Practicing any kind of sport is nice because it leads to the release of endorphins, the “feel good” hormones. That feeling of euphoria you feel after a good run is called runner’s high because you feel relaxed and at peace. And why not want to have these feelings while you are a student too? College years are often challenging and stressful and practicing any kind of sport can help you return to your tasks with a fresher and more creative perspective.
Students who are getting an education and study a lot for their exams and assignments often need a hobby or an engaging physical activity. And running is the most facile one to start with. You only need your running equipment, headphones, motivation, and determination to exceed your limits. But how to set running goals you can achieve while studying? Studying is surely a priority to many students, while running is a passion. But with these tips, you can engage in both at the same time.
Have a Slow Start
When you decide to start running, you are surely very motivated and determined. These feelings and emotions can make you very hopeful for the future, which is very good. But they can also make you unrealistic. It is therefore important to start slow and small. If you do not practice any kind of sports, it is important to help your body get used to physical activity.
So, do not think that from the very first time you will be able to run a marathon. For this, you need a lot of practice. However, you could start small by alternating walking with running. This way, you begin to train your body for even more physical activity, which you need to slowly introduce. Do not force your body from the very start because you will have muscle soreness, which sometimes can distract you from your academic tasks.
Set SMART Goals
One of the things many students forget is setting SMART goals. Having goals for your running performance is important because this helps you take action towards achieving them. They also give you some guidelines. More important, being aware of your running goals will allow you to combine them with your academic ones and achieve them while studying. So, a SMART goal is a goal that is specific, achievable, measurable, realistic, and time-bounded. How would a SMART running goal sound like? Something like this: I want to be able to run 2 kilometers without any stop in one month starting from now. You can derive some small actions you can take towards achieving this goal, such as daily running sessions and so on.
Setting goals is essential not only for your running performance but for your academic one too. If you also set some career-goals now, you will be able to take some actions to accomplish them. And sometimes you may need a hint. There are many free essay examples on https://eduzaurus.com/free-essay-samples/career-goals/ that will help you follow your academic goals. Find some inspiration!
Track Your Progress
The process of setting goals is not over after you have defined them. Just thinking about them, writing on a paper, and then forgetting them is not the way to go. If you want to set and achieve running goals while studying, you need to do more than this. And engaging in this process will also help you in your future career, especially if you will have a leadership opportunity.
So, setting goals that are achievable and realistic is important, but tracking your progress is even more important. You know your final destination, but to reach it, you need to analyze your progress. This will give you an insight into your performance which will allow you to make the changes necessary to accomplish your running goals. Maybe you need to practice more. Maybe you need to have a balanced diet to replenish your energy levels easily. Maybe you need to change the time of your running session. Tracking and evaluating your progress is essential because this will give you the guidelines you need.
Final Words
Many students may think that setting running goals and accomplishing them while studying is impossible. Something that many students say they lack is time, so how could you possibly do this? Well, you can indeed do this. Running can turn out to be a nice activity to engage in that can also boost your wellbeing and productivity. So, start slow, set SMART goals, and track and evaluate your progress.
Bio lines: Michael Turner is a content and essay writer. He collaborates with local newspapers and magazines. His passion is running and he writes various articles on this topic.
