These tips will let you hit the ground running - longer and stronger

MAGIC NUMBER
Harness the power of three and you'll ease past the beetroot-faced, breath-sucking phase in no time, says running coach Richard Holt. "Do three weekly sessions of 20-30 minutes and increase your volume by 10 per cent a week. Evaluate your efforts on a scale of one to 10. Make the first few runs a three and build up from there." Rest every fourth week.

BREATHE EASY
It can pay dividends to find the right rhythm on the run. "Some runners find that inhaling every second or third stride helps them maintain a steady breathing rhythm," says former US Olympian and running coach Jeff Galloway. To up your oxygen intake and stave off a side stitch, try belly breathing. Practise this: lie on your back, place your hands on your abdomen and rhythmically fill and empty your lungs, noticing your stomach rise and fall.

HAPPY LANDING
If you're repeatedly landing on your heels or toes, your running career won't last long. "Your most efficient foot plant is when it lands directly under your hips," says former Commonwealth Games marathon runner Keith Anderson. Practise landing mid-sole: the ball of your foot touching down first, followed by your heel a fraction of a second later and your toes pushing off after that.

RUN TO THE BEAT
In a study by Brunel University in the UK, those who exercised to music used seven per cent less oxygen than usual. "If runners pick the right song, it'll improve their efficiency," says lead researcher Dr Costas Karageorghis. Aim for something where the tempo is over 120 beats a minute.

ARM LOCK
Swinging your arms wildly will encourage similar movement from your legs, teeing you up for injury, says Tim Hilden, of the Boulder Centre for Sports Medicine in the US. "Imagine elbowing someone behind you and avoid moving your hands more than 20 centimetres from your body."

GET IN GEAR
Run in your old gym trainers and you'll be laid up in no time. "A running shoe has a higher heel to help you push through your foot," says Paul Coates, author of Running Repairs. To see which type of support you need, wet your foot and stand on brown paper. A low or flat arch requires motion control shoes, a normal arch needs a stability shoe, high arches need cushioned shoes.