I noticed that since my battle to eat healthy post, I haven’t really talked about my fitness journey so I’m gonna go into it more in the coming weeks.

Lets talk about my running journey shall we?

Running has become a part of my weekly routine. I run or walk at least thrice a week. It’s an exercise I don’t ignore completely (sorry Shaun T😂😂). Running helps burn calories really fast which aids weight loss. However, if you find it hard to run, you can walk instead. Walking also has great benefits and it’s the easiest form of exercise. It’s something you can still do if you are feeling tired, sore or you had a long day to reflect on your day.

If you don’t know the benefits of running/walking, get in here!!!!

• It enhances your sense of well-being.
• It improves muscle strength.
• It reduces the risks of heart disease.
• It helps maintain a healthy weight.
• You have a big chance at 100% fat burn. Burning fat is way better than burning calories!!!

One thing I have to point out is that to enjoy running or walking, it’s better to have bluetooth ear or headphones. The earphones prevent every form of distraction and enable you listen to music which makes the exercise more enjoyable. Also, running apps work better with them for you to hear updates on how you are doing while you are exercising.

When I started this journey, it wasn’t hard because I had some apps to guide me. If you are a beginner like I was or you wish to see big gains, you will need these apps to assist you on your journey.

RUNNING APPS 

5k Runner: 0  to 5km Run Trainer

I started my journey with this app. I think this is the best running app for a beginner. It gradually trains you every week to be a better runner. It comes with a three days a week routine and you have to follow the instructions during each run. Which is a warm up, then a walk, then a run, back to a walk, then a run till your day’s challenge is over. Of course, the more days you’re at it, the more your challenge changes till you finally run 5km. Guess what? there’s also a 5-10km app if you want to stick with this style.

Nike+ Run Club

After I did my first 5km run, I kind of ditched my 0-5km app and started using this app. I found the Nike+ app more fun because I could add my friends to see how they were doing, route my runs, monitor my achievements and post my record on social media with it’s cool stickers. Like most running apps, you get a notification on each km stating your average pace, distance and time. What I love most about this app is the words of encouragement I get from the Nike ambassadors after each run. It gets to me all the time and makes me push myself more.

Fitbit

You know my Fitbit app has to be part of the apps right? My Fitbit has been a part of me since January 2016. It is my favourite companion and I adore it so much that I wrote a post specially for it here. Anyway, since my Fitbit is on my wrist almost 24/7, it also monitors my runs/walks, heart rate and pace. I upgraded my Fitbit to a surge recently and this version allows you initiate your workouts yourself which is really cool. Also, the Fitbit app was updated about three months ago and now I can save and share my routes, stats and achievements on social media too.

So there you go. These are the apps I use to stay motivated on my running journey. I hope this was able to help you in some way. My username on Nike+ Run Club is “Mariam Shittu” while it’s “Mariam S” on Fitbit. Add me, let’s get fit together😀.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed reading this post, please like, comment and share.

Have a great weekend.

Mariam Shittu
xo