I never was a sports person. I haven’t been in a team at school or played any tournament in my teen years. Training at the gym wasn’t my favorite plan either and I wasn’t able to stick on it for more than a couple of months.

On my late twenties, I discovered running almost by accident. It started as a kind of therapy on a difficult period of my life. I used to go for long walks to the park to clear my mind and one day I tried to run for 5 minutes. Next week, I ran for 10 minutes. When I looked back, I was running 5K in half an hour. And that is a lot for anybody.

Since then, I’ve never stopped running. I do it several times a week, even in winter or rainy days. I earned finisher medals in 10K races and completed my first half marathon in 2017. I even climbed a podium once, when I got third place in my category. It’s been 8 years of doing physical activity for pleasure. Me, the girl who wasn’t a sports person.

Here are some of the reason why I am convinced that running is the best choice for training for non-sport people like me:

1 – It is easy

You don’t need any special talent or ability to run. It is not necessary to be fast or have a lot of endurance. You should start at your own pace and work from there. You will be surprised at what you can achieve in a couple of weeks. The best way to get started is by setting a weekly routine, going out 3 or 4 times. I preferred to track my improvements by time. After following it for a whole month, you should be able to run for a couple of miles. That will boost your confidence in yourself and you will see the benefits in your general mood and your body.

2 – No special equipment required

A good pair of running shoes is enough to become a runner. There are many options available and the most expensive are not necessarily the best. To get started, you can use a weekly routine and download an app on your phone to track your performance. Later, you can buy special clothes or other tech devices, like smartwatches, but they are not necessary to start.

3 – You can do it on your own

No need to find a partner to practice or wait for somebody to be available to join you. You choose the time, the frequency and the intensity. If you wish, you can join a running team, but it’s not mandatory. They are a great help just if you want to make new friends or get professional advice for your training. You can find them on social media or pay attention to the gatherings in the most popular places for runners in your city.

4 – It is cheap

Forget about the gym or club membership. You can run in a park or on the streets wherever you live. If you are lucky enough, you can do it by the sea o by the river and get amazing views every day. It is also a great way to get to know the cities where you travel to. Now, every time I go to a new place, the first thing I ask at the reception in the hotel is where is the best area to run in the city. And I don’t consider myself a non-sport person anymore.