Due to work commitments, I sometimes do a lot of runnings at night.
I find that night running can help me to unwind the day’s activities and bring down my stress level. It also helps me to feel relaxed so that I can get a better sleep. After many rounds of night running, I have now come to acknowledge the difference of running at daytime and night.
Nowadays, if I were to run at night, I would always stay mindful of below to get the most out of my night running experience.
Proper warming up and stretching before the run
Usually the temperature in the night is cooler.
Therefore do warm up your muscles before your run. As you may have sat in your office chair for the entire day, do remember to stretch your muscles before the run so your muscles will not be so stiff. This can also assist in preventing injuries during or after the run.
With proper warm up, it should help you to start off your run easier. If you really cannot find time to warm up, at least consider doing a slower start to your run. This will allow your muscles to warm up before going on a full speed.
Look out for traffic and be visible
Always run on the pavement if possible.
This is to keep you safe from any cars and traffic. If there is no pavement to run on, then try run on the side of the road facing the traffic. Running facing the traffic will allow you to see the oncoming vehicles and be able to react accordingly, especially if there are any distracted driver on the road.
Wear bright coloured attire and those with reflective material. This is to make you visible to others at night, especially to the motorized bicycles on the pavement.
Be conscious of the running path
Be aware of what is in front of you while you run.
I used to suffer sprains and falls due to an uneven pavement, stones or me hitting a kerb. This usually happens when I am not paying attention to what is directly in front of my running path. Do not assume that the path you are running on yesterday is the same condition as today.
Stay hydrated
The cooler temperature at night may give you a false impression that you are not thirsty. Do stick to your usual hydration plan and drink up if necessary.
Keep the route short and simple
If you are planning to go for a 10km run, instead of planning for a direct 10km route, why not plan for a 5km route instead (and repeat it twice)? This can keep you closer to your home in case you need anything. Or in any emergency, you can be easily located. Do let your family know where you will be running.
Bring a cellphone
Nowadays, most of us carry cellphone and make use of running app to better track our run. Carrying a cellphone can also help in case of any emergency.
If you have a fall or injured yourself and cannot make it back home, at least you can use your cellphone to call for help.
Let me know if you have any interesting tips or encounter to share about night running. Have fun running at night, and remember to run safe too 🙂
Looking for more running tips?
These are some of the easy ways I stay fit while travelling.
I am a runner and property investor based in Singapore. If you hope to find out more about my writing in property investment, you can read them here.
Like my Facebook page to receive the latest updates and alert of my property investment seminar!