough for a beginner. It's worth going into a retail store to try them on first, as a snug fit is very important. Whilst the brand isn't too important, why run the risk of an unknown, untrusted brand?

Top

For either gender, any cheap vest is going to be perfectly sufficient. It's important the vest is slim fitting, or you'll lose some of your energy to air resistance. Whilst skintight clothing is only a minor improvement from a slim vest, it is still an improvement that more experienced runners may want to look into further.

Ladies, you're going to need a sports bra. It has to be tight, as it must provide more support than your usual everyday ones. 

Bottom

As with your top, you're going to want something slim fitting and flexible. I tend to wear an everyday pair of athletic shorts, as the provide the flexibility without letting me overheat in the cold morning air. If you're in a hotter environment, the breathability of skintight options will be a more appealing option.

Guys, make sure you're wearing underwear with plenty of support (boxer briefs, not boxer shorts!).

First, you're going to have to honestly assess your own fitness level. Got memories of running 10 miles/day a decade or two ago? Great! You already know the essentials. Never run a metre more than absolutely necessary? Great! You haven't got any bad habits to break out of.

It's better to run too short a distance than too far, so aiming for a 1 mile route your first time out is totally okay, and nothing to be embarrassed about.

Methodology

There's two main schools of thought in terms of route:

Laps

This is the most common route methodology, and consists of running x laps around a predetermined course; i.e your local park. Whilst it has benefits in terms of consistency and modifiability, it has a few drawbacks. 

Advantages

• Easy to increase / decrease route length as necessary.
• Consistent scenery, so the running itself can be focussed on.
• Consistent route, so your average lap times over time can easily be compared and tracked.
• Progress is easily monitorable (e.g "I have completed 3/5 laps").

Disadvantages

• Repetitive nature can lead to boredom during your run.
• Any problems on your route (catcallers, aggressive dogs, etc) will be encountered repeatedly.

Point

This methodology tends to be used more in inner city areas where no green areas are available, or in very rural area with only long country roads. 

Advantages

• Easy to increase / decrease route length as necessary.

Disadvantages

• Can be hard to estimate when you're 50% out of energy.

Mapping

Google Maps

What Google Maps lacks in runner specific functionality, it more than makes up for it with excellent mapping of even the most rural areas. The "walking directions" feature is technically still in beta, but errors are going to be few and far between. Google Maps is perfectly suited for Point routes, and can be used to estimate Laps routes too. 

For Point routes, simply choose a significant landmark that you can confidently navigate to and from without concentrating. It's easiest to choose one in a straight line from your starting point, and make sure to take into account any inclines using the terrain option / cycle tool.

Google Maps' terrain display, and inclines / declines during along route.

Running Communities

Whilst there are far more detailed posts on individual communities, it's worth looking through some of the more popular ones (e.g RunKeeper), as most allow users to save / share routes. This is very useful for Laps runners, as the route will show the actual length you'll be running, and also ensure the place is runner friendly.

Running. The R word. The commonly cited way to lose some weight. It can be a little bit intimidating, but it really needn't be.

As a species, we've been running since we first figured out what our legs are for. Whilst the past required it for survival, it is now an entirely optional activity. If you want, you can spend decades never going faster than a brisk walk. But... where's the fun in that? Luckily, getting started is far easier than most other methods of exercising; you already have everything you need! Legs, and motivation.

In this series of posts, we'll discuss the bare essentials of starting running, and taking your first step(s) towards a healthier life.

Choosing A Route
Choosing Clothing
Tracking Progress
Keeping It Up